Local News

<< Previous   of   Next >> Suzanne Schmid / The Herald  (click to enlarge) Air National Guard Aerobatic Team members Greg Poe (foreground) and John Klatt, with Herald reporter Jasa Santos, fly over Seattle on Thursday.  Photo Gallery: Major John Klatt   ADVERTISEMENT   Look up See Maj. John Klatt in Seafair’s air show through this weekend. Shows also feature the U.S. Navy Blue Angels. Rides with Klatt will not be available to the public. For more information on show times and tickets, go to www.seafair.com.   Related Stories • Airplane Ride Video 8/11/07   CONTACT THE HERALD Robert Frank, City Editor frank@heraldnet.com   Published: Friday, August 3, 2007 One wild ride in the sky By Jasa Santos, Herald Writer SEATTLE - Maj. John Klatt loves to take journalists for a ride in his lightweight plane - and then flip the plane upside down. Klatt is an aerobatics pilot, and this week he's taking part in Seattle's Seafair air show. The ride-along is for reporters covering the performance; passenger rides are not being offered to the public. "I love flying in air shows," he said. "It's really exciting to get out there and share my passion for flight." Klatt is a member of the Air National Guard and just returned from his second tour in Iraq as a fighter pilot. Being a member of the Guard made it possible for Klatt to live his passion, and he doesn't hesitate to give credit where credit is due. During shows, Klatt flies a Staudacher, a lighter aerobatics plane than the Extra 300-L he usually flies. It takes two men and very little grunt work to roll his 300-L onto the runway of Seattle's Boeing Field. The passenger is strapped tightly into a seat parachute. Nervous hands are warned to avoid picking at the shoulder straps; five pounds of pressure, or a sharp tug, is enough to deploy the bag. Upon sitting in the plane's front cockpit, a lap belt and chest belt are tightened to an uncomfortable pinch. Combined with the warm air, it's enough to set a stomach rolling before Klatt even takes off. Crew members jokingly fold a small, white bag into fourths and tuck it beneath the belts, just in case that stomach gets the best of his passenger. Klatt's voice rings clear through the headphones provided, explaining what stunts are to come as he flips, loops and pushes the plane into unimaginable positions at speeds nearing 140 mph. The speed and altitude dials on the dash spin just as crazily as the plane does. A "hammerhead" stunt takes passengers and the plane straight up, and then straight down. Three loop-de-loops in a row are enough to make one wonder just where that little white bag might be. "You get your body acclimated to it," Klatt said of the queasiness. It's taken 23 years of flying for Klatt to master the ins and outs of aerobatics. He's self-taught for the most part, peppering book knowledge and personal experience with a few instructional courses. Lt. Col. Amy Asher, chief of recruiting and retention for the Guard, was flying with Klatt for the first time Thursday. Klatt's love of flying makes him an ambassador for the Guard, Asher said. "He emulates the heart of the Guard," she said. "He's kind of typical of the Guard. They just love what they do." Reporter Jasa Santos: 425-339-3465 or jsantos@heraldnet.com.

1. ‘One bad choice' blamed in death of 4 friends in fatal wreck 2. Man failed to scrape windshield before crashing into Everett school bus 3. County official's alleged intoxication at fatal crash site under investigation 4. 2 injured in Everett fire 5. Father gets 13 years in 6-year-old's fatal shooting 6. Man’s car plunges into Lake Stevens 7. Whining, lying and crying 8. More slaying scene evidence is linked to Shawna Forde 9. Gregoire backs off move of state parks into Department of Natural Resources 10. Boeing rival Northrop Grumman threatens to drop out of Air Force tanker contest 2 - Top 10 Stories Most Talked about 3 - Top 10 Stories Most Emailed

• Wildcats fall to familar foe in semis • ‘Nutcracker' times three • Road warrior • Mavericks reloading • Holiday Lightings & Santa Sightings • Cities prepare for winter blast repeat • Wolfpack duo takes last shot at state tourney • This Weekend in Your Town • Tips for the stormy season • Boeing will build, flight test and deliver 787s in South Carolina to spe ... • Snohomish County EDC promoting job growth in key industry clusters • $4 million grant to advance brain tumor research has Everett links • Providence medical center construction tops off its 12-story steel frame ... • Tulalip affordable housing project to be financed by KeyBank, Raymond Ja ... • Arlington's Lak of Ink has a growing following for Luke Kooyman's creati ... • Bank of the Northwest formed • Cascade Bank earns $1.6 million