Thread: Thai trolley dolly turns Aussie top gun

FORMER air hostess Sarin Witchayakul always wanted to ditch the cabin for the cockpit.

Strapped into the tiny cockpit of a stunt plane, she feathers the controls and pulls the agile aircraft out of its face-first dive - thundering towards earth at 350km/h and obviously confident behind the controls.

The Pitts Special sweeps skywards to perform a perfect loop - one of many hair-raising manoeuvres the 31-year-old has mastered on her way to becoming one of Australia's top rookie aerobatic pilots.

"I felt like I couldn't control my life as an air hostess," she said. "If the plane was going to crash I wanted to be in control, not sitting in the back of the plane." Three years on and Ms Witchayakul has been recognised as the nation's best female graduate aerobatic pilot, taking out first place in her category at the recent national aerobatics championships at Parkes.

Her trainer Phil Unicomb likened pure aerobatic flying to dressage or figure skating because of the precision required to execute the loops, rolls, spins and stall-turns.

Ms Witchayakul said the fancy flying is a long way from her former life serving drinks to Bangkok Airways passengers on flights across Asia.

"Seeing the world upside down, seeing it differently from other people - I just love it."

Ms Witchayakul plans to return to her home country Thailand later this year to pursue a career in commercial aviation.

Sarin Witchayakul a top rookie aerobatic pilot | thetelegraph.com.au

Mmmm... she can feather the joystick in my tiny cockpit anyday

She doesn't look real good in that hat.

Good luck to her.

That type of flying requires real talent. Good on her!

Where's the gun..?

Originally Posted by Looper

Ms Witchayakul plans to return to her home country Thailand later this year to pursue a career in commercial aviation.

Hope she's prepared for those fragile Thai male pilot's egos. They'll have her serving serving drinks all over again.

Hope she's a little bit more gentle with a jumbo than with that plane.

Originally Posted by bobo746

Hope she's a little bit more gentle with a jumbo than with that plane.

Exactly what I was thinking. Barrel rolling into Terminal 3.

splendid lips