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Wayne Handley Interview
(Aerobatic pilot)
In his life Wayne Handley’s has been a naval aviator, and agricultural pilot and an airshow performer.
He started his aerobatic career flying a Pitts Special and transitioned to the Raven in 1990.
In 1989, he became the world record holder for inverted flat spins by completing 67 consecutive turns. Not long after he broke his own record with 78 consecutive turns.
In 1996, he was presented The Bill Barber Award for Showmanship presented annually by World Airshow News to an airshow performer who has demonstrated superb showmanship ability.
In 1997 he received The Art Scholl Showmanship Award presented annually by The International Council of Airshows to the airshow act that best exemplifies the qualities of showmanship.
In 2001, he was awarded The International Council of Airshows Sword of Excellence in recognition of his outstanding service and personal contribution to the airshow industry.
In December 2005 he was inducted into The International Council of Airshow Foundation Airshow Hall of Fame.
Wayne Handley spoke with us about his career in aviation
Q - Wayne, are you flying at all these days? I’m not necessarily talking about airshows or competitions, but just for your own enjoyment.
A - Yes, I’m actually flying quite a bit. I still coach aerobatics and I specialize in teaching unusual attitude recognition and recovery. I teach people basic aerobatic maneuvers that they can use as tools. Then I put them in unusual attitudes, may be in inverted 45° nose low, that type of thing. Then they use the maneuver I’ve already taught them as tools to get themselves upright. The problem is solved and under control when their wings are level and climbing after I put them into an unusual attitude. So that’s kind of what I do. One of the things I specialized in along with teaching aerobatics. I live in an Air Force community. So, a lot of my flying recently can be helping out my fellow pilots that have to take a plane to maintenance and get a ride home. The other side of that pick the airplane up. For one reason or another I’m flying quite a bit.
Q - Tell me how this works with the training. Most of the planes have only one seat. So, how do you go up with them? Is the training done on the ground in a simulator?
A - Well, initially most people, just about everybody gets their initial aerobatic training in a two-seater airplane. But then, once they switch over to their single seat high performance airplane, we can sit on the ground and there’s two techniques when I’m coaching from the ground; if I’m teaching somebody or working on a specific maneuver I will be live with them on the radio coaching them on the maneuver or critiquing them. If they’re working on a sequence then I use a tape recorder. When they land then they take the recording and go off by themselves were it’s quiet and there’s no distractions. You’d be amazed as you listen to the recording you are right back in the cockpit doing that maneuver, the sensations, feeling, the visual. It really comes back. So those are the two techniques I use when I’m coaching from the ground. The individual maneuver we’re live on the radio, the sequence. You don’t want to be interrupting their thought process because there transitioning from one maneuver to the next and it takes 100% concentration. So, you don’t want to be interfering with their thought process by talking to them life. But, when they get on the ground with the recording they can relive this and it’s very effective.
Q - Do you coach military pilots?
A - I flew in the military. I was a Navy pilot, but no, my students in civilian life have had military experience. But, I was never a military instructor per se.
Q - I would imagine that the training would be much different than the training you give for aerobatic flying.
A - Yeah. When I was in the military I did work with when a new pilot would come into the squadron I would work with them, helping them perfect their skills. But, I never considered myself an instructor in the military.
Q - What quality does a person have to have to be a pilot, apart from the education? Is there a personality trait?
A - Definitely. (Laughs). Let’s just talk about airshow pilot. There is an ego factor, whatever hunger is developed or caused by their ego, they’re out there. It was so much fun to associate with my airshow friends on the airshow circuit because they are all Type A. They’re fun loving people, aggressive, and there’s the ego. I was talking to some people one day and I think we were at an airshow convention and I made the statement that the airshow industry is ego driven. One of the top airshow pilots overheard my conversation and he took offense to that. I had to laugh. He was the biggest culprit in the group. But, no, upbeat, aggressive, fun-loving, ego driven. That makes for fun people. We would arrive at an airshow and we’d be thrown in with the group whoever the other airshow pilots were for that particular event. Maybe we’d hadn’t flown an airshow with them for a year or so or maybe we’d been with them the week before, but you get thrown into this mix of old friends and it was a very fun lifestyle. The airshow people that put it on have been working hard on the event and they’re enjoying what they’re doing. There’s an arrival party. There’s a Saturday night party. There’s a meltdown party as the show is over the night before you leave. So, when you’re on the airshow circuit you’re going to probably three parties a week with upbeat, fun-loving people. So, it was very enjoyable.
Q - What does that party entail? There was no drinking was there?
A - Oh hell, yes. (Laughs).
Q - Really?
A - Sure.
Q - I would think even if you’re drinking the night before it might impair your judgment.
A - No. There’s enough alcohol involved to kind of lift the spirits you might say, no pun intended (laughs).
Q - That’s a good one!
A - (Laughs). But no, there is alcohol involved, but, not to access were you’re not coming to the briefing the next morning with my part of a hangover. I’m not saying that about all performers. I’m just saying it about a large percentage of them would have a beer or two, but, it’s a party atmosphere is the point I’m making.
Q - How many years has it been since you left the airshow circuit?
A - 15-16 years ago (2003, 2004)
Q - You gave it up because why?
A - I had a career ending accident. I did come back and did a few shows after that. Seems like yesterday.
Q - Airshows haven’t reached their peak yet have they? They seem to be growing in popularity.
A - I can’t agree with that. I think it’s pretty well leveled off. I think it’s matured to a state where it hasn’t changed much in the last 15 to 20 years. You have to be innovative to capture people’s imagination. You have to be coming out with new equipment, new maneuvers. I’m not saying it’s stagnant. There is new equipment coming out. People are coming up with new types of interesting airplanes and people are developing new maneuvers. But the industry as a whole is stable. There hasn’t been a lot that has changed in the overall format. The formats of the airshows are the same. The mix of performer’s kind of follow. There will be warbirds. There will be antiques. There will be old-style aerobatics. Maybe a comedy act. Then the latest and greatest aerobatic airplane on the market that will be performing. There’ll be a good mix.
Q - And don’t forget The Blue Angels and the Thunderbirds.
A - It makes a big difference having military teams like The Thunderbirds and The Blue Angels and The Canadian Snowbirds. That will have a profound effect on the draw of the airshow.
Official Website: waynehandley.com
© Gary James All Rights Reserved
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