If I had to guess, I’d say a lot of people are familiar with Chuck Aaron and the Red Bull BO-109. His act is spectacular, but what could you do with something smaller and more mundane? I don’t know, something like a Robinson R22?
If you’re curious, today’s video will interest you. It features a display team founded by Jim Cheatham, the Showcopters, formerly based out of Salinas, California. I say formerly, because unfortunately, as I found in some research on the team, Jim Cheatham passed away in March of 2009 from a sudden illness. From what I gleaned from some write-ups on a few sites and the video above, he was a great pilot, instructor and important member of the industry. His work at Verticare in Salinas included not only the air show act, but also fixed-wing and rotary-wing flight training, aircraft sales and service, crop dusting, and some pioneering work in the aerial photography business.
From what I saw in the video above, I don’t doubt for a second that Jim Cheatham could teach someone a few things about flying. The Showcopters’ act is an amazing exercise in formation flying consisting of three Robinson R22s. Honestly I don’t think Jim Cheatham had trouble selling helicopters either; all it took was a few minutes watching these guys and I wanted to buy an R22 myself. Unlike Chuck Aaron’s act (or any fixed wing acts), there aren’t any flips and rolls. Everything these guys do is perfectly normal helicopter stuff that could be done in any helicopter; you know, turns, climbing, descending, even flying backwards. Don’t get me wrong when I say perfectly normal, these guys are probably a step above the average student pilot (probably a lot of CFIs, too) when it comes to skill and they do it all in formation. All in all, from Jim Cheatham’s starting shot of a pretty spectacular autorotation to the ‘wagon wheel,’ the Showcopters put on quite a show.
Now, enjoy the video and if you’d like comment, check out the Facebook page or follow Leaving Terra Firma on Twitter.