Lucas Oil Air Show pilot to 'rock' Tyndall's skies

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Christopher Reel
  • 325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  Lucas Oil Air Show pilot, Michael Wiskus, will perform aerobatic stunts at the 2011 Gulf Coast Salute Open House and Air Show March 26 and 27, on Tyndall.

Wiskus is a 2002 United States National Aerobatic Champion and a member of the 2004 U.S. Aerobatic Team. He has traveled the world performing in an S1-11B "Pitts Special," the same aircraft he'll be performing in this year's open house and air show.

The S1-11B "Pitts Special" is a 310 horsepower aircraft. It reaches air show speeds of approximately 195 miles per hour and attains maneuvering speeds of approximately 180 mph.

"Spectators can expect a high energy performance consisting of tumbling acts, rolls, and smoke displays to the beat of classic rock music such as Aerosmith," Wiskus said. "Precision and high energy are the key components for the act."

This is Wiskus' sixth season of flying for air shows. The air show season begins in March and ends in November each year. He is scheduled to perform at more than 20 air shows with a total of 60 performances this year throughout the U.S. and Canada.

During the air show off-season he flies for Corporate America and manages the corporate flight department and aircraft maintenance shop, at West Metro Aviation in Minneapolis, Minn. For him, flying has been a lifetime passion. 

"My passion for aviation began after my father took me to my first air show when I was 10 years old," said Wiskus.

However, his journey to becoming a pilot began when he was a teenager. He began working at an airport when he was 14 years old, eventually trading work for flying lessons. He received his pilot's license on his 17th birthday.

Thirty years later, Wiskus has accumulated more than 23,000 flight hours and is qualified in more than 30 aircraft.

"I knew I always wanted to be a pilot, but I didn't always see myself being an aerobatic pilot," he added.

In the early 1990s he started training for competition aerobatics.

"By becoming an aerobatic pilot, I took my love for aviation to the furthest degree," Wiskus said.

"One of the main reasons that I started doing air shows is to get children and spectators interested in flying," said Wiskus. "I want to let kids know the sky is the limit. If you follow your passions, you will find yourself enjoying life."

For more information, visit http://sportaerobatics.com/.