With over 20 years and 12,000 hours of flying experience, Christine "CC" Gerner flies her Extra 300L aircraft to the extremes of positive and negative “G” flight maneuvers.
CC’s motto is “Set No Limits” and her air maneuvers bring that to life.
In a field dominated by men, CC's gender is often a topic for commentary and was mentioned by the announcer Saturday, who said "and they say Girls can't fly.... CC has a thing or two to say about that." The comments may seem anachronistic in 2009, but CC remains a woman in a class all her own.
CC has been an athlete all her life, with noted accomplishments in gymnastics, diving and skiing. When she began to fly, it was perhaps little surprise that these accomplishments would feed her skills at aerobatic flying.
Additionally, CC's personal physics seem to work for her, as her blood pressure is extremely low at rest, allowing her to "handle" the G force pressures more readily.
Earning her low altitude aerobatic waiver just six months into her training was an early indicator that this woman would be pushing the limits. She now flies at the hair-raising Advanced and Unlimited levels.
Like most Pilots, CC gives a great deal of credit to the aircraft, a small Extra 300L that seems almost as eager to defy gravity as CC.
The crowds at Saturday's Upper Cumberland Air Show were treated to dangerous flat spins, dives into her own smoke, upside down flying and many more things one has to see to believe.
We are thankful for video.
In addition to performing at air shows across the country, CC flies for a major Airline and lives in Lakeville, Minnesota.
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