Sydney's waterfront residents were woken by what sounded like an air raid on Thursday.
At 7.40am (AEDT) Australian Top Gun pilot Matt Hall flew up the Parramatta River and over the Harbour Bridge at speeds of up to 370km/h.
He then flew on to Rose Bay where he performed aerobatic tricks like the "Half Cubin", an aerobatic move involving a mid-air loop and roll.
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The MXS-R air race plane flown by Hall can withstand forces of up to 12Gs of centrifugal force generated in manoeuvres, but human pilots have a lower tolerance.
"For us, the biggest challenge isn't the engine failing or running out of fuel, it's (the risk of) losing consciousness up there and (of) keeping the blood flowing to our brains", Hall told reporters.
A former Royal Australian Air Force Wing Commander who served in Iraq, Hall will defend his record as the first Australian to participate in the Red Bull Air Race Championships on April 17 and 19 in Perth.
