52 | SEPTEMBER 2019 FLYINGMAG.COMS
cott Farnsworth is a California native,
airline captain and the owner of
Farnsworth Aerosports. He is a proud
father and husband who started f lying
airplanes at the age of 15 while work-
ing odd jobs including washing aircraft to fund his f ly-
ing. He was determined and focused on becoming a pilot,
and by age 22, he was the youngest first officer ever hired
by his employer, a major U.S. airline. By age 29, he’d moved
into his current position as an Airbus A321 captain for
that carrier.
Despite his early success, Farnsworth’s entrepreneurial
spirit kept him pushing for even more in the aviation field.
He built his first racing airplane in his garage and soon
began f lying competitive aerobatics. This year, he is on
track to become the fastest athlete in the world.
On the airshow circuit, Farnsworth noticed the huge
public exposure that air racing and aviation events offer.
He decided to create one-of-a-kind opportunities and
experiential marketing for select sponsors and showgoers.
Farnsworth Aerosports currently operates two highly
modified Czechoslovakian L-39 jets on the airshow cir-
cuits in North America and China, as well as at the Reno
National Air Races in Nevada. The team travels with the
jets, a tour bus and a virtual-reality crowd experience
designed to deliver heart-pounding performances in the
sky, and an engaging, customizable VR experience for
spectators on the ground. Farnsworth Aerosports receives
over 55 million impressions per year on social media and
is growing exponentially. His efforts help generate enthu-
siasm and appreciation for the aviation industry, as well as
attract the next generation of pilots and innovators.Farnsworth’s L-39 Missions
The Aero L-39 Albatros is a Czech fighter-jet trainer
produced by Aero Vodochody. It was originally designed in
the late 1960s, with the first production aircraft produced
in 1971. The jet is still used as a trainer by some air forces
around the world. It is considered a second-generation jet
of the five generations of fighter jets in existence. Some
countries have even used the trainer as a light attack air-
craft. In 1996, production of the L-39 ended. Over the years,
a total of 44 nations have operated the airplane. There are
currently 255 L-39s in private hands, and in 2002, it began
racing in the jet class at the Reno Air Races.We all can respect how rare it is to own a fighter-jet
trainer. However, Farnsworth did not purchase his L-39s
for pleasure f lying. He had two very specific missions. The
first was to become a top airshow pilot, which he accom-
plished in short order. The second mission was to become
the fastest athlete in the world by winning the gold jet
class at the Reno Air Races. To achieve the second goal, he
designed and built the Super39GXT conversion to create
the highest-performing L-39s in the world. An engine swap
makes the jets more efficient, much faster and safer, and
quite possibly revolutionizes the future for all L-39s. It will
be exciting to watch Farnsworth battle it out this month at
the 2019 Reno Air Races.My Previous L-39 Experiences and Aerobatic Prep
I am a pilot, entrepreneur and aviation fanatic who lives
in South Florida. Over the past 10 years, I have had the
privilege of f lying a wide range of different aircraft—
everything from a Piper J-3 Cub to a Beechcraft Premier jet
and a whole spectrum in between. However, my ultimate
childhood dream was to f ly fighter jets. Three years ago, I
met Farnsworth, and my dream was finally within reach.
During the past few years, I have trained many times
with Farnsworth in his first L-39, Race 38. That jet has more
thrust than a production L-39 and has been highly modified
to save weight and squeeze every extra knot of performance
out of the airframe for racing. We have done $3,000 ham-
burger flights, light aerobatic flights and some interesting
formation flying. For our most recent flight, I wanted to push
the jet to its limits and experience how that felt in full force.
Farnsworth agreed to put me through the rigors of
his entire airshow routine. I knew that it was going to
be an outrageous experience, and I had the cameras
ready. In previous f lights with him, I had experienced air
sickness toward the end of each. However, with each pass-
ing sortie, I felt better and built up more of a tolerance
to the G-forces and unusual altitudes. Still, I wondered,
what would it be like in the L-39 as Farnsworth pushed
the machine to its limits?TH
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Opposite top: Alex Kowtun and Scott Farnsworth during their
preflight briefing, preparing for the L-39 flight.
Opposite bottom: Farnsworth in his L-39, preparing for takeoff
in Reno, Nevada, to race in the Reno Air Race Gold Class.