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Southern Wisconsin AirFest: Stunt pilot overcomes fear of heights |
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Written by Dennis Hines/Stateline News
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Friday, 18 May 2012 12:32 |
Terry Mayer/staff
Susan Dacy and her stunt plane, Big Red, have been regulars at Southern Wisconsin AirFest. The Harvard, Ill., resident will return for the annual event Memorial Day weekend at the Southern Wisconsin Regional Airport between Beloit and Janesville.
BELOIT — Susan Dacy admits to being afraid of heights. So what is she doing performing stunts on her “Big Red” World War II-era biplane?
“I’m afraid to go up on a ladder. I look around the house and think, ‘How am I going to clean that ceiling fan?’ But being up in an airplane doesn’t give me the same sense of heights,” Dacy said. “I’ve talked to other pilots who have said the same thing. They are afraid of heights, but when they are up in the plane, they don’t have the same sense of heights.”
Dacy of Harvard, Ill., is just one of several stunt pilots who will perform during this year’s ABC Supply Co. Southern Wisconsin AirFest, which will be held May 25-27 at the Southern Wisconsin Regional Airport on Highway 51 between Beloit and Janesville.
Dacy, who has performed at the air show for 12 years, said she enjoys watching the crowd’s reaction when the pilots and air teams are performing their stunts.
“It’s fun watching people enjoy the show. It’s like an adrenaline rush, and I get caught up in it,” Dacy said. “It has an atmosphere like a county fair. People come with their families and have a fun time... It goes back to the golden days of aviation. I enjoy the variety of it all. It’s really amazing. It’s a great show. There’s something for everybody.”
Dacy has been performing as a stunt pilot for about 30 years. She recalls attending air shows as a child and wanting to be a performer, as well.
“When I was a kid, I would go to the local air show and watch the biplanes fly by, and it just stuck with me forever,” Dacy said. “Now, I enjoy performing in front of people. Now that I’m fulfilling that dream, it’s really cool.”
Dacy learned a few tricks from her brother, Dave, who also has performed as a stunt pilot, and she has worked with other stunt pilots who have given her some advice.
“(My brother) has always given me a few pointers and instructions,” Dacy said. “Other aerobatic performers have given me some training. I have a lot of friends in the business who have given me advice. In aviation, people like to help one another. Aviation is a fun world. There’s good people. It’s lots of fun, and you develop lots of friendships.”
Dave Dacy said he’s shown his sister some tricks, and she has helped him out as well.
“We are family, so we have always helped each other as much as we could,” Dave Dacy said. “When we were younger, there was always a little bit of a rivalry. Now that we’re older, we’ve gotten away from that a little bit. Now, we help each other. We do different things. I usually have wing walkers, so I don’t do too many of the fancy stunts. Susan does more of the hardcore aerobatics.”
Dacy also credits her father with sparking her interest in aviation. Her father established Dacy Airport in Harvard and worked as an airplane mechanic.
“He did fly during World War II, but it turned out he was an excellent mechanic,” Dacy said. “He flew all his life, but he mostly worked as a mechanic. I would watch him work on the biplanes. I would watch the airplanes come and go, and it fueled my desire to start flying.”
In 1994, the Dacy family obtained a Boeing World War II-era biplane, which would be restored and later named Big Red. Dacy now uses Big Red to entertain crowds at various air shows throughout the Midwest.
“It’s fun. There’s no roof. It’s an open cockpit,” Dacy said. “People ask me if I’m afraid that I’m going to fall out. Before each performance, I double check and triple check to make sure everything is all right. During the performance, I check the seat belt to make sure it’s secure.”
Dacy said Big Red was used as a primary trainer plane during World War II.
“The young guys at the time would learn how to fly in this plane,” Dacy said. “Then after their training, they would be divided up, and it would be determined whether they would fly a transporter or a fighter aircraft.”
Besides performing at air shows, Dacy also works as a commercial airline pilot. She said both careers keep her busy, but she tries to maintain a balanced schedule.
“I don’t try to do so much to where I don’t know whether I’m coming or going,” Dacy said. “I do shows in the local area, up to 700 miles. I try to make sure one doesn’t conflict with the other.”
This year’s AirFest also will feature the Black Diamond Jet Team, U.S. Army Golden Knights Parachute Team, U.S. Air Force F-16 Heritage Flight Team, pyro jet truck and several aerobatic planes. Other attractions include a “kids’ zone,” NASA exhibit and beer garden.
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Last Updated on Thursday, 24 May 2012 09:51 |
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