What an Aerobatic Flight Feels Like
Videos flatten it. A camera cannot record weight, and weight is most of the experience. Below is what the twenty minutes contain, in the order they happen.
Before the engine starts
You are strapped into a five-point harness pulled tighter than feels reasonable. That tightness is the point: under negative G it is the only thing keeping you in the seat. The canopy closes, the noise changes, and the first thing most people notice is how small the aeroplane feels from inside compared with how it looked on the apron.
The first pull
The pilot accelerates, then pulls. This is the moment that separates expectation from reality. Your arms get heavy. Your cheeks move down your face. The seat cushion compresses under you and your head presses back into the headrest. It lasts three or four seconds and it is the first time most people understand that G is not a metaphor.
Then, over the top of the loop, the load falls away almost to nothing and the ground is where the sky should be. The transition from very heavy to almost weightless inside two seconds is the single strangest sensation of the flight.
The roll
Counterintuitively, the figure that looks most violent from the ground feels the gentlest. In an aileron roll the load stays close to +1G throughout, so you sit still while the world rotates around you at speed. People often laugh here. It is the first figure where the brain gives up trying to keep track of which way is up and just watches.
Inverted flight
Hanging upside down in the straps with the ground filling the canopy above your head is the part nobody is quite ready for. The load is around -1G, so blood moves towards your head and your face feels full. Ten seconds inverted feels considerably longer than ten seconds. It is also the moment most people stop thinking about the camera.
Where it gets tiring
Repeated changes in load can be tiring. Responses vary, and a fixed number of minutes does not predict symptoms. Tell the pilot immediately about discomfort or visual changes.
The landing, and afterwards
After landing, follow the pilot's instructions when leaving the cockpit. Allow time to rest and discuss the flight.
What people say
- "I did not expect to feel it in my whole body." Positive G is a full-body sensation, not a stomach one.
- "The roll was nothing, the loop was everything." Almost universal, and the opposite of what people predict.
- "I lost track of where the ground was." Report disorientation to the pilot immediately; do not assume it will resolve within a fixed time.
- "It was over too quickly." Also normal, and usually said by the same people who were visibly working hard at minute fourteen.
Frequently asked questions
Does an aerobatic flight feel like a rollercoaster?
A ride and an aircraft have different motion profiles. We do not assign every ride the same G value. In an aerobatic flight the programme follows the package, conditions and aircraft limits.
Which figure feels the most intense?
For most first-time participants it is the pull into a loop, which produces the highest positive load of the sequence. The aileron roll, which looks the most dramatic from the ground, stays close to +1G and feels gentle.
Will I feel sick?
Nausea and vomiting are possible. Tell the pilot immediately if you feel unwell. The programme will be changed when it is safe to do so.
How long does the intensity last?
The duration and direction of loading depend on the figure and its execution. There is no fixed time at which everyone becomes tired or recovers.
Can I ask the pilot to stop?
Yes. Tell the pilot through the intercom. The programme will be changed when it is safe to do so; the briefing explains how to ask to stop.
Fly it yourself
Aerobatic flights in the Extra 300L SP-EKS from Radom-Piastów (EPRP), 100 km from Warsaw. From 2,222 PLN, no licence or experience required. Gift vouchers are issued as a PDF after payment confirmation and stay valid for 12 months.