How to do a wing over (with a hang over)

Possibly I had to prove something to myself, or compensate just ever so little for the fact that I never became a fighter pilot (I hear you laugh, but it was a teenage dream had it not been for my poor vision.... and possibly a few other physical weaknesses) One cannot but admire RAF pilots who push their bodies to the limits for how much pressure it can take and how much stress the brain can tolerate, yet take split second decisions.....


Mike is an ex RAF trainer - and he is my pilot. He is proud to tell me this training plane is one of the most difficult to take off and land, with its tail wheel in the back rather than the common front wheel. I look at the "Chipmonk" (that's the nick name for the aircraft, not the pilot), which has been retired for RAF training since 1999, after 50 years of service. I am pleased for the sake of my closest family that my company has a generous life insurance policy.
I guess I should also feel honoured that he wants to have a totally inexperienced city girl in his fine tailwheel vintage aircraft. But I guess for a few hundred quid...why not.

"So you want to do some aerobatics then?", he asks me as we have come a few hundred metres above the sea-front of Shoreham. I breathe a "yes" into the intercom and think "Lord, I'm ready", and he explains what will follow.


This is not much of a picture - but let me just say its taken during my first 360* spin - the aircraft drops to one side and continue round under to the other side. Shortly after time for the first loop. Mike pulls the stick forward, warns me that I will feel a bit of G-power, and up we go. Small plane, but a surprisingly large force pushing me down in my chair. As we are completely up side down it actually feels smooth again - wow! earth is coming towards me.
Or not, we are back on straight course again. Phew.
I am so happy to be still alive and it's great; I can't help but laugh. Mike interprets a giggling girl in the back as someone who wants more of the fun and he does another spin to the right. At least he is kind enough to a rookie to not spin the plane along it's axis but he puts the nose slightly up. (This is the way to avoid the so called negative G-power, which would mean I would be hanging in my belt, rather than pushed down in the chair by the friendly, positive G-power)

The "chock-to-chock" time lasts some 20 minutes, and then we do a short sightseeing over the area. I appreciate the back-to-normal, as the last spin and handling of the camera has left me slightly nautious.... the champagne last night seemed like a great idea at the time, but now... I'll celebrate with water and a Daim for my blood sugar.






"Are you coming back?", the receptionist asks me. I smile and think that next time I want to spend money fast - I'll go shoe shopping.