Twister Aerobatic Team Creates Stunning Pyrotechnic Displays
The Twister Aerobatics team are anything but typical, and the stunning displays they create in the skies over Europe are the result of the daring pilots flying with fireworks attached to the end of their wings.
Formed by a trio of British pilots, and nicknamed the “Flying Comets,” Twister Aerobatics are believed to be the world’s first team to employ actual incendiary devices to create the amazing and unique displays they are known for. The team, which consists of pilots Peter Wells, Jon Gowdy, and Guy Westgate, have performed their aerobatic routines in locales as varied as Dubai, Bahrain, Poland, and Italy, among other places.
Although Twister Aerobatics’ jaw-dropping routines are heavily regulated, team leader Wells admits that “there isn’t really much room for error,” according to MailOnline. “Once those pyros are on, they’re on.” Unlike most aerobatics teams, which utilize smoke canisters for their displays, Twister Aerobatics’ three pilots use fully functional incendiaries on their wingtips. Due to this fact, the team cannot fly under 500ft above the ground. They extend that limit to 1,000 ft when performing their aerobatics above land. They also don’t perform over crowds, due to safety concerns.
Aerobatic routines can be notoriously dangerous, even without the addition of fireworks. As The Inquisitr reported, a pilot was recently killed while performing a risky routine at the Stevens Point Airshow, in Wisconsin.
Our pyro show rehearsal over @alainaeroshow pic.twitter.com/uoNpPaKahX
— Twister Aerobatics (@TwisterAeros) November 29, 2013
The incendiary devices only make Twister Aerobatic’s shows more dangerous, as Wells readily admits. “If their engine broke or for whatever reason they have to break from the routine it would take their eyes a good 10 seconds to adjust and regain full function,” he said, adding that the trailing pilots are “in the wake of the brightest lights you can imagine.”
According to BT, Wells admits he was “stunned” when he first saw his team’s aerobatic routines, admitting they are “just so different and it is amazing to watch.” The former solo glider understands the team’s unofficial nickname, admitting that the trio “look a bit like flying comets.”
Twister Aerobatic’s three planes are handmade and bespoke. The “silent twisters” were developed and fashioned by Wells after he observed a prototype of the aircraft in Germany.
According to Wells, the team considers themselves lucky to have enjoyed their success so far. “We’ve flown ourselves over the desert in the Middle East and over Mont Blanc in the Alps,” Wells explained, concluding that Twister Aerobatic is “an amazing way to see the world.”
[Images via MailOnline]
