Physicians find precision in the sky: Doctor-pilots throw conventional aviation to the wind

Aerobatics aviators are magnificent in their flying machines.

By Damon Adams, amednews staff. Aug. 5, 2002.

The Doctor is Out
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For most of us, flying means cramped seats, crowded overhead compartments and a bag of peanuts. For Bo Kagan, MD, flying is a heart-pounding adventure of spins, rolls, loops and dives.

Not as a passenger in coach, but as an aerobatics pilot who throws conventional aviation to the wind and fights G-forces for fun.

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"I really love the freedom I feel up in the air. I can fly in any direction. I can swoop like the birds. I can roll. You must give yourself totally to the aircraft. You have to leave all your worries and concerns on the ground," said Dr. Kagan, an orthopedic surgeon in Fort Myers, Fla.

While the International Aerobatic Club doesn't know how many of its 6,000 members are doctors, physician-fliers can name about a half dozen colleagues who compete in aerobatics.

"I guess it could be golf that I was hooked on, but it happened to be airplanes," said Hector Ramirez Jr., MD, a radiologist in Huntsville, Ala.

Aerobatic planes can cost $30,000 to $300,000.

At one time, Dr. Ramirez piloted planes to meetings and visits with family. He wanted to boost his skills and learn how to handle his plane in any situation. His interest led to aerobatics training, and now he competes in aerobatics contests.

Despite the nose dives and head-over-heels loops, Dr. Ramirez does not consider himself a thrill-seeker. "I would never bungee jump."

Sure, flying has its risks, but aerobatics isn't about wowing the crowd like ace pilots in an air show. "It's not as risky [as air shows] in the sense we are not trying to fly right above the ground," Dr. Ramirez said. "We're flying for a set of judges, not people."

Masters of the sky

In competition, pilots flying aerobatics planes, which range in price from about $30,000 to $300,000, maneuver in an aerobatic box. The top and bottom limits of the box are determined by competition category, with the higher-skilled pilots flying lower to the ground (328 feet above ground for the top category). The five competition categories are basic, sportsman, intermediate, advanced and unlimited.

Within this approximately 3,300 square feet of airspace, pilots must fly a sequence of maneuvers, such as a loop which the plane enters and exits at the same altitude.

"Most of the maneuvers are a combination of loops, rolls and lines. An aerobatics sequence is very similar to a roller coaster ride. If you've been on a roller coaster, you've done some of the basic maneuvers," said Dr. Kagan.

Aerobatic dives can reach speeds of 200 mph.

In a hammerhead, the plane is level when the pilot pulls to head straight up, Dr. Kagan said. As it climbs, the plane slows. Right before it starts to drop, the pilot turns the craft on its axis, points its nose to the ground, heads to the earth, then pulls out of the dive. Speeds may reach 200 mph.

"It's like a cartwheel in the air. It's a blast," Dr. Kagan said.

Scott Poehlmann, MD, shares Dr. Kagan's passion. Dr. Poehlmann wanted to sharpen his piloting skills when a friend recommended an aerobatics course.

"It was one of those things. We got in the plane, rolled it over once and I said, 'Well, that's what I want to do the rest of my life,' " said Dr. Poehlmann, an ob-gyn in Austin, Texas, and a clinical assistant professor at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston.

Aerobatics appeals to many physicians' sense of precision. "The airplanes do precisely what you ask them to do when you tell them to do it," said Dr. Poehlmann, who competes several times a year.

Competitors are required to wear parachutes, but these doctors all said they've yet to experience a close call. Dr. Poehlmann saw one pilot bail out of his plane. But his worst headaches have been a stained shirt and insurance paperwork.

When Ed Atwell, MD, asked his wife if he could buy a Pitts Special plane, she said it would get him killed. She eventually agreed to let him get one, but she didn't warm up to the sport when he gave her a lift.

After one roll, she wanted down. "She's not a real happy flier. She'd rather drive," said Dr. Atwell, an orthopedic surgeon in Cartersville, Ga.

Their two daughters love to go with their dad, who finds flying feats fascinating. "It's just a real good release. You go up and totally unwind."

Must be something in the air.