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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | April 2026 | Chicago, Illinois
EXTREME FLIGHT Brings DOF Motion Flight Simulator to the 2026 Airshow Season as Aviation STEM Program Continues to Grow
Select 2026 dates remain available and 2027 bookings are now open as Midwest-based aerobatic performer Patrick McAlee brings world-class flying, immersive flight technology, and hands-on aviation education to airshows across the nation.
CHICAGO, IL Patrick and Natalia McAlee of EXTREMEFLIGHT are proud to announce the continued expansion of the EXTREMEFLIGHT Aviation STEM Program, now featuring the DOF Reality Motion Flight Simulator (available at select locations). With select 2026 dates still available and 2027 bookings now open, EXTREMEFLIGHT is actively partnering with shows across the Midwest and nationwide.
Recipient, 2022 ICAS Pinnacle Award | International Council of Air Shows
Patrick McAlee flies The Blue Demon, a highly modified Pitts S1-S biplane, delivering a 9-minute solo aerobatic routine that has earned a devoted following at airshows throughout the United States. For Patrick and Natalia, however, the performance has always been about more than what happens in the sky. Their No Diva Policy means the two are present at every event from open to close, signing autographs, connecting with fans, and making sure every person who comes out walks away with a memory worth keeping.
What began as a vision to bring real aviation education to the airshow floor has grown into one of the most comprehensive STEM programs offered by any civilian performer in the industry. The Extreme-Flight STEM Program continues to expand in 2026. For this season, Extreme-Flight has introduced the DOF Reality Motion Flight Simulator at select locations, bringing the most immersive flight technology experience the program has offered to date. Every other element of the program, including the EXTREMEFLIGHT Activity Book, school visits, meet and greet, and virtual flight sessions, continues to grow alongside it.
Extreme-Flight STEM Program | 2026 Offerings
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School and Classroom Visits coordinated with local educators around each show's dates
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Meet and greet with Patrick and Natalia, personal youth engagement throughout the entire event
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DOF Reality Motion Flight Simulator, now available at select locations for 2026
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Oculus and X-Plane Virtual Flight experiences, portable setup available at all shows including remote locations
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EXTREMEFLIGHT Activity Books provided to a fixed number of young attendees at every show at no additional cost
The EXTREMEFLIGHT Activity Book has become one of the most cherished parts of the program. A black and white educational resource combining aviation-themed coloring pages, addition and subtraction activities, and navigation and map reading exercises, it introduces young readers to the basics of how and why aircraft fly in a way that feels like fun rather than a lesson. At every show, a fixed number of activity books are provided to young attendees at no additional cost, included as part of the EXTREMEFLIGHT experience.
New for 2026, the DOF Reality Motion Flight Simulator is available at select show locations only, based on logistics and travel range. Unlike a standard simulation setup, a true degrees-of-freedom motion platform physically moves with the person in the seat, replicating the directional forces experienced during actual flight. When a student banks into a turn, climbs, or feels the aircraft respond to their inputs, the simulator moves with them. It is not a gaming experience. It is a genuine introduction to the physical reality of aviation, one designed to stay with a young person long after the headset comes off. For shows outside the DOF simulator's availability range, Extreme-Flight brings a portable Oculus and X-Plane virtual flight setup, ensuring every attendee at every show has access to a meaningful hands-on flight experience.
We want kids to feel what flight actually feels like. Not watch it on a screen and not read about it in a textbook. When a young person sits in that simulator and the platform moves beneath them and the horizon shifts and they realize they are the one making that happen, something changes. And when they leave with an activity book in their hands that connects math and maps to the world they just experienced, that feeling goes home with them. That is the moment we are after. That is the moment that turns curiosity into a career.
Select 2026 dates remain available and EXTREMEFLIGHT is now actively scheduling for the 2027 season. Show directors planning ahead are encouraged to reach out early. First rights to available dates are always given to returning show partners. EXTREMEFLIGHT is committed to delivering far more value than the cost of booking and works with show directors to make the partnership work.
EXTREMEFLIGHT brings a marketing commitment that most shows rarely see from a civilian performer. With an active and rapidly growing audience across Facebook and Instagram, the team begins promoting each show months before the event. Post-show content continues to generate reach and visibility well after the weekend has ended, extending the value of every booking long beyond the day of the performance.
EXTREMEFLIGHT is the professional airshow brand of Patrick and Natalia McAlee, based in the Chicago area. Patrick is a 2022 ICAS Pinnacle Award recipient and performs solo aerobatics in a highly modified Pitts S1-S biplane known as The Blue Demon at airshows throughout the United States. EXTREMEFLIGHT stands by their deep commitment to community engagement, and their Aviation STEM Program, which includes the EXTREMEFLIGHT Activity Book, meet and greet youth engagement, flight simulation technology, and school outreach. For bookings, media inquiries, or performer documentation, contact Patrick or Natalia McAlee.
