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A wonderful man in his flying machine
Meet Marco Kalweit, who has his sights set on next year's Advanced World Aerobatic Championship
Plummeting towards the ground from hundreds of feet in the air may sound terrifying to most people, but it's all part of the fun for world class stunt pilot Marco Kalweit.
The 33-year-old research fellow at Cranfield University has already won a series of competitions, including the Mazda Intermediate British National Aerobatic Championships, despite having only had his pilot's licence since October last year.
Marco was so comfortable in his aerobatic plane he jumped straight into standard level stunt competitions, skipping the entry level, and has now progressed through intermediate to an advanced stage within a matter of months.
He said: "I did my 45 hours private pilot's licence training in an acrobatic aircraft, so skipped to the standard level as the beginners level looked a bit easy.
"Most people would fly only standard and intermediate level for a few years before going on to advanced because there is a lot to learn, you would not normally do it in just one year. I don't think it's been done before.
"I guess the main thing is you need to be quite dedicated and want to do it and be interested in aerobatics. I guess a bit of talent is also needed."
Marco came third in September's Advanced and Unlimited British National Competition and now has his sights set on next year's Advanced World Aerobatic Championship.
He added: "What drives me is the desire to be able to fly the aeroplane precisely through any aerobatic figure, while being in control all the time.
"Aerobatics allows you to go beyond the normal 2D world of flying and really use the third dimension in flying."
When he is not looping, spinning or rolling through the air at 180mph, Marco is also a research fellow at Cranfield University specialising in fluid dynamics and nano technology.
However, he can often be seen in the skies above Cranfield practising his favourite stunt, the inverted flat spin.
The manoeuvre involves flying the plane upside down and then stalling the engine so that the aircraft goes into an inverted spin downwards, which can then be manipulated to fall slower and flatter through the air before re-igniting the engine.
His instructor, Richard Rogers, added: "He has set an example of how to do things properly.
"Marco had a considerable amount of talent to start with. You have to have a feel for it."
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Monday 13 February 2012
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