Imagine a rollercoaster ride without the track and you’ll have some small idea of what aerobatic flight is like. Rather than a specific aircraft, aerobatics is the sport of extreme flying – looping, rolling and diving through the air like a bird playing on the wind – quite literally aerial acrobatics.

Most aerobatic flying is done in powered planes, although gliders are also sometimes used. Though it might seem playful, any aerobatic pilot will tell you this is not just stunt-flying. Aerobatics is a serious sport which takes many years of dedicated training to master. Flying at high speed through seemingly death-defying manoeuvres is certainly not for the faint-hearted!

While it takes years to gain the skills necessary to fly aerobatic exercises yourself, the good news is that many professional pilots are very happy to bring rookies along for the ride! We’re all familiar with aerial display teams like the Red Arrows who fly incredible formations in military jets, but most recreational aerobatics will take place in more standard light aircraft. If you choose an aerobatic flying experience, you’ll likely go up in a two-seat Piper or Cessna plane, or possibly a vintage DeHavilland model. Though certainly not as fast and able as their jet-engined counterparts, these aircraft are still remarkably agile.

During an aerobatic flying experience, you’ll have the opportunity to experience a range of exercises such as barrel-rolls, loop-the-loops and corkscrews, all of which can be seriously dizzying! Because of the high g-force your body will go through during these manoeuvres, aerobatic flying is not recommended to anyone with heart or blood pressure conditions.