That’s why I train so hard to keep a finely tuned edge.” Sean Tucker, As both Mike Goulian and Patty Wagstaff have described, it takes years of work to get noticed in the airshow world, and the work never stops. Flight Operations Manager & Chief Pilot Helicopters . Position: Blade 2 Aircraft flown: Tornado, Hawk and Extra 300 Joined the Blades: 2015 Total career flying hours: 3100. Mirko Flaim. ), *According to Air & Space Magazine1: “All ACEs are certified by the International Council of Air Shows, which relieved the FAA of responsibility for the program in 1991, after an alarming period in the late 1980s and early 1990s when the airshow community was experiencing nearly 10 fatal accidents per year. Conheça a linda pilota russa Svetlana Kapanina: a mais condecorada de todos os tempos! Airshow pilots appear to do best when they have the right cocktail of those personality traits, especially when they have a couple special ones thrown in for spice: What are the signals that pilots radiate that non-pilots don’t? You will be able to log in and apply for the job as soon as you receive your password. Enter your email and we will send a reminder to your email account. Somewhat similar to gymnastics or the Olympic high dive, there are lots of rules and deductions competitors have to be aware of. First, you need to show courage and determination by becoming a winning aviator. Oh, and as National Aerobatic Champion Patty Wagstaff describes, lots and lots of paperwork4. Starting salary: £20,000 - £30,000 (depending on flying time, flying experience, aircraft type and airline). Many aerobatic pilots own their own plane and supplement their income working as aerial application pilots (crop dusters) or flying advertising banners for pay. Use these search filters for a more detailed job search, © 2009-2021 Friday Media Group Ltd. All rights reserved. Skip Stewart, an up-and-coming airshow pilot recently interviewed by Air & Space Magazine, says that Sean Tucker, one of the living legends of flight, is “the definition of showmanship. Don’t be afraid to aim high, but don’t be surprised when Avemco doesn’t think you’ve earned their sponsorship just yet. First off, I think it’s important to clarify that sponsors (99.9% of the time) aren’t going to pay you enough to live on, especially starting out. Having a look at the 5 best aerobatic aircraft(In my opinion). “Ever since I was a kid, I found flying in a straight line utterly boring,” he confesses. Somewhat adventurous, admittedly, but in aeronautic terms, it was the perfect way to begin his career as an aerobatic pilot. Empire Test Pilots' School: Spouse(s) Jean (1st wife), Lynn (2nd wife) Relatives: Elizabeth (daughter), David (son), Lynn (brother) Awards: Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air: Aviation career: Air force: RAF: Memorials: Neil Williams Memorial Trophy: Racing career; Best position: Biancotto Trophy, FAI European Aerobatic Championships, Coupé Champion In the article on his website, “I Want to Do What You Do,” about becoming an airshow pilot, he says, “Money helps, but it’s not vital. Once you have an impressive portfolio of airshow performances and competition wins, approach sponsors you’re interested and see if you can work something out. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Written application, renewed every 2 years by an ACE. Perhaps it is the self-assurance, focused manner and gait exhibited by the pilots. Unlimited-category pilots fly the hardest routines out there in “an extremely high-performance aircraft,” and get to perform in a four-minute Freestyle Program which demonstrates both the on-the-spot skill and artistic creativity of the pilot before a crowd of spectators. Emergency maneuver training course: About 10 hours, approximately $1,400. Prague,. That September I won the US Nationals and started making money flying air shows. She began flying at age nineteen, and was the first woman to fly in a formation aerobatic team. American air show pilot and author. Skip Stewart, as reported by Air & Space Magazine1, oozes charm and loves to interact with his fans. We don't have any formal benefits such as healthcare through the company, although when we're on trips for the company doing ferry flights, everything is … Pilots are responsible for flying aircraft, like planes or helicopters. Most of our pilots are … Aerobatic pilots fly in competitions to earn flight hours and cash prizes. Learn how your comment data is processed. However, a college degree in sales, marketing, or business gives you an edge. We're sorry but this webpage doesn't work properly without JavaScript enabled. When you’ve earned your low altitude competency card, it’s time to compete! Pilots competing in the Advanced category do everything the Intermediate category pilots do, but harder. “There is a thrill of vulnerability at all airshows. Rob was a Jetstar cadet and Ashley was flying Metros with Capital before Covid interrupted their careers. Raimund Riedmann. Generally, starting out, hopeful competitive aerobatic pilots will be granted a floor of 800 AGL and will proceed as their ACE sees fit all the way down to ground level as they perform at a certain number of airshows without incident.7. As the saying goes, ‘if it were easy, everyone would do it.‘”3. These pilots can spend hundreds of hours practicing and choreographing their routines before the flashing cameras of spectators even catch a glimpse. These will feature the Patrouille Suisse team with six F-5 Tiger jets, "The Flying Bulls" from Austria with their Douglas DC-6B, a local hero and winner of several world aerobatic championships, Klaus Schrodt, with an Extra 300 S, the aerobatics pilot Ali Öztürk from Each flight performance is graded by a team of judges. Debbie Gary Callier (b. February 24, 1948) is an American air show pilot. Many of our students choose to spend their … In addition to earning points, you can lose points for leaving your “box” (which is watched like hawks from judges on the ground), among other things. Eric Goujon. He calls it a form of art. We live, eat and breathe flying. He’s eating up the applause. Your qualified ACE gives you a low altitude competency card, which will allow you to lower the floor of your “box” (performing space) below that 1,500 AGL requirement(IAC). We believe that by sharing personal experiences we gain insight and become better pilots. Frederic Handelmann. As stated on the International Aerobatic Club website6, those categories are as follows: Each pilot in the primary category flies the same routine, which is published prior to the contest season. EASA/FAA/JCARC. They concluded that pilots tend to exhibit 24 traits. Basic Aerobatic Course: About 10 total hours, approximately $1,800. She also wrote the Bellanca Pilot Proficiency Training Manual. Ralf Niebergall got to know the SF-260 inside and out. Learn more about: Privacy Policy. And he loves talking, especially about his act, his airplane, and himself.”, When asked by Phil Scott, the reporter behind the article, asked if Skip admits to having a big ego, Skip responded, “Yes. As an aircraft salesman, you demonstrate an aircraft in flight to a prospective buyer. Please enable it to continue. [Read More], Mike Goulian explains finding sponsors like this: “From my experience, the sponsors come last. Laying out a beach towel on the grass or bleachers and looking up into the sky with your family, soaking in the roar of the engines and smell of gasoline while you’re transfixed on the colorful smoke and aerobatic maneuvers completed by brightly colored airplanes high in the air is an experience everyone, not just pilots should have. Your password has been sent to your email address. He parks, shuts down the engine and leaps out to meet his fans. As you have no doubt figured out by now, after reading the challenges of becoming a professional airshow pilot, the competition is fierce and the space at the top is limited. GB1 GameBird Receives EASA Certification, FAA Cert Expected Soon, FAA Opens Up Additional Jobs For Experienced Air Traffic Controllers. Those are the kinds of tests that one will be faced with along the way. Click here if the page doesn't refresh. And when I say “risking their life,” I don’t mean it casually. [Read More]. Pilots are responsible for flying aircraft, like planes or helicopters. “We had maybe seven fatal accidents that first year, and we’ve never had more than five deaths since. It will help the transitions look good to the audience, and help you feel confident behind the yoke. There are no selfless acts, except maybe throwing yourself on a grenade. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Our pilots hold UK, EASA and FAA ATPL/ATPs. Apparently, his sponsorships who supply airplane parts and products alone save him about $80,000 a year1. Instructor trainees with Flight Options at Maroochydore (YBSU), Rob Beauchamp and Ashley Zappia, completed their spinning endorsements with Aerobatics Australia at YRED. But regardless of all that training and experience, there has been at least one airshow pilot casualty nearly every year since 1910. If you’re interested in flying local airshows in the summer for fun or a little bit of spending money, it’s a different story, but it’s still a tough game to get into. The judges then grade each figure on factors such as precision, roundness of loops, symmetry, etc., and multiply the score of each figure (0-10) by the K factor to get the total score for that figure. To endure the extreme physical demands of each routine, Sean maintains a rigorous physical training schedule, working out more than 340 days per year.”, “There is simply no easy way to get to the top except for old fashioned blood, sweat, and tears.” Mike Goulian3. If you didn’t like the attention, just fly solo in your practice box.”, A big part of airshows is… putting on a show for the audience. Anzeige. Fly at small-town shows and such (county fairs, whatever, to get your name out there). Siegfried Schwarz. Selling hardly depends … The Pitts Special remains the quintessential aerobatic performer, especially in the eyes of the general public. They also get a chance to choreograph a routine of their own (also subject to certain restrictions). I own 8 Precision Aerobatics planes (two are duplicates), and may be enticed to add the XR 61. The British Aerobatic Academy can train you from the first time you sit in the pilots seat of an aircraft to unlimited international competition aerobatics. Traits are the ways that we typically respond to given situations. There have been some historic disasters, but the danger is a part of the attraction.” Alex James. In the Sportsman category, airshow pilots are required to fly a routine published before the contest season at least three times but are allowed to choreograph their own routine for two flights (subject to certain restrictions). After you’ve gotten a few airshows under your belt and you feel ready to compete, it’s time to get ACE’d (Aerobatic Competency Evaluation). So we created this website where students, seasoned pilots, and everyone in-between can share their experiences with aviation in an easy to read, beautiful way. The Piper Comanche: The First Modern Piper, Cessna 150: More Than the World’s Premiere Trainer, 2016 CAF Wings Over Houston Airshow Kicks Off This Weekend, The Heinkel He 162 Volksjager: Germany’s WW2 Jet Fighter for a Young Army, The Douglas DC-3: 81 Years and Going Strong. Loops, spins, barrel rolls, free falling and death defying maneuvers - that is everyday reality for aerobatic flying pilots. The following 10-step guide is the best-case scenario for someone just starting out, and doesn’t include the dozens of half-steps and knockdowns most aerobatic champions take on their way to the top, including personal life and financial setbacks, crashes, inability to find sponsors, inability to find time to practice, traveling for airshows, applying for scholarships, and spending countless hours choreographing the subtle nuances of an airshow routine within the strictly enforced confines of your ACE-determined “box,” which then includes music, smoke (if you choose), and trying to innovate and design moves never-before-seen to make a name for yourself as a future aerobatic champion. The synchronization of aerobatic maneuvers and music of an appropriately exciting (or graceful) tone, appeals to everyone, so try your best to remain in time with the beat! In addition to the graphic representation of the maneuver, each move is assigned a K factor, which is a number that represents how hard it is to fly. Second, your flying and your attitude must be mature enough to handle the privilege and responsibility that comes with flying the colors of a company. Even if all goes according to plan and you have the money and the time, you’re still risking life and limb whenever you go up in the air to try a new maneuver or even perfect an older one that’s performed close to the ground. Good job PA! Nothing is as life-affirming as seeing a high-powered airplane tumbling through the air like a model rocket about crowds of hundreds of thousands of ooh-ing and aw-ing spectators than knowing that there is a human pilot inside that airplane who gets much of a thrill out of risking their life as the spectators do on the ground. Professional Passionate Prompt The Ferry Pilots are a worldwide team of professional pilots able to ferry any aircraft across any continent. It’s a progressive evaluation, so the more airshows you do and skills you gain, the lower you can fly. Luckily that seems to have been properly addressed. The best of the lot gets the chance to fly on the US Advanced Aerobatic Team, which competes twice a year in international aerobatic competitions. Sean Tucker, who has already made “living legend” status, works tirelessly to keep himself- physically, mentally, and technique-wise, in perfect condition. Helicopter pilot. By continuing to use this website, you are agreeing to our cookies policy. It’s a longer road, but one worth traveling. Hans Pallaske. Many people have made it in the sport by working like crazy at night while flying acro during the day. Once you make it past the trials and tribulations of the air show circuit, however, the only way to go is up. Or, you might fly publicly for recreation, entertainment, and sport. Parachutist pilot and more. We use cookies to help you get the best experience when using our site. By continuing to use this website, you are agreeing to our cookies policy. However, I like to think that the good makes up for the bad. Competitions can not only earn you money but catch the eye of sponsors and fans of the sport. put the payments on my credit card. An Airline Pilot is responsible for flying passengers and cargo on long-haul or short-haul flights. I’d love to see them produce a little larger aircraft. I was not going to let a lack of money keep me from my dreams. Though the pilot’s skill and experience have a lot to do with it, a great attitude isn’t going to hurt your chances of getting free money or airplane parts. Fill in your details or use our social sign up. He calls it a form of art. The answer is quite simple: men and women are different. Now comes the new FAA, NTSB, IAC and EAA emphasis, “Loss of Control.” Over the next few years, you will be hearing lots about “Loss of Control.” This article will begin that discussion. Posts IGTV Tagged. Mike Goulian is one of the many airshow pilots who had to bury himself in debt on his way to the top. You must learn how to face danger and understand fear, yet not be afraid. Aerobatic Pilot| Aerospace Systems Engineer ️. He has this choreography, the whole sequence, that flows.“1. Start by moving from one maneuver to another to gauge the speed, altitude, and attitude needed for a smooth and appealing transition, before trying to create an entire routine. At age 63, he has more than 24,000 hours in the air. After all, stunt flying was all he ever wanted to do. career.aero - pilots, cabin crew, maintenance and engineers can search aviation job opportunities, airlines and aviation companies can advertise and recruit staff here. Sean Tucker, the living legend, didn’t land a sponsor that paid him until four years after he returned to airshows (he’d had a crash), but now, he’s got loads of sponsors, including Oracle, the massive tech firm. Generally, an airshow pilot will make between $500 or so a show, and only fly a few shows a year, but once people start recognizing your name, that figure can jump up pretty quick. Eventually, you can earn a spot on the US National Aerobatic Team (IAC) and compete and travel worldwide. Once you’ve gotten all appropriate certificates, endorsements, ratings, and signed up for all your memberships, it’s time to start practicing. As you get better and more widely known, bigger sponsors will step up and become interested in you. The Air Line Pilots Association has conducted studies on the pilot personality. We provide the mainstay of competitors in the UK. Philipp Haidbauer. When the machines are being thrashed to capacity and the pilots are flying at their limits to dazzle, things are bound to go wrong sometimes. But until then, the work is on you. And, they don’t need giant power packs to get the job done. Mike Goulian3 is known for his aggressive maneuvering, Anna Serbinenko4 (Canadian airshow pilot) has a unique, slower 8KCAB Super Decathlon routine flown to classical music, Greg Shelton flies a warbird with his daughter as his Wing Walker, Mike Younkin flies slow aerobatic maneuvers in a Twin Beech 18 and countless more. That reminds me of the winter of 1995 when I ran out of money and my parents couldn’t afford to help me make the bank payments on my EXTRA 300S. The next part is simple (well, as simple as anything in competitive aerobatics can be): whoever has the best score wins! The Intermediate category is where the IAC starts to turn up the heat. That being said, music is key. Join ICAS (International Council of Airshows) (You must be a member to join the ACE program: $325/yr), and. Throughout each article and interview I’ve read about becoming an airshow pilot, aerobatic champions say there’s one thing you need above all others: an obsessive love of flight. Some people are natural performers, and some have the charisma but not the stage presence, and I’m sure there are some famous airshow pilots who have none of those traits, but I haven’t heard of them. I wasn’t searching for the answer because I really didn’t think there was one. Despite (or maybe because of) the inherent risk of pushing aerobatic planes- and their pilots- to the absolute physical limit, the life of an airshow pilot holds a glamorous allure that belies the tremendous amount of behind-the-scenes work it takes to make it to the top. If you ask the pilots who had what it takes to achieve their dreams of flying the Red Bull Air Races or becoming a US Aerobatic Champion, I’m sure any of them would say they’d do it all again. Another former pilot who says that the skills he learned in the cockpit helped him with his new job is Waylon Parker, who previously flew for Australia's Qantas. [Read More]. Dear applicants and friends of career.aero, We are pleased to be at your service even in times of the lock down! Pilot of passion. Find a qualified ACE (Aerobatic Competency Evaluator) to recommend you and decide performance levels. You establish your goal, and no matter what deters you along the way, in your every waking moment you must say to yourself, ‘I could do it. “The difference between a mediocre and outstanding aerobatic pilot isn’t perceptible to anyone who doesn’t live and breathe this stuff,” says ICAS’s John Cudahy7. Not that he’s carved that fee in stone; it’s just what he thinks someone at his level should make.“1, The interviewer goes on to clarify that even if Skip flies “eight or so shows this season at $4,900 apiece, his earnings won’t cover his expenses. According to the Air & Space Magazine’s interview with Skip Stewart, his climb to financial stability went a little something like this: “In 2002, Stewart flew seven shows, asking $1,500 a pop. . • Global Pilot Program • www.pilotattari.com. It’s then run through a computer program which is supposed to account for judge bias or inconsistency (IAC “Official Contest Rules”). After about a year, I had paid off my debt. Carly Courtney graduated summa cum laude with her BFA in Creative Writing from Sierra Nevada College nestled in the Lake Tahoe Basin. You need to be willing to undertake a decade or more of training, performing, schmoozing with sponsors (if you make it that far), and putting tens of thousands (or more) in debt on your credit card, unless you have an exceptional day job or a very supportive partner. There is no way of making everything completely safe. Our hope is that you will follow our site, read these heartfelt articles and continue to become the safest, most proficient pilot possible. Hans Pallaske. According to his biography on Team Oracle’s website8, “He practices his airshow routine three times every day. Typically, routines last for two or three songs and expect it to be shorter when you’re just starting out, especially if there are acts following yours. Commercial License: Minimum 250 total hours, approximately $6,500-7,000; Aerobatic School: Around 40+ hours, approximately $8,100. To me, the 19-year-wait was worth it!“3. Basic aerobatic and tailwheel instruction pays Gauntlet pilots $50-$60 per hour. He easily spends his whole take on maintaining and rebuilding Prometheus [his Pitts]: It costs him $40,000 a year to fly a single airshow season and $3,600 to insure the Pitts.“1. Required fields are marked *. He loves giving his autograph and handing out pictures of himself with his airplane. Tailwheel endorsement: About 6-8 hours dual instruction, approximately $1,400. Newsletter. My First Aerobatic Flight: I Can’t Believe I Just Made the Plane DO THAT! 55% of our students are international, coming from all over the world to train as national and international aerobatic competitors. Because I witnessed the answer with my own eyes, I accidentally became a better pilot. Aero Air, LLC is accepting resumes for Pilots. Saving $80,000 a year on your airplane and all its expenses is a pretty big deal when it’s not unusual to spend $100,000 or more “a year for several years before any sort of financial return.” According to the IAC, that staggering amount of money includes the cost of “owning, storing, fueling, insuring, and maintaining a personal aircraft, as well as the cost of traveling and training.”6, “To get to the top ranks of World Aerobatic Competition or air show flying, you’re looking at approximately ten years of practice and training. Altitude is life, speed is just an insurance. There are five different categories of airshow pilots broken down based on experience and skill level. Most of our pilots are also aerobatic pilots and a few even hold display authorisations! 1 – “So You Want to Be an Airshow Pilot,” Phil Scott, Air & Space Magazine, Retrieved 4-6-17, 2 – “What It Takes to Be a Top Airshow Pilot,” Grant Opperman, Flying Magazine, Retrieved 4-6-17, 3 – “I Want to Do What You Do,” Mike Goulian, Retrieved 4-6-17, 4 – “The Life of an Airshow Pilot,” Patty Wagstaff, Plane & Pilot Magazine, Retrieved 4-6-17, 5 – Basic Aerobatic Course Outline, Aerobatic Company and Flight School, Retrieved 4-6-17, 6 – Competition Aerobatics, International Aerobatic Club, Retrieved 4-6-17, 7 – Ace Program, International Council of Airshows, Retrieved 4-6-17, 8 – About Sean D. Tucker, Team Oracle, Retrieved 4-6-17, A few years ago, the FAA emphasized “Runway Incursions.” There was rarely a flight magazine that did not have something to say about runway incursions. Perseverance is the name of this game. To be in the [Red Bull Air Race], you have to become an aerobatic champion first.” Mike Goulian3, Most airshows only have a few pilots on the docket at once, so proving yourself is difficult, and even once you get hired at one, the pay (starting out at least) isn’t too thrilling. Defying The Physics: Aerobatic Air Shows. As a Stunt Pilot, you might fly privately for training purposes — in the military, for instance, where aerobatics helps Fighter Pilots prepare for combat. Siegfried Schwarz. When our pilots are not ferrying general aviation aircraft they can usually be found flying and teaching aerobatics! Aviation Careers: Becoming an Airshow Pilot, Beryl Markham: Rediscovering One of History’s Fascinating Aviatrixes, The Disciples of Flight Documentary arrives. As you continue to improve, and hopefully win some competitions, you can move up in category- offering better prizes, more visibility, a greater challenge, and fiercer competition. Career Achievements: Longest serving Blades pilot; One of the world’s most experienced Extra 300 pilots; Air Show Advisor to the Royal Saudi Air Force National Aerobatic Team ; Kirsty Murphy. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2021 MEDIA STEW LLC, Our website uses cookies to improve your experience. For this season, he’s hiking his price to $4,900. Already got an account with us? Starting off, the only requirements for the job are a private pilot license, a high school diploma, and a mandatory minimum of 200 flight hours. There are many personality traits associated with being a pilot, and not all of them are complimentary. Featured image by Jim Hoddenbach, pilot/photographer/mechanic/aviator extraordinaire. (Make sure all practice maneuvers are completed over 1,500 AGL!) The next year, he flew 10 shows for $2,000 each, then last year he received $2,950 per show for 10 shows. Carly is still there, living the dream writing articles and flying (as a student pilot) whenever she can! Sign up by leaving your email address below. Another reason that aerobatics training in Australia can show useful for career pilots is that it supplies you with ingenious motor abilities for handling emergencies that would otherwise be hard for pilots with no experience on the matter. It takes skill to perform aerobatic stunts and that takes hundreds of hours of practice to master. Private Pilot Certificate: Minimum 40 total hours, approximately $10,000. So it was logical for him to take the controls of the Marchetti. The four fatal accidents that occurred in 2003 were the most in seven years.”, “It is not easy to be the best. Flight Operations; Hillsboro, OR, USA; Until Filled; Full Time The teams of such performances are often composed of air forces, navies and even private organizations. Mention aerobatics and air shows to almost anyone and the first image that comes to mind is usually a small, brightly-painted biplane—the Pitts Special. Eric Goujon. If you love to fly planes and get a rush from performing stunts in the air, then a career as an aerobatic pilot may be a good career for you. Mirko Flaim. '” Betty Skelton. Examples of tasks might include running routine checks of all the safety equipment on-board in case of an emergency, making contact with air traffic control to coordinate take-off and maintaining contact throughout the flight, using on-board controls to analyse flight data and make any necessary changes and reacting to changing weather conditions and adjusting the flight plan accordingly. Tucker is an aerobatic pilot -- among the best in the world. Michael Goulian is known for executing everything he does at only the very highest level, and that attention to detail is evident in Mike Goulian Aviation. Emergency maneuver training course: About 10 hours, approximately $1,400. There was only one thing left to do…. Pilot Jobs . However, if you have the passion and the dedication to flying and “making it” as an airshow pilot, there are few (if any) aviation careers that are more exciting or fulfilling. Shocking, I know, but the question to the answer is: who are better pilots, men or women? Many reporters who interview airshow pilots note a confidence, even “swagger” in the way they carry themselves and a smooth, friendly way of speaking that endears people to them. Regardless of age or flight experience, many pilots can remember attending their first airshow. In reality, though, they’re anti-gravity machines that are being flown by fearless flesh-and-blood Stunt Pilots. His own training, from noted aerobatic pilots Rainer Wilke and Blacky Schwarz early in his career, has indeed paid off. Some are members of teams of … Email Password. Sometimes, the trick is not doing the same thing but better, but trying out a completely different and unique routine, cultivating a style that’s your own. In addition to a more difficult routine (published before the season), they must also fly a routine which is distributed to competitors only a few hours before the flight and cannot be practiced, truly testing how well they know their stuff. If, after that, you’re still interested in learning to become an airshow performer, dive in! Music gets the audience hyped, and helps you remain on-point and on-time with your routine. (All listed prices are including aircraft rental and dual instruction and based off prices listed online5; price will be significantly lower if you own your own aerobatic airplane, or are part of a flying club. The top-ranked Unlimited category pilots can qualify to be on the US Unlimited Aerobatic Team which also competes twice a year in international aerobatic competitions. Philipp Haidbauer. So I built up about 20K worth of credit card debt over the next six months. Total career flying hours: 8300. Now, more than 30 years into his career, Michael is known around the world as a “pilots pilot” and a respected aviation business professional through his exploits in his successful career as an aerobatic pilot and Red Bull Air Race competitor. I took my first aerobatic lesson in 1985 and ‘signed on’ with my first title sponsor in 2004. If you're teaching in the T-6 or Extra 300L, your pay by the hour is closer to the $100 range, although that's based more on flight time (not ground and flight time combined). You must have the courage to bear pain, disappointment, and heartbreak. In order to make fans and keep them, they’ve got to have something more to hold onto than an N-number. Your email address will not be published.