Aerobatics

If you like roller coasters, you will love aerobatics. That is, of course, a bit of a simplification. But the thrill of riding the world's best roller coasters is the closest ground-bound humans will ever come to the exhilaration of piloting a capable aerobatic airplane through loops, rolls, spins, and the like. The great thing about riding the aerial roller coaster, of course, is that you are in control; you design the track as you go along. The thrill of movement is combined with the freedom, beauty, and sense of accomplishment that comes with all human flight. Master aerobatics — a contraction of aerial acrobatics — and not only will you have the time of your life, you'll have gained a difficult skill that few pilots can lay claim to.

Although no additional pilot certificate is necessary to fly aerobatics, pilots normally enroll in a formal course of training. Companies that rent and insure aerobatic aircraft virtually insist upon it, and it s downright dangerous to attempt "self-taught" maneuvers. Ten hours of dual instruction is the norm to attain basic aerobatic skills that will enable you to fly spins, loops, and rolls. As you progress as an aerobat, however, you probably will seek additional instruction. As in all types of flying, you never get to the point where you have learned it all.