Pilots dazzle more than 2,000 at show

Acrobatic Pilot Charlie Schwenker stayed true to his word Saturday afternoon.

Underneath the clear blue sky, he performed thrilling twists and turns just below dots of puffy, white clouds during the 2007 Air Fest at Culpeper Regional Airport.

Earlier this year, the 59-year-old aerial entertainer promised that he would honor his fallen friend, Nancy Lynn - who died in a crash at last year's Air Fest - in his performance this year.
And he didn't disappoint.

His 15-minute death-defying routine of buzzing and zipping through the air was dedicated to his good friend of 15 years.

Schwenker completed an avalanche, which is a loop with a snap roll at the top; a half Cuban, which is another aerobatic trick, and a hammerhead.

Schwenker flew his Extra 300, the same type of plane that Lynn used during her air shows.

More than 2,000 spectators witnessed several air aerobatics perform loops, flips, snap rolls, and four-point rolls during the two-hour air show.

Schwenker began flying gliders in 1975 and later participated during competitions.

"In competition, you have to be precise," he said. "But air shows involve a little more razzle dazzle."

"The planes are lower and it gets people excited and I like that," he added.

For Schwenker, flying above captivated crowds is fun.
"I have a ball," he said. "It's just intense."

Prior to Schwenker's performance, the Bealeton Flying Circus put on quite a show, too.

With pilot Kirk Wicker in the cockpit and Chuck Tippett walking on the wings, the crowd roared in amazement during each stunt.

The daring duo performed some barnstorming, which are air aerobatics executed with stunts performed with airplanes. These performances were made popular in the 1920s and 1930s.

"It's a performance," Wicker said, prior to his routine. "It's well practiced. It's very exciting."

Tippett said there are only 11 active wing walkers worldwide and four of them are affiliated with the Bealeton Flying Circus.

"A lot of them do it for a year and then don't do it anymore," he said.

Tippett performs without using a parachute or tethers.

"We do it the old way," he said. "We're too low for a parachute. This is the real thing. It's how they did it back in the 30s."

A continuing tribute
A group of four Flying Circus pilots flew a missing man formation to salute fallen pilot Nancy Lynn during the show.

That's usually when four planes fly together and at a certain point one plane pulls out of the formation and heads west.

"It's a term that we use for pilots who have died," Tippett explained. "That's why when they do a missing man formation, a man pulls out and goes west like you're not coming back."

Wicker said Lynn would have approved.

"Nancy would have wanted everybody to go on and give the crowd a good show," he said.

The performers
Prior to the show, Pilot John Corradi, of the Flying Circus, performed the ribbon cutting in the sky.

And Pilot Kevin Russo followed with his crowd-pleasing air tricks.

After his performance, Tippett mingled and shared his excitement with the crowd.

"I still haven't come down to earth yet," he said. "Every time it's like an out of body experience. You have to get your mind so psyched up when you land."

Tippett said a wing walker has to train for at least a year before they go into the air.

"It's thrilling," said Tippett, who's been a pilot for 18 years and a wing walker for four. "I just love old airplanes."

Acrobatic pilot Ron "Dr. Smoke" Saglimbene also wowed the crowd with his daring flips in his bright red Siai Marchetti SF260.

Bluish-green and red smoke trailed the aircraft during the colorful performance.

The two-hour show ended with Pilot Art Nalls flying his L-39 and Mike Lakin in his Decathlon. Lakin landed his plane on one wheel just to excite the crowd one last time.

Rhonda Simmons can be reached at 825-0771 ext. 125 or .