Schedule for SPEED (Channel 250) in the Boston area:

September 6 – 8:00pm EST
September 6 – 11:00pm EST
September 7 – 8:00am EST
September 8 – 10:30pm EST
September 9 – 1:30am EST
September 9 – 10:30am EST
September 10 – 9:00pm EST
More episodes on the 13th and 14th.
Check local listings for additional show dates and times.

Checkout this 4-minute preview of my episode:

You will be able to watch the full episode on-line in a few days at this link:
http://www.speedtv.com/programs/intersections/watch-video

First, I spent every summer in nearby York Beach, Maine with my family. My dad, brother, and I would spend a lot of time around the Littlebrook airport just north of the Pease airport. Some of my favorite memories of my dad are hanging around there during the summer. My mom could never understand how we could go on vacation to “escape” the airport just to go and hang out at another airport. Needless to say, we were just airport bums. No question about it.

Second, one of my earliest memories of air shows was when we were driving to Maine for vacation one time, the Blue Angels were flying at the air show and they came zooming over our car on one of their passes. As a young kid, that left a vivid image in my mind of what an air show should be.

Now, probably thirty years later, I am part of that air show which includes the famous Blue & Gold of the Navy Blue Angels.

It’s my hope that we can inspire a bunch more kids this weekend to lead a life of passion and excellence. After all, that’s what air shows are all about!!!

HUGE thanks to Kramer Upchurch and Southeast Aero for completing the repair to our wing in record time. Kramer is a great friend to our team and he came through for us. The repairs were extensive and their gang worked long hours to enable us to fly this weekend. Big shout out boys!

Hope to see lot’s of MGAS and ASB.TV fans at the air show this weekend. Should be a great one.

See you there!!!!!

Mikey G

For Team #99, we surely had a season of “what if’s”. What if our engine started in the Final Four in Abu Dhabi? What if we didn’t have oil pressure issues in Perth? What if our fancy home built race engine didn’t blow up in Windsor? What if I pulled a little harder here or a little less there? What if I didn’t fly in Germany with the Flu?

We will never know because that’s racing. There are many factors that go into winning a championship and for us, it just wasn’t in the cards this year.

This is also the end of a chapter in the history of the RBAR. We all hope that the series will come back bigger and better in 2012. There is such a positive momentum in this sport that I think it should continue as it influences the lives of many people in such a good way. There are many kids dreaming of flying some day because they have watched a RBAR.

What most people don’t know, is that this week in Germany the RBAR family suffered a tragedy. The Air Race’s Technical Director, Adrian Judd was killed in a high speed motorcycle accident on a public road. In a sport where politics, money, and egos are the norm, Adrian ruled with the simple guidelines of common sense, honesty, and fairness. He was one of the “stars” of the RBAR who you didn’t see flying in a race plane. But, without him, the series would have been much different. Adrian was someone I respected greatly and will miss him immensely.

Which brings me to the real point of this blog: There are many great aviators in the world, and all of the pilots in the RBAR certainly fit into that category. But the performance of an athlete or a pilot pales in comparison in regards to the measure of that man’s character. Long after the glory of achievement has ended, a person will be remembered by the impact they made on their sport, friends, and fans.

Adrian was a person that will be remembered as a “great one”, not because of what he did, but because of who he was.

Fly high my friend!!!

Spikey Mikey the “Green Man”

GETTING STARTED
That’s an easy one. To start on your aerobatic flying career, simply go to www.iac.org and find an aerobatic flight school near you. I’m sure that once you do your first roll and see the world from a different perspective, you’ll be hooked. However, the journey is just beginning, and it’s not going to be an easy road to the top. The real answer to the question “how do I get started”, is that you need to have a dream and an undying passion for the sport in which you have started.

I personally started my flying career in a Decathlon trainer, but the more advanced two-seat Pitts and EXTRA are good too. They are certified and offer a good platform in which to learn.

GETTING TO THE TOP
Well, I think there is no such place as “the top”. It’s all about your perspective. For me, being invited to fly at EAA AirVenuture Oshkosh back in 1998 was a huge thrill. Then, my inclusion in the Red Bull Air Race was another real thrill for me. I’m excited and honored to be living a life in the air and I don’t take it for granted for one second.

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. Maybe more. There is simply no easy way to get to the top except for old fashioned blood, sweat, and tears. It costs a lot of money and will take a lot of time. In fact, to get to “the top”, you’ll have to give up EVERYTHING for the next decade. That’s it, you can’t do anything else. Eat it, breathe it, sleep it, and live it. If you don’t give up everything to chase your dream, you won’t realize that dream. However, the kid in the next state or country who is just a little bit more hungry than you to “get there”, will make it. So don’t give up.

Money helps, but it’s not vital. Many people have made it in the sport by working like crazy at night while flying acro during the day. It’s a longer road, but one worth traveling. 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. There was only one thing left to do…. put the payments on my credit card. I was not going to let a lack of money keep me from my dreams. So I built up about 20K worth of credit card debt over the next six months. That September I won the US Nationals and started making money flying air shows. After about a year, I had paid off my debt. Those are the kinds of tests that one will be faced with along the way. As the saying goes, “if it were easy, everyone would do it”.

RED BULL AIR RACING
To be in the RBAR, you have to become an aerobatic champion first. It’s that simple. To handle an aircraft like it’s an extension of your mind, flying MUST be second nature. You can only get that instinct through many hours of low level acro flying. Being invited to be in the RBAR is the ultimate honor and one not to be taken lightly. It’s an unforgiving game. BUT, it’s worth the wait!!!!

HOW DO I GET A SPONSOR
Most people say to me, “I need a sponsor and then become an air show pilot”. From my experience, the sponsors come last. First, you need to show courage and determination by becoming a winning aviator. 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.

I took my first aerobatic lesson in 1985 and “signed on” with my first title sponsor in 2004. To me, the 19 year wait was worth it!

WHAT NOW
Well, that’s my two cents on getting started towards a life of sport flying. Now, all that’s left is to make a decision on whether it’s right for you. If you feel this is “your destiny”, you must “go for it” with all of your drive, determination, and passion. Again, it’s not an easy road. But, if you persevere, you’ll be rewarded with a life of adventure!!

At the moment, I am sitting in my “hangar” at the RBAR in NYC writing this blog smack in the middle of the “calm before the storm” in what will surely be a crazy week of media interviews, flying, and hosting friends. My next “day off” will be June 28th. After eight straight weeks of working, it will be a VERY nice mid-season respite.

One of my friends mentioned the other day that Karin and I have a “terrible lifestyle”. After thinking about it for a few minutes, I had to agree. However, at the moment, I would not change it for the world.

The reason I am so at home living the fast paced life is that I am doing something that I never dreamed I would be doing for a living. And, I am loving the opportunity to travel the USA and the globe flying the most incredible general aviation planes ever created. I am a very lucky man.

The other thing that makes it so tolerable is that I am part of a big extended family. While away from home, the RBAR crew have become my international family and my air show family has been, and will always be, my North American family. And I will never take for granted the fact that Karin and Emily are such a big part of what I do. Karin is the backbone of our team and Emily keeps us grounded and laughing constantly.

So, even though I am a little tired and dreaming of a week on the couch with a TV “clicker” in hand, I am in love with this “terrible lifestyle” and hope it continues for the foreseeable future.

Flying with heart!!!!

Michael