Australia's top aerobatic pilot, Paul Bennett, is set to make his Northern Territory debut this weekend at the Darwin Supercarts. Now. He is set to perform gravity defying formation loops and stunts in this unique well it's a unique aircraft and it's capable of reaching speeds of up to four hundred and fourteen k's an hour. He joins me in the studio right now, Paul, good morning, Good morning mate. This sounds wild. That's good fun, that's for sure, I said to you off air. I don't know if I'll get in trouble for saying it, but it sounds like some crazy shit that you do it.

Australia's top aerobatic pilot, Paul Bennett, is set to make his Northern Territory debut this weekend at the Darwin Supercarts. Now. He is set to perform gravity defying formation loops and stunts in this unique well it's a unique aircraft and it's capable of reaching speeds of up to four hundred and fourteen k's an hour. He joins me in the studio right now, Paul, good morning, Good morning mate. This sounds wild. That's good fun, that's for sure, I said to you off air. I don't know if I'll get in trouble for saying it, but it sounds like some crazy shit that you do it.

That's a pretty good description, I reckon.

That's a pretty good description, I reckon.

Mate, tell me, like to anybody listening this morning, that's like, what exactly is this? Paint a bit of a picture for me.

Mate, tell me, like to anybody listening this morning, that's like, what exactly is this? Paint a bit of a picture for me.

I guess in a lot of ways, it's making aeroplanes do things that you think are completely impossible and could never be done. Yep, And that's the trick of it, but making it safe at the same time.

I guess in a lot of ways, it's making aeroplanes do things that you think are completely impossible and could never be done. Yep, And that's the trick of it, but making it safe at the same time.

I mean, like, how do you get to the point as somebody who can fly flying aircraft when and how do you reach a point where you're like, do you know what, I reckon? I can make this plane flip, I reckon, I can make it do all sorts of crazy stuff.

I mean, like, how do you get to the point as somebody who can fly flying aircraft when and how do you reach a point where you're like, do you know what, I reckon? I can make this plane flip, I reckon, I can make it do all sorts of crazy stuff.

Well, it's not in your first couple of hours. I can assure you that maybe once you get to five or six thousand hours and you go up high and you start trying to figure some stuff out, which I've done for a long time. I guess, yeah, that's what's about, trying to make airplanes doing possible things.

Well, it's not in your first couple of hours. I can assure you that maybe once you get to five or six thousand hours and you go up high and you start trying to figure some stuff out, which I've done for a long time. I guess, yeah, that's what's about, trying to make airplanes doing possible things.

Were you a crazy kid? Were you a kid that your mum worried about, you know, the different things you might get up to on your mountain bike, or or.

Were you a crazy kid? Were you a kid that your mum worried about, you know, the different things you might get up to on your mountain bike, or or.

As crazy as I thought as I thought I was, but like I did, used to jump off the roof of the umbrella.

As crazy as I thought as I thought I was, but like I did, used to jump off the roof of the umbrella.

Because no joke. As the mom of a teenage boy, I'm listening, you know, I'm hearing more about what you do. I'm thinking, wow, you know, boys and girls, But certainly it sounds it sounds crazy.

Because no joke. As the mom of a teenage boy, I'm listening, you know, I'm hearing more about what you do. I'm thinking, wow, you know, boys and girls, But certainly it sounds it sounds crazy.

Yeah, it's a bit crazy and a bit mad. And now I've got a twenty year old that's following my footsteps trying to do the same thing. So that's more scary than me do when it could be honest.

Yeah, it's a bit crazy and a bit mad. And now I've got a twenty year old that's following my footsteps trying to do the same thing. So that's more scary than me do when it could be honest.

It is, isn't it when your kids do do different stuff? Now, tell me about your aircraft and what sort of makes it unique.

It is, isn't it when your kids do do different stuff? Now, tell me about your aircraft and what sort of makes it unique.

That's four hundred doll spower six cylinder engine, which is probably the sort of the highest performance engine you can get in this topic category of aeroplane. But it's a biplane, which you know, possibly nowadays you might say is a little bit unusual, but just a lot more agile than monoplanes. It's lighter, it's overall weight s lighter, so I can hang on the prop for longer, and it just it's short so it can go end over and just does the coolest tricks ever.

That's four hundred doll spower six cylinder engine, which is probably the sort of the highest performance engine you can get in this topic category of aeroplane. But it's a biplane, which you know, possibly nowadays you might say is a little bit unusual, but just a lot more agile than monoplanes. It's lighter, it's overall weight s lighter, so I can hang on the prop for longer, and it just it's short so it can go end over and just does the coolest tricks ever.

So, like, how did you travel or how have you trained to get to a point where you can do this kind of thing? Because I would imagine it's not just sort of you know, the training in terms of like getting your hours up as you know, as you touched on and becoming competent pilot to begin with, but even physically, like it must be quite a physical strain on your body, is it in terms of you know, making an aircraft twist and turn in the way that you do.

So, like, how did you travel or how have you trained to get to a point where you can do this kind of thing? Because I would imagine it's not just sort of you know, the training in terms of like getting your hours up as you know, as you touched on and becoming competent pilot to begin with, but even physically, like it must be quite a physical strain on your body, is it in terms of you know, making an aircraft twist and turn in the way that you do.

Yeah, well, when you do like plus ten or eleven g's and minus eight or nine got to You've got to have your G talents up, so you've got to practice almost every day to be able to do it. So if you have a week off, you'll find it. Then you'll start getting towards graying out, like you won't be able to fly the full sequence. So you sort of got to practice every day, like I'm going to. I've been flying up here for the last two days, so now I'm going to go and practice this afternoon to keep me G talents up.

Yeah, well, when you do like plus ten or eleven g's and minus eight or nine got to You've got to have your G talents up, so you've got to practice almost every day to be able to do it. So if you have a week off, you'll find it. Then you'll start getting towards graying out, like you won't be able to fly the full sequence. So you sort of got to practice every day, like I'm going to. I've been flying up here for the last two days, so now I'm going to go and practice this afternoon to keep me G talents up.

But it is a lot of fun, mate, just graying out mean passing out.

But it is a lot of fun, mate, just graying out mean passing out.

Yeah, you lose your vision a bit.

Yeah, you lose your vision a bit.

So it's like the curtains come down and then you can you can release their back pressure on the stick and the curtains go back up again.

So it's like the curtains come down and then you can you can release their back pressure on the stick and the curtains go back up again.

That's how it works.

That's how it works.

My mind is blowing like I can't even I can't even begin to imagine it. I'm someone who gets a bit carsick, you know, if I go around too many turns, So I don't think i'd even be slightly capable of doing something like this.

My mind is blowing like I can't even I can't even begin to imagine it. I'm someone who gets a bit carsick, you know, if I go around too many turns, So I don't think i'd even be slightly capable of doing something like this.

You may not want to come for a ride.

You may not want to come for a ride.

I don't reckon I'd be able to tell me about some of the you know, the different things that people are going to be able to see you do at Hitton Valley this weekend.

I don't reckon I'd be able to tell me about some of the you know, the different things that people are going to be able to see you do at Hitton Valley this weekend.

Well, you see our planes go forward, but you don't always seem go backwards. So I'm going to go straight up in the sky, rolling to the left, and then I'm going to reverse back down back through exactly where I just came from, come back a thousand feet, going to do some forward flips. So there are plane's going to go end over in front ways. I'm going to double hammerhead so it's going to go end over in sideways. It's pretty cool if you haven't so, I mean, obviously I haven't been a Darling before. There's not many people around that can do some of these tricks, so it should be a pretty cool thing for Darling people to see.

Well, you see our planes go forward, but you don't always seem go backwards. So I'm going to go straight up in the sky, rolling to the left, and then I'm going to reverse back down back through exactly where I just came from, come back a thousand feet, going to do some forward flips. So there are plane's going to go end over in front ways. I'm going to double hammerhead so it's going to go end over in sideways. It's pretty cool if you haven't so, I mean, obviously I haven't been a Darling before. There's not many people around that can do some of these tricks, so it should be a pretty cool thing for Darling people to see.

How cool cool I mean, you are Australia's top aerobatic pilot. You know what's it like sort of getting to the point of your craft where that is what you consider it.

How cool cool I mean, you are Australia's top aerobatic pilot. You know what's it like sort of getting to the point of your craft where that is what you consider it.

Well, there's always room for improvement, you know, you can always do better and so and there's always new maneuvers that we haven't really figured out yet. I'm always working on some new minervers. But you can't necessarily put them into a display sequence until you've you can repeat them over and over and over again, because when you start, you practice up higher, and when you obviously it's down a lot lower to the ground, so you can't have anything going wrong or have any mistakes.

Well, there's always room for improvement, you know, you can always do better and so and there's always new maneuvers that we haven't really figured out yet. I'm always working on some new minervers. But you can't necessarily put them into a display sequence until you've you can repeat them over and over and over again, because when you start, you practice up higher, and when you obviously it's down a lot lower to the ground, so you can't have anything going wrong or have any mistakes.

Wow, were like, weed? Do you practice at home?

Wow, were like, weed? Do you practice at home?

I live in Newcaston. I've got a private air field five miles to the west, so I practice there almost every day.

I live in Newcaston. I've got a private air field five miles to the west, so I practice there almost every day.

How cool. And your son is keen to get into it as well.

How cool. And your son is keen to get into it as well.

He's into it.

He's into it.

He floes formation with us now in our formation team, and he's doing solo. He's one several advanced competitions. So yeah, he's on the way up the ladder.

He floes formation with us now in our formation team, and he's doing solo. He's one several advanced competitions. So yeah, he's on the way up the ladder.

How cool. Where have you just been all over the world doing this stuff?

How cool. Where have you just been all over the world doing this stuff?

Yeah? We do our shows all over the world. This is well.

Yeah? We do our shows all over the world. This is well.

Now this ticks off all the boxes for Australia. I hadn't flown in NT before, so now I have. So that's all of Australia as well as we do a lot of shows in China, South Korea. As soon as I get back, hopefully I'm going to get back on Tuesday hour or Wednesday morning. This aerplane gets packed to get air freighted to the US to go to Flight, the biggest air show in the world at Oshkosh.

Now this ticks off all the boxes for Australia. I hadn't flown in NT before, so now I have. So that's all of Australia as well as we do a lot of shows in China, South Korea. As soon as I get back, hopefully I'm going to get back on Tuesday hour or Wednesday morning. This aerplane gets packed to get air freighted to the US to go to Flight, the biggest air show in the world at Oshkosh.

Yeah, right, so it's got to go across as well. That makes sense, you know that you've actually got to take.

Yeah, right, so it's got to go across as well. That makes sense, you know that you've actually got to take.

Your Yeah, I've got other airplanes that I'll send to China and South Korea, but yeah, this one's my favorite one that normally lives in Australia, but because it got built in America, they want to see it back in America, so I'll take it.

Your Yeah, I've got other airplanes that I'll send to China and South Korea, but yeah, this one's my favorite one that normally lives in Australia, but because it got built in America, they want to see it back in America, so I'll take it.

Yep. Now someone's message through asking what's the plane like for those plane spotters out there.

Yep. Now someone's message through asking what's the plane like for those plane spotters out there.

It's yellow, bright colors, it's loud. It's quite small, biplane, so wing on the top, wing on the bottom. Yeah, I don't know how else to describe it. Cool s I can thing.

It's yellow, bright colors, it's loud. It's quite small, biplane, so wing on the top, wing on the bottom. Yeah, I don't know how else to describe it. Cool s I can thing.

Ever. Have a look at my website, you'll see a picture of it.

Ever. Have a look at my website, you'll see a picture of it.

And what kind of like what's you know, what are the capabilities of that?

And what kind of like what's you know, what are the capabilities of that?

Well, it's more capable than what the human body can handle, you know, like so we can handle say twelve g's. I normally keep it at ten or eleven minus eight or nine, which is a lot of crossover in the g's. So it's very strong it's very agile. The surfaces move a long way like it's got a lot of travel, but it's very very touchy on the control So flying a long way from Newcastle to here extremely touchy, so you can't relax.

Well, it's more capable than what the human body can handle, you know, like so we can handle say twelve g's. I normally keep it at ten or eleven minus eight or nine, which is a lot of crossover in the g's. So it's very strong it's very agile. The surfaces move a long way like it's got a lot of travel, but it's very very touchy on the control So flying a long way from Newcastle to here extremely touchy, so you can't relax.

Yeah right, how many years have you been doing this kind of stuff?

Yeah right, how many years have you been doing this kind of stuff?

Twenty four?

Twenty four?

How many times do you reckon? You've what was it? Grade out?

How many times do you reckon? You've what was it? Grade out?

I've never actually fully grayed out, but because I can control it, yeah, I've come close to it.

I've never actually fully grayed out, but because I can control it, yeah, I've come close to it.

Jeez. Look, this is what I mean like the you know, it's actually kind of the physicality of it as well, would be like it would be really tough.

Jeez. Look, this is what I mean like the you know, it's actually kind of the physicality of it as well, would be like it would be really tough.

It makes you tired, that's for sure. It would makes you feel old after a day's fine.

It makes you tired, that's for sure. It would makes you feel old after a day's fine.

Now tell me, do you know what time you're going to be taking to this guy's over the weekend?

Now tell me, do you know what time you're going to be taking to this guy's over the weekend?

I think it's eleven twenty five and twenty five on Saturday and two twenty five only on Sunday.

I think it's eleven twenty five and twenty five on Saturday and two twenty five only on Sunday.

I reckon, There's going to be a lot of people very very keen to see what you do. It's been awesome speaking to you this morning. I'm truly fascinated by it. As soon as you leave the studio, I'm going to be googling and trying to have a look at exactly what it looks like. Thank you so much for joining us in the studio this morning. Paul Bennett, Australia's top aerobatic pilot. Thank you, thank for me, Thank you

I reckon, There's going to be a lot of people very very keen to see what you do. It's been awesome speaking to you this morning. I'm truly fascinated by it. As soon as you leave the studio, I'm going to be googling and trying to have a look at exactly what it looks like. Thank you so much for joining us in the studio this morning. Paul Bennett, Australia's top aerobatic pilot. Thank you, thank for me, Thank you