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, AMNews staff. Aug. 5, 2002.

The Doctor is Out
A look at physician lives outside the exam room. In the office, time is a precious commodity for today's busy physicians. Away from work, many doctors find unique activities and hobbies to help them unwind and to enrich their lives.

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.

"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.

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." [...]