Sunday the 9th of June was the date of the Welshpool Airshow. A small, intimate affair featuring some big names – the BBMF gave a fantastic and moving display with the Lancaster, Hurricane and Spitfire in commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the Dambusters raid, the Vulcan made the earth move with some ear shattering and beautiful low passes, the Typhoon nearly made my ears bleed in a display of raw agility and power, and the Royal Navy Historic Flight’s Sea Fury made me long once more to be sat behind that behemoth of an engine, the Bristol Centaurus.
So why was this show so special for me? This sunny Welsh Sunday was my initiation into the incredible world of airshow flying! There I was, sat on the flight-line, waiting my turn knowing that this was really it – I was about to become an airshow pilot.
The day started the same way all of these days seem to start – slowly and with decidedly uninspiring crappy weather. Taking off from Little Gransden and climbing to the almighty height of…about 800ft didn’t exactly bode well, especially as the journey went on, the ground got higher and the cloud got lower. Just as I was contemplating giving up and going back home someone decided to brighten my world up a touch – the cloudbase suddenly started getting higher and around about Kidderminster I started seeing bright blue patches – the game was well and truly on!
My first inkling that something in my flying world was about to change was when I caught my first glimpse of the airfield – it was literally covered in people. Thousands of people. I admit now that the knot in my stomach noticeably tightened as I landed and taxied along the crowdline, too overwhelmed to dare really look over at all the smiling faces eagerly watching the display acts arriving.
The briefing was simple, effective and the Display Director amazingly friendly and encouraging. The other display pilots also managed to calm my nerves by so openly welcoming me into the fold, the feeling of camaraderie and mutual excitement was tangible!
So there it was, the sun was shining, not a cloud marred the beautiful blue sky and my time came around. Everything seemed both frantic, scary, serene and natural all at the same time. I prepared the aeroplane, strapped on my parachute and carried on as I always do, except this time people were watching. Lots of people. I don’t think I could help but grin like a lunatic as I taxied down the display line back to the end of the runway, hearing the commentator talking about me mixed with the bustle of the crowd, all over the top of the throbbing Lycoming as it gently settled into its stride. People were waving, smiling and staring as ‘KDR and I headed off into a new chapter of our lives together. I waved back.
Closing the canopy was like flicking a switch, we were back together alone – me comfortably revelling in my little bubble of noisy peace before pushing the throttle forward, feeling the wonderful rumbling growl as we surged forward, tail high, then climbing back home to the sky.
The sequence went past in a surreal slow blur – the maneuvers flowed into one another, the sheer joy of the speed and g-forces apparently on full display to the phenomenal crowd of spectators below. We chased our smokey tail, drew corkscrews in the sky, looped, rolled, turned, swooped and grinned at the crowd from every conceivable angle until it was finally time to land.
Opening the canopy during the landing roll to breathe in the glorious fresh air opened up my world to the crowd once more – I simply cannot express just what it felt like having just lived out my own dream to then return to taxi past a crowd of thousands of people all waving and cheering – loud enough that I could hear them even with my headset on and the engine still purring away. Emotions are often overwhelming and mine in that moment will stay with me to my dying day – personal, moving and more powerful than I ever imagined this could be. Nothing felt real, I didn’t feel real.
I climbed out of the aeroplane to be greeted by the smiling faces of my compatriots, to be congratulated and pointed toward the crowd who were still watching me, still waving and still cheering! None of them knew what I’d just lived through, that I’d just entered a world I’d never genuinely believed I was capable of reaching – they all simply enjoyed watching us do what we do, me and the Pitts together in harmony.
The rest of the day whirled past in a haze of hands shaken, faces smiling, words of warm congratulation and awe and even the occasional autograph signing. I simply cannot convey just how amazing and moving the day was, how grateful I am to the organisers, the other pilots and most of all to the incredible crowd of spectators – so many of whom have since emailed, Facebook messaged and Tweeted me (thanks especially to Adrian Brown and Misha Kucharsky for the phenomenal pictures I’ve included here) to congratulate me on being ‘an inspiration’ to so many people. Honestly I don’t know what to say, for me life has taken another very humbling turn, and I hope to keep myself moving ever forward, to keep inspiring people and to keep becoming a better pilot and a better person.
Thank you for reading.
Well done Lauren, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this post. It obviously came straight from your heart.
Shame that I couldn’t get to Welshpool yesterday, hope to catch one of your displays in the future. Maybe we’ll bump into each other sometime when I’m out and about in IY (not literally though I hope)
Keep up the good work.
Cheers
Steve G-CBIY
Great Job, The feeling must be amazing.
Congratulations on your display debut Lauren,
Be warned, display flying is addictive, and I for one find it far more rewarding than competing
We look forward to meeting you, somewhere, some time, around the display circuit.
Yours, Bob
Well done.. great write-up, excellent photos and an inspiring story… yet to do the same myself… one day!!
Clearly a damn good writer as well as pilot! i have started the day with a tear in my eye now, but in a good way. well done!
Lauren, so pleased to read this, you were not alone on Sunday, reaching for the skies over welshpool, (quietly in the background) I ran my first hot air balloon meet (after a lifetime of watching other people do it).
We had good weather Saturday morning way before `normal people’ got out of bed – What a buzz. I watched your display from the crowd and have some pictures, of you on approach as well (over our camp site) if you would like them just say.
Many Congratulations on a fantastic debut. look forward to seeing you in the future.
And fantastic support from the Team at Welshpool as well in letting us `live the dream’.
Happy Landings
Andy
Awesome, congratulations!
It must be very satisfying to look back from this milestone to flying solo in the Pitts for the first time and realise what you’ve achieved. Great to see that lots of talent, resourcefulness and determination ultimately leads to succes. 🙂
Well done Lauren! Welcome to the sanctum and to think it was only a few months ago on another sketchy-weather day that I ferried KDR to you!
We at Wildcat Aerobatics are delighted for you. See you Sunday!!
A
Congrats on your first air show!
I’m writing because your photo shows a parachute with a dangerously loose fit. In the event of a bail-out the pack *will* shift, and you could be seriously injured if the opening shock is not distributed properly. There’s even a small chance that you could come out partly or completely of the harness.
The leg straps should be very tight, to the point where standing upright is difficult. But first you’ll need to get the shoulder straps adjusted such that the leg strap buckles are above your hips.
Please take your chute to a rigger and ask them to adjust it. If they don’t know what you’re talking about, find a new rigger. I also recommend talking to Allen Silver (www.silverparachutes.com); he once saw a picture of me and made the same observation, and now my rig fits snugly.
Have fun, and fly safe!
Top banana Lauren – well done!
I was visiting a frined who lives in line with the southern end of the runway and we sat in the garden enjoying the show!! Yours was a great display and, being your first one in public was obviously super-exciting … you certainly convey that in your account! Congratulations!!!!
You were fantastic on Sunday! Such a thrill to see you perform, and witness your graciousness and enthusiasm when interacting with your “fans.” Even more special to read about your experience through your eyes! Thank you for being a passionate and inspiring role model! Wishing you much luck and success!
Lauren congratulations on flying your first airshow. DJ Molny alerted me the photo of you wearing a parachute that was way out of adjustment. He said you might fall out of the parachute or get injured during opening, should you need it. I’ve been a parachute rigger for over 40 years and past chairman of the rigging committee for the Parachute Industry Association (PIA). I will go one step further, If you don’t get your parachute properly adjusted you probably will fall out of the harness and/or get injured during deployment. Your parachute is so far out of adjustment I doubt if it would fit someone less than seven foot tall properly. If you can get a copy of August 2012 “Sport Aerobatics” magazine there is an article about an individual you was seriously injured during a bailout with the same type of parachute you had on because he did not have it adjusted properly. This could happen with any parachute that is not properly adjusted. I’m pretty sure the article is in that issue. Please contact me if you have any further concerns and that you found the article. I can always email you a cophy. Keep up the good work. Allen Silver (allen@silverparachutes.com)O
Well done Lauren! I am just starting my PPL but I hope to do some Aerobatics during my training 🙂