|. The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, ‘August.18, 2004 - AS | rn ; os THERE'S NOTHING LIKE IT: Pilots Jerzy Strzyz in his Sukhoi Su: 26, front, and. Eric Beard i in Russian Thunder, ‘hearse high above Terrace last week, They performed at last week's air show. . ” By: JENNIFER LANG oy WHEN. You’ RE a pilot who routinely: per- forms. tummy- churning: rolls and tumbles § . inside a“peppy’ single-seater-at speeds of - “ more’ than. 400. km/h, often upside down, a For Jerzy’. Strzyz, 2 Polish born career. : biish’ pilot who-just-also. happens to be one | of Canada's: best: acrobatic fliers, the ane. : swer: is-pretty, straightforward: s rae » He likes.to. waa TL none i “1 guess we're.’ little: bit different; ™ -prins Strzya,-slyly: including. his atwoy other: acrobatic - : colleagues, Ken Fowler, jand: Jin: Hrymack.” or The trio met-on the: air show: circuit: nd’ de- » cided to: collaborate on’ a: spectacular, gravity- . _. defying: move: ‘the “squirtel’ cagé” ‘manoeuvre «| “involving ‘three aerobatic planes: flying, at once “that™ dazzled. air ‘show. “at fenders: here. last : _ “Sttaye, 42, hen. ‘turns serious..“'I guess | it'sa quest. for. perfectio : “Angles; lines, and “sym=) ? metry. It’s a little. like. figure'skating,.”: , “Thar: -quest for ‘perfection. iss addictive, Sot is f : the. flying qachinery. - i oo. Strzyz-flies ‘a. Sukhoi $u-26, a ‘Russian. built. ; “acrobatic ‘plane. that’s. 80,; specialized, ‘it’s like " ~a:Formula One racing cat of the skies. Pane “They. ‘were: made ‘with: no: consideration of : “FLYING is a passion for rn Hrymack, a '. Canadian Forces pilot who.also performs _ at air shows... POLISHING the ‘cockpit: is- just. one of the duties: NCO Robert Munoz sees to prior to.an air show de-_ ‘-monstration. This U.S. A-10: Thunderbolt jet. fighter - goes by the-nickname, Tank Killer, for its role.during *. air-to-ground attacks. The.A-10:West Coast De-..:.-° -Monstration team’ camé alt the way from. Davis-. Monihan air force: base. | in Tucson, AZ. “ 7 Fireworks thrill. oe air show crowd — _’ By JENNIFER, LANG THIS: YEAR’ S° ‘air “show . lived'-up. to its. theme al . Thunder i in the. Mountains’: Yak - 54, _. = with’ demonstrations by. show. ok : earl ASLO" Thuiderbolt: jet’. The pytotéchales: canie’ “Later this month; he’s: off to. the Canadian nae.’ . fighter. and: the.“Russian \~ off the. t back: of his: plane, wo tional, championships... ~: \: Thunder” Yak 54, one of. lighting “up - the skies'in-a - |. Solo competitors: must: ‘keep. ta a 1500051 ~ the: ciarest - acrobatic. air _ Spectacular performance” square window or' they'll. ‘lose- marks. He could -eratts i in the: wotld. 5200. that: ‘would be.’ seen. for a tly from one end to ‘the ‘other i in n less than. nine “os Ror’ aviation: buffs, the miles. : , seconds. ° “ Teeet : * » 2004 Terrace-Kitimat: Air; .He says another way" the: spor “is like: figure: > Show. swag. ‘unquestioiably. a Yak 54 acrobatic plane,-re-: __ JENNIFER LANG PHOTO _ ee _ Was” a Tengihy fireworks B “display” by! “Seattle's Eric. : “the ground, {oo,- with dis- ° ‘the. highlight, of. the: year. | plays~ by: the Terrace ~ But there was plenty to” Model: Airplane, Club‘and* amaze’ the uninitiated, too,” Bey replica Imperial. German ji fighter; imported . from. a ‘South: Hazelton. (seé’story below); ‘ind. wreckage > from’ the.U.§. B36 bomber 7 ‘that « crashed i in’ ‘the Kispiox “ our at a.time. cop eth oy “That feels: ‘like: two hours of bad, sia ind he: says. . il ¢ . - by: ‘the’ Canadian ‘Skyhawks - Parachute team, ‘and: fancy. Fae: by aerial’ acrobalic Sim, Firymack, has. 24: year" Se flying experience. ‘He! flies: a: Pitts special, .a smali biplane: built-in’ 1998. but: ‘modelled: on: the original. 1940s aircraft, ° 22... yi els “This is'kind of ‘a. side-line,” he confided. . take my holidays: ‘to do this." : Thé third member of the: ‘team: is: Ken Fow ler? a residént. of Rocky. Mountain House, Ab: : berta,. who. flies'a Hammond Rocket...) 0: ' Bach: performed: solo’ demonstrations: that : NENNIFER LANG PHOTO ° © “hour,” ‘or “445: km/h. ‘When. it’s flying: on. the. a Seaight and level, it tops. out at just 205: mph “2 MItts not. built for: speed it’s” built. fer. turning: : showcased their-jaw- dropping: skill-and extra- - ‘ ordinarily, “graceful. ‘abilities.-- De But it :was their (group. performance that earned, raves.” - _ “The. term. ‘squirrel cdge is “like: ‘generic a. ", fame for a bunch of. airplanes in the! box. a at They. sill ‘cotisidered one “of ‘the. be ' aerobatic ‘air, crafts:in’ the world,”..he. Says,: the. -Sukhoi's bright blue and. white: ‘paint. job. = gleaming i in. the. sunshine. symmetry.” once,” ‘Hrymack: explains. aa “We're still: trying to think. of a name. AL squirrel cage -is-erratic. and. unrehearsed. — we. | Gs .-practiséd -a-lot,-in an, acrobatic: box, which is. . Se ge an area of “4,000; feet by 4;500; feet, with three | planes i i that. box,” 2%. "During: performaricés,: ‘Stedye p pulls: 8, 10... even 12 Gs. -Roreunately, the! Sukhoi.i is s built, for it. . , “Ils stop. spsed’ in ‘a dive is. 279. ails’ per By MIKE'WEEBER - “It 1S. almost expected ‘someone named Wright. -would be an aviation buff. ; oe hoy “Wright. of South - ’ Hazelton has recently, built” - a Fokker D8 “First World. War Imperial: German: * fighter’ plane). fy “Sinde he was’ a" young * bays he’ has “always” been’: interested: in’ learning: all. “he could about the history. of, air travel. - es His diam to. ‘build his. - owt ‘plane’ Started back ‘ir ae “high school. But. he says: ‘he: always: put the idea‘on ’ ‘the. back: butner. because ‘of i “a Jack of funds.and means to ‘complete. the goal. ‘VAC carpenter by’. trade,’ Wright decided ‘to order: a plane: ‘kite -build the plane-at' home. : : living-room, :. e8§,, Wright: alsa’ et the Internet... «took. . “Wright: several What: arrived was an array: of. parts and: a-man-: “wal, ‘that stated | it’ would: pica: German’ uniform ‘like those wom by pilots during : “ithe First: World War: | “The. ‘plane. ‘made - its “> pipes." " “Weight says. 2°" oy Although he: had an op- sh Nigeria flying fot a company building a pipes . line, the, Calgary-based “pilot ‘takes::part. in” aerobatic - ‘competitions across North, ‘America. tion to. £0 ‘away to take.a ‘course. ‘on how to: assemble. a oo “the -plane, .Wright” felt “it ~|-- - > wasup for family discus- | sion. He and his. wife deci- “ded. it: would. be: best’ to” 7 So,: Wright. -got down to. |F business. and built it in his an . “T-would, watch. hockey. a “games. and: the: kids would. 5 play. beside. me! while _ “some niodifications to ‘the - “existing plan, ‘including in-- “stalling’.a‘ better’ engine ~ and? he got. ips: from. ‘the “In” order” ‘tor. “make ‘the’ -. transformatio complete, it “months to. track down a re- - 5 TROY. WRIGHT, ‘seen here with an aviator + teddy ‘public: debut: last“ week: "a “the Terrace: ‘Kitimat: air : man: fying. uniform. “Whatever they want ‘to, call” it, ‘the “Srowds’ love: it.” After last week's ‘perforniarice,. Hry- - “mack signed: between. 200- 300 cards: for a lee ‘gion of new: “fans. weet, CANADIAN ICON: Bud Granley with: his golden “Hawk T6 Harvard trainer. MARGARET SPEIAS PHOTO ye Hazelton man builds replica German. fighter | os 1 anor SE that would make a perfect mascol, says he sear- ched: tar and wide-to. track down this. replica Ger- “ MARGARET .SPEIRS.PHOTO - ASSEMBLY REQUIRED: This imperial German Fokker D8 made its public debut last week al the airshow here. ° MARGARET SPEIRS: PHOTO “Beard, in his-1996-Russian i that’ closed. the a ‘There. ‘was ‘ots to ‘see ¢ on.