Pitts S2A

The little Pitts Special is one of my favourite aircraft! I was lucky enough to instruct in this one in New Zealand, and I had a ball.... it belonged to a friend of my wife, and I rented it from him on most weekends to do aerobatic joyflights and instructional rides out of Palmerston North where I worked during the week at Massey University.

With only a 20 foot wingspan, a 180 horsepower engine and that very narrow, conventional undercarriage, the Pitts has a reputation as something of a "dramatic" aircraft. Many pilots who fly it (or have had a ride in it) will tell you that it will eat you for breakfast, and is very difficult to fly and particularly so to land. This is complete rubbish, and I found the Pitts to be entirely controllable and very predictable. Yes, it doesn't hesitate to let you know that you've done something wrong, and it will scare the faint of heart or low-time, ham-fisted wannabes..... but it is just so responsive and manoeuvrable that you can put it anywhere you want and do anything you can think of - it just laps it all up and asks for more.

Just treat it like a woman - firm but tender hand, with respect and definitely don't take it for granted! It too will give you a lifetime of fun!