Too Much Plane? Brand New Pilot Tries To Fly Aerobatic Bi-Plane

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  • Опубліковано 16 чер 2023
  • Less than a month after getting my private pilot certificate I made a bold transition from the 21st century 'straight and level' Cirrus SR20 to the 1940's 'do a barrel roll' Pitts Special Aerobatic Biplane.
    And it was AWESOME.
    And sadly, it was only for a short time because the plane has been sold to a new owner, so I need to find new things to fly.
    Background music is by Jeremy Blake
    Follow me on Twitter for more updates:
    / djsnm
    I have a discord server where I regularly turn up:
    / discord
    If you really like what I do you can support me directly through Patreon
    / scottmanley
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КОМЕНТАРІ • 615

  • @Hogarthd
    @Hogarthd 11 місяців тому +978

    Fun flying w you, Scott! Let’s circle back for that tailwheel endorsement when I settle into a new airplane!

    • @clayel1
      @clayel1 11 місяців тому +50

      the man himself!

    • @Splarkszter
      @Splarkszter 11 місяців тому +31

      Woohooo!!! This is so awesome, thank you so much for helping scott :D

    • @mikelsikel73
      @mikelsikel73 11 місяців тому +30

      That was cool you guys could arrange this. Awesome to learn a bit about aerobatics - thanks for letting Scott “test drive” your plane

    • @leodikinis7390
      @leodikinis7390 11 місяців тому +8

      Love that Sonoma airport!

    • @scottmanley
      @scottmanley  11 місяців тому +81

      Gnoss is in Marin!

  • @josephd.5524
    @josephd.5524 11 місяців тому +227

    As I understand it, a Pitts is never out of control unless you actually see the propeller strike the ground.

    • @johndododoe1411
      @johndododoe1411 11 місяців тому +7

      How many pilots have recovered from that (in a Pitt)?

    • @1slotmech
      @1slotmech 11 місяців тому +12

      ​@@johndododoe1411 might be one - it's a Pitts, after all.

    • @derkeksinator17
      @derkeksinator17 11 місяців тому +4

      Its the model for the plane in san andreas, I think. Man I spent so much time flying this and later in flight sim. It's awesome !

  • @TheAquaticMandolin
    @TheAquaticMandolin 11 місяців тому +68

    It was so much fun to hear the joy in Scott's voice while he recalled the experience. It's not often as a grown adult, you get to have that kind of child-like glee.

    • @Jaybo79
      @Jaybo79 11 місяців тому +2

      Whole hearted agreement right here!

  • @GunganWorks
    @GunganWorks 11 місяців тому +42

    I have 10 hours in a Pitts-all takeoffs and landings. It was the best thing I ever did as a pilot. That training honed my stick and rudder skills to a razor’s edge. Plus, NOTHING flies like a Pitts!

  • @turbo32coupe
    @turbo32coupe 11 місяців тому +83

    I flew a Pitts S2C 30 yrs ago. If you just think a maneuver, you already did it. Spent all my hours in sailplanes and a Stearman PT-17. It's an addiction.

    • @tgordon4881
      @tgordon4881 11 місяців тому +5

      Sailplanes are indeed one heck of an addiction, beautiful, sexy, quiet pure flight.

  • @chrissaltmarsh6777
    @chrissaltmarsh6777 11 місяців тому +28

    Lots of years ago, I got my daughter, for her 16rth birthday, a ride in a Stearman, out of Oakland. 27R. Front seat, goggles, flight jacket, strapped in, all good. So the pilot took off and immediately turned the damn thing upside down. With my daughter in it.
    She loved it, I was scared. I was the one on the ground.

    • @cmcc3721
      @cmcc3721 11 місяців тому

      Love that story haha

  • @awdturbopowah773
    @awdturbopowah773 11 місяців тому +31

    "Fly safe" has taken on an especially relevant meaning these days! Very cool you got to share such a cool experience with your son as well. Cheers!

  • @brucefelger4015
    @brucefelger4015 11 місяців тому +14

    when I worked at Boeing Seattle, there was someone, who owned a Pitts, who would fly at lunch time, you know an hour of acro over Lake Washington. it was amazing to watch

  • @DouglasJenkins
    @DouglasJenkins 11 місяців тому +1

    My bro-in-law took me up in his Piper Cub, a WW2 veteran, with wood wing structure. As I got into the front seat, he casually said, "Those two bars coming down to the top of the instrument panel are called, "JC bars." I asked, "What does that mean?" He responded, "You'll see." At one point in the flight he shouted, "Look down there!", and cranked the ship into a severe right hand-diving turn. I shouted, "Jesus Christ! and grabbed the bars. He calmly retorted, "See?"
    Thanks for letting us watch you on your flying journey ... may you NEVER need a chute!

  • @mikebarushok5361
    @mikebarushok5361 11 місяців тому +10

    I had a roommate that worked for Great Lakes before they moved to another state. They were trying to develop a Pitts like version and famously had the engine depart from the rest of the aircraft. Creating an extremely tail heavy configuration. So, their test pilot managed to mush the thing into a landing in an open field and wasn't injured.

    • @jackaustin3576
      @jackaustin3576 6 місяців тому

      They should have contacted the Experimental Airplane Association for engeneering advice....

  • @EtzEchad
    @EtzEchad 11 місяців тому +13

    That is super cool!
    When I got my pilots license at age 19, I decided to try some aerobatics. The Cessna 152 was stressed for 4.5 Gs and could do spins so I figured that I didn’t need lessons - reading about it was enough. :) I wasn’t supposed to do loops but I figured that if I kept my speed up they would be fine. (the failure mode was supposed to be if you got into a tail slide) I did almost kill myself doing spins though because I entered the spin at 2000 feet instead of 3000 feet. Recovering at 500 feet instead of 1500 was a bit of a surprise. :)
    Anyway DONT do what I did. It was possibly the stupidest thing I ever did. :)

  • @RocketmanS2K
    @RocketmanS2K 11 місяців тому +53

    What a great video! Thank you Scott, and your son will always be able to say he had his first flying lesson in a Pitts Special. What a cool Dad!

  • @jkp41978
    @jkp41978 11 місяців тому +26

    As much as I love aviation I've only been in one airplane ever. Luckily it was a Red Baron Pizza Stearman biplane. I was a frozen food manager and was able to get a promotion flight with them. We got to do a lot of stunts that they used to fly in their airshow. Still a highlight. I've walked under that Spitts many times at the National Air and Space museum.

    • @MrFaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
      @MrFaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa 11 місяців тому +6

      you might be disappointed by jetliners if you decided to fly commercial some day. You barely feel a thing and there is no illusion of having control at any point so it's super boring

    • @andersjjensen
      @andersjjensen 11 місяців тому +1

      @@MrFaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Yup. It's like riding a cramped train but your ears are hurting.

    • @toadelevator
      @toadelevator Місяць тому +1

      I saw the Red Baron Pizza Stearmans perform at Macdill Airfest the week before the tragedy at Kissimmee. They were really skilled, and their announcer really added to the excitement. Marshall Minnesota could be very proud of them.

  • @uptake2
    @uptake2 11 місяців тому +25

    I’ve been to so many air shows where Pitts have done their thing… it’s an amazing tiny aircraft. Congratulations.. it looks so much fun… well done Scott.

  • @kenhelmers2603
    @kenhelmers2603 11 місяців тому +4

    I remember watching the 'Pitts" in awe as a youngster back in the 60's. Very cool plane. What a treat to fly in one!

  • @carlettoburacco9235
    @carlettoburacco9235 11 місяців тому +1

    It never gets old:
    The modern aircraft is designed in space age materials in collaboration with NASA via CAD/CAM.
    The Pitts is designed in bashed aluminum sheets, wood and fabric with pencil and ruler in collaboration with ..... a big brain that controls the pencil and the ruler.
    Look at that little bug: it's magnificent.

  • @aureaphilos
    @aureaphilos 11 місяців тому +6

    That was just so AWESOME!! I bet your logbook -- and Orion's -- will raise some eyebrows when either of you next goes for a new certification!! Bravo! Thanks so much for sharing!!!!

  • @evanbasnaw
    @evanbasnaw 11 місяців тому +3

    I'm glad you were able to get this necessary training in Upset Recovery Maneuvers. It will surely help you in any Unusual Attitudes you may find yourself in.

  • @DeneF
    @DeneF 11 місяців тому +1

    I say this with all the senserity of a Mancunian. You are a bonified mad jock my friend. You are brilliant. Well done.

  • @DanielWisehart
    @DanielWisehart 11 місяців тому +11

    Keep up the aerobatic journey, Scott. It will make you a better stick and rudder pilot--as you already know--besides, it is just plain fun.
    Look up your local IAC chapter and you will find some more like-minded pilots who might even get you involved in your first contest.

    • @SVSky
      @SVSky 11 місяців тому +2

      IAC Chapter 38 is Scott's back yard!

  • @alexlock3176
    @alexlock3176 11 місяців тому +5

    That footage with your son was just the best; super cool you get to share that with him!!

  • @northwind7409
    @northwind7409 11 місяців тому +8

    Scott, you really took me back with this video. I completed my commercial training in a French-built Robin DR400, since we needed to demonstrate recovery from full spins. What a blast! If you follow normal spin recovery in a Robin, you come out inverted. The flight test concluded with the examiner putting the Robin through a loop - not a requirement, just a bonus. BTW, there are only two kinds of tail-dragger pilots - those who have and those who will. Ground loop, that is. 😧

  • @neillogan6755
    @neillogan6755 8 місяців тому +1

    Scott! I also flew in this very aircraft (9QT) back in 1999 (had to check my logbook) when I was prepping for my CFI check ride at Marion Indiana! Couldn't believe it when I seen it in your video,had my mouth hanging open several minutes! Lol thanks for taking me back!

  • @peterkallend5012
    @peterkallend5012 11 місяців тому +9

    Pitts Special is legendary!

    • @tedmoss
      @tedmoss 11 місяців тому +1

      I have one in a box, it has a 42" wingspan. I wouldn't sell it for less than $600.

    • @peterkallend5012
      @peterkallend5012 11 місяців тому

      @@tedmoss my dad taught me to fly his Piper Cub, then realized when I was doing snap rolls on the flight sim he wrote that he could trust me with his more aerobatic model planes. When he handed me the "keys" to the Pitts I was excited beyond words. Best model plane I've ever flown, and that counts rocket gliders with in-flight ignition second stage, pylon racers, and float planes. There's a special place in my memory and heart for the Pitts Special.

  • @PaulCashman
    @PaulCashman 11 місяців тому +5

    This was great! This is the sort of awesome content that UA-cam is meant to have.

  • @thelyrebird1310
    @thelyrebird1310 11 місяців тому +2

    Congratulations on giving your son a memorable experience for his first flying lesson in an awesome plane.

  • @larryking606
    @larryking606 11 місяців тому +4

    Scott
    Congratulations on your Pilot License !!!!! And in a small way me not knowing how to fly a plane , I can understand your desire to fly that little Red Beauty !

  • @aeroelectro9981
    @aeroelectro9981 11 місяців тому +3

    I got to do some aerobatics a few years ago with a pilot in Petaluma who had an old ex-Chinese Nanchang CJ-6. Aerobatics are so much fun! I loved seeing your reaction to it. Fly safe!

  • @scubastevedan
    @scubastevedan 11 місяців тому +6

    Scott, following your aviation content is just as entertaining as your other videos and it motivates me to continue with my flight training.

  • @johnnyj540
    @johnnyj540 11 місяців тому +3

    I got to meet Curtis Pits in 1980 while filming the movie Cloud Dancer I was an extra in that and got to see some fantastic flying if you ever get a chance to see it. Got my ticket in '81.

  • @davidbatchelor3264
    @davidbatchelor3264 11 місяців тому +3

    My favourite parts of our local airshows were watching the Pitts Specials and the Stearmans. What a cool opportunity you had!

  • @bigiron4018
    @bigiron4018 11 місяців тому +1

    Demonstrated great control and awareness Scott. Great work, take care.

  • @jeffmentzer9186
    @jeffmentzer9186 11 місяців тому +1

    Awesome video Scott!! Thank you very much for bringing us along on your adventure!!!!

  • @kauffmanba
    @kauffmanba 11 місяців тому +1

    "Scott, you've got no G-indicator!"
    Scott: "That's okay. I'll reprogram my Go-Pro."

  • @4stringmanagmaildcom
    @4stringmanagmaildcom 11 місяців тому +3

    I witnessed a Pitts land on top of a C172 at Arlington Airport in WA several years ago. The C172 had just lifted off and the Pitts was on final. It was a sickening crunch and both planes fell in a heap on the runway. We ran out there to help and both pilots only had minor injuries and were fairly easy to extricate. The C172 was smoking badly and I was concerned a fire could break out at any time. It was scary and also a miracle. I believe both planes were totaled. The visibility issues in a Pitts are real. But, the C172 didn't see the Pitts either.

  • @donjones4719
    @donjones4719 11 місяців тому

    17:08 "Fly safeish", your new motto when flying acrobatics.

  • @icaleinns6233
    @icaleinns6233 11 місяців тому +2

    I've always loved the Pitts at airshows, so much fun to watch! I'm totally envious that you actually got to fly one!

  • @markmuir7338
    @markmuir7338 11 місяців тому +2

    Awesome 😎. The 1994 game Flight Unlimited got me acquainted with the Pitts Special and inspired me to get a pilots license 5 years later. I've never had the chance to fly one for reals, but I did a lot of aerobatics over the years. Thanks for bringing back memories!

  • @frankthomas855
    @frankthomas855 11 місяців тому +1

    Love the fly anything attitude Scott. Thanks for taking me along!

  • @johnhelt5475
    @johnhelt5475 11 місяців тому

    I remember aerobatic training in a Pitts Special back in the '90s. Loads of fun!!

  • @TheM0JEC
    @TheM0JEC 11 місяців тому +3

    I did seven flights in the CCF at school, and have done a few in small planes and micro lights since. Always good to see the next generation being encouraged to do things like this.

  • @keepingitreal6793
    @keepingitreal6793 11 місяців тому +4

    What an awesome experience Scott. Very happy for you but please “fly safe”. Cheers!

  • @logenmattsen
    @logenmattsen 11 місяців тому +3

    I worked for a very short while at the Cirrus factory in Duluth Minnesota in the painting and body departments. It's a heck of a place to visit if you ever get a chance.

  • @jerryplante4239
    @jerryplante4239 6 місяців тому +1

    Seeing that you didn't mention it, I'll relay the Pitts pilot's joke about engine out.
    Pitts pilots carry a brick with them. If you lose you engine, you throw the brick out and follow it down to your emergency landing point. The legend says that the fist Pitts pilot to successfully land with an engine out was hit in the head with a brick.

  • @pepperidgefarmremembers6350
    @pepperidgefarmremembers6350 8 місяців тому +1

    Civil Air Patrol is also an amazing resource for anyone looking to get their license! At 17 you can apply for cadet wings, which will help you get your PPL for practically free!

  • @FlywithMagnar
    @FlywithMagnar 11 місяців тому

    Wonderful! A friend of me bought a Pitts a year ago, and he has been a big smile since then!

    • @amytaylor3864
      @amytaylor3864 11 місяців тому

      Hello there 👋👋. How are you doing today? Hope you’re having a wonderful day. God bless you!❤️

  • @zimmy1958
    @zimmy1958 11 місяців тому

    Well done and congrats for getting a ride/fly in that great classic plane.

  • @Rick_Retired
    @Rick_Retired 2 місяці тому

    Scott, I'd never heard your name until you magically produced that incredible Space X coverage of Starship 3. I heard you mention that your plane doesn't climb like a Starship and on afterthought you don't miss that lol.
    THEN out of nowhere, just now, I saw a UA-cam algorithm generated option for a "Too Much Plane..." video and was naturally drawn to it like a fly to a picnic. AND IT WAS YOU, TAKING ON THE FRONT SEAT OF A PITTS S2, my next to favorite of all time R/C model second only the Christen Eagle.
    I am 77 now, well past my active aviation days, but as a full scale pilot I owned a 1963 LA-4 (Lake Amphibian) a truly fun airplane, and before that a C-172 on Leaseback while in college. I got my Private Pilot rating in 1966 at a Navy base in Memphis, TN. Later on in 1972, I added Commercial and Instructor tickets, in MA mostly for grins.
    For my aerobatic thrills, I went to Flagler Aviation (Florida) in Dec 1996, when Mudry Aviation was still being actively operated there by Daniel & Montaine with the Cap 10-B, a truly neat 2 seat side by side aircraft with exceptional visibility. Be glad that you didn't ride in that or you would have bought one and snap-rolled to every where in it while your wife either threatening you with divorce, or demanding stick time too! I duplicated the Cap instructor's every maneuver during .6 hours that I'd ever done with my R/C planes. It took my stomach a full day to settle down again as I hadn't been flying for years and had zero tolerance built up for G's and unusual attitudes. Didn't hurl but went to the very limit before common sense prevailed and I asked to land lol.
    Sorry to drone on, but this week I just got my biggest vicarious thrills in decades through you, a young man still enthusiastically seeking adventure in the sky. Sadly, my aviation future is now limited to a RealFlight simulator (Pitts with smoke of course) and wistful staring at my FMS 1400 V2 Pitts that I bought for my ceiling once I learned that ARF's had been surpassed by PNP kits that assemble with just a Torx head driver! I added a battery and cheap radio just to demo its RTF status to anyone caught in my man cave.
    P.S. Tell Elon that I fell for "his live" June 18, 2020 special offer to double my Bitcoin lol! I had such faith in his genius and wealth to do something off the cuff like that, that I ignored all I had ever learned about scams. Higher education is expensive, but I still smile when I think about how much he has managed to alter space travel and exploration already! I truly hope that your association with Space X and Elon is mutually beneficial. Thank you for the opportunity to feel young again for awhile!
    Take care Scott and keep up the great work as a Rocket Scientist and the fun times as pilot in your practical but beautiful Cirrus.

  • @clintfisher
    @clintfisher 11 місяців тому +1

    This is fantastic! Thank you for sharing!!
    Spin training in the little Cessna 150 I trained in was a hoot.
    This story isn't about a PItts, but it's close... one day I was at my house, and I saw a Christensen Eagle (a small biplane like the Pitts) flying a straight and quick line at probably 2500' AGL. I said out loud, "Cool! Do a trick!" And, at the very end of my statement, as if it was the punctuation, the pilot initiated a perfect loop. I was elated, and hoped that the pilot, while recovering from inverted, caught a glimpse of me waving and jumping up and down on the ground, yelling "YES!! NIIIICE!! WOoohooo!".
    SO glad to see you out flying, Scott, and your son too! Always wanted to do some real aerobatics beyond just the spin training and parabolas. I may just have to get current again. :) Fly safe!

  • @st6342
    @st6342 11 місяців тому

    what a great video, had a smile on my face the whole time as your experience was passed on through the video.

  • @AndrewBlucher
    @AndrewBlucher 11 місяців тому +1

    Great to see, Scott.
    My primary school was under an airforce aerobatic practice area, so we saw lots of aerobatics and formation flying practice. Macchi jets, IIRC.
    In high school one of my friends and his Dad built a Corby Starlet. I lost touch when he went racing motorbikes.

  • @fellipec
    @fellipec 11 місяців тому +1

    I was happy to see you and your kid so happy! Fly safe!

  • @PantsuMann
    @PantsuMann 11 місяців тому +3

    Wow time flies(no pun intended). I think last time I saw any of your kids they were so small and you played KSP. So many years must have passed!

  • @davidjb3671
    @davidjb3671 11 місяців тому +2

    This reminds me of learning to fly with my dad in his Tiger Moth when I was 8 years old. Sitting on a thick bolster I could use the stick, but it was a couple more years before I could reach the rudder pedals 😄

  • @Istandby666
    @Istandby666 11 місяців тому

    I grew up with a Cessna 150J, we acquired in 1982.
    So, I was used to an airplane with tricycle landing gear also.
    One day, one of our friends who owned a Piper Cub, invited me to fly from California City to Mojave.
    I didn't land the Cub, because the Cub doesn't have flaps.
    But he did let me taxi. I do have to agree with the mental ability of taxing a taildragger vs a tricycle gear.

  • @EricCoop
    @EricCoop 11 місяців тому

    Impressive and congrats on getting your license! I'm not a pilot, but when I was 20 and on PROTRAMID (I went to the Naval Academy and served a full career as a SWO and now retired), we all got to fly in the T-34Cs and the IP showed me how to roll and do a loop. I got to do both maneuvers above the Panhandle and it was AWESOME! But then my eyes went bad and they weren't really doing laser surgery in 1999, so I drove ships instead. But I know just enough about how much fun flying is so congrats!

  • @jameslmathieson
    @jameslmathieson 11 місяців тому +1

    Good on ya for making that your kid's first flight lesson. My dad did something similar for me with my first 30 mins of logged time spent doing loops and rolls in a WWII Navy SNJ-5.

  • @brandonstange7244
    @brandonstange7244 11 місяців тому

    Super cool, Scott. Thanks for sharing!

  • @GrigoriZhukov
    @GrigoriZhukov 11 місяців тому +2

    Unusual attitude Training makes for better pilots.

  • @CharlesVanNoland
    @CharlesVanNoland 11 місяців тому

    Congrats on your first barrel roll maneuver Scott! That's so awesome :D

  • @f1matt
    @f1matt 11 місяців тому

    Thanks for bringing us along!

  • @AirwavesEnglish
    @AirwavesEnglish 11 місяців тому

    YES! Well done, Scott!
    More aviation content like this please🤩

  • @jimcottee9187
    @jimcottee9187 11 місяців тому +1

    Have been up in a Pitts a few times over the Sydney area, where the pilot is in a small bubble canopy, but the front passenger is in an open cockpit, getting the full experience. We did low tight circles over the Sydney Harbor Bridge before heading out over the harbor to do acrobatics. I knew not to eat anything before going up in a Pitts with a skilled pilot. Amazing plane.

  • @vaticanjesuitNWO
    @vaticanjesuitNWO 5 місяців тому

    I'm so happy for you, Scott, in having found one of the most rewarding experiences one can have...sport aviation. Reminds me years and years ago in my first experience in a Christen Eagle II. I hope you and your son can share aviation together. I didn't have that pleasure because I had no son to share it with. But I wish you all the best in aviation.

  • @GlennTillema
    @GlennTillema 11 місяців тому

    Really happy you got this experience and certification Scott! There was some real joy on your face!

  • @ThePlacemat
    @ThePlacemat 11 місяців тому +1

    There's a Pitts special that does airshows in the UK that has 2 small jet engines mounted to it too. Allows it to hover nose up. Amazing to watch.

  • @DickKincheloe
    @DickKincheloe 11 місяців тому

    Awesome! I was a Luscombe owner, 1946. Welcome to the club.

  • @lalalakers510
    @lalalakers510 11 місяців тому +12

    That Pitts is beautiful! Loved seeing your excitement flying such a fun aircraft, reminds me of my first time riding a motorcycle 🤩

  • @stephen_101
    @stephen_101 11 місяців тому +2

    I see one of these joyriding up above in the local area from time to time - they really are fun to watch doing all those crazy high g manoeuvres.

  • @carlatteniese2
    @carlatteniese2 11 місяців тому

    I never smiled so much, ear to ear, watching an aviation video, before. This may get me home and into a situation where I finally take flying lessons. Thank you for this! And way stoked for ya!

    • @amytaylor3864
      @amytaylor3864 11 місяців тому

      Hello there 👋👋. How are you doing today? Hope you’re having a wonderful day. God bless you!❤️

  • @SheepdogTV
    @SheepdogTV 11 місяців тому

    Love the fire extinguisher in the pants jab there! Good job!

  • @scubastevewa8580
    @scubastevewa8580 11 місяців тому

    What an incredible experience this must have been! Thanks for the video!

  • @goatflieg
    @goatflieg 11 місяців тому

    I spent a week training with Budd Davisson in his Pitts S-2 a few years ago. Although I already had a tailwheel endorsement I won't say I became a fully qualified Pitts pilot, but Budd said I did pretty well and it was good preparation for the subsequent RV-8 training I got from Bruce Bohannon. The video I captured in the Pitts on my last day with Budd is also the most popular video on my channel, by far. So cool you got Orion a flight in the Pitts! Hope it was a great experience that he'll never forget.

  • @hughwaller6789
    @hughwaller6789 11 місяців тому

    Thanks Scott, for the great video. I know exactly what you mean as you "squeeled like a little girl". I qualified as a glider pilot after a week an intense week of gliding camp in ideal weather. Right after being told by the examiner I'd passed an other pilot, glider and aerobatic asked me if I wanted to try aerobatics now that I'd flown in circles and gained altitude. Of course I did! Off we sent in his Steen Skybolt, me in the front seat. We flew below the tree tops at 120kts and then climbed to safe altitude to pull a loop. I followed his instructions and took control and pulled a 6g loop. (the g meter worked) I didn't squeal like a little girl, I was too busy tensing my abdominal muscles etc... to avoid blacking out. A great qualifying present...35 years ago. What a fun Dad you son has.

  • @Devinci297
    @Devinci297 11 місяців тому +2

    I'm waiting for Scott to start his Astronaut training on the T38!

  • @Ro32da72
    @Ro32da72 11 місяців тому

    This is one of those aircraft that I love but, as an avionics installer, can be a proper challenge to work on. You can't get in, there's no room to work, then you can't get out! What a treat for your boy, great parenting there 🤩 he won't forget that in a hurry.

  • @adamd5013
    @adamd5013 9 місяців тому

    I took a ride in Freddy Cavaness Pitts special in Key West before he passed in an accident in Mexico. What an absolute legend. I had eight hours of flying time and told him that I’ve been in an extra 300 once before. He told me that plane is missing a wing. He then proceeded to take me on a 9G full air show routine, that had me about 8 feet off the ocean water at 215mph. I know we were low because people were waving down as we flew past them on a 2 story boat. I would like to say that I didn’t puke this time. I almost made it the whole way through until we went to land, and he did one more high g maneuver. RIP to a legend.

  • @20kilo
    @20kilo 11 місяців тому

    I don't even watch anything about flying planes, but your videos and your joy of sharing it are super nice to watch, thanks for share this with us!

  • @philb5593
    @philb5593 11 місяців тому

    This is a cool video. Thanks for bringing us along!
    Fly safe! (Or stunts)

  • @NemoConsequentae
    @NemoConsequentae 11 місяців тому

    Great fun! Several decades ago I learnt to fly gliders, (sailplanes). Unlike powered aircraft, since they have no engine, after learning 'straight & level' the next thing you are taught is stalls, getting into them & out of them. After that, once you learn proper turns, you get practice with spins. The advantage with gliders is that, as explained by the instructors, if you spin into the ground, you'll _probably_ survive albeit with broken legs etc. Do the same in a light aircraft, and to use a phrase I read in a crash investigation report, _'the cabin was reduced below survivable proportions'._ And you'll probably have a burning fuel tank if you survive that long...
    Pitts are quite safe, (in the right hands or as long as you fly within you limits), and definitely far more fun than regular light aircraft!

  • @sound396
    @sound396 11 місяців тому

    My first Pitts flight was in that actual airplane (9QT) a couple owners ago when it was based in Indiana. Shortly after that I bought a Skybolt (similar biplane) and now fly aerobatics at least twice a week. I hope you keep going down this road Scott - there aren't enough tailwheel pilots around, and we need more people learning how to fly these airplanes. It's a disappearing skill. Thanks for the great videos!

  • @eddymauricioachoyhernandez514
    @eddymauricioachoyhernandez514 11 місяців тому

    Hello Scott Manley!!! About 20 years ago got the chance to fly in the same exact airplane. I live in Castellón de la Plana in Spain. A friend of mine who was competing with the Spaniard team of acrobatics had one and told me if I want to enjoy a flight with him. Of course you can imagine my answer. During that time I was starting my new job as a cabin crew, so, I was not stranger to the industry. But that was something so extreme (the flight itself) because seems that you broke all the rules with the many crazy maneuvers we did. And yes, if you love flying this is something that appreciate every single second on it. Still have goosebumps when I remember that day in my life. I'm very happy for you and your son having the chance to enjoy such experience. Fly save if you let me use your words. Have a great day. Bye.

  • @glencrandall7051
    @glencrandall7051 11 місяців тому

    Not a pilot but love to fly. I bought some time in a Waco a few years back and the pilot allowed me some stick time. I was able to fly a more or less decent loop. Of course the Waco is no Pitts but it was still fun. Thank you for sharing. Have a great day and stay safe.🙂🙂

  • @robincupp6087
    @robincupp6087 11 місяців тому +1

    Scott you live my dream lifetime, and you remind so much of my Physicist Friend Tristen Juergens. As a fellow physics major I understood him. He loved telescopes and inventing new batteries, and pushing the edges of human boundaries. He loved flying and I enjoyed going up with him and watched him go through the very scary instrument rating. Before he died he got a ride in a MiG 23. I miss you Tristen, I hope to see you again out there in the cosmos!

  • @sganzerlag
    @sganzerlag 11 місяців тому +1

    Dude I had SO MUCH fun watching this. Thanks for sharing these Pitts flights!! They are such a blast to fly!! You know, you could probably acquire an S1C or an S1S Pitts for around 40k us. Betty Skelton's Little Stinker was an S1C and had only 85 HP. Most S1C Pitts these days have an O320 with 150 HP installed. They fly great on 150 hp. They're a lot of fun for the money.

    • @captsorghum
      @captsorghum 10 місяців тому

      That's apparently what Wayne Handley flew before he developed the Raven and Turbo Raven.

  • @markhatch1267
    @markhatch1267 11 місяців тому

    Welcome to the family of aviators. Your videos about getting your license and flying experiences brings back happy memories. When I was a teenager and young adult my dad had a successful race engine machine shop business. He had a Twin Comanche that we flew all over the country. In my early 20's I partnered with my mom and one of dad's good friends to buy a used Cessna 172 and got our private licenses. We had the providential blessing of having an ex air force instructor as our flight instructor. He was selling us his instruction hours at a cheap rate to earn extra cash while building up the required hours to fly for a commuter airline. I got the benefit of his military experience with advanced teaching about situational awareness and flying according to energy conservation and angle of attack. In my late 20's I got my aircraft mechanics license. I got married at age 30, and that was the end of being able to afford such an expensive hobby. I haven't flown since the mid 90's, but the memories of dad and my adventures with him are my favorites.

  • @riconui5227
    @riconui5227 11 місяців тому

    Aerobatics are a great confidence builder for any aspiring pilot. It is said; it's the most fun you can have with your pants on.
    Nicely done.

  • @IanValentine147
    @IanValentine147 11 місяців тому

    Omg as a fan and a pilot, I love your videos and enthusiasm for all things Aviation

    • @amytaylor3864
      @amytaylor3864 11 місяців тому

      Hello there 👋👋. How are you doing today? Hope you’re having a wonderful day. God bless you!❤️

  • @Solitaire1
    @Solitaire1 11 місяців тому

    Dude! Glad you got to fly a Pitts! Awesome planes. I used to help maintain one flown by this grouchy old timer (that I really loved) earlier in my maintenance career. I never got a ride in it but I did get a ride in a Christian eagle which is a similar aircraft. The owner put me through the wringer in that thing and I loved every moment of it although the world kept spinning for awhile after we landed. If you are interested in continuing your aerobatic training, see if someone has an American Champion Decathlon in the area you could train in. High single wing and a lot less extreme than a Pitts so it would be a good one for you to develop the skills in. I enjoyed my time in the one I flew but regretfully someone ground looped it (not me!) and it was sold soon after.

  • @lukebowers536
    @lukebowers536 11 місяців тому

    fantastic video Scott, we share much in common. I run a large sound system & i am a DJ & i have my LAPL. i really enjoyed this Scott, keep it up

  • @Papershields001
    @Papershields001 11 місяців тому

    When I was a kid I got a ride in one of these and it hooked me on aviation forever.

  • @benkai09
    @benkai09 11 місяців тому

    Its arms forces weekend here in sunny cleethorpes and the 2 stunt piolts yesterday were just throwing their planes around like it was nothing.
    In tandem they went to a vertical stall then came down on wingtips and powered out of it still sideways.
    Was bloody impressive

  • @rjung_ch
    @rjung_ch 11 місяців тому

    Went up on an acrobat flight two months ago, what can I say, it's the best experience ever.
    That you sent your son up, bravo! If he liked it and chooses to go that route, all the best for him, flying is the best fun experience you can get.

  • @MyAvitech
    @MyAvitech 11 місяців тому

    Back in the 80's/90's I used to go to the airshow in Livermore CA, and there a team who flew a pair of Pitts. They were one of the best parts of the show every year and the reason my family went every year. I believe they were called The Tahoe Aces, but it's been so long IDK for sure.
    That airshow certainly lead to my love of aviation and a 30 year career.

  • @PinataOblongata
    @PinataOblongata 11 місяців тому

    That is an absolutely gorgeous machine. Caught the matching red Caddy (or Chev?) going by near the beginning, too, what a combo!

  • @Jaybo79
    @Jaybo79 11 місяців тому

    I'm as glad for you as I am jealous Mr. Manley. You deserve such goodness in these times of amazing innovation and opportunity.

  • @miinyoo
    @miinyoo 11 місяців тому

    Scott is becoming more Kerbal as the days go by. Hope you keep a very accurate journal Scott. Flying is too much fun for you and no one especially family wants you to lose your sweet sweet limbs.

    • @realulli
      @realulli 11 місяців тому

      LOL... I now imagine Jeb's face during launch when Scott voice-acted the first takeoff... ;-))

  • @CraigLYoung
    @CraigLYoung 11 місяців тому

    Scott, I'm glad you had fun 😮

  • @galaxya40s95
    @galaxya40s95 11 місяців тому

    Happy for you Scott.

  • @GreenBlueWalkthrough
    @GreenBlueWalkthrough 11 місяців тому

    What I fun about this video is your child like wonder over simple aerobatic maneuvers like the loop anhd roll I do on instinct in games and sims... And what's better is you made me realize how important having a good camera is... As in IL2 great battles and War thunder they have very limited cameras with out Track IR which is unexcitable in flying sims as you need to move your head to see things like the horizen and wings. Still glad you had fun and it really brought me back to doing Loops in Ace Combat 5 next to the endless bridge.