Flying on Board of Extra 330 (California)

The founder of Sky Combat Ace is Richard “Tex” Coe, I met him at Gillspie Airport to fly the Extra 330LC as part of Top gun Sky Combat Experience. He started flying when he was 16 years old and his passion for aviation eventually led him to join the Air Force after graduating college to pursue a career as fighter pilot. While stationed overseas at Aviano Air Base in Italy, one of his favorite missions was to take people up for “incentive rides” which basically meant he got to take up non-pilots and showcase what the F-16 Viper could do. After “Tex” (his nickname) left the Air Force, in early 2011, he assembled the team in Las Vegas with just two Extra 330LC aircraft, the world’s most advanced FAA certified aerobatic airplane. Certified to +/-10 G’s (it can pull more G’s than an F-16). In 2015, Sky Combat Ace opened up it’s 2nd location in San Diego, California, where I call to organize my experience. 

Door's hangar opening for a new day, new flight

The mighty extra 300 is a tried and tested aerobatic aircraft. The machine is the brainchild of German aircraft stunt pilot and plane maker Walter Extra. Walter Extra started his aircraft manufacturing company Extra Flugzeugbau (or simply Extra Aircraft) in 1980. 

This the spectacular hangar of ACE combat at Gillspie Airport 

The most popular variant is the Extra 300. It was designed in 1987 and since then has been used for aerobatics, training, air displays and for military training aircraft. With one of the most famous users of this aircraft being Redbull.  The Extra 330 version is a Lycoming AEIO-580-powered  aircraft with improved roll rate and easier roll stops, designed specifically for Unlimited category competition. It is the only single-seater aerobatic aircraft currently being built by Extra. Part of what makes the Extra 300 so special is the fact that it has the ability to operate under the Unlimited Category. This essentially means that it can do any maneuver you throw at it and more!

A picture from upstairs where there is a lounge area and the briefing room

The aircraft itself can be normally stressed to ±10 G with one occupant and to ±8 with two (depends on version and the specific type). This means is that it can perform all aerobatic tasks without worring to get  getting close to exceeding the maximum structural loading.

A pic from the lounge room, already dressed with my flight suit

Obviously an experience with an Extra, Ace Combat San Diego or not, it's very expensive. If you are in the market for an Extra 300 there are a few options. With 12 variants of The Extra 300, a brand new aircraft will cost around $500,000USD. While a used one with only a few hours of total time can be in the range of $350,000-$400,000USD.

Downstairs, just in front the aircrafts, we have a sort of clubhouse

The typical operating cost of an Extra 300 can be between $650-$1000 per hour. ACE offered some discount when we fly with two aircrafts simulating an dogfight in the last part of the flight. So the cost of course varies depending on whether the flight is duel or solo and if you own the aircraft or not. For it worths because I got an FAA license and I can make hours build up, but it's not a cheap experience.

• So assuming that you are duel and don't own the aircraft here is a rough breakdown:
• Fuel burn (52L/h): $140
• Pilot Time: $200
• Insurance: $60
• Maintenance: $100
• Aircraft Hire: $250
• Airport/Airspace fees: $70
• Total: $820

I cannot stand before the preflight!

Basically the Extra 300 is a taildragger aircraft and has fixed landing gear constructed of fibreglass. The wings of the Extra 300 are very strong and lightweight. The spar that supports the wings is t allows a pilot to put the aircraft under such extreme loads and it having no adverse consequences on the aircraft.

The cockpit, very clean and new and quite standard

The briefing program includes: fighter pilot briefing, full aerobatic profile and a dynamic low-level bombing run. All in pairs where I will start as a wingman. The acrobatic profile includes:

• Increases the force of gravity by up to 8 times
• Loops, rolls, stalls
• Tail slides
• Hammerhead
• Turn (vertical or inverted)
• Torque rollers and snap rollers
• Tumble or Lomcevak
• High G turn

We are almost there...

Parachute is the last dress up

Extra 300 Specifications

Fuel, Powerplant and Performance:

• Fuel capacity: 50 US Gallons or 189L
• Powerplant: Lycoming AEIO-540-L1B5 - Air cooled, 6 cylinder, 300 horsepower
• Prop: 3 or 4-bladed MT-Propeller composite constant-speed propeller
• Cruise speed: 171 knots
• Vs (Stall speed): 55 kn
• VNE (Velocity Never Exceed): 220 knots
• Va Manoeuvring speed: 158 knots

Aircraft Dimensions:

• Length: 6.9 m (22 ft 8 in)
• Wingspan: 8 m (26 ft 3 in)
• Height: 2.6 m (8 ft 6 in)
• Wing area: 10.7 m2 (115 sq ft)

Weights and Associated G Loading:

• Empty weight: 660 kg (1,455 lb) equipped

Max takeoff weight:

• 950 kg (2,094 lb) 2-pilot normal (+6g / -3g)
• 870 kg (1,918 lb) 2-pilot aerobatic (+8g / -8g)
• 820 kg (1,808 lb) 1-pilot aerobatic (+10g / -10g)

Some help to get familiar

We take off from Gillspie to the south with an interval take off, my instructor immediately gives me a taste of the aircraft with a shallow and fast take off followed by a pull and roll at the end of the runway up to 45 degrees with a high nose turning left. After giving me the commands, I immediately notice that the aircraft is able to maintain a very upward attitude when climbing. The hardest thing about the whole flight is to maintain tactical formation with the leader and follow the stream of ATC communications that continuously mix with the intercockpit and leader communications. Considering the situation of continuous discovery of the machine and a low ceiling, I was absolutely out of my comfort zone. Scenarios are simulated (on the other aircraft there is a girl) and we follow the maneuvers dictated by the leader time by time. Seeing the tops of the mountains and the clouds, I never thought the Extra 330 would be able to maneuver in that space corner. The first impression that the aircraft gives you is his structural sturdiness and simplicity, even if it is actually a very well studied machine. With this plane aerobatics is simple, you can do everything, including making mistakes. Great power and aerodynamic efficiency at low speeds. My instructor shows me the maneuvers and then I have to redo them and then again he shows me the next one.

Extra 330 VLOG

The most difficult thing was to keep the SA (Situation Awareness) of my position and continuously search for the leader in the clouds, the only reference I was able to take was a lake with a dam, but fortunately my IP was not there by chance. The low altitude phase where an attack is simulated is the part of the EXTRA you don't expect. This time I think the pilot really exaggerated, maneuvering close to the mountains at 150 knots like we were in a Star Trek movie and seeing the mountain walls avoided in the end. The simulation of the attack was really at very low altitude with the other aircraft crossing in front, both with smoke bombs. The maneuvers with the smokes gave good sensations, especially in the flares or in the tail slides where you fell back into your own smoke. The return is done in pairs, low pass and opening (tactical close) made by the IP. After more than 40 minutes of flying in this way, in the arrival circuit I was "quite cooked". Landing the Extra is certainly not always an easy thing. As it is not ecertainly easy to taxi, since you have no forward visibility and you are often forced to make zigzag like a snake.

Sweaty but happy :) 

This is the airport of Sky Combat Ace in California, El Cajon (San Diego).

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