Could an airliner legally (using a common regional jets or less likely airliners) and safely perform acrobatic maneuvers that would otherwise not be permitted for commercial passenger flights. Why? For thrill seeking passengers. I enjoy turbulence, so maybe others may pay a little more for a short roller coaster flight. Is there a guide book of commercial aircraft acrobatic limitations and thresholds and special instruction on how to fly inverted, barrel rolls, stall recovery, and so forth?
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1$\begingroup$ What about zero-g flights? airzerog.com offers them for 6,000 or 8,000 € in their Airbus A310 Zero-G. $\endgroup$– PerlDuckOct 20, 2020 at 4:47
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$\begingroup$ See this question; it may answer some of your points $\endgroup$– PondlifeOct 20, 2020 at 6:35
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3$\begingroup$ Why in the world would you want to do aerobatics in an airliner? Their roll rates are slow, you can't see out much, they'd be very unexciting compared to airplanes designed for it. If you like turbulence fly commercial into Memphis International in July, you'll get plenty. $\endgroup$– GdDOct 20, 2020 at 7:39
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$\begingroup$ I can do zero G bunts in my plane but can only sustain it for about 3-4 seconds :(. $\endgroup$– John KOct 20, 2020 at 14:08
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$\begingroup$ @wbeard52 You're looking for a new version of the old fashioned barn-stormer ride. I believe that there are 2-seat aerobatic-certified aircraft. All you need to do is find one with a pilot that offers rides. It's a "commercial" aircraft in that it takes paying passengers, but it's certainly not an "airliner". $\endgroup$– FreeManOct 20, 2020 at 17:52
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3 Answers
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This is the nearest you will get to aerobatics. You can check out their website for more information.
Company History
After 11 years of surmounting meticulous procedures and safety regulations, co-founders Dr. Peter H. Diamandis, veteran astronaut Dr. Byron K. Lichtenberg and NASA engineer Ray Cronise acquired FAA approval for G-FORCE ONE, a specially modified Boeing 727-200, to take passengers on commercial parabolic flights. In August 2004, ZERO-G flew its first commercial flight operating under the same safety standards of all major air carriers and established its place into the extreme tourism industry as the first and only commercial Zero Gravity flight for the general public.
Additionally, in April 2006, ZERO-G became the first commercial company to gain permission from the Kennedy Space Center to use the shuttle runway and landing facilities to operate its weightlessness flights.
ZERO-G has provided thousands of individuals the opportunity to experience weightlessness including clients Stephen Hawking, Martha Stewart and Buzz Aldrin.
ZERO-G not only caters to private clients but various organizations as well. For example, National Geographic, Nick News and Discovery Channel have all flown on G-FORCE ONE.
ZERO-G has also been featured on NBC’s The Today Show, Biggest Loser and The Apprentice.
Apart from commercial flights, ZERO-G also provides research and educational flights.
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I am unaware of any passenger carrying jets that allow aerobatic maneuvers. The reason is that these airplanes are built to haul a lot of passengers and baggage (payload). The amount of structural reinforcement required to sustained six Gs would make it impractical to carry out its primary mission.
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$\begingroup$ It would not have to be every flight or so intensive, Maybe a 15 minuted joyride before landing from a to b on a common 30 to 1 hour flight. I am interested in the legality of it. And thank you for answering promply. $\endgroup$ Oct 20, 2020 at 4:08
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1$\begingroup$ All of the jets that I fly have a limitation of no aerobatics. $\endgroup$– wbeard52Oct 20, 2020 at 4:08
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$\begingroup$ Is that limited by company policy or FAA? $\endgroup$ Oct 20, 2020 at 4:10
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$\begingroup$ The FAA. It is most likely in section one of the AFM which is approved by the FAA. $\endgroup$– wbeard52Oct 20, 2020 at 4:11
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2$\begingroup$ @Justintimeforfun It wouldn’t matter how long. All planes are certified to certain limits, and it is illegal to intentionally exceed those limits at all. No company making airliners is going to spend billions to develop and certify one plane with higher limits than required for the mass market. And it’s illegal to use non-certified planes to carry passengers or cargo for hire. $\endgroup$– StephenSOct 20, 2020 at 5:08
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Commercial aircraft are designed to be as lightweight and hence cheap to operate as possible. The aerodynamic and inertial loads of aerobatic manoeuvres demand stronger, heavier, less economic construction.
Even military types such as bombers often baulk at outright aerobatics; a bit of ducking and diving is about it, and even then that can shorten the airframe life. The Avro Vulcan was the first heavy bomber ever to loop the loop and it has seldom been emulated since.
If you want to fly aerobatics, join a flying club which has specialist aircraft to hand - and don't imagine you can take any luggage up with you.
