Christophe "Douky" Deketelaere has been piloting one of seven L-39 aircraft for the Breitling Jet Team since 2003. Before that, he was a fighter pilot in the French Air Force flying missions over Iraq and Bosnia.
Earlier this year at the team’s American debut at Sun ‘n Fun air show in Lakeland, FL, the Frenchman took me for a spin (pun intended) in his No. 3 plane during pre-show workouts. I was in the second (trainer) cockpit, wing-tip to wing-tip with other L-39s, pulling 4 G’s at 600 kph during aerobatic maneuvers.
Deketelaere, with more than 6,000 hours of flying time and without ever crashing or having to eject, is the father of six. That was reassuring – clearly he is not a careless thrill-seeker. Following are edited excerpts from an interview conducted just after our thrilling flight.
Christophe "Douky" Deketelaere pilots the #3 plane for Breitling's Jet Team at air shows. Here the... [+]
Jim Clash: How is it bringing your Breitling team across the pond for the first time?
Christophe "Douky" Deketelaere: For us, it’s a very unique opportunity to see America, discover it. When we did Asia, it was wonderful too. It’s a dream for any pilot in Europe to be on the Breitling Jet Team, do what we do outside of Europe.
JC: Any special restrictions by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration for the shows here?
CD: We have some differences between European and American regulations. In America, you can fly lower and closer to spectators, but during an aerobatic maneuver you cannot have it going in the direction of the spectator. In Europe you can, but you must fly higher and farther away. We had to change three basic maneuvers in our show for America.
JC: What do you think of the L-39 as an airplane?
CD: For 13 years, I flew in the French Air Force with similar aircraft (Jaguar and Alpha Jet). The L-39 is basically a trainer, very reliable because you have not such complex systems and can do a lot of things. For example, two years ago we did an Asian tour and each aircraft flew about 150 hours [without major maintenance]. So, for us it is very comfortable - we don’t need so many engineers and maintenance people along.
Breitling pilot "Douky" Deketelaere (right) with writer Jim Clash after their aerobatics flight over... [+]
JC: How do you personally handle fear?
CD: Good question. You cannot say you never feel afraid. It depends on the situation. The main thing is to stay calm. I don’t feel fear when I’m up there flying. We are very focused. When we meet special weather conditions we try to avoid them, but sometimes you can’t. Even then, you don’t feel the fear because you are very, very focused.
JC: How does your wife feel about you flying so much?
CD: She knows me for a long time, likes to see me in the air and realizes it’s my passion. She also thinks what we are doing in the air is less dangerous than driving a car.
JC: How was I as a ride-along passenger this morning?
CD: You were the worst I’ve ever had [laughs]. No, I felt that you were comfortable, not very stressed. You told me when you started to feel a little sick after the big loop. I also felt you had confidence in me. I think that’s the most important thing when flying together. Also, the flight today was smooth. Yesterday afternoon at 3 p.m. it was very different, not so comfortable.
JC: What’s the main danger here in Florida?
CD: We met a lot of birds when we flew yesterday. Maybe one will strike your plane. Normally, we will fly lower than today, but there’s a special type of bird here, the Albatross I think, so we have to fly higher. Sometimes you can see birds even at 10,000 feet, so what to do?
JC: What does it take to get a dream job like yours?
CD: You have to be lucky. But you also need motivation to live your dream, and keep it. You must have confidence in yourself. For me, it started at 14 when I went to an air show with my father, a fighter pilot. At that moment, I decided to try to become a pilot.
JC: What's most important flying with six other air show pilots so close, day after day?
CD: We trust each other. Each member is totally different. But what’s important as a team is that you don’t have a big ego. You have not to be selfish.
