Who Flies With Me
Introductory flights, pilot training and photography bring people to SP-EKS for different reasons. The programme is agreed for the particular flight and the people taking part.
Photographers
Air-to-air work is its own discipline. The photographer needs a specific relative position held steady while both aircraft manoeuvre, which means flying formation as a platform rather than flying a sequence. Photographers are usually the calmest participants we carry, because they have something to concentrate on and a reason to keep their eyes outside. They also ask the most precise questions during the briefing.
Engineers
A recognisable type: they want to know the load limits, the fuel system, the inverted oil arrangement and what happens to the propeller under negative G, and they want the numbers before they want the flight. They tend to enjoy the debrief as much as the sequence, and several have gone on to book the rating course.
Teenagers
Participants can fly from age 13 with the required parent or guardian consent. Before buying, check the young person’s interest, the participation requirements and the arrangements for the visit.
Retired airline pilots
Thousands of hours, none of them inverted. Commercial flying is a different discipline with a different set of skills, and a captain with 15,000 hours can be caught out by a flick roll. The good ones find this funny. They also tend to ask to fly a figure themselves, and they learn fast.
An astronaut candidate
A flight associated with a specialist project needs its own agreed purpose and programme. It is not medical clearance or a qualification for spaceflight, and we do not present it as a substitute for specialist training.
People who bought it for somebody else
The pattern happens several times a season. Somebody buys the voucher as a present, drives the recipient to the airfield, watches the whole sequence from the grass, and books a flight for themselves before leaving. Spectating turns out to be a persuasive sales technique that costs us nothing.
What every participant needs to check
Participants arrive with different interests and experience. Each person still needs to meet the participation requirements and discuss health concerns before booking. During the flight, clear communication helps the pilot adapt the programme.
Frequently asked questions
Who typically books an aerobatic flight?
Across a season it is close to a cross-section: photographers, engineers, teenagers from 13 upwards, retired airline pilots, people celebrating milestone birthdays, and people who bought the voucher for somebody else and then booked their own.
Do experienced pilots find aerobatics easy?
Not automatically. Commercial flying is a different discipline, and a captain with thousands of hours can be surprised by a flick roll. They do tend to learn quickly once they take the controls.
Are teenagers good aerobatic participants?
Teenagers from age 13 can participate with the required parent or guardian consent. Interest, equipment fit and the other participation requirements must be checked individually.
What predicts how well somebody handles the flight?
Sleep, no alcohol the night before, hydration, following the breathing technique from the briefing, and speaking up early if something feels wrong. Age and fitness predict very little.
Fly it yourself
Aerobatic flights in the Extra 300L SP-EKS from Radom-Piastów (EPRP), 100 km from Warsaw. From 2,222 PLN, no licence or experience required. Gift vouchers are issued as a PDF after payment confirmation and stay valid for 12 months.