When Skip Soars, Summer Airshow Season Is Here
The name “Skip Stewart” has become synonymous with summer airshow excitement! Gracing the cover of In Flight USA, with photography by Tyson Rininger, is airshow performer Skip Steward in his infamous Prometheus.
(Photo courtesy of Tyson V. Rininger)
Prometheus the flying machine is part Pitts Special and the rest Skip and Christina Stewart. Starting life as a Pitts S-2S, Prometheus was modified to give Skip the airshow machine he wanted. This flying machine looks like a good ol’ American hot rod. The horsepower was increased to (400), the big three-bladed prop reminds you of oversized racing slicks, the rear canted landing gear makes it look fast sitting on the ground and the paint job yells “street rod!”
With a climb rate of 4000 fpm, max speed of 197 mph, stall speed of 58 mph, empty weight of (1146) lbs., and range of 405 miles – this is an all muscle bi-plane.
Skip is one of the most entertaining airshow pilots in the world. He has more than 8,000 hours of flying experience, is an airline transport pilot, certified flight instructor, has owned and operated an aerobatic flight school, earned gold medals in regional aerobatic competitions, served as a chief pilot for a fortune 100 company and has spent more than ten years entertaining airshow fans around the world.
Skip practices tirelessly in the airplane he custom-built himself to insure the highest level of entertainment. His flying has been featured in magazines that include Smithsonian Air & Space, AOPA, Sports Illustrated, World Airshow News, Auto Pilot, multiple international publications, and now, of course, In Flight USA. He is the first pilot to fly an airplane under a jumping motorcycle at an airshow and has also been known to fill in as the driver of the “world’s fastest dodge ram jet truck!”
To learn more about Skip and his wild and crazy flying performances, or to book his show, visit his website at http://www.skipstewartairshows.com. To see him in action, here is just a sampling of his busy summer schedule (find the complete schedule on his website): May 31-June 2, Virginia Beach; June 22-23, Dayton, OH; July 12-13, Pensacola Beach; Aug. 10-11, Fargo, ND; and Aug. 31- Sept. 1 Cleveland, OH.
To see more of Tyson Rininger’s work as a professional aviation photographer, visit www.tvrphotography.com.
