Precision, excellence, power... ...and that’s just the software.

Sean D. Tucker pushes the envelope of performance each time he takes to the air in the Oracle Challenger. Pulling 12 positive and 8 negative Gs, Sean challenges the capabilities of both himself and his biplane on each flight.

Oracle software is key to the maintenance operation of Team Oracle, tracking each critical life-limited component on the high performance Oracle Challenger aerobatic biplane. This tool is invaluable in giving Tucker the peace of mind that only the best maintenance standards are in place to ensure his peak performance each and every flight.

Sean D. Tucker

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. Click here to find out more.

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.

Special Honors

• Living Legend in Aviation Award - 2007
• Crystal Eagle Award by the National Aeronautics Association - 2006
• Named one of the 25 "Living Legends of Flight" by the National Air & Space Smithsonian - 2003
• Inductee in the USAF Gathering of Eagles - 2001
• Honorary Thunderbird, Blue Angel & Snowbird
• World Airshow Federation Champion - 2000
• International Council of Airshows Sword of Excellence - 2000
• Undefeated Champion of the Championship Airshow Pilots Association Challenge - 1998-2001
• General Aviation News and Flyer Reader's Choice Award for Best Male Performer - 1997
• The Art Scholl Memorial Showmanship Award and The Bill Barber Award for Air Show Showmanship (the two most prestigious awards in the airshow industry) - 1992
• U.S. National Advanced Aerobatic Champion - 1988

Sky Bites

• Sean has logged over 20,000 hours flying, which if done all at once, would take over two years, 24 hours a day.
• During media photo flights, Sean will fly upright and inverted within 5 feet of the support plane carrying photographers.
• Twice during the performance, Sean will fly the aircraft backwards, straight-down, tail-first at more than 100 mph.
• Over half of Sean’s maneuvers are original and have never been duplicated by another aerobatic pilot.
• Sean is the world’s only pilot to perform a triple ribbon cut. He flies through the ribbons at 220 mph in right knife-edge for the first ribbon, then left knife-edge and finally inverted. The ribbons are only 25 feet off of the ground and 750 feet between each set.
• Sean has a revolutionary set of wings that use 8 ailerons instead of 4.
• The tail on Sean’s airplane is modeled after the tail used on high-performance remote control airplanes.
• Sean D. Tucker is the only civilian performer ever to be allowed to fly close formation with the Blue Angels and the Thunderbirds.

The Oracle Challenger

What do drag racing, sailing, and aerobatics have in common? The answer: The Oracle Challenger.

Just as it took the Wright Brothers and their mechanic years to develop the first controlled aircraft, it has also taken years of fine-tuning high-tech components combined with the talents of countless aircraft experts to produce a truly unique aerobatic aircraft — the Oracle Challenger.

The Oracle Challenger is a one-of-a-kind 400+ horsepower plane that borrows design elements from five different aircraft. What makes the plane unique is that it was literally custom made to fit Sean D. Tucker for his famous “Sky Dance” performances. In fact, the Oracle Challenger is recognized as being the premiere aerobatic biplane in the world today.

Due to the intensity with which Tucker flies this craft, it goes through a complete overhaul every winter once the show season comes to an end. The engine is removed, disassembled, inspected and rebuilt, and the propeller is sent back to the manufacturer to be inspected and rebuilt. The wings are removed from the fuselage, the fabric covering is torn off of both, and then they are inspected, recovered and repainted. Finally the Oracle Challenger is reassembled, inspected and flight-tested. This is work that would normally take from 6 to 12 months; the Power Aerobatic Team accomplishes the amazing feat in less than 3 months! Ensuring the highest level of safety and performance, meticulous pre-flight and post-flight inspections are made every time the Oracle Challenger takes to the air.

The engine is custom built and features aluminum drag racing pistons, cold-air induction system and a state-of-the-art fuel injection. The plane’s “skin” is actually composed of fabric, similar to sail cloth, which creates a lightweight covering allowing Tucker to “feel” the wind. Internally, the wings are wired for smoke generators, pyrotechnics and a camera that can be mounted on any of the four wing tips to provide a bird’s-eye view of Tucker’s heart-stopping, aerobatic feats.

Oracle Challenger Facts:

• Weighs 1,129 pounds
• Can reach a top speed of 300 mph
• Capable of flying backwards at 100 mph
• Powered by a custom modified Lycoming AEIO-540-D4B5 engine that turns a composite-built, Hartzell three-bladed propeller

The Performance

Nothing beats the performance of a champion. Years of hard work, determination and skill are evident in every move. In the world of aerobatics, Power Aerobatic pilot Sean D. Tucker’s name is synonymous with “Champion” and after watching him take flight, the reason is crystal clear.

Tucker calls himself a Skydancer. Each time he takes off in the one-of-a-kind Oracle Challenger, he makes the plane do things that seem impossible – like flying backwards at speeds up to 100 mph or taking more G-forces than modern day fighter pilots ever experience. Millions of airshow fans are kept on the edge of their seats each year as they watch Tucker and the Oracle Challenger catapult across the sky.

His performance, known as “Sky Dance,” is an original aerial program that features many signature maneuvers that have never been duplicated by other pilots.

Following are a few of Tucker’s signature moves:

The Centrifuge
Reaching speeds of up to 230 mph, Tucker puts the Oracle Challenger through a grueling eight to ten end-over-end tumble in a giant arc across the sky.

Double Hammerhead
A single, traditional Hammerhead (an aerial cartwheel) is challenging enough for most pilots to complete. Tucker takes the move one step further by forcing the Oracle Challenger to immediately perform a second breathtaking cartwheel.

Son of Edwin
Named after friend and former performer, Wayne Edwin Handley, Tucker appears out of control as he performs a 200-mph vertical climb and enters a Lomcevak (Czech for “headache”). He then tumbles towards earth at –5G to –6G and stops with the nose of the Oracle Challenger pointing perfectly vertical to the tarmac below.

Triple Ribbon Cut
Nearing the end of his 13-minute Sky Dance, Tucker performs a move that audience members stand in line to be a part of - the Triple Ribbon Cut. In this maneuver, Tucker races the Oracle Challenger towards excited fans holding three sets of poles spaced 750 feet apart on the show runway, with ribbons stretched between them at 25 feet above the ground. Decelerating to 210 mph and arcing towards the first set of poles, Tucker stops his descent 20 feet above the runway and rolls the plane into right knife-edge flight cutting the ribbon then immediately 180 degrees to left knife-edge position and slices the second ribbon. Then with his wing tips just a few short feet above the runway, Tucker rolls into an inverted position, slicing the third and final ribbon.

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