Wingwalker Joined Ramona Air Show
By Regina Elling

Wingwalker Margi Stivers prior to a practice flight and as the plane prepares for takeoff.

"I don't pay much attention to the safety lines," Margi Stivers says nonchalantly. "And you can see that my safety harness isn't much of a harness."

No, the tiny belt she calls a harness wouldn't give much comfort to most people. Especially not if they were using it for the purpose Stivers does - as the only thing that connects her to an airplane flying thousands of feet in the air.

Prior to flying, Stivers gives the plane a thorough check.

"Right now, I'm double-checking everything for safety," she says, going through a routine she has done for years. "I check the wires. The rack. The fuel. And everything else." Satisfied with her scrutiny, she changes into a flashy performance outfit, and the plane's pilot, Hartley Folstad, continues with his own checklist.

Dressed and ready for a practice run, Stivers comments on her outfit. "This is a Stearman, and the wings are covered in fabric. So I can't have any footwear that would damage it."

Photos by Regina Rolling

As the plane prepares for takeoff, there is a unique, silent communication between Stivers and Folstad. After all, they are married and have been flying together for years. But it goes beyond that.

Once up in the air, they have no way of communicating with each other. If something goes amiss, Stivers has to use her best judgment as to whether to end the show or keep performing. Usually, she keeps performing.

With a clear blue sky as a backdrop, her delicate silhouette outlined on a wing of the airplane, Stivers appears to be dancing a ballet. In fact, she takes both ballet and pilates, practicing for hours six days a week.

Once back on the ground, she critiques her practice, quickly determining how best to play to the audience.

She adds that her show is "very physical stuff."

"I practice on the ground and in the air. Every single time we fly, there is a reason for it," she says.

Pilot Hartley Folstad completes some last minute plane checks.

After 16 years of wing walking, she is still coming up with new routines and moves. She also trains others to become wing walkers.

"It's a very small community," she says. "There are only about 20 of us in the world that wing walk."

This is the first Ramona Air Show for Stivers and Folstad. "It's a real honor to be asked to be here," she says. "It's a great town and we hope to be back."