Pitts S-2S, Skip Stewart at Al Ain AirShow 2008

[racethepilot]

This guy is even better in real life for all of you that haven't seen him. Can't wait to see Sean Tucker though

[GravyHucker]

@aviatorman: I'm pretty sure it's to retain the control surface effectiveness in the High Alpha Knife Edge attitude he has.

I LOVE the prop rip on that plane

[Lionforever1860]

100 Prozent Performance Man and Machine

GEEEEIIIILL

[straighttailpilot]

I think I just found a new favorite performer!

[MrAlexHuff]

He did that knife edge takeoff for us to at peachtree dekalb airport! He is great

[bloodshot16]

lol at the people just walking across the runway

[CharlieAlfaPapa]

Amazing!!

[sergillo3x]

The most extreme take off that i ever seen!!

the engine cut its part of the manuver

[aviatorairman2000]

why does he cut the power briefly when he does that wingover? he's just asking for it.

[tomcataircraft]

I'm pretty sure that he knows what he's doing! :)

[sergeant137]

@tomcataircraft yeah, trust me I know skip personally, and I can tell you for a fact that he knows what hes doing!

[immelman29]

@aviatorairman2000

to keep a constant altitude, he was finding his throttle "sweet spot" for that maneuver (because the vector of the propeller is at an angle in relation to the ground), so that the upward (perpendicular to the ground) part of the prop's vector and the gravity vector cancel each other out, leaving only the forward part of said prop's vector, as we see here...

...so he had to trim the throttle accordingly

[JamesSkylarLaneRushi]

@aviatorairman2000 He does what they call "throtteling" and he does that to keep it going

[blueflame53]

beautiful double hammerhead

[BlackTwister999]

i'm going to watch tomorrow :P

[telebambam]

Good Lord. That takeoff. Geesh.

[BlackTwister999]

Amaaaaaaaaazing I live in Al Ain city and I've went there for one time...

[tomcataircraft]

You should go every time when is an Air Show there! ;)

[BlackTwister999]

I will do and I'll try to record some videos for you

[lamaquina01]

Holy shit!!!!! incredible Man! and nice Pitts!

[James1toknow]

Yep, he really is good !!

[ppetrov5]

hahahah...This one is damn good pilot! :):)

[sergeant137]

I'm nottrying to play "Mr. Defendant" or anything, but personally I think that you're claims that this puts the crowd in danger are unfounded. In Al Ain they had the crowd much closer to the takeoff than in the US, but it was still safe, or Skip wouldn't have done it. I have been at airshows helping Skip a few times, and we are good friends, and I can assure you that his utmost concern is the crowd's safety, and he's a damn good pilot too.

[Dannyflyer39]

and if i can put in here when you tke off and do high alfa manuver at slow speed. the plane has no momentom so it dosent threaten the crowd as mush as high spped

[heavynova68]

I agree! Just want to say this, If this guy were a flyer in the late 1800's or early 1900's, he would've been hell to shoot down. LOL

[warbird417]

Unbelievable talent. At the same time, he monitors, the throttle, rudder, and the elevator whilst still being able to tell where he is going. Amazing!!!

[desertcodetube]

i saw it in person ,, i was in fron of it with the pilots ,, breathtaking tak off ,, nice and danger ,,  desertcode@yah for more vids

[senky5656]

he does a nice lomcevak

[BVR9900]

so esta descolagem parte td mesmo...

[araymond67]

I was at this show and Skip was awesome - a total maniac!!! I don't know much about flying but he was great to watch - it was a great day but he was the highlight for me.

[fan737]

great,wooooooow

[vemnagarupa]

Coisa linda!!

[JRRJA3]

Vai, vomita e volta...LOL

[James1toknow]

What a kick ass takeoff!!

[James1toknow]

What a excellent pilot, and what a beautiful ariplane, the things he can make that plane do is unbelievable! Keep flying high Skip!!

[Jordache22222]

those guys there mistakenly installed wings to a helicopter, rocket or whatever it is. That thing probably doesn't need wings considering the power @ torque its engine can build. It is acting like a RC Plane due to Power/torque/weight ratio. Great pilot/plane/video

[coler2549]

It doesn't have that high of a power to weight. Everything he does is made possible by the fact that he is an extrodinary pilot.

[Jordache22222]

I agree-the pilot is awesome and extremely good, he knows his plane's potential so his aerobatics are to the limit beyond common safety rules.I was exaggerating but the torque vs. weight ratio is very high in this plane and in some other aerobatic planes otherwise it would stall.When it is turned 90 degrees (second 17) he has no lift from the wings at all and it relies in inertia, power and some residual aerodynamics from the fuselage and rudder.Few planes can do this and this is one of them.

[coler2549]

you don't have to explain it to me. I've been flying aerobatics for years and fly aerobatic contests in a Pitts. I know how they fly. Your right about the aerodynamics but your wrong about only a few planes being able to do it. Most aerobatic airplanes can even a Decathlon can do it even if only for a very short period of time. But we do agree on something skip stewart is one hell of an aerobatic pilot.

[Jordache22222]

Thank you

[Maxwell2323]

Many planes can pull from a knife-edge like that. Extras et al do it all the time.

This pilot is good, but he seems on the edge re. safety. I prefer Sean Tucker's style myself - ofcourse - his Challenger is highly modified for just him, which allows some crazy stuff.

I personally think this takeoff is very dangerous being that close to the crowd.

[Jordache22222]

No accidents = good pilot, possibly crazy though :)

[tomcataircraft]

Is enough one mistake, one accident and all this great pilot has achieved it will crumble.

[PullSomeGs]

The people seen in this video are not "the crowd", they are other performers at the show and members of the UAE miliary watching me practice. The maneuver is very safe..it is simply a slip to landing manuver and it actually easier that straight and level in a Pitts, since the airplane is out of the way and I can see where I'm going!

I try hard to pull of the illusion of danger and I am glad it has worked on you! :)

Unlike Sean, I built my plane for myself.. Sean rocks, though.

Skip Stewart