It's a Team's Life
Flip Flopping through the Sky
Earlier in the year we bought Groupon tickets for the Sky Combat Ace / Afterburner Package. Bob and I have both always wanted to try flying in an acrobatic airplane and this was our chance. We were on our way to Las Vegas with an extra day before we had to pick up our next load and I immediately called and made our reservations.
In the near vicinity of the Sky Combat Ace Hangers in Henderson, NV is room to park a tractor/trailer, straight truck or vans. We were asked to arrive about an hour early for our flights to fill out paperwork. From the time we were greeted at the door till we left approximately three hours later we were treated like long lost friends. The customer service was exemplary.
The first order of business was ground school, which was taught by Pilot Joseph “Whip†Abbud and he was a character! He had us laughing and feeling totally at ease asking him questions about our up coming experience. Whip went through all of the maneuverers we were going to get to experience in the air and we could not wait to get started! One of his memorable comments was "Even if you think you are going to get sick give it a try this is probably a once in a life time experience".
Next we put on our flight suits and took several pictures and then promptly took off our flight suits! It was hot and like they said we did not need the flight suit in the plane. While still in our flight suits we had our pictures taken with the plane, with our pilots and also with each other. We were given options to purchase pictures and/or a video of the flight, as the plane was equipped with four cameras so all angles were covered including the look on our faces!
Whip was Bob’s pilot and he has over 1300 hours flying with many of those hours flying acrobatics. His knowledge and love for flying shows in everything he says or does.
My pilot was Bill “Stroke†Tracy who is a retired Air Force Colonel with over 2500 hours in a fighter plane and who has aspirations of competing in acrobatic competitions. If they were required to take passengers to compete I would gladly volunteer my time!
We each loaded up in our planes and we
took off! We flew in formation, which was awesome as we were able to see
up close and personal what it would look like if we were in the US Air Force
Thunderbirds acrobatic team formation flying wing tip to wing tip. Once
we reached our destination each plane split off to perform maneuvers.
What was nice about this is Bob and I were each able to watch each other’s
planes perform many of the tricks.
Once we had our own air space we started out with Loops, Barrel Rolls, Hammerhead, Inverted Flight, Tail Slides, Upright Spin, Inverted Spin, Knife Edge Spin, and then on to a Lomcevaks (tumbles) and then my pilot Stroke went on to perform an eight point roll and a four point roll. The gentle loops and rolls warmed us up for the hammerhead and tail slide. Before we went up the hammerhead had me concerned and once we started into this trick I put my trust in Stroke and I enjoyed the ride. Stroke would tell me which way to look so that I could see and enjoy the most possible. When we “fell†out of the hammerhead we tipped over the left wing and the view and feeling was amazing. We then went on to perform the tail slide, which involved flying straight up until the plane stalls and we slid backwards through the sky like a rock.
One of my favorite maneuvers was the Inverted Flat Spin. The view was amazing and seeing the entire desert with the surrounding hills while hanging upside down in a plane was truly a thrill I will not soon forget. When younger I used to watch competition flying and watching a pilot perform an eight-point roll flawlessly fascinated me and I am glad to say I have now experienced an eight-point roll. I believe Stroke will keep everyone on the edge of their seats in awe when he competes.
Both pilots were great guys and after each maneuver they would ask us if we were ready to try something else. The best about the flights, unlike a roller coaster is that the pilots can level out the plane while a roller coaster just keeps going…
We cannot say enough about this experience;
this day is something we will not soon forget. Stroke patiently
explained any questions there were asked and also offered tips on which way to
look to get the most enjoyment out the experience. We would recommend Sky Combat Ace to anyone who enjoys flying and who enjoys an adrenalin rush.
Pictures were taken by Kevin Birnbaum of Sky Combat Ace
On a side note one of the most embarrassing things was I had to sit on a booster chair in the plane so I could see...
To learn more about Groupon’s
Web site for:
The package we purchased
Bob & Linda Caffee
Leased to: FedEx Custom Critical 

TeamCaffee

Saint Louis MO
Expediters 7 years been out here on the road 12 years
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