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Because I was inverted!

KAVU athlete and ambassador, Neil Amonson's love for flight is obvious....right-side-up or.... up-side-down

By KAVU

October 9^th, 2018

Hidden not far from the busy California coast is a special little place called the Santa Paula Airport. In pilot speak it is called KSZP (the code you put in your GPS if you wanted to fly there) and is home to an amazing non-profit organization called the Figure 1 Foundation.

I stumbled across Figure 1 last year and was the fortunate recipient of their Upset Recovery/Spin Training and Intro to Aerobatics Scholarship. I was so stoked! Over the summer I visited their headquarters and had 5 full days of the most exciting flying I have done so far in my aviation career. I learned loops, rolls, spins, stalls, slips, inverted flight, wing overs, aggravated stalls, inverted aggravated stalls… And so many more maneuvers whose names I can’t remember because my head was spinning while we were doing them.

Literally and figuratively.

Because I was inverted!

One of the things I noticed when I arrived at the Santa Paula airport was the relaxed atmosphere. They even have a hammock at the end of the runway where you can take a rest while watching airplanes take off and land.

Because I was inverted!

That first night I was feeling a combination of excitement, nervousness, and curiosity about what the training would be like. I thought going on a run might help me relax.

Anytime you are at a new airport, you never know how “uptight” they are going to be so I tentatively put on my running shoes and started jogging around the flight line. Half expecting to have someone drive up to me in a golf cart and tell me I couldn’t be there, I was surprised to see another runner across the runway doing the same thing as me!

I new I was in the right place.

Because I was inverted!

vintage

While jogging I noticed another unique feature about KSZP. They have a large amount of not just antique airplanes, but cars as well!

It was like stepping back in time.

Because I was inverted!

what is a spin?

A spin occurs when both of the airplanes wings are stalled but one wing is stalled more then the other. Prior to 1949, all private pilots had to receive spin training before receiving their pilots license. However, so many accidents occurred during spin training that the FAA removed it from their requirements and instead focused on stall avoidance and recovery.

The reason for this logic is that an airplane must be stalled to enter a spin, so if you avoid a stall, then you won’t enter spin. Because of this there are many pilots, even commercial airline pilots who have never spun an airplane. While it may look scary, it is actually very safe and feels much less intense then even a mellow roller coaster. Plus knowing how to recover from a spin may save your life if you find yourself accidentally in one.

Not to mention they are FUN!

the next morning...

.... I went for a jog again and was enjoying the unique views the airport provides.

Here is a classic tail-wheel airplane, a Cessna 180 Skywagon. You can even see the spiraling slipstream of air the propeller creates as it wraps around the airplanes fuselage. The spiraling slipstream is present anytime the engine is running, but it takes just the right humidity, temperature, and airspeed to make it visible. There was the first time I had seen it this clearly.

Because I was inverted!

After a light breakfast it was time to meet with Chris for our first flight in the Pitts.

This is the highest performance aircraft I had flown so far so I really wasn’t sure what to expect. It’s hard to see but we are both wearing parachutes as is required anytime you are doing aerobatic flight in case you exceed the structural limits of the airplane.

This was one of the few weeks where I was NOT planning on using my parachute.

Ha ha ha!

Because I was inverted!

i'm upside down!

We spent so much time flying upside down over the next 4 days that I started to get little bruises from hanging inverted in my seat belt.

Much to Chris’s amusement I started bringing an extra sock to put between my hip bone and my seat belt which actually helped a lot!

Because I was inverted!

Each day between our lessons, I was entertained and amazed by the variety of aircraft that frequent the airfield. Here is one shaped like a flying “V” that has the propeller in the back. A very modern design.

Because I was inverted!

And on the other end of the spectrum was this classic example of flying history. This airplane is called a Ryan ST and was made back in the early 1930’s. It made it even easier to appreciate the awesome training I was getting when I was surrounded by so many great examples of aviation history!

Because I was inverted!

the airport has many 4-legged friends as well

Pilots often fly with their dogs and it is common to see them moving around the airport with their owners traveling to and from their aircraft.

Because I was inverted!

Because I was inverted!

I’ve heard jokes about using a stone to tell the weather, but this was the first time I’ve seen the sign complete with a rock hanging above it.

Because I was inverted!

I also got a kick from the hours of operation posted on one of the hanger doors.

Gotta love their sense of humor.

Because I was inverted!

Here, a local pilot takes some time to wash his pride and joy, a nice straight tail Cessna 172 before putting her back in the hanger for the night.

Because I was inverted!

As you can guess, pilots love to talk about flying and there is no better place to tell flying stories then out by the hangers at sunset.

Each evening I would watch the pilots and local community come out and enjoy the transition between day and night and chat about their airborne adventures of the day.

Even the kids seem to enjoy it!

Because I was inverted!

Before I new it I had completed my five days of flying and it was time to head back to Utah. I was surprised how quickly the week flew by and how much I had learned.

At Figure 1 their mission is to educate, enable, and inspire the general aviation community at the grass roots level to promote change in safety and growth in the aviation industry as a whole. I can personally vouch they are successfully accomplishing that goal and that I am a better, safer pilot after training with them. I logged 10 hours of the most rigorous and exciting flying I had ever done and I can’t imagine moving forward in my aviation career without that valuable experience.

Because I was inverted!

I highly encourage other pilots as well as those interested in being a pilot to check out their website and apply for a scholarship. There are currently 4 different scholarships being offered, each being a great opportunity.

Because I was inverted!

Because I was inverted!

One last shout out to Chris for being an awesome instructor and being patient with me while I flipped, spun and rolled around the sky in that beast of an airplane. I can’t believe you get to do that kind of flying everyday!!

Footnotes

Neil spreads joy wherever he goes and leads with a smile. Follow his KAVU adventures world wide, water - land - and certainly sky!

FootNotes

Neil spreads joy wherever he goes and leads with a smile. Follow his KAVU adventures world wide, water - land - and certainly sky!

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