Aerobatic Birthday Flight
 

I've been asked where to send a (non-flying) adrenaline- junkie friend for a long-dreamed of aerobatic flight for his birthday and as a commercial pilot I'm expected to know these things - but I'm not up to date on availability of club aircraft these days.

He won't want or need an Extra/Sukhoi or anything extreme - just a competent 20 - 30 min aerobatic experience. ie not a C150...

His home is Windsor - anywhere within an hour or so from there would be fine.

Ideas please?

Try The London Aerobatic Company at White Waltham.
You can google their website.
Very nice Cap 10b.

Try this, based at Panshangar I believe. They also do videos.

Aerobatic Experience Flights and Trial Lessons | Adastral Flying

Without a doubt, get in touch with West London Aero Club at White Waltham (google). The aerobatic side is run by Alan Cassidy who trains the national team and operates their Pitts S-2. :ok:

Ultimate High | Ultimate High

You can choose the Bulldog or Extra, and if he really enjoys Adrenalin then try a Top Gun trip!:ok:

A 40min aero experience in the Extra at Ultimate High last summer is one reason I'm now doing my PPL :)

Another vote for Ultimate High, had a flight with them in their Extra 300 last summer, now I just need to work a bit harder so I can get one!

Stapleford Flight Centre Private Flying Lessons, Gift Experiences, Private Pilot Courses, PPL, Stapleford Flight Centre, London, UK have a T67 Firefly that they use for aerobatic experience flights. Nice restaurant there as well for lunch afterwards.

Agreed - Adrian is very accommodating - well worth it!

Hmmm, Windsor, got to be the Pitts s2 at White Waltham followed by a bacon sandwich in the nostalgic club bar. No brainer.

Hope he has fun.

I know this is heresy, and this is completely a matter of personal taste, but I would say that in 15 years of flying aeros (at a 'just for my own fun' level from Fireflys through Zlins and Caps to Extra 300s) the only flight I really didn't like was the front seat of a Pitts S2. Maybe it's my build but I felt like I was stuffed into a coffin, horrid visibility / difficult to orientate, very twitchy, stench of hydrocarbon. Might be the mutt's nuts from the rear seat, and I know it's great value relative to other options but my first experience deterred me from finding out....

FF, I would agree. Its much nicer in the front of an Extra 200 (or 300) than a Pitts S2A.

And as a Pitts owner for a decade and a half - I would entirely agree with FF and ZA!

The front seat of an Eagle or a B are much nicer than the A. Notwithstanding that, I can't imagine that even a mega lottery win would cause me to trade mine!!

Stik

Yeah that smell you get in the front is not pleasant. I think the 2C is worse than the 2A presumably since it has a bigger engine. After a couple of sorties that smell is not pleasant in the front particularly if you're already starting to feel a bit off, though I find it is barely noticeable in the back but that may just be down to concentration.

I'd like to try an Extra 300 but £410 ph is a lot! The 200 looks like the better priced option at £260.

If he lives in Windsor and wants to see somewhere a little local with good atmosphere then White Waltham. Pitts S2 flights are a good option. See here - Aerobatic Flights with Alan Cassidy, Pitts Flights, Extra 300 Flights

Another option, if you want to go radical in an S Bach at White Waltham:ok: - Xtreme Aerobatics - Booking

V1

Nothing too extreme, I believe, was the original request! There's a nice chap with a CAP10 here:

The Tiger Club Trial Flights

OK it may be 90mins from Windsor, but my similarly 'gung ho' son was suitably stirred but not shaken after his first ride last year. Nice and easy does it!:D:D