'Feed Your Wild Side'

Flying with John Klatt before the Air Show

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Strap on the parachute. Clip into the chair and secure the harnesses. Headset, check. Canopy, check. Safety, check. Brrbbbrrrrrbbrrrrrbrrrrrrrrrr.

After the engine started up, it wasn't long before we were in the air. Flying out of Republic Airport heading for the blue ocean in the distance off Robert Moses State Park. I was sitting in the front seat of the Jack Link's Extra 300L aircraft piloted by retired Lt. Colonel John Klatt. (More about him later)

We were trailed by another plane, a bright orange bi-plane, the Oracle Challenger III, flown by Sean D. Tucker. My goal today was to get photos of the planes performing stunts as a preview for this year's air show. I definitely got more than I bargained for. Not only was I taking photos of the Oracle plane performing stunts, but also of John piloting our plane, upside down, while the Oracle plane flew right under us. Jack Links slogan, "Feed Your Wild Side," was the perfect mantra for this flight. During the 20 minutes of acrobatic flying, I think at least half was spent upside down. Not only that but the two planes flew side by side, nose to tail, both upside down, side by side doing barrel rolls, twists and turns, inverted dives and more all the while streaming vapor trails into the sky. I was so happy to have had the opportunity to be a part of this flight. Trying to take photos behind my head, upside down or with G-Forces pushing down on me was a bit of a challenge, but I loved every minute of it. John Klatt had perfect control during every stunt, and I never felt like I was in any danger. It was an amazing experience and one that I will remember for a long time.

So back to my pilot, John Klatt. He grew up in Eagan, Minn., receiving his private pilot ratings in 1986, and by 18 years old was flying a Taylor-Craft L2-A. Klatt went on to become a proud member of the 133rd Airlift Wing in the Minnesota Air National Guard, flying the huge C-130 Hercules military transport and later transitioning to the F-16 Fighting Falcon. He completed three combat tours in Iraq and logged more than 2,000 hours in the F-16. In 1999, he began performing in airshows and is considered one of the world's top aerobatic pilots. He has performed in over 300 shows so far and will be flying his "Screamin' Sasquatch" Jet Waco in this years Jones Beach Air Show.

The “Sasquatch,” which was originally a 1929 taper-wing Waco, has been fully redesigned and reinforced and includes state-of-the-art technology. (I asked if I could walk on the wings during the show, but if you don’t see me, you know their answer was no.) Keep an eye out for John and his Jack Links “Screamin Sasquatch” in the skies this weekend. You can’t miss the black and red paint job and Sasquatch on the tail. The 14th annual Bethpage Air Show at Jones Beach State park takes place on May 27 and 28.