He had unstrapped himself for only a moment while trying to readjust and now his back was pinned up against the canopy of his Edge 540. With one hand holding onto a fuselage tube in the cockpit, Mike held on for dear life, thinking to himself that this is how it was going to end- yet a voice inside said, “No!” He was desperately trying to reach the stick to get out of the negative 5 G predicament he was in. Thankfully, a severe neck injury and a ruptured C5, C6 and C7 were the only consequences. It doesn’t matter when or where it happened, it only mattered that he was able to regain control.Mike Mangold, a real life “Maverick”, is one of the most senior and controversial pilots dodging the pylons of the Red Bull Air Races. Mike’s aggressive flying from its inception has brought great excitement to the energy drink’s flagship international event. His three series championships and signature flying style make him the most accomplished pilot in the Red Bull Air Races to date, not to mention a strong contender for the Jet Class Gold at the Reno Air Races this year.

Accomplishment is no stranger to Mangold, as it has accompanied him since the mid-80s when he finished with the “Outstanding Graduate” award in the United States Air Force Fighter Weapons School, or TOPGUN as most know it. The dedication, analytical ability and raw talent required of TOPGUN’s highest honor make him most proud of this award, amongst so many others. Thus, I was particularly enthusiastic about the opportunity to interview Mike Mangold. I pulled up to his in Victorville home in the hills of South Central California and was immediately welcomed by a Fisher Price car in the garage. A blonde, athletic woman wearing a sun hat named Julie (Mike’s wife) greeted me with a firm handshake and informed me that I was just in time for a Cub Scout special mission rocket launch. In the backyard, situated on a golf course, Mike was busy fitting a small red rubber football onto the top of a hand-painted rocket ship with his 8 year-old son Nicholas, who shares the same energy, enthusiasm, and intelligence of his father, and can school anyone in World War II airplane history. Mike’s forearms (which would make Popeye jealous) pumped the pressure-launching rocket device as Nicholas and his 5 year-old daughter, Melissa, waited in anticipation of the “blast off.” Trophies rest casually among many on a shelf in his home (bravely defenseless against his kids’ imaginations and flying stuffed animals). They range from the 2002 US National Aerobatics Championships 2nd Place trophy to the 2007 Red Bull Air World Champion carbon fiber trophy to the 2008 Reno Air Race Jet Class Rookie of the Year Trophy, where he took 2nd place. This adrenaline-powered aviator also loves snow skiing & boarding, rollerblading, hang gliding, water skiing, and skydiving. Julie, shares his passion for adventure sports and is also an accomplished pilot. She graduated from Naval Test Pilot School in Patuxent River, Maryland and has traveled extensively, living in places like Korea, India, Malaysia and Israel. She has also been involved in test pilot projects involving the UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter and its external stores systems. In the Army, Julie flew UH-60 Blackhawks, OH-58 Kiowas, UH-1H Hueys, and King Airs. She now flies for United Airlines and is currently on leave and run the household.

A Man on a Mission

Skydiving brought the pair together. “I had a thing for handsome sky divers and when I saw Mike (again) four years later, I said, ‘that is the man I am going to marry,’” Julie said with a smile. Their wedding was held at an airport and offered guests the opportunity for an airplane ride, an aerobatic ride, tandem skydiving, a glider jump, a helicopter ride, or all five! Mike explained that friends “always wanted to do that, so we said, ‘fine, here is your chance.’” Julie knows his talent and how intense his desire is to fly a safe plane. “He’s a lover of life and he doesn’t want to go early. His ability to fly anything reminds me of that movie, The Right Stuff, when Gordon Cooper’s character asks, ‘who is the best pilot I ever saw? Well you’re lookin’ at em.’ That’s Mike.” Does it get any better than a hydro-powered rocket ship, two-high octane kids, one unforgettable wedding with 5 adrenaline-pumping activities, and enough trophy hardware to fill a studio apartment? Mike then brings me to the Apple Valley Airport where his ’65 Bonanza is stored. Mike tells me, “It’ll push 180 knots. It’s the family plane We take it to places like Mammoth to go skiing.” I have the good fortune of flying with Mike to Mojave Airport where Mike’s L-29 jet is being worked on. On the way. he describes how his Air Force training is reflected in his flying style at Red Bull. “My most exotic jet assignment was in the F-4E Phantom. I flew it for 10 years and over 2,500 hours,” Mike stated. That made him one of the highest time F-4 pilot/instructors ever. There were numerous configurations and missions flown with different units at various bases around the world. “I liked the "EO" (electro optical weapons) missions best because of the high-tech weaponry and challenging targets.” He also flew nuclear and conventional weapons, air combat, close air support, German & Egyptian Air Force training and Wild Weasel missions.

Subscribe to PilotMag for more of the story.