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JON MELBY & HIS MUSCLE PITTS

S-1-11B BI-PLANE

The aircraft I fly is the awesome looking Black and Yel- With the speed, agility, and Pilot rating, and is surface-level and formation-aerobatic
low factory built Pitts Muscle Bi-Plane. The Pitts S-1-11B! on-board navigation systems, I qualified. He has flown dozens of aircraft.
Imagine sitting in a Formula One race car that has wings. can fly my Pitts Bi-Plane to any
Pretty much, that is how I can describe my plane. I really show in North America!! With a When not performing, Melby is a technical senior man-
like having horse power at my fingertips. My airplane has transport container, the Pitts can ager for a major stock brokerage firm, as well as executive
that, plus it is very light weight. It’s a really loud plane that is easily be taken apart and shipped director for Salute-A-Vet, a non-profit that honors Veterans
absolutely fun to fly. to anywhere in the world. Hope- through action. Other activities include weekly ice hockey,
fully someplace exotic. golf, snow skiing, playing guitar in his church band, travel-
There are only two factory built S-1-11B aircraft flying ing, and family time. To learn more about Melby, visit http://
in the world today. With a 330+ H.P. six cylinder Lycom- His flying career began as an jonmelby.com.
ing (AEIO-540) motor, Cold Air Induction, 10.5 to 1 High 8-year-old, when during the fall
Compression pistons, and 3 bladed Hartzell Claw Propeller, season, he dove like a bird from
this aircraft has all the ingredients for a great airshow perfor- the edge of his roof into the pile
mance.The S-1-11B has only a single seat and it is very light of leaves he had placed on the
weight (1185 pounds dry), providing a perfect platform for ground. This stunt was followed
flying high energy aerobatics! The Pitts bi-plane is made of by a huge round of applause
metal tubing frame, wood spar/ribs, and mostly fabric cov- from the kids in the neighbor-
ering. This helps keep the airplane light weight. However, hood who had gathered, and an
fabric is sensitive and can quickly puncture if not careful! airshow pilot was born. By 12 years of age, the airshow pi-
lot bug had bitten him, thanks to the inspiration he received
The smoke you see behind the airplane is created with spe- from Bob Hoover at one of Hoover’s performances. At 15,
cial oil which is the same consistency as salad oil. Usually us- Melby began flying a non-powered glider, and after only
ing Chevron Canopus 13 or Shell Dialys-ax grade of oil. This eight flights, he soloed. At 19, Melby bought his first plane,
is stored in a 10-gallon smoke tank located under the main a Cessna 150, and then hired an instructor to learn to fly it.
fuel tank.The smoke oil is pumped to the aircraft exhaust via a He got his license and about 14 years later learned what he
standard automotive type fuel pump. Once the oil hits the hot had to do to become an airshow pilot. With more than 35
exhaust pipes, bingo—it turns into smoke! The oil does not years of flying experience, Melby holds anAirline Transport
catch on fire as long as the aircraft is moving.

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