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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Four hundred-and-eighty kilometres an hour and two barrel rolls in a 20-foot stunt plane is enough to make anyone's stomach turn, but for three deserving Yellowknife teenagers it was a chance they wouldn't dream of passing up.

Julianna Neudorf, 16, left, Muhammad Awan, 13, Dave Mathieson and Joshua Elfod 12. The three Yellowknife youth took flight with 'Super Dave' last Thursday on inspirational trip. - Sara Wilson NNSL photo

Juliana Neudorf, Muhammad Awan and Joshua Elford were the brave soles that took a joy ride with “Super Dave” Mathieson last Thursday as part of the Elevate Your Life program and to help kick off the Northern Skies Airshow in Yellowknife.

"I wanted to do it because it's a unique experience," Neudorf said. "I don't know many people who get the chance to do this."

With their families proudly watching – cameras in hand - all three teenagers looked a little nervous before strapping in, but they were all smiles after landing.

"It was amazing," Awan said.

Mathieson is the quintessential stunt pilot, even quitting his job with Air Canada Jazz because "it was too boring and they frowned upon doing aerobatics with 100 people in the back of the airplane."

Before Air Canada, Mathieson was president and co-owner of Summit Air Charters, which he left in January of this year to fly his MX2 full-time at air shows.

Mathieson's MX2 stunt plane, which has the capacity of going 480 km/hr, has a roll rate of 500 degrees per second and is powered by a 385 horsepower engine.

One of his signature stunts is completing 300 rotations in a vertical line up to 3,000 feet – a stunt he performed during last weekend's airshow.

The Elevate You Life program is hosted by the Ryan J. Poe Foundation, both of which were founded by Greg Poe – a world renowned aerobatic pilot – who died on July 24, 2011.

Mathieson has taken up the call to help continue the motivation program for youth in the wake of Poe's death.

"It's a program that uses aviation to inspire youth to not only to be a pilot but to show them that if they stay on the path, with hard work, they can achieve their dreams," Mathieson said.

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