Rich Perkins' performance is choreographed expression of his
skills and abilities
Rich Perkins is the
kind of pilot whose name comes up when conversations turn to "the
pilot's pilot." An Air Force veteran who retired in 1992 as a
Lieutenant Colonel, Perkins has flown more than 100 types of
aircraft. A USAF Command Pilot Wings holder, he flew the U-2 in spy
missions for which he was highly decorated, and often had to wear a
pressure suit.
He also earned awards as a T-38 pilot, instructor and Chief of
T-38 Academics. He not only trained other pilots, but also trained
instructors in the supersonic trainer. All in all, he was
responsible for the training of over 1,000 pilots in the T-38. He
flew tactical missions all over the world in C-130's, and has
written books on applied aerodynamics and T-38 jet systems
operations which are today used as textbooks in USAF pilot
training.
Not the kind of pilot
who would retire to a life of golf and social activities, Perkins
co-owns Attitude Aviation at Livermore Municipal Airport in
Livermore (CA) with his partner, Marilyn Bedford. The facility has
over 45,000 ft of hangar space, is home to nearly three dozen
aircraft and is the premier aerobatics school on the west coast of
the United States. He holds ATP ratings in both land and sea
categories, owns a Yak-55M, teaches in the Yak-52 and is one of the
few pilots in the country qualified in the Yak-54.
Several years ago, a friend of Perkins', Ted Carr, approached
him with a request -- he wanted to learn to fly front seat in a
jet. A retired USAF navigator, Carr had always wanted to fly as a
pilot, but had not been able to do so in the military. Once he left
the Air Force, he decided he wanted to make his dream come
true.
What Carr had seen was
an Aero Vodochody L-39, an Soviet-bloc jet trainer that was showing
up in ever-increasing numbers in this country. He wanted to buy
one, and he wanted Perkins to teach him to fly it and get him
qualified as pilot in command. Carr had a private pilot ticket and
some 1,000 hours in his log book at the time. Perkins agreed, and
before anyone knew it, Carr had bought an airplane.
Anyone who has been to an air show in recent years has seen at
least one or more L-39 Alabatros'. These trainers are still in
production as military trainers. The aircraft sits two stories
tall, is about 40 feet long and has a 31 foot wingspan. Once the
aircraft was delivered and given its airworthiness certificate,
Perkins' got qualified in it, and then proceeded to teach Carr how
to fly it. Eventually Carr accomplished his dream, but that wasn't
enough.
In the process of giving and receiving pilot skills, Perkins and
Carr became good friends, and the thoughts of the pair soon turned
to air shows and putting the L-39 on the circuit. An agreement was
reached, and soon Perkins began working on the myriad tasks that
have to be done before the aircraft is offered to air show
organizers. One of the first issues that needed to be taken care of
was giving the aircraft a new paint scheme that would draw
attention.
Perkins is no slouch when it comes to artistic expression, so he
took on the task of designing the scheme, using various software
tools and pictures of the aircraft. He tried several colors and
combinations, but none seemed to work, mostly because they did not
stand out from the rest of the L-39 crowd. Perkins wanted something
truly eye-popping, so he modified his military colors palette and
began trying wild colors and schemes.
As he was doing this,
partner Marilyn was looking over his shoulder, just at the point
where Perkins had put on the screen a wild design based on bright
orange and yellow colors, inspired by the "Tigger" character from
the "Winnie the Pooh" children's series. She loved the design, but
Ted Carr did not. However, the clincher came when Carr's spouse,
Leigh Whitten, showed up and said she just loved the colors. She
had originally expressed some doubts about the project, but
Perkins' design impressed her, and that could be nothing but a good
sign.
Now that the airplane had a paint scheme, it needed a name. That
didn't take long -- it was suggested that with those colors, the
jet looked like a cat. One thing led to another, and the Firecat
was born.
The Firecat entered the air show circuit some four years ago,
and has done well as a modern airplane that is also fast and
eye-catching. The Firecat show was designed by Perkins, and
according to him, it is the only show that is carefully
choreographed to music, which he also helped to compose. The show
is designed around his ability to hit cues in the music, which is
no simple task, as any air show pilot can tell you. The first show
he did with the aircraft was in Abbotsford, and the routine takes
about 10 minutes to complete.
"I have a true passion for this endeavor," said Perkins when ANN
asked what drives him to such artistic and performance extremes. "I
wanted to fly to a higher standard than anybody has flown." His
partner, Marilyn, agrees totally, and added that "Rich is a total
package, not just a pilot."
Unfortunately, Ted Carr passed away in 2004 after a short battle
with cancer. Perkins bought the aircraft from Carr's widow, but
Leigh Whitten is still very much involved in the Firecat's life,
and Perkins always keeps his good friend Ted in his mind, before,
during and after his performances. In fact, in honor of Ted Carr,
Attitude Aviation will be the site of the largest west coast annual
fund raiser for the American Cancer Society in April 2006.
Perkins also offers training in the L-39, as well as rides for
people who just want to experience the thrill of riding in a high
performance military, with a highly competent pilot at the
controls. If you would like to see the Firecat in the next airshow
you plan to attend, tell the organizers, and point them to the FMI
link below.