INFORMATION

The Pilot

"Airshows aren't really about flying. They're about evoking emotion," says Bill Reesman. He should know: Reeseman has more experience dazzling crowds with the amazing MiG-17F aircraft than any other American pilot.

And if creating emotion is the key to a successful show, Reesman has no peer. He performs the world's only nighttime jet-fighter pyrotechnic act, called "Red Bull Meteor." With over 1,000 feet of fire coming off each wing, his jet looks like a shooting star and astonishes spectators up to thirty miles away! But the emotion Reesman evokes can be up close and personal, too.

"I have a risk-oriented personality," admits Reesman, noting that he sees risk and stress as positives that "let you know you're alive."

Reesman's penchant for divey pastimes first became apparent when he was a seven year-old in Wooster, Ohio. His dad took him to the Cleveland Air Races, and young Bill was enthralled. He learned to fly at 13 and soloed at the minimum legal age of 16. After college at Ohio State, Reesman turned his avocation into a career-initially with the U.S. Air Force. By the time he retired, Reesman racked up 320 combat missions in Vietnam and spent 20 years training to successfully fight the MiG. To date, Reesman has spent over 1100 flying hours in the MiG, far more than any other American pilot!

Reesman's daredevil personality manifested itself in a different way when he founded a marketing company, which he ran successfully until 1991. That's when he "retired" to become an airshow pilot. Some retirement!

"Flying a jet-fighter at 600 miles per hour is a very physical activity," Reesman explains. "I'm pulling 8-G's, which means my ten pound helmet becomes equivalent to 80 pounds, and my 200-pound body weighs 1,600 pounds. Plus, it can get to 110 degrees in the cockpit. In a 12-minute airshow, I'll lose four to five pounds." Reesman regularly hikes near his Beverly Hills home to build stamina, and like all high-G pilots, he lifts weights religiously.

The Team

FAQ

LENGTH OF ACTS?
MiG day act is a ground –start, 12 minutes in length, from surface to 12,000 ft. AGL., MiG night act is a ground-start, 9 minutes in length, from 500 ft. AGL to 7,000 ft AGL.

EARLY ARRIVAL?
Yes, as required.

HANGERS NEEDED?
No.

ROOMS / AUTOS NEEDED?
3 single hotel rooms, 1 medium auto and 1 van.

MILAGE/ TRAVEL FEES?
None.

FUEL REQUIRED?
MiG uses 250 gal. jet-A for each day act and 190 gal. for the night act. Chieftain uses 50 gal. AVGAS for media flight. Departure fuel is 400 gal. jet and 100 gal. AVGAS.

ANCILLARY SUPPORT
MiG needs full NITROGEN bottle, Aviators Breathing Oxygen & 28 volt DC GPU.

SMOKE OIL
MiG uses 16 gal. Corvus smoke oil plus 4 gal. of AVGAS for each day performance; Uses ½ these amounts for a media flight.