On April 20, 2018, Eric Tucker will attempt to land a Piper J-3 Cub on top of a moving ambulance. The stunt is scheduled to take place at the Salinas Airport in Central California.
Friend and colleague Justin Ramsier will drive the ambulance at approximately 50 mph while Tucker lands the plane on the roof, outfitted with a steel and wooden landing platform designed by Tucker.
Tucker first envisioned the stunt as a teenager while performing barnstorming tricks with mentor Jimmy Mynning. “The ultimate goal wasn’t necessarily to teach me how to do comedy flying, but to use comedy flying as a metaphor for becoming a better stick and rudder pilot,” Tucker says. Twenty-five years later, Tucker is ready to bring his dream of the ultimate trick—landing a plane on top of a car—to fruition.
“It’s kind of a legacy thing,” admits the 37 year-old son of airshow legend Sean Tucker. “It’s brought a lot of richness into my life, and I feel like it’s a way to bring that same sort of a richness into my kids’ lives.” Eric’s two children, 6 year-old Alden and 4 year-old Malloy, will be on the ground cheering for their father.
Tucker hopes the stunt will draw attention to the need for stick and rudder education in the world of corporate aviation. “The major accidents are being caused from a lack of stick and rudder skills and a kinesthetic awareness of the airplane,” he claims. Tucker is currently employed as a corporate pilot for CLIF Bar.
Method Seven is sponsoring the car top landing, and Tucker/Hess Productions will be on-site filming the event.
