From Flight Simulator to Aerobatics: Training with Patty Wagstaff
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Early in my general aviation journey, someone gave me a piece of advice that has stuck with me: keep learning. Continue earning new certificates, ratings, and endorsements—not simply to add them to your logbook, but to develop new skills and become a safer, more capable pilot.
In 2025, I took that advice and signed up for Sporty’s unlimited online courses. While browsing the catalog, one course immediately caught my attention: Basic Aerobatics, taught by legendary aerobatic pilot Patty Wagstaff.
During the course, I discovered that Patty operates an aerobatic flight school in beautiful St. Augustine, Florida. Looking through the school’s website, I found a five-day, 10-hour course combining upset recovery training with an introduction to basic aerobatics. I reached out to ask what time of year they recommended for the best flying weather. The answer was March.
I was sold.
A Full-Circle Aviation Moment
My introduction to aviation was Microsoft Flight Simulator 98.
My introduction to aviation was Microsoft Flight Simulator 98. One of the airplanes you could fly was Patty Wagstaff’s Extra 300, and it quickly became one of my favorites—mostly because I could do rolls in it. When Microsoft Flight Simulator 2000 was released, Patty herself appeared as an instructor in some of the lessons.
Even then, I knew she was extraordinary. She was obviously an incredible pilot, but I also respected what she had accomplished and the barriers she had broken in a traditionally male-dominated corner of aviation. More than 25 years later, I was preparing to fly aerobatics with her.
Before heading to Florida, I completed Sporty’s Tailwheel Checkout and Basic Aerobatics courses. The aerobatics course was particularly helpful. Patty demonstrated each maneuver while voiceovers provided step-by-step instruction. I also found the graphics showing the airplane’s movement through each maneuver extremely useful. Maybe it was my Flight Simulator background, but being able to visualize the airplane from outside helped me understand the entire maneuver rather than simply memorizing control inputs.
Welcome to St. Augustine
Walking inside Patty’s school immediately put me at ease.
I arrived at the Patty Wagstaff Aviation Safety school at Northeast Florida Regional Airport (SGJ) on the morning of March 23, 2026. As I was parking my car, I looked over—and there was Patty coming down the stairs. I tried very hard not to completely fan-girl.
Patty shook my hand and welcomed me into the school, where I was also greeted by her service dogs, Remmy and Greta. Walking inside immediately put me at ease. There were comfortable couches, classrooms, a kitchen, and, of course, plenty of swag. Patty showed me around, offered me coffee, and explained that anything in the kitchen was fair game.
Aerobatics can be intimidating, particularly when you are walking into it for the first time. Yet the atmosphere at the school quickly removed much of that anxiety. Everything was professional, but it also had the welcoming, mom-and-pop feel that I love in flight training.
Patty’s office was especially fascinating. The walls are filled with photographs and mementos from her remarkable career. I probably could have spent hours asking her about each one.
My First Aerobatic Flight
My first flight was with Adam in a Super Decathlon.
After meeting the other student training that week, we received a briefing from Patty and one of her excellent CFIs, Adam. We reviewed safety procedures, the maneuvers we would be practicing, and the general rhythm of each training day. Then it was time to fly.
My first flight was with Adam in a Super Decathlon. He showed me how to put on a parachute—a first for me—and how to safely get into the airplane. Once inside, he helped me secure the five-point harness. We picked up the ATIS, started taxiing, and soon we were headed for the runway.
Throughout the course, the instructors generally handled the taxiing, takeoffs, landings, and radio calls. That allowed me to concentrate on learning the airplane and the aerobatic maneuvers.
This was also my first experience in a tailwheel airplane. During takeoff, Adam demonstrated using ground effect to accelerate before climbing out at Vy. A few minutes later, he gave me the controls and we headed toward the nearby practice area.
I had just spent the previous year earning my instrument rating, so suddenly being told to get my eyes outside the cockpit again was quite a change. Instead of concentrating on instruments for attitude information, I needed to look at the horizon and actually feel what the airplane was doing.
Adam was great about reminding me to keep my eyes outside while helping me develop a feel for the Decathlon. We began with basic turns and steep turns before progressing to stalls, reviewing stick inputs and, importantly, when to use—and when not to use—rudder.
The airplanes were another part of the experience I appreciated. To maximize training time, the instructors performed the preflight inspections before our lessons. But unlike some busy flight schools where another student is waiting to grab the airplane as soon as you shut down, there was no rush to walk away after landing.
The instructor and I would secure the airplane, refuel it, and clean the leading edges. Since I hope to purchase an airplane in the near future, I appreciated learning not only how to fly these airplanes, but also how to care for them and keep them looking sharp.
Flying with Patty
Patty teaches with the same precision that made her a champion aerobatic pilot.
Then came the flight I had been waiting for: flying with Patty.
Patty teaches with the same precision that made her a champion aerobatic pilot. She expects accuracy. If I allowed a wing to drop, she immediately reminded me to get it level. The Decathlon requires surprisingly small control inputs, and she continually demonstrated how to fly the airplane smoothly and gracefully rather than simply forcing it through a maneuver.
During our flights, we worked on aileron rolls—which quickly became my favorite maneuver—along with loops, wingovers, and upset recovery. She also demonstrated something that had nothing to do with putting on an airshow but could someday save my life: how to control the airplane’s pitch using trim if elevator control were lost.
That was one of the themes I began noticing throughout the week. We were having an enormous amount of fun, but underneath the aerobatics was serious training in aircraft control.
Back on the ground, Patty showed me notebooks she had kept from her practices and airshows. Seeing the amount of preparation and documentation behind her flying inspired me to begin keeping my own digital flying notebook so I can record lessons learned and review them later.
Another great feature of the school was the availability of GoPros to record our flights. Bring a microSD card—or you can purchase one at the school—and you can take the footage home. Being able to watch the flights afterward was extremely helpful for reviewing my technique. And, admittedly, it also made for some pretty great social media posts.
Stepping Up to the Extra 300
Part of my course included instruction in the Extra 300.
Part of my course included instruction in the Extra 300. I had flown high-performance piston airplanes before, but nothing prepared me for the Extra. The best comparison I can make is going from a four-cylinder sedan to a V8 sports car. Everything happens faster, and the airplane responds almost instantly.
Over three flights in the Extra, I experienced slow rolls and inverted flight, including my first real exposure to negative Gs. We also practiced hammerheads, which became my second-favorite maneuver, along with Immelmann turns and Split-S maneuvers. And there was something surreal about sitting in an Extra 300 all those years after first flying Patty’s airplane on Microsoft Flight Simulator. Only this time, there was no reset button.
What Aerobatics Taught Me
You don’t have to want to become an aerobatic competitor or airshow pilot to benefit from aerobatic training. No matter what kind of flying you do, spending some time learning aerobatics and upset recovery can make you a better pilot. You begin to understand the airplane beyond the relatively small envelope most of us experience during normal general aviation flying. For me, one of the most important experiences was learning what a spin actually feels like.
You don’t have to want to become an aerobatic competitor or airshow pilot to benefit from aerobatic training.
We all learn about spins. We study them for checkrides. We talk about stall recognition, coordinated flight, and recovery procedures. But experiencing one in an airplane—with an experienced aerobatic instructor beside you—is entirely different from reading about it in a book. That experience has become an indispensable part of how I think about flying.
The International Aerobatic Club is an excellent resource for pilots interested in learning more and maintains information about aerobatic training and flight schools. More than two decades after rolling Patty Wagstaff’s Extra 300 across a computer screen, I finally got to experience aerobatics for real—and learn from the pilot who helped spark that interest in the first place.
I went to St. Augustine expecting to learn how to do rolls, loops, and hammerheads. I came home with something much more important: a better understanding of what an airplane can do, what I can do with an airplane, and how much more there still is to learn. I know aerobatics will be part of my flying future. And I know I’ll be going back to St. Augustine.
- From Flight Simulator to Aerobatics: Training with Patty Wagstaff - October 1, 2026
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