Air Show Wing Walker Leaves Fears On The Ground

By Jeffrey Smith, The News On 6

TULSA, OK -- There are only six active wing walkers in the country. And the one who performed at Saturday's QuikTrip Air and Rocket Show air show is proud to call Tulsa home.

Ashley Battles walks a thin line between danger and disaster. She walks that line because it's her job.

She's been flying since she was a teenager. Ashley graduated from OSU with a degree in aviation. She could fly any plane she wants. Instead, she climbs on top of them.

"I knew I wanted to be a pilot for the rest of my life, but after getting all of my ratings, I was really kind of bored with flying straight and level," she said.

Saturday's air show was the first one in Tulsa in 13 years. Ashley says it was a thrill to perform for a hometown crowd.

"I got to see some of my former professors that had me, that were proud to see how far I've come," she said.

Ashley's pilot holds her life in his hands. And he knows it.

"If Ashley had irritated me, I can always get even with her when she's on the wing," Greg Shelton, an air show pilot. "I can go faster, or I can be more rough with the airplane, and she pays for it."

Ashley starts on the wing, by hanging onto a piece of lumber for dear life. Then, she climbs on top of the plane.

"I can just kind of loop around with my legs and my arms," she said. "And I buckle right in!"

Ashley is going for the Guinness Book of World Records next month. She'll try to stay on the wing for more than five hours.

4/24/2010 Related Story: Thousands Turn Out For Tulsa QT Air Show