
Sean D. Tucker's life is marked by a search for
excellence and perfected skill. He is not satisfied unless he is learning,
refining a skill, or conquering a fear. Whether he is heli-skiing, cave
SCUBA diving, golfing, or flying his one-of-a kind aerobatic dream machine,
Sean D. Tucker is full-throttle and extremely accomplished.
In airshow flying, Sean is the world's premier performer in terms of
entertainment value, piloting skill and most importantly, professionalism.
He has been flying airshows world-wide since the mid-70's and has won
numerous aerobatic competitions. In that time, Sean has flown more than 1000
performances at more than 425 airshows, in front of more than 80 million
fans. In the upcoming season alone, Tucker and Team Oracle will entertain
nearly 10 million fans at 25 shows throughout North America. The level of
professionalism and excitement in Sean's airshow displays is no coincidence.
He practices his airshow routine three times every day. Sean has devoted his
entire adult life to exploring the art of aerobatic flight and after over
10,000 life-time practices, his passion continues to grow. He is more
inspired by the magic and discipline of flight every single year and he
continues to improve his skills as an aviator.
Sean's airplane, the Oracle Challenger bi-plane, has also continued to
improve each year. Sean started with a factory built Pitts Special 30 years
ago and modified it each year. After reaching the limits of the Pitts,
Tucker's team designed a one of a kind airplane that could do anything that
Sean asked of it. This resulted in the most high-performance aerobatic
aircraft in the world, the Challenger II biplane. It is a fire-breathing
monster with over 400 horsepower, weighs just over 1200 pounds and responds
to the slightest pressure on the control stick even at 300 mph. Sean has
become so in-tune with his machine that, while performing, the control stick
becomes his feathers and the aircraft, his body. To endure the extreme
physical demands of each routine, Sean maintains a rigorous physical
training schedule by working-out over 340 days per year in a routine of
jogging and weight-lifting on alternating days.
In addition to being a phenomenal aviator, he is also a larger than life
character who touches the heart of his fans and inspires millions of
Americans. When asked about flying airshows, Sean responds, "I like to think
that I bring the fans' dreams of flying into the plane with me and there's
nowhere I'd rather be than in the cockpit. That's why I train so hard to
keep a finely tuned edge!" Sean is extremely passionate about every aspect
of the Team Oracle program. His self proclaimed goal is to “share the magic
of flight with Team Oracle’s guests by inspiring and thrilling them. I want
them to go away saying that the airshow was one of the most engaging days of
their lives.” This energy is infectious; guests frequently go away with
rekindled enthusiasm for their own passions in life. Sean D. Tucker: Living
Dreams… Inspired by Freedom. Sean’s signature closing statement, “the three
best words in the English language… God Bless America.
Expanding on his love of flying, Tucker created the Tutima Academy of
Aviation Safety, a world-class flight training institution dedicated to
setting and spreading the standard for aviation safety in aerobatics and
aviation at large. The Academy offers a variety of courses including
stall/spin recognition and recovery training, aerobatic proficiency
training, a low-level aerobatic mentorship program, and formation aerobatic
flight training, which can be found no-where else in the world.
Sean is a leader in the airshow business as well as the larger aviation
industry. He has received all of the airshow industry's highest honors.
Additionally, Sean has been named as one of the Living Legends in Aviation,
recipient of the Crystal Eagle Award, the inductee at the 2001 USAF
Gathering of Eagles and named as one of the Living Legends of Flight. This
raises Sean into an elite group of aviators and astronauts that includes
General Jimmy Doolittle, General �Chuck' Yeager, Bob Hoover, Gene Cernan and
John Glenn.

Sean D. Tucker and Josh Wakefield - July 2005 at EAA
AirVenture

Sean D. Tucker and Josh Wakefield at EAA AirVenture -
July 2000 |