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Jet Journal
Fly It Like a Fighter
A firsthand glimpse at jet upset recovery training.
by Jared T. Jacobs
Following weeks of anticipation and excitement, the time has come for my upset recovery training.
I arrive at a hangar on the east side of Tampa’s Peter O. Knight Airport (KTPF) belonging to Dr. Daniel Greenwald – long- time flight instructor and founder of the Angle of Attack Experience. We are not here to fly, but to prep for our next day of flights in Dan’s two personal aircraft, an L-39 Albatros and an Extra 330LT. See- ing as this would be my first exposure to upset recovery/aerobatic training, there is much to discuss.
As Dan begins an abbreviated ground training session, I quickly conclude that when it comes to aerobatic flying, I do not know what I do not know. Thank- fully, this is not Dan’s first time around the patch, and he recognizes where my knowledge of “normal” aerodynamics ends and uses that in conversation to build a bridge to “abnormal” and aero- batic aerodynamics. For instance, one concept new to me is disconnecting the f light controls from their typical roles. In “normal” attitude flight, when on the front side of the power curve, we are all
well aware that pitch is controlled by the elevator. However, if you are in 90-degree knife edge flight, the pitch will now be controlled by the rudder, and thus I learn a new term: “top rudder.”
As our conversation wraps up, Dan pro- duces a couple of books for some nightly reading – “Fly for Fun” by Bill Thomas and “Better Aerobatics” by Alan Cassidy. I later sit in my hotel room reading and chair f lying the assigned maneuvers (ai- leron roll, slow roll, loop, barrel roll), and my excitement begins to morph toward nervousness. Though I hold multiple type ratings and fly aircraft all over the world, it has been a long time since I have found myself out of my element. But here I am working very hard to grasp the most basic building blocks of aerobatics. I take a big bite of humble pie, do my best to channel my inner student pilot and keep my nose buried in the books. But in the back of my mind, I can’t help but wonder if maybe I bit off more than I can chew?
Pre-Flight
The next morning, Dan and I arrive to the My Jet Manager hangar located at the Lakeland Linder International Airport
(KLAL). I soon get my first glance at Dan’s meticulously maintained Aero Vodochody L-39 Albatros. The red, white and blue paint scheme quickly draws my eye. Even as it sits in the han- gar, the L-39 looks fast with its long, sleek fuselage framed by dual engine inlets.
A man on a mission, Dan dives right into the pre-f light inspection which be- gins at the Sapphire auxiliary power unit with a check of the unit’s oil level. As we are adding oil to the small jet engine, Dan explains that much like in large business jets, the starting of the main jet engine is accomplished by using battery power to start the small power unit, which then can be used to power the start of the much larger main aircraft engine.
A certified A&P, Dan continues the pre-f light in a thorough and methodical manner, explaining the different sys- tems as he goes – hydraulic (normal and emergency), pneumatic, fire suppres- sion, ejection seats, etc. He is also careful to point out any aftermarket modifica- tions that may have been made that alter the aircraft from its original version. Combining this in-person tutorial with
20 • TWIN & TURBINE / June 2019 Jet Journal