TWIRLING through the skies at speeds of up to 550km/h is not your average day in the office — that is, unless you’re a Royal Australian Air Force Roulettes pilot.
A joy ride with these talented kings of the sky, in town to perform aerobatic stunts at the Adelaide 500, is high-octane, stomach-churning stuff. And I couldn’t get enough of it.
The seriousness of a flight aboard the Roulettes’ signature red Pilatus PC9/A aircraft dawns on me long before I reach the tarmac.
There’s a medical involved and then a helmet and G-suit fitting. We’re expected to feel up to 4.5G — or 4½ times our weight — through our bodies during this flight.
We’re even wearing a knife — in case we need to get ejected from the aircraft and our parachute gets stuck in a tree — and a safety equipment harness containing things like waterproof matches, a torch and, of course, a lifejacket.
But the professionalism and calm nature of the pilots makes me want nothing more than to climb inside that two-seat advanced training aircraft — even if strapping in is, to quote one of the pilots, like “wrangling an octopus”.
They pull off complex manoeuvres like barrel rolls, loops and “the corkscrew” while flying just 3m from each other — it’s as if I could high-five my neighbour.
The roll backs are my favourite stunt. Flying in formation, I feel the tight squeeze of the G-suit expanding (to keep my blood pumping in the right places) before we dramatically peel up, then down and roll to the left. So. Much. Fun.
And that really gets to the heart of what the Roulettes are all about: community engagement, and showing the public just what RAAF pilots can do.
Stadium Super Trucks at the Adelaide 500. Picture: Dylan Coker1 of 16
Stadium super trucks. Picture: Dylan Coker2 of 16
The crowd at the Adelaide 500. Picture: Dylan Coker3 of 16
Stephen Ormond with his son Jacob, 6, and daughter Lily, 9. Picture: Dylan Coker4 of 16
Vanessa Greenham with her children Dakota, 5 and Koen, 9. Picture: Tait Schmaal5 of 16
Michael Budimir with his brother Vasja, enjoying his first Adelaide 500. Picture: Dylan Coker6 of 16
Rick Kelly drives the #15 Nissan Motorsport Nissan Altima during qualifying for Supercars Adelaide 500. Picture: Daniel Kalisz/Getty Images7 of 16
Craig Lowndes drives the #888 Autobarn Lowndes Racing Holden Commodore ZB during qualifying for Supercars Adelaide 500. Picture: Daniel Kalisz/Getty Images8 of 16
James Courtney drives the #25 Mobil 1 Boost Mobile Racing Holden Commodore ZB during qualifying for Supercars Adelaide 500. Picture: Daniel Kalisz/Getty Images9 of 16
Shane Van Gisbergen drives the #97 Red Bull Holden Racing Team Holden Commodore ZB during qualifying for Supercars Adelaide 500. Picture: Daniel Kalisz/Getty Images10 of 16
Will Davison drives the #230 Milwaukee Racing Ford Falcon FGX during qualifying for Supercars Adelaide 500. Picture: Daniel Kalisz/Getty Images11 of 16
Will Davison, driver of the #230 Milwaukee Racing Ford Falcon FGX, looks on during qualifying for Supercars Adelaide 500. Picture: Daniel Kalisz/Getty Images12 of 16
Adelaide 500. Pictured is Mark Winterbottom and his son Oliver who turns 7yrs today with his wife Renee and their other son Austin, 5yrs. Picture: DYLAN COKER13 of 16
Adelaide 500. Pictured is Mark Winterbottom’s son Oliver who turns 7yrs today sits in dad’s race car for the first time. Picture: DYLAN COKER14 of 16
Touring Car Masters Jim Policina and Jason Gomersall. Picture: Dylan Coker15 of 16
Dale Wood and Nick McBride in the Porsche Cup of the Adelaide 500. Picture: Dylan Coker16 of 16
Flight Lieutenant Des Hales said their main job was “talking to kids and showing them how much fun it is to fly”.
“When I was a little kid the Roulettes came to my home town — I’m from a little town in Western Australia,” he said.
“They came through and did a loop and battle-break pitch and from there I was just like, ‘I want to do that’.”
And as we take the scenic coastal route back to the RAAF’s Edinburgh base, I can understand why these guys love what they do.
The RAAF Roulettes will perform at the Adelaide 500 today at 10.58am and tomorrow at 10.45am.
