CHAPTER 5

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A DISPLAY PILOT

Today, a successful display pilot needs to have a wide range of skills that is not necessarily restricted to just flying. Personal and public safety is of the utmost importance and so national governments have appointed specialist agencies to try and minimize risk. Some pilots are professional pilots flying either military aircraft or civilian jets during the week. Others are amateurs with a lifelong passion for aviation. Whatever their status, come the day of the air show, they all have to operate to the same highest standards.

Becoming a display pilot takes an enormous amount of time - and there are costs. In Britain, as a minimum they will need a current Pilot’s Licence, an up to date Medical, a Certificate of Experience or Test. Depending on the aircraft they plan to display they may need an Exemption for their aircraft type. Finally, before they can a display in public a pilot will also need to hold a Display Authorisation.

They have to be physically fit, well-motivated, have plenty of free time and be free of personal worries. As well as the actual display itself, a display pilot will need to spend time practicing the routine. There is also time spent transiting to and from display airfields away from base. Physical fitness is important because some manoeuvres exert great pressure on the body. Mental fitness is also important as pilots have to perform with their minds totally focused on their routine, free of the ‘clutter’ of everyday life. They also need the patience to cope with bad weather days, last minute delays and changes.

Of course, display flying, especially aerobatics, is a highly specialised skill that frequently involves flying the aircraft close to the edges of the permitted flight envelope. This is why practice is so important as experience comes with practice. How much experience you need depends on the type of display although most would agree that its prudent to keep the display in line with the individual pilot’s experience This also means flying well within 100% of their capacity in a particular aircraft and weather conditions. It is equally important to practice emergency drills and mentally rehearse the ‘what if’ scenarios at various points around a display sequence which is why having spare capacity to cope is so important.

C-130 crew enjoy the show from their exclusive vantage point

A good sequence will display the aircraft in the best possible light. People come to air shows to see the aircraft. But developing a display sequence will depend, to a great extent, on the type of aircraft being flown, what type of manoeuvres the aircraft is cleared for and the aircraft’s power to weight ratio.

For example, a jet fighter aircraft has little difficulty sustaining, or regaining, speed and/or altitude during a low level display. The same cannot be said of older classic piston-engine aircraft like, for example, a deHavilland Chipmunk.

The overriding factor in a display in a low powered aircraft is energy management. There is little point in starting a display in a Chipmunk with a loop at base height. Firstly, you will probably come below base height on the recovery which is a very bad thing and, secondly, if you make base height you will have little energy left for any subsequent manoeuvres. Low powered aircraft need to start the display high and trade height for speed as the manoeuvres are completed. Clearly, the high energy manoeuvres need to come early in the sequence while there is height and performance in hand.

The problem with high speed aircraft is ensuring that the display does not need a crowd line three counties long. The pilot needs to know how much airspace the aircraft will take up when performing the various manoeuvres.

Rules govern the distance from the crowds that aircraft must fly. These vary according to the rating of the pilot/crew, the type of aircraft and the way the aircraft is being flown. For instance, slower lighter aircraft are usually allowed closer and lower to the crowd than larger, faster types. Also, a fighter jet flying straight and level will be able to do so closer to the crowd and lower than if it were performing a roll or a loop.

Pilots also will need to be aware of the effect of the wind strength and direction on their display, relative to the crowd line, and adjust their manoeuvres accordingly. The weather in Northern Europe is unpredictable enough so that it is unlikely that there will always have good weather for a display. Therefore, it is a good idea to have a bad weather display planned and practiced to cope with such situations. This may extend to an intermediate rolling routine as well as a flat show.

Formation flying and tail chasing are two very different disciplines and should always be treated as such.

For example, whilst flying in a two ship close formation the focus and attention is primarily on the leader. However, a two ship tail chase requires increased situational awareness with a high degree of individual decision making.

The display pilot’s day starts early even if the aircraft is already parked at the airfield hosting the air show. The pilots’ briefing is the first commitment of the day and one that is taken very seriously. Here, they will learn of any changes, radio frequencies, unusual air traffic passing nearby and crucially, weather conditions. Even high performance aircraft are adversely effected on hot days or on an airfield at high altitude. There may also be changes to the time-slot that has been allocated to an individual’s display. An experienced display pilot will know which manoeuvres they can cut from their sequence without compromising the spectacle or safety. Similarly, they know when not to try something they have not rehearsed. They will also need to know what is being displayed immediately before and after So that arrivals and departures can run seamlessly even if there is a great disparity in speeds.

After the pilots’ briefing the display pilot will brief his ground team (if he has one) as well as make sure there is enough fuel on board, check taxi routes are clear, and so on.

As the display time approaches, you will often see pilots walking around in a curious pattern often using their hands as wings. Pilots do this as a way of rehearsing mentally how the sequence will unfold. If they are part of a formation, then the whole team will walk through the changes. It is a crucial stage in the final preparations as it helps the pilots get totally focused on the display ahead. If weather conditions are likely to be a factor, then now is the time when they will work out which elements to leave out and how the wind may affect any of the figures.

The pilot will then walk round the aircraft making last minute checks such as control surfaces for free movement and alignment or remove any obstructions such as debris and litter.

Once aboard the aircraft, any loose objects will need to be securely stowed away, altimeter set, fuel balance and a final run through the display card. Then its start-up and when cleared to do so, time to taxy out to the runway and take off.

While waiting to start their sequence, some pilots might have a quiet final practice of some of the elements just to make sure they have fully understood the wind conditions.

The experienced pilot will always stick to the planned routine but will also be prepared for any loss of aircraft performance and therefore dump a particular manoeuvre.

Of course, the display is not over until the aircraft is safely back on the ground, engines shut down and the pilot out of the aircraft.