Northern Ireland Aviation Enthusiast's Forum
Aviation Events => International Airshows => Topic started by: Jenny on January 03, 2006, 12:46:07 PM
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My friend Waldo clued me into these boards. Figured I'd wander over and say hi.
Is anyone headed to the Al Ain Aerobatic Show next week? If so, look for the crazy American :P standing on top of the ultralight-type aircraft - and be sure to stop by and say hello...
Jenny
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Hi Jenny,
first of all welcome to the forum :) Unfortunately I'm on the other side of the 'pond' - Northern Ireland, so I won't be able to make it :( but if you get any photos I'd love to see them.
When I get home this evening I'll add your site to my links page and why not add it yourself to the 'Website Promotion' section of the forum.
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Will do, Casper. This will actually be my first time overseas to that area of the world. I'm looking forward to seeing the MiddleEast and getting a taste of their culture. I met some folks from Scotland who thought they might be headng back there to the Al Ain show this year, it seems to be a well-attended show by folks from all over the globe...
Jenny
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Hi Jenny, wow now that is a bit different. This side of the pond we only have the Utterly Butterly Wingwalkers..............
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v417/allypuss/ub-18.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v417/allypuss/382.jpg)
Just one question please, does it feel safe? Fair enough a Stearman has got a good strong wing but an ultralight? Obviously it is the FAA probably have strict regulations for this. Anyway good luck with the trip!
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Hi Chris,
Considering my dad's the best darn UL pilot in the world :lol: , it feels totally safe up there. In all seriousness, it's a great experience every time I get to fly with dad. And we have our safety precautions - I certainly don't have a death wish.
I've "spoken" with a couple of the 'retired' Utterly Butterly girls who contacted me looking to find a wingwalking pilot for them to team up with here in the States. Unfortunately, there are many more aspiring wingwalkers than there are wingwalking pilots. I'm very fortunate to have the opportunity to work with 2 of the best pilots...
I am curious though, I usually just see photos of the Utterly Butterly girls locked into the top stand (as in your photos). Do they walk out between the wings at all?
Nice to meet you!
Jenny
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As far as I have seen (and someone may correct me on this) the Utterly Butterly girls are strapped to harnesses on top of the wing. They can only rotate in the harness through 360 degrees, so no 'wing walking'
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I was always curious about that, having seen some videos and various photos. It's really cool that they do their act with 2 planes and 2 girls, it makes for something different than what is normally available here across the pond.
My movement on the UL is limited to certain areas, of course, but I do have free movement about that area on and just below the root tube/gas tank. On the Stearman, we work both on the top stand - in and out of the belt - and then work between the wings, as well. Waldo's wingwalkers are some of the few, even in the states, that go all the way out to the wingtip (N-strut).
In any case, if you find yourself yearning for sunshine and warmth next week, catch a plane down to the Emirates and catch the Al Ain Aerobatic Show: www.alainaerobaticshow.com
Jenny
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Jenny returned to the USA today at KJFK. She called me from the domestic terminal on her
layover. She has many stories about the show. I sure hope she will share them all.
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Brilliant. Glad see arrived home safely. Looking forward to the stories and hopefully some photos :)
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I've seen a few pics from Al Ain and it looked like it was a fantastic show, despite the wind. I look forward to some interesting stories! :) :) :)
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Found some photos
http://www.alainaerobaticshow.com/html/article.asp?cid=90
Looking good :)
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Hi all.
Here is my UAE page with photos. On the press page you'll find links to other more professional photographs (and a better variety). Still working on getting caught up here at my normal job, I'll fill you in on some stories later...
http://www.bobessellairshows.com/UAE.html
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Fanatastic :) :) :)
Seems to have been a brilliant time. What a way to spend a day. Looking forward to hearing some of your stories.
I suppose a 9-5 job dulls in comparsion :(
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Yep, there's no job in the world like wing walking!
Here's the first story: The reason for the lack of variety in my shots, particularly when it comes to other teams, is because of the schedule we were on. It's a 5-day event and we were originally supposed to fly our night show every day, but our day show only on the first and last days of the show. Well, after the first day, the organizers decided to hire us for the additional 3 day shows, so that meant performing 2 shows a day throughout the event. The hangars were a distance away, and we had to prep our pyro each day because of their particular regulations there regarding fireworks. So, we worked everyday from around 8am through 7:30pm. Our typical daily schedule:
8am - arrive at Hangar 4
go to military bunkers to check out pyro supplies for the day, start building pyro
11am - pilot briefing on the flightline
continue prepping pyro (and smokes for day show)
1pm - take plane to flightline and head to aircrew tent for lunch and to do interviews and autograph signing
2:30 to 3:30 is where we were usually scheduled in to fly our day show
after day show, return to crowd line to sign autographs and do interviews
4pm or so - return to hangar to complete pyro and wire it onto the plane for night show
6pm - head to flight line
6:30 or so - fly night pyro display
return to hangar to remove all pyro
7:30 - return to hotel
So, as you can see, there wasn't much time for being a spectator at this event, thus, the lack of other flying photos... :cry:
Jenny
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Sounds brilliant :) Much better than my boring 9-5 job :) I'd assume that they've booked you in for next year - they obviously liked you if they asked you to do the extra shows.
Is doing a show in that part of the world any different to back home?
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We heard from a few people there that we will likely be hired back, but you never can tell with airshows. We'll see what happens over the next 6 months (they didn't contact any of us in the US until around May/June last year).
Doing the show over there was drastically different. Their Flying Control Committee was way different than our FAA. They had safety regulations in place, of course, but they were far different from ours. For example, the action was very close-up: Jim Leroy and Will Curtis did their ribbon cuts on the tarmac direclty in front of the crowd line - maybe 100 feet or so out from the crowd. We also took off and landed in that same space. Those are things that would never happen in the US.
Jenny
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Found another photo of you Jenny :)
http://www.aircraftinaction.co.uk/Alain13.htm
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Thanks, Casper! I'm always looking for photos from recent shows, we don't always get the chance to meet the photographers onsite, so I usually come home and start searching.
That one was likely from Thursday's show - it was extremely windy (to the point that the other light aircraft didn't perform), so I was holding on for dear life. That was a tough day to be up there - I got quite a workout!
Jenny
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And some more :)
http://www.jetjournal.net/modules.php?name=Inhalt&sop=showpage&pid=145&page=4
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Yep, I found those earlier this week and have been in touch with the photographer, Rene Kurzenberg, who has been kind enough to send me even more shots of us from the show...
www.bobessellairshows.com/UAEpros.html
Jenny
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I don't think I have ever know anyone who could get things done as quick and accurate as Jenny.
Excellant! communication skills.
Walt
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So your not insulted when people say 'That girls got her head in the clouds' :) :) :)
Brilliant job, brilliant photos. Thanks for sharing them.
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alert5: It's hard to argue the truth! :D
I just posted some video this morning of our clips from Al Ain, along with a short clip of Jim LeRoy's ribbon cut - just to give you guys a feel for how close he really was to the crowd... you can find the video on our UAE page http://www.bobessellairshows.com/UAE.html
Jenny
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Hi Jenny
those videos are amazing - especially the night display - now that's something I'd love to see in the flesh.
One question - at one part of your display you are leaning forward but there seems to be no visible means of support - can you divulge the secret? :D :D
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PHYSICS! :idea:
Remember, we're travelling at upwards of 50mph or so, so the wind is all that's needed to hold me up. When we're going into a bit of a headwind, I actually have to use quite a bit of strength to force myself out there. Kind of like when you're travelling down the highway and you stick your hand out the window - palm facing into the wind, you need to use some force to push it forward...
Jenny
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found this Jenny
http://www.uaeinteract.com/news/default.asp?ID=331
There's a couple of small pics and a mention :)
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And another one Jenny :)
http://www.airsceneuk.org.uk/airshow06/alain/04.htm
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Cool! That latest one was taken by my friend, Gill. We met at ICAS this past year where she briefed me on the Al Ain show and what to expect - she was very helpful and we've kept in such since...
That's probably the best shot anyone has ever taken of me in that backwards layout position - it's one of those that has taken a lot of practice. It's just too bad our flag was trying to sneak out prematurely - and from the wrong end!
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Wondering if you had seen these Jenny
http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?aircraft_genericsearch=Quicksilver%20MX&distinct_entry=true
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Yep - that photographer was kind enough to send us a bunch of photos from both the Emirates and Australia! I love when people share... :P
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Hi All,
hope you had a lovely Christmas.
Jenny I found a very interesting image of you :)
http://www.pbase.com/jeyanthi/image/54884582/large (http://www.pbase.com/jeyanthi/image/54884582/large)
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Wow - that's pretty wild! We saw the organizers of the show at our big airshow convention in Las Vegas about a month ago. They said we'll be invited back for 2008 - hopefully that's true... it's just such a different sort of show, I'd love to go back.
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They said we'll be invited back for 2008 - hopefully that's true.
Hopefully it is true :)
So how's the 2007 season shaping up?