MORE THAN JUST SKYTYPING
SKYTYPERS PREPARE FOR ANOTHER AIR SHOW SEASON
The weather couldn’t have been more perfect the day I met up with the Geico Skytypers to accompany them on their first practice day of the 2009 air show season. The team has a full air show agenda this year; they will be travelling as far as Florida from their home base at Republic Airport (FRG) in Farmingdale, NY.
The Skytypers are a diverse group of pilots from around the country that share a common love for aviation and air show performing. Before the practice session, I had the chance to chat with the pilots for a few minutes. They are a highly dedicated and professional group with backgrounds that include airlines, military and police aviation. Larry Arken, the team owner and delta lead, has been an airline pilot for over 20 years. He has owned the team for the last 15 years since taking over from his father Mort, who started the team in 1966. Ken Johansen, an airline pilot who currently flies 737’s, drives number 2 in the delta formation and has been with the team for 2 years. Number 3 is piloted by Rob Steo, also an airline pilot. Ken’s father Bob Johansen flies the slot position and has been with the team for over 30 years. The lead solo is Steve Salmirs, whose aviation background includes F-16’s, commercial aviation and work on the space shuttle program. Tom Daly is the opposing solo and has been with the team for 10 years. He has over 30 years experience flying law enforcement helicopters and currently teaches aviation safety at Dowling College. Jim Record, number 7, is a retired airline pilot who flew the A-4 Skyhawk for the Navy. Steve Kapur holds a commercial pilot’s license and is also a flight instructor. He also handles all the marketing for the team.
But the team is more than just a bunch of guys that love to fly. Each Friday before an air show, the team makes time for the kids and veterans who live near the show venue. When I asked what show was their favorite, the team unanimously responds Ft. Drum in 2008. The air show was given as a reward for the military personnel at the base and their families, which has been heavily involved in the current conflict in the Middle East. St. Louis was another memorable show. The promoters brought out bus loads of WWII vets to meet the team. “So many WWII vets have come up to us with fond memories of learning to fly in an SNJ or T-6” comments Kapur.
The team performs in vintage WWII North American SNJ-2’s. “These aircraft were all built in 1940 to 1941” explains Arken. The team has a full time maintenance crew of three to keep the planes flying. When not performing in airshows, the team skytypes messages from Memorial Day through October. “The smoke control system is highly sophisticated and fully computerized” explains Arken. Controlled from the lead aircraft by radio, the computer perfectly synchronizes puffs of smoke from each of the aircraft as they fly in a line abreast formation 250 feet apart. The result is a message one quarter mile high that can be seen for 10 miles.
You can learn more about the Skytypers by visiting their website at www.geicoskytypers.com. Watch for the Skytypers at one of these shows this season:
April 25-26 – Seymour Johnson AFB, NC
May 2-3 – Robins AFB, GA
May 15-17 – Andrews AFB, MD
May 23-24 – Jones Beach, NY
June 13-14 – Ocean CIty, MD
October 3-4 – Cocoa Beach, FL