In the loop

Feature The wing walker Cerina Rydälv talks about her breathtaking hobby of performing in the Skycats acrobatic team.

Cerina Rydälv is performing as part of the Skycats acrobatic team at the Al Ain Aerobatic Show, which runs until Saturday.

While some people may choose to spend their spare time slumped in front of the television, others can think of nothing nicer than to pull on a catsuit, leap on to a plane, and perform precarious acrobatic stunts on its wings while it zips along at top speed. Cerina Rydälv is just such a person. Insane, some might say. But, in fact, the 27-year-old Swede sounds anything but. "My background is skydiving, which I have been doing for 11 years," she says. "A friend of mine came and asked me if I wanted to join her as a wing walker. My answer was of course 'yes' straight away, no hesitation at all." That was three years ago. She has since performed with the Skycats in Sweden, Norway, Poland, Denmark, Holland and Finland, and will be throwing some aerobatic shapes in the skies over Al Ain this weekend. "Usually, we don't fly during the Swedish wintertime - it's too cold and dangerous - and now we get to fly in the middle of winter."

A skydiving background is crucial in order to take part in this unusual sport, she says, and all seven team members are keen skydivers. "It means you are accustomed to the plane and the wind. You know how important safety is, and you already know how to communicate with others without speaking." There is also a certain level of fitness required to perform the stunts. "You should be fit because you need some strength in order to keep on the plane when it's flying."

This sounds considerably more alarming than it is, because of course, the Skycats are attached to the plane by more than just their own brawn: climbing harnesses are their safety net of choice, which give them the flexibility they need to perform their manoeuvres while ensuring that there is minimal risk involved. "It could be dangerous, of course, but Jacob (the pilot) and all the girls are very safety-minded. We practise a lot together, have a briefing before and after every flight, and always check each other and the equipment thoroughly." There is also a strong bond between the Skycats and the pilot. "You must trust your pilot 100 per cent and he must trust you. To be able to communicate in the air without speaking, you must have a certain understanding of each other."

As tends to be the way with those who choose to dice with death on a regular basis, there is an alter ego, and when she isn't a Skycat, Rydälv is studying environmental and aquatic technology and civil engineering at Uppsala University in Sweden. "Everybody on the team has a job or is a student. This is just a hobby." Each show demands several days of rehearsals, most of which take place on the ground. The final version will include loops, rolls and the pièce de resistance - the supercat - a complex manoeuvre that involves lying horizontally on the wing wires. "There is a lot of technique involved. Once you're in position, it's not difficult to stay there, but if you start in the wrong position, it can be hard. Your legs are free because you're lying horizontally, so you only have your arms to hold on with. When you first start wing walking, that can be kind of scary."

Despite the whirr of activity on board, the Skycats must maintain a calm exterior at all times. "We have to keep smiling because people on the ground can see our expressions, depending on how low we fly. We're here to make a show which people can enjoy, and if they can see that we're enjoying it, then they will enjoy it more." This interaction with the crowd is an integral part of their show, she says, and the Skycats make a point of spending time with the audience beforehand. "We want to make it an event for the whole family, not just for pilots and men interested in planes. We run around and play catch with the children. They know us then, and when they see us doing our routine, they think, 'Hey, I just talked to her!'"

Rydälv has no plans to stop her high-flying hobby any time soon. "I would never stop doing it unless Jacob kicked me out of the team!" she says. And her family are fully supportive. "My mum loves what I'm doing. If she could, she would like to be a wing walker." The Skycats will be performing at the Al Ain Aerobatic Show until Saturday.