Aerobatic Rides

From May–September in Seattle, you can enjoy a thrilling aerobatic ride in BruceAir’s Extra 300L, a world-class unlimited aerobatic airplane.

BruceAir’s Extra 300L spends winters at Boulder City, NV (KBVU), near Las Vegas. (There’s not much point in having an aerobatic airplane in Seattle during the monsoons.)

Each May, I bring the airplane back to Boeing Field (KBFI) in Seattle, where I fly from the flight school at Galvin Flying Services.

The Extra 300L has returned to its winter home at Boulder City, NV (KBVU). It will be back at Boeing Field in May 2010. If you're interested in an aerobatic ride or stall/spin/upset training next year, contact me via email.

Please note that I do not offer aircraft checkouts, tailwheel endorsements, high-performance endorsements, or flight reviews in the Extra. The airplane is not available for solo flight.

Aerobatic rides and training are not available at Boulder City, NV (KBVU). Although I visit Las Vegas often during the winter, my schedule varies, and I am not currently able to conduct commercial operations there.

A typical aerobatic ride lasts 45 minutes and includes a variety of maneuvers: aileron rolls, loops, barrel rolls, hammerhead turns, vertical rolls, point-rolls, inverted flight—and for true thrill-seekers, tumbles (e.g., a Lomcevak), and spins.

A ride and video on DVD is $310.

Because aerobatic flights require better-than-average weather, it’s impossible to guarantee a specific date and time for a flight. But if you want to get on my schedule, send me an email, and we’ll set up some opportunities. I’m available weekdays and weekends, and as the days get longer, the flying window opens wider. It’s best to start planning about a week ahead as forecasts become more reliable.

And you can also receive a video recorded with the Extra’s on-board video system to prove you have the Right Stuff. To learn more about the aerobatic maneuvers you’ll enjoy during a ride, see the Aerobatics page here at BruceAir.

To see some of these maneuvers, check out the Videos page.

Flying at BruceAir

Most people who take an aerobatic ride at BruceAir have never experienced aerobatics, and many have never even flown in a small aircraft. I tailor an aerobatic flight to your preferences, and I strive to give everyone a smooth, fun ride. If you want to try more extreme maneuvers, I can accommodate you. But you’ll probably be surprised at how smooth and enjoyable a basic ride is. For more information about aerobatic rides contact me via email.

For more information visit my Contact page.

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Helpful Tips

Here are some tips to make your aerobatic ride or lessons more enjoyable:

• Don’t stress about getting sick. Nearly everyone returns from the flight with a huge smile. Very few people experience more than mild discomfort, and I usually get us back to the airport well before that feeling escalates.
• Make sure that you eat something an hour or two before your flight. I don’t recommend burritos, biscuits and gravy, pizza, etc., but don’t arrive on an empty stomach. Have a light meal or snack—you’ll feel better.
• Stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water (club soda, carbonated water, ginger ale, and 7 Up® are also good) before your flight. You’ll be in the air for only about 40 minutes, and you’ll feel much better if you’re not dehydrated.
• Arrive rested. Don’t party hard the night before your flight. A glass of wine or a beer is fine with dinner the previous day, but save the celebration until after the flight.
• Wear comfortable, casual clothes and shoes (sneakers are best—no boots, heels, clogs, dress shoes, etc., please).
• Please wear long pants (no shorts or skirts).
• Bring sunglasses. We fly when it’s sunny!
• You’ll wear a headset secured in a soft helmet when we fly, so be prepared for “headset hair.”
• A camera is handy for taking pictures of you beside the airplane, but you can’t take it with you when we fly.
• Be prepared to empty your pockets. We don’t want loose change, keys, cell phones, etc. flying around the cockpit.
• Your friends and family are welcome to join you at the airport, but they won’t see your flight. FAA regulations and safety require us to fly away from the airport to do aerobatics.
• We can fly only when the weather cooperates. We need a ceiling of at least 6000 ft and visibility of at least 10 miles to perform aerobatics safely. If there’s any doubt about the weather on the day of your flight, I’ll let you know. If you want to check weather reports and forecasts, read the Forecast Discussion (for the outlook a few days ahead) and the Observations and Forecasts for Boeing Field (KBFI) and adjacent airports from the Seattle office of the National Weather Service.

You’re in Charge

Remember that you’re in charge. We’ll do as much or as little aerobatics as you want. If you’re ready to stop after a loop and roll, we’ll enjoy the spectacular scenery from straight-and-level flight.

You’ll fly in the front cockpit. To learn more about the instruments and controls in the front seat, click the picture.

Before we fly, I will give you a detailed briefing about the Extra 300L, the front cockpit, communication and safety procedures, and the parachutes.

The Right Stuff

Some experienced pilots have a very low tolerance for aerobatics, and often non-pilots handle advanced maneuvers with aplomb. So relax and enjoy the flight. Regardless of how many maneuvers we fly, you'll join an elite group of people who have experienced the thrill of aerobatic flight.

And keep in mind that even after giving scores of aerobatic rides and sessions of stall/spin/upset training, I still haven't accumulated enough airsick bag "confirmed kills" on my canopy frame to become an ace.

The Extra 300L

To learn more about the airplane we'll fly, check out the detailed information on my Extra 300L page.

Seattle Practice Area

Several aerobatic pilots in the Seattle area fly in a small area east of Lake Sammamish, north of Fall City.

The chart excerpt at right (click it for a larger version) shows my typical route to/from Boeing Field and the practice area.

This area is not an aerobatic box, but it meets the regulatory requirements for flying aerobatics away from certain types of controlled airspace, congested areas, and so forth.

We self-announce on and monitor the air-to-air communications frequency of 122.75 while in the area.

Look out for us if you're flying in this area; we'll be looking for you.

More Information About Aerobatics

If you’re interested in learning more about aerobatics and the maneuvers you'll experience during your ride or training, see my Aerobatics and Stall/Spin/Upset Training pages.