THE PILOTS

To find out more about each pilot, click on one of the photos above, or on a specific name below:

• Larry Arken, Commanding Officer / Flight Lead
• Ken Johansen, Pilot Right Wing
• Rob Steo, Pilot Left Wing
• Bob Johansen, Pilot Slot
• Steve Salmirs, Pilot Lead Solo
• Tom Daly, Pilot Opposing Solo
• Jim Record, Pilot
• Steve Kapur, Pilot / Marketing Officer

The typical air show day for GEICO Skytypers begins with a morning briefing to discuss the day’s schedule of events. The most important part of the pre-event briefing is to plan the squadron’s formation routine. Every little detail is rehearsed vocally in sync with each pilot’s position in the formation. If the team is scheduled to perform their air show routine before noon, they take to the skies early to skytype messages at 10,000 feet and then descend making a dramatic entrance into their scheduled performance. The full routine typically takes about 20 minutes to perform.

The GEICO Skytpers will land to great applause and then enjoy a well deserved lunch before heading to the spectator area to sign autographs. Air show fans are able to get up close, take pictures and meet each of the pilots. Fans can even enjoy taking their pictures with the GEICO Gecko. The afternoon ends with a post-performance briefing with each pilot giving input to the performance.