◊ You have been a pilot since the age of 16. How did this passion for flying start?
– It’s a long story. My book about all this comes out at the end of October. But to summarize, my family is Iranian. They fled the war. They had to migrate from one place to another. I was born in Manchester, England. We moved frequently. My father was constantly looking for a job to keep the family afloat. That’s why I never had a real home.
The thing I was most into was airplanes. They had become like my home from which I looked out of the windows. I wanted to keep this feeling when I grew up. I should have been a pilot. In short, this is my story.
◊ Is it legal to fly an airplane at the age of 16?
– Yes, yes, it’s legal. It starts at age 16.
◊ You have flown 5,000 hours since then. Is it more comfortable for you to walk or fly?
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– It’s still easier to walk. But I can say that I am happier when I fly than when I walk.
◊ Last week in Istanbul Red Bull Flight Day You performed acrobatics for 200 thousand people. How was it?
– It was hot and hard, but it was beautiful. The first show I did in Istanbul was in 2019. It was my first time to Turkey. Now I’m here for the show again. It was very exciting to perform to that large crowd. I hope people enjoyed it too.
◊ Can you choose the people watching you on the ground while performing on the plane?
– Yes yes, of course I can see them. I even have to avoid them. There were also boats in the sea that came to watch. In fact, they weren’t supposed to be there. I also had to shorten some episodes in the show. But it was still beautiful.
Costa, 42, was in Turkey last year to fulfill his childhood dream. For the world record, the Northern Marmara Highway used the T1 and T2 tunnels in Çatalca. The pilot, who took off in one of the tunnels, flew through the open air gap in the second tunnel at an altitude of between 70 centimeters and 1 meter, at an average speed of 245 kilometers.
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you should be afraid OR YOU WILL DIE
◊ You made the world’s longest tunnel crossing flight, which entered the Guinness Book of Records last year, again at the Çatalca Tunnels in Istanbul. What does Turkey mean to you?
– I’ve been dreaming of this tunnel flight since I was 12 years old. Turkey trusted me and provided this opportunity. This is now my second home. The people I worked with became like my second family.
◊ Have you ever learned Turkish?
– I know some words because I know Persian, there are common words. But I can’t say it’s not possible right now, I’m very shy. We’ll try it when it turns off the recorder. (laughs)
◊ Was the tunnel crossing the moment you got excited about your career?
– Yes.
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◊ Are you even a little scared?
– Of course I was scared. You must be afraid or you will die. Fearless people don’t live very long.
◊ Is your family worried about you?
– No, they’re not worried. Because they know I’m not a crazy person to risk things.
I LOSE 1 KG EVERY FLIGHT
◊ What is the most difficult thing for you during the performances?
– There are various difficulties. Once in a very busy air traffic, you have to go to the area where the show is taking place. The weather was extremely hot and the humidity was very high. That too is a challenge. Even when I got there, it felt like water would flow if you squeezed my head from sweat. But at the top, of course, there are issues like the G Force that you experience on all the shows.
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◊ Is it true that you lost weight at the time?
– Yes. I lose 1 kg per flight. So was yesterday.
◊ Do you have a special diet or exercise program that you follow?
– No not. But we’ve been trying to develop something like this since the tunnel crossing trial, although it’s not official yet. There’s a team working on this in Salzburg, where I live. As for how I eat… I follow a nutrition program like any athlete does.
◊ Is your favorite aircraft model Zivko Edge 540?
– Yes, that’s the model I used for the tunnel crossing. Small and powerful.
◊ You are a Red Bull driver and an ambassador for Hamilton watches. What do you think speed and time have in common?
– Time is the basis of this business. You cannot survive without it. I have to calculate the distance, the fuel when going from one point to another. And the comeback of course. That’s why time is so important. airways and traffic There are no lights either.
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That’s why speed is also very important. If I am not where I should be according to time and speed, I am on the wrong track.
◊ When I was a kid, I wanted to be a pilot too. What would be your advice to young people who want to become aerobatic pilots like you?
– If they really want it, if they love it, they should go after their passion and work hard and fight for it.
IS IT THIS?
There is no such thing as talent, it’s all about work
◊ Which of the two world-famous Turkish aerobatic teams is your favourite: Turkish Stars or SOLOTÜRK?
– Ataturk We were with the SOLOTÜRK team at Teknofest at the Airport. We were flying back to back. But I don’t have a favourite. Each of us has our own special performances. I like them all.
◊ Talent or work?
– Speaking for my own business, of course, there is no such thing as talent. It’s all about work.
◊ Favorite movie: “Sky Warriors” or “Top Gun”?
– My favourite film I can’t say but “Top Gun” is a good movie.
◊ Turks are the second largest group following you on social media after Italians. Which do you like more: Twitter or Instagram?
– I’m not a Twitter user. Instagram.
◊ Which is more enjoyable: day flight or night flight?
– Let me put it this way, daytime flying is more fun because you can see what’s going on around you. But night flight is also more romantic because you see all those lights, no disturbing things, the scenery is cleaner.
◊ In critical moments in the air… Do you trust your logic more or your instincts?
– I don’t know, I guess I trust my logic more…
◊ If your plane was a time machine, would you go to the past or to the future?
– Good question, but it’s really hard to answer. Actually, I don’t care too much about the future. But if I could go back in time, maybe I could change things. But then I wouldn’t be where I am now with the people I am now. maybe it’s best not to change it. I fly into the future…
◊ After all this tiring pace, which one relaxes you more: sea-sand-sun or forest-tree-fresh air?
– House. I travel so much all year that my home is my most restful place. The best holidays are spent there.
◊ When you’re not flying… A cruise or a train ride?
– Not both. I guess I get scared when I’m not at the helm, in control. I don’t know anything about ships and trains. Let me get in my car.
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