September 17, 2010 Reno Air Races
Interview with Casey Erickson, Pilot Race 8, “The Batplane” Pitts S-1S
What a delight Casey Erickson is to interview. Usually shy, give Casey the opportunity to talk about her passion for flying and she comes to life! A true testament to the entertainer just waiting to burst out! A must-have quality for a showman as Casey plans a future in aerobatic performances. With only three aerobatic flight instructions to her credit, Casey has an instinctive ability for aerobatics and is self taught with a repertoire of aerobatic figures that most can only hope to one day attain. Her Super Decathlon has clocked more than 300 hours of aerobatic instruction this last year alone.
This week Casey out flew a faster bi-plane competitor (a rookie) with her experience, skill and keen eye for the flight line at 184 mph. With 14 races under her belt in the last three years of competition at Reno (an equivalent to 5 years of competition), Casey takes every opportunity to get a race in – even if it’s just to fill a vacancy in a slower class heat.
“This year there aren’t enough competitors in the Bronze Class competition”, says Erickson, “we were given strict guidelines to not pass any of the four Bronze competitors. I called it a ‘hostile formation flight’ a sort of WW1 Dog Fight! A wild race and from what I’ve heard a blast to watch…really more scary! It was crazy fun and I’m glad to be safe on the ground!”
Look for Casey Erickson Air Shows – she’ll be performing in the Southwest region of California over the next two years under the call sign “Batgirl.” In the meantime, watch her interview here!
Thanks Casey! Good Luck and God’s Speed!
WarBirdBabe 