My first aerobatic tumble

I've been passionate about flying ever since an early age as I've always traveled with my family all around the world. I remember myself on the terrace of a house in Greece, watching small turboprops landing in the local airport, and telling myself: " I want to fly them too! ".

A few years later, during the summer holidays at the age of 15, there was a two-seater single engine piston plane parked on a small runway near my hotel. The pilot ended up taking me up in the air, it was a magic experience for me! From that moment, I knew I had to get a pilot license.

So one and half year later, at the age of 17, I took my private pilot license at Aeroclub Verona in Italy. For me, that little step was just the beginning of the story. The same year I decided start skydiving and did so for almost two and half years with great results.

In 2018 I decided that was the right moment to let my dream become true; becoming an aerobatic pilot! This was my childhood dream, and I had never let it go. 
I did my training course in a beautiful Mudry Cap10C, a French aircraft, specially designed to learn aerobatics the right way. After I finished the course, my instructor suggested me to go train to become a professional aerobatic pilot. So I then went to Madrid to train with Castor Fantoba, one of the best aerobatic pilots in the world, and purchased a magnificent Mudry Cap 232, one of the most advanced aerobatic airplanes in history.

I will never forget the first time I tried to do a freestyle figure. It was at sunset, after the last figure from that day’s training program was over, my coach said: "Come on ... try to make a tumble!" I replied to him: "What?!?" and he said, "Do what I tell you!”. Trusting my instructor, I took some altitude just to make sure I had enough altitude to recover if anything happened. "330 km / h, 45 degrees nose up, 3/4 of tonneau and then firmly cloche forward to the left and all right foot” he said. I confidently did what he told me and, instantly, the plane started literally doing somersaults, in aeronautical terms “tumble”, in the sky! It was an unforgettable feeling... I felt like a child on his first ride of a Disneyland roller coaster!! It was unbelievable! I really had the feeling of being in full control of my airplane.

Aerobatics is the union of precision and art, just like watches with their precise movements and the unique feeling they convey to the person wearing it. For me this is aerobatics, precision in performing the figures, and magic for those who see it!