Air Show Performer Sean Tucker On Life 'On The Safe Side Of The Edge'

If you've never seen Sean Tucker perform a routine in his red Oracle Challenger biplane, then you've never seen Shakespeare the way it's meant to be played. Since entering the business in the 1970's, Tucker has flown more than 700 performances at more than 300 airshows, in front of more than 60 million fans -- and he's wowed each and every one of them, with a routine that simply has to be seen to be believed.

"When I get into that cockpit, my goal is to have the wings become my arms, and be part of the equipment... and throw down as hard as I can," Tucker tells Aero-News' Jim Campbell in today's ANN Special Report.

Tucker's routine includes maneuvers that defy logic and explanation (a biplane simply shouldn't be able to hover, after all -- yet Tucker makes his do it for ten seconds at a time 100 ft. off the deck) but he always has to be mindful of the risks inherent in a business where things can take a turn for the worse in a spilt second.

"If you die in this business, you've wasted your life. You're supposed to live in this business," Tucker says. "What I try to do to make sure that doesn't happen to me, is remind myself everyday 'I'm not gonna die in this airplane.' Ten feet off the ground, upside down, at 250 mph isn't a place to have an ego.

"But it's always in the back of my mind to stay on the safe side of the edge."

This feature is in addition to our daily news briefing -- available in either a quick "Touch And Go" format or an expanded Aero-Briefing.

Listen For Yourself!

ANN Daily Touch N Go: 12.02.05 (ANN's Short-Form Daily News Program)

ANN Daily Aero-Briefing: 12.02.05 (ANN's Long-Form Daily News Program)

Aero-News Special Report -- Team Oracle's Sean Tucker: 12.02.05 (Today's special feature, with air show performer Sean Tucker.)

Our DAILY programs consist of (at least) three separate products... the first is a short synopsis of the previous 24 hours of Aero-News, in brief, spanning only a few minutes (max) and in a size/format that will allow it to be mailed as part of a Daily Aero-Cast subscription; a more comprehensive DAILY news product that will cover the previous 24 hours of news in a somewhat more detailed fashion, and a feature Aero-Cast that will center on one of the more important subject or topics of the day in considerable depth and detail. This is how these products break down...

• ANN's Daily 'Touch & Go' Aero-Cast: A quick look at the most recent news of the day... short, succinct and to the point. The usual 'Touch & Go' takes but a few minutes and is a summary, only, of the day's events. It only takes a few minutes of your time and will be available by subscription, shortly.
• ANN's Daily Briefing Aero-Cast: The Daily ANN Report (ANNRep for short), is a more comprehensive look at the day's news. We'll give you the whole buzz... the news and features that occupy the forefront of aviation news as well as solid background on the subjects that aviators and other aviation professionals need to stay informed on.
• ANN's Daily 'ASR' Feature Aero-Cast: ANN will be offering a Daily 'Aero-News Special Report.' This involves a more in-depth view of a story or two that dominated (or will be dominating) the day's news. Far more detailed than any single story in our standard ANN Daily Reports, this is a solid chance to get a close look at the stories and topics that matter. ASR features may include exclusive interviews with Aviation's Newsmakers, ANN's Special Investigative reports and solid analysis of the stories that will have undeniable impact on the world of aviation and aerospace. We're tremendously excited about this particular product in that it truly adds nuance and background to important breaking news stories and personalities. While our current news format allows for extensive reporting and information dissemination, ANN's ASRs should set the bar even higher. ANN has become a pivotal force in the world of aviation in the six years that have passed since we undertook the immense task of becoming the aviation world's DAILY news and information service... but with the all-new news services we're offering as part of our Aero-Cast line-up, we expect to become even more indispensable to the industry we serve.

Check them out, let us know what you think and be sure to keep those news-tips and program suggestions coming... ANN is ALL about what YOU want to know about in the world of aviation and aerospace.

FMI: www.aero-news.net/podcasts