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New Zealand V8 drivers John McIntyre
and Andy Booth, along with Porsche GT3 driver Craig Baird, enjoyed a unique
opportunity to fly with the Royal New Zealand Air Force ‘Red Checkers’ aerobatic
team on Friday.
The New Zealand V8s race at Timaru’s
Levels circuit this weekend (1-2 March) and during Friday’s testing sessions,
the offer came for the three drivers to join the Red Checkers team for a brief
flight.
 McIntyre, the defending champion and
current V8 series leader, says it was very impressive to have the opportunity to
fly with the Red Checkers, which were flying from Timaru Airport as part of an air force training
exercise.
“We were taken through a range of
their aerobatic manoeuvres,” says McIntyre. “My pilot bought our plane in to fly
upside-down just metres above the plane Andy Booth was in. The plane control is
very impressive.”
McIntyre says he was then offered
the opportunity to take control of the CT-4E (Civilian Trainer-4E). “We flew out
over the sea and I was allowed to take control. I made left and right turns and
then my pilot asked if I wanted to try a loop. Of course I said yes! I dropped
it down to about 500 feet above the sea, then pulled the stick back to go into a
loop about 1200 feet high. The sensation of the g-forces while you’re trying to
keep the plane straight – there’s a lot going on!”
McIntyre adds: “I can really relate
to the multiple sources of information the pilots are processing – it’s not
unlike what we’re dealing with while we’re racing. My pilot is the squadron
leader so he was monitoring where the other planes were in the formation,
radioing commands and flying his own plane with absolute precision. It was a
great opportunity and I’m delighted we could then give the pilots some hot laps
in our V8s later in the afternoon.”
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