Jon
recently flew in the Leon Mexico airshow. This show was produced by the
Flyers Team based out of Guadalajara Mexico. Captain Roger is the Flyers
Team leader. After his Leon, Mexico performance, he is now an honorable
member of the Flyers Team. Jon has several upcoming airshows in Mexico.
Check out the schedule to see what is next!With the wide variety of performers and aircraft on the airshow circuit today, Jon chooses to concentrate on flying freestyle maneuvers in a modern high performance bi-plane.
The
bi-plane has a classic look from a long gone era, so Jon tries to keep
the audience attention with an aggressive performance style. His belief
is to keep the “show” like watching a movie at the theatre…right in
front of the audience.
Jon enjoys taking time prior to the show to “mingle” with the crowd to meet and greet them. This allows him to build a relationship with the airshow fans, which in turn, makes them feel as if they are part of his performance. Many times, after he flies, he asks children if they saw him wave to them, and they say “Yes!”. This, in Jon's opinion, makes it more personal.
Jon also describes the basics of how to fly the airplane, allowing pilots and non pilots alike to enjoy hearing while seeing what he is doing. As Jon flies his routine, he can narrate from the cockpit the different forces he is feeling. As an example, check out the Fox-10 In-flight Video in the videos section. There, Jon is talking while flying some extreme maneuvers.
Many people, including Television reporters, ask Jon why he is an airshow pilot. It’s a very good question and he likes to answer them with this:
“Being an airshow pilot allows me to give back to aviation, something that I am truly passionate about. Also, it allows me the great opportunity to demonstrate what an airplane can do. Believe me, I too am amazed at what an airshow airplane can do. I’ve always been an airshow fan, so being real with and in front of the crowd is what makes this all so special.“
After his performance, Jon is always available to answer questions and sign autographs. Being “approachable” is the key to his special relationship with the crowd. It’s not completely about what he does in the air, it’s also how he reacts with the crowd on the ground. That, to Jon, is what an airshow pilot is all about.
