Interview with Bf-109G4 Pilot Rick Volker

[AFWhite]

Exclusive first hand account on the inaugural flight of the Military Aviation Museum's Bf-109G4. Mr. Volker speaks about his experiences flying the Bf-109G4 during last weekends "Warbirds Over the Beach" airshow as well as his other flying accomplishments.
A must hear account!

http://www.thehangardeck.com/episodes/2 ... ick-volker

[Adam Kline]

Very nice. Thanks for posting

[martin_sam_2000]

Thanks for posting that. It is always a treat to get to here Rick talk about is flying experience.

Sean

[AFWhite]

Thanks for posting that. It is always a treat to get to here Rick talk about is flying experience.

Sean

You're welcome, thanks for tuning in!

I was pleased to meet Mr. Volker and his wife, both great people. But, yes, I've never heard anyone speak so passionately of flying! His description and analysis of flying the Bf-109 left us all speechless.

[jaybird]

That was a good listen, thanks for posting.

Rick was walking through the IAC area at Airventure last summer and came up and talked to me for a few minutes while I was cleaning my Pitts. He was super friendly, and I could really feel the mutual enthusiasm for flying and in our case, the Pitts Special. Based on his story in the podcast, it sounds like I need to dead stick into a field with a hangar full of warbirds.

[Dave Hadfield]

I've flown with Rick, in the P40, and 2 weeks ago in the Extra 330. Very analytical pilot, with a wide experience in high-performance aerobatics. Very passionate.

That 330 flight was a milestone for me. I'd never done any tumbling maneuvers. We went up and after a few rolls and things to get oriented in the airplane, did a tumble from an upward 45, and then something he called a vertical knife-edged spin. I did the first one, he did the second, and since it was my first aero flight of the season -- that was enough for me!

Lately he has move that expertise over to the Harvard (T6), and performs an amazing airshow routine. Check out https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ndbYiOGVpFc I've never heard of anyone else doing a snap-roll in a loop in a Harvard during a show.

And his wife Trish has a Howard DGA, which is a lovely thing to see. She even lets him borrow it! N67722

Dave

[Dave Hadfield]

Great weekend -- P-40 test flight, Extra 330 aeros, and the RV6a to ferry there and back in.

[Dave Hadfield]

Here's Rick and Trish's Howard.

[AFWhite]

Here's Rick and Trish's Howard.

Thank you Dave!

I asked Trish if she flew also, and she mentioned she had a Howard. Civilian GA aircraft are not my strong-point and she kind of laughed and said "you don't know what that is do you?". Not exactly! LOL. In my mind, I was envisioning something along the lines of a Stinson Reliant, I had heard the name "Howard" in relation to aircraft before...So, close
Beautiful aircraft!

[jaybird]

So Dave.....a fun, and somewhat ridiculous question: notwithstanding the ability to carry payload, which airplane would "win" a dogfight, the P-40 or the Extra 330?

I'm envisioning the P-40 would have to zoom down at speed from above on an unsuspecting Extra in order to be able to get a shot.