July - IAC Chapter 78

The newsletter of the Minnesota Cloud Dancers Aerobatic Club, IAC Chapter 78
www.iac78.org
July
2009
CHAPTER OFFICERS
Mike Niccum,
President
952-652-2245 H
952-239-7114 Cell
michaelniccum@integra.net
Joe Wakely,
Vice President
Kris Pichelman,
Treasurer
kpichelman@mac.com
Tom Kerns,
Secretary
N10TK@comcast.net
DIRECTORS
Dan Pichelman
dpichelman@gmx.com
Jim Taylor
IACSNF@aol.com
Join Us for the 16th an‐
nual Doug Yost Challenge this year at Spencer Iowa This year, our contest is
moving to a great new
location at Spencer,
Iowa, a huge airport
property with wide concrete runways and hangars that once housed
Great Lakes Airlines .
The result for us is plenty
of hangar space, a short
walk to the judge's station, and a very supportive city and airport.
Justin Hickson
jhisbatman@yahoo.com
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
NEWSLETTER EDITOR
Loren Smith
LS@iac78.org
Prez’s Post
2
Loren Smith
Officer election 2010
3
Minnesota Aerobatic News is
published periodically by Chapter
78 of the International Aerobatic
Club (IAC). No claim is made for
the accuracy of materials
presented. Editorial comment is
the opinion of the contributor
and does not necessarily reflect
the position of Chapter 78 nor
the IAC. Please contact the
newsletter editor with
submissions for publication or
questions regarding advertising.
Spencer Contest Info
4
2009 Doug Yost Scholarship
recipient is announced
5
Ashland Kansas Aerobatic
Training Camp
6-8
Meet New Members
9
Latest Buzz -Jim Hancock Pitts
10
Latest Buzz - 2 Bryan Jensen Pitts
11
New or renewal memberships
($25/year single, $35/year family)
should be sent to:
Ms. Kris Pichelman
Chapter 78 Treasurer
2800 Acadia Court
Burnsville, MN 55337
Member Spotlight - Mike Niccum
12-13
WEBMASTER
Aaron McCartan took this great in-flight shot from the cockpit of his Pitts during the return
flight from John Morrissey’s training camp at Ashland, Kansas in May. Aaron tells us all about
the rigors of an aerobatic training camp with a very interesting story starting on page 6.
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By Mike Niccum, Chapter 78 President
W
henever I can get to a contest these days I’m always looking forward to seeing the folks
I’ve flown with and against in the past. It’s always a good indication to gauge how the
competition scene is shaping up in regards to numbers of pilots.
Salem Ill is always a good one for that because it’s centrally located so well that there’s always a
great mix of pilots from all over the central part of the country. This year had a nice surprise as a
number of new, young, faces were there and in a lot of Pitts, Eagles, and even a Yak 55. It proves
time and time again that if someone wants to fly badly enough, they’re going to do it. Despite any
economic downfalls. As far as our own chapter? We had a practice session in Waseca and we had so
many pilots that we had to run the session like a contest to make sure everyone got in a couple of
flights. It was really nice to see. So our chapter is still ticking right along. And with the contest coming up in Spencer the excitement is mounting as the folks there are just tripping over themselves to
host an aviation event.
During the downtime in Salem a few of us were sitting around during the expected downtime discussing the number of years we’ve been in the sport. For me. This is my eleventh year. It’s gone by
fast. You can’t help but look back and remember the names and faces of those who aren’t around
anymore. For whatever reason. There’s always the one who shows up with a big monoplane his/her
first year and wants to set the world on fire with their performance. Then they’re gone. I guess they
don’t realize this isn’t something you’re just good at and it does take a bit of effort to bring home
some hardware.
This year was tough as far as accidents. In March we lost Paul Lopez and just a few weeks ago
Chandy Clanton was killed practicing for an air show. Our hearts went out to Harry Barr, her father,
who always tried to make it to Albert Lea for our contest. A really nice family.
I certainly want to keep on going and spend another ten years if I can. The air show thing is picking
up and I’m getting increasingly busier. That’s why I think someone else would be better suited to be
president. I’ve enjoyed and it’s not all that hard. Just make sure the yearly paper work is in and
write down a few incoherent words so Loren doesn’t have to write the entire newsletter himself.
But after Salem I really do not want to give up competing. I really don’t. I have too much fun. It
never really changes. The anxiety, excitement, camaraderie, all of it continues to this very day.
I wonder if I can get that Friday off to get down to Olathe?
Mike
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Announcing opening of the nomination period
for Chapter Officers and Board of Director positions for 2010
. With this newsletter, we announce the opening of the nomination period for Chapter Officers and the three Board of Director positions. Since some officers have indicated they will not be running for another term, it is vital that we get the process
underway early. When considering whether or not to serve as a Chapter Officer or Board member, it is important to keep in
mind the purpose of Chapter 78 as set forth in our by-laws:
1. Promote, encourage, and facilitate an atmosphere where all are welcome to join-in and become a part of recreational
aerobatic aviation.
2. Promote, encourage, and foster an environment that celebrates and nurtures the participation of families and the
spirit of volunteerism within the world of recreational aerobatic aviation.
3. Promote, encourage, and facilitate an environment that fosters safety and high standards in aerobatic flying.
4. To promote and encourage aerobatic education and competition.
5. Promote a positive, productive, and cooperative relationship between the Chapter and those governmental agencies
and private enterprises, that provide aviation services and facilities to the benefit of members of the Chapter.
6. Promote, encourage, and facilitate Membership in the EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association) and the International Aerobatic Club (IAC), Inc.
7. Support and promote the mission, vision, goals and objectives of the EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association) and
IAC through programs and services within the Chapter family.
8. Have fun!
According to our by-laws, beginning in July, the Chapter will establish a Nominating Committee that will canvas the current Chapter Officers and Directors to determine if they wish to seek re-election to their current position or be nominated for
any other position. The Nominating Committee shall also canvas all the members to seek those who may be interested in an
elected position. The club has never went through this formalized process. Instead, we have used our email exploder to ask
current officers if they will continue on and also call for any club members who may be interested in becoming an officer or
director. Mike Niccum and I have discussed the elections and concluded that it is important to get the process underway.
Mike talked to me about what the President’s job consists of. The paperwork side of the job consists mainly of submitting
the chapter renewal information to EAA HQ in January. This consists of a current member’s list, which is provided by the
club Treasurer. The President decides when to call for a Chapter meeting, or a meeting with the Board of Directors. In the
last several years, meetings with Board members have occurred via email. The club posts are basically as much work as you
want to make of it. If you have an agenda that you think the club should be pursuing, becoming an officer is an excellent
way to get moving on that agenda. All in all, since we do not have monthly meetings and a huge membership to administer,
the officer jobs are relatively easy compared to other types of clubs. For the club to be an ongoing entity, we need members
to come forward and become Officers and Board members this year.
Current Officers and Directors
President
Mike Niccum
Secretary
Tom Kerns
Board member
Dan Pichelman
Board member
Justin Hickson
Newsletter
Loren Smith
Vice President
Joe Wakely
Treasurer
Kris Pichelman
3
Board member
Jim Taylor
Dates: Aug 14 Practice and Registration
Aug 15 & 16 Contest Flying
Fees:
$100 Primary (includes banquet)
$120 Sportsman thru Unlimited (includes banquet)
Hangar $10/night
Registration: Please pre-register for the contest using this link: http://www.iac78.org/entry_form.html
Contact Info:
Co-Contest Directors:
Aaron McCartan, email: aaron.mccartan@gmail.com mobile: 712-335-0744
mobile: 952-239-7114
Mike Niccum,
email: michaelniccum@integra.net
4
The Doug Yost Scholarship Committee has selected Ms. Lise Lemeland of Hornel, New York as the 2009 Scholarship Recipient. Lise is a full-time teacher and a single mother of three children. She has about 150 logged flight hours and is a
member of Women in Aviation International, the AOPA, the International Aerobatic Club and the Experimental Aircraft Association, and the Dansville Pilot Association. Following are excerpts from her essay to the committee about her career aspirations and why she would to receive the scholarship:
“I am not one of those pilots who dreamed of flight since I was a small child. In fact, I spent my childhood drawing and
painting everything I could imagine, and had a rather gripping fear of flight until I was in my twenties. However, I have always believed in facing life head-on and have never been afraid of change. And so two summers ago, this late-blooming
pilot took my first ride in a biplane and was surprised when my pilot, who must have sensed my adventurous spirit, decided
to throw in a few aerobatic maneuvers (even though I had not requested-or paid- for them)! This was my first time ever in a
single engine airplane, my first time upside-down, and the beginning of my obsession with aerobatic flying.
Post- the Waco UPF-7 ride, I immediately took up flying lessons at my local airport in Hornell, NY. The fear was replaced
by a healthy respect for the physics and mechanics of flying and an overwhelming need to continue learning. A year and a
half later, I got my Private Pilot’s Certificate, but before I had even completed my long solo cross-country requirement (about
six months into my training) I decided I needed to see what the term “unusual attitudes “ meant first hand. I took a few lessons at Hanscom Airfield, and flew a Super Decathlon. I was very new to flying, and the experience literally turned my life
upside down. But I was given a taste for basic aerobatics that has fueled my passion for flying, and has given me a desire to
pursue aerobatics. If granted the Douglas Yost Memorial Aerobatic Scholarship, I will use it to turn this dream into a reality.
In the short time that I have been flying, I have immersed myself in the world of aviation as much as possible. A single
mother of three children, who has a full-time job of teaching, and full-time job of painting does not have a great deal of extra
time. Through creative scheduling, I made the time, and have managed about 150 logged hours since the biplane ride. I’m
a member of Women in Aviation International, the AOPA, the International Aerobatic Club and the Experimental Aircraft Association, and the Dansville Pilot Association. While I wait for an opportunity to fly more aerobatics, I am also pursuing my
instrument rating. I will probably never give up my position at Alfred University teaching art, because that is very much a
part of who I am. Once I complete my instrument rating, I plan to get my Commercial and Flight Instructor certificates. I
would love to teach flying and to start a flying club at Alfred University, where there is a whole student body of potential aviators/aviatrixes. Being a woman, an artist and a mother, I hope to be a role model in particular to young women. I know that
aerobatics will make me a safer and more confident pilot, and competition aerobatics, which I hope to pursue, will not only
be great fun but will make me a better instructor in the future.
Teaching has been the greatest learning experience for me. It has taught me the range of needs and styles of so many different people, and it has helped me to
see the potential in each individual
and how to nurture that. To be an
artist takes talent, skill (which can be
learned), and intuition; but it also
takes drive. I always tell my students
that to be an artist you have to make
art, all of the time. You have to take
risks in the work to learn new visual
languages. I find being a pilot is very
similar: one is always learning, building on that body of knowledge and
seeking new experiences to deepen
the understanding. And like art, it
takes tremendous drive and confidence to be a safe pilot, and a lot of
practice. Taking aerobatic instruction
would be the equivalent of exploring a
new language, albeit through flying. I
am eager to learn this and be able to
share it.”
2009 Scholarship recipient Ms. Lise Lemeland of Hornell, New York
5
W
e've all read articles
that advocate attending
aerobatic play-days or
camps to become safer and more
proficient pilots. I was fortunate
enough to attend a very unique
camp this year that was organized
by John and Linda Morrissey of
Kansas City. For nearly two decades John and Linda have hosted
an annual week-long aerobatic
camp in Ashland, Kansas prior to
the start of the aerobatic competition season. In recent years to
keep up with customer demand,
they started hosting two consecutive week-long camps.
The camp is, as you would expect
from a retired Air Force Colonel,
highly structured and well organzied. The camp is comprised of
seven attendees for seven days.
Each day begins with a briefing
much like those at aerobatic contests and held at 8AM, sharp.
Every pilot is allotted three flights
in the box, daily. With exception
of the first day, the box times are
15 minutes each. Remember what
I said about the camp being structured? If you're scheduled from
9:00 until 9:15 and you get a five
minute late start, you just shorted
yourself on box time as the next
pilot begins at 9:16.
By Aaron McCartan
For each pilot, the
camp was something different. I
was enrolled in the
first session which
was held the first
week of May. Our
session was attended by four
Sportsman pilots,
one Intermediate
and two Unlimiteds. To give an
idea of the diversity of skill-sets;
two of the SportsPhoto of camp attendees: Back row, left to right; Stuart
man pilots were Vann, Aaron McCartan, Kellee Valentine, David Lutes.
sharing a borrowed Front row, left to right; Luisa Romero, John Morrissey with
S-2B and one of Mr. Putt, John Ostmeyer, and Debby Rihn-Harvey.
the Unlimited pilots
was Debby Rihn-Harvey. The
Each Unknown sequence was dewhole spectrum was covered.
signed with at least one challenge
that was intended as a teaching
The first day of flying for everyone
point relative to the student and
was an evaluation of individual
their skill set. When we weren't
maneuvers. From there we all
flying, we were reviewing audio
trained into blocks of figures, segrecordings of our critiques or rements of the compulsory, the enceiving ground instruction and
tire compulsory, developing our
coaching from John or Linda,
free program and unknowns. Yes,
whomever was not actively giving
unknowns for everyone including
a critique.
the Sportsman pilots. Each flight
was a step at progressing one skill
So why Ashland, Kansas? True,
or another and the flights were
you could do this anywhere. If you
scheduled to move at each stuGoogle search Ashland, or more
dent's pace.
importantly Harold Krier, and
you'll find a rich history of aerobatics. Plus that, it's one of the
more difficult aerobatic boxes to
Lots of akro aircraft
crowd into the only
fly. The surrounding terrain does
available hangar at
not have well defined section
the Ashland trainlines, there are very few roads to
ing camp. Aaron’s
orient yourself with and to top it
blue S-1 is on the
off, the box doesn't even align
left. Luisa Rowith the runways! You are forced
mero’s CAP is the
to learn to fly by reference to box
monoplane in the
foreground.
markers alone.
6
Due to the remote location of the
field there is very little air traffic
to conflict with training and the
town basically donates the airport to us akro-types for the duration of the camp. Come to
think of it, due to the remote nature of the town there really isn't
cellular coverage either. Free run
of the airport, tricky box, no distractions.
The idea of the Ashland camp is
to refine the core skills to a point
where parts of figures or entire
figures become automatic. Once
you've achieved this 'muscle
memory' then it's down to playing the game of aerobatics, i.e.,
thinking about wind correction
and placing figures for improved
positioning scores. Flying the figures become secondary to the
overall sequence. Last season I
made a whole batch of the same
mistakes over and over. My
scores were penalized for very
fundemental things. All of those
bad habits came forward during
my first flight on the first day
One of my biggest flaws was relying on section lines for box
alignment. My first few flights at
Ashland had me skewed off
heading 15 or 20 degrees over
the top of a loop or half-cuban
due to bad rudder habits. Another lesson that was repeated
every few days was wind driftcontrol as it does get pretty
breezy in western Kansas.
The day of my first Sportsman Unknown flight we had
40 knots on the y-axis towards the judges at box altitude, with only one wind
corrector figure. Like any
good flying lesson, you may
not get it right at the time
but you go home with lots of
homework and a new perspective on your individual
training.
As I mentioned before,
Debby Rihn-Harvey was an
attendee at the first camp.
Debby is a very kind, generous and caring person. For
anyone that has seen pictures of Debby in Sport Aerobatics or any other publication, you notice that she's
always smiling. She does
that in person, too.
During the course of the
camp a few of us had minor Debby’s CAP above. Her impressive list of
mechanical issues. If Debby aerobatic achievements are printed on the side
wasn't flying she would come of the fuselage
over, greet the owner with a
She also used this same technique
smile and inquire about the diffiwhen helping with ground criculty. She would then smile at the
tiques. If Debby was aware of a
owner as they described the probproblematic figure she would take
lem. At this point she would roll
time to watch someone fly then
up her sleeves, unpack her tool kit
offer her input on rectifying the
and start in. We were jokingly reproblem.
ferring to her as the camp mechanic.
John and Linda Morrisey’s aerobatic training camps are conducted at the Ashland, Kansas airport shown here. Less than a
mile from the small town of Ashland, the airport has grass runways and was the home of Harold Krier, who was the 1968 U.S.
Aerobatic Champion and member of the U.S. Aerobatic Team.
He was also a veteran airshow performer. There is a museum
dedicated to his memory in Ashland.
Ashland is like a forgotten town from the wild west. It’s located
about 20 miles north of the Oklahoma border and about 100 west
of Wichita. Ashland is about 50 miles from Dodge City and was
close to the famous Sante Fe trail. Ashland traces it’s history
back to the 1870’s.
7
Between John Morrissey, Linda
(Meyers) Morrissey and Debby
Rihn-Harvey, we had a fantastic
database of aerobatic knowledge.
In contrast to us Sportsman types
trying to piece together 125k sequences, Debby was training for
the upcoming World Aerobatic
Championship in the United Kingdom. For this, John and Linda
drafted several unknowns as
preparation. Just like the rest of
us, each unknown had unique
teaching points commensurate with pilot
ability in their category
of flight.
As the first camp came to a close I
did a personal inventory. The
cross country to Ashland was 4.5
hours in my S-1S (had to divert a
little for weather). The return trip
added another 5 hours due to a
stopover in Kansas City for some
Barbeque. During the week I had
logged 7.5 hours of 15 minute
sessions in the box.
I had taken nearly 40 pages of
notes in a personal aerobatic journal and brought home three double-sided audio cassettes with recordings of John and Linda's critiques. I am NOT going to total up
my gas receipts, I don't even want
to think about how much gas/oil I
put through my Pitts.
I was blessed enough to share the
first camp session with Debby
Rihn-Harvey, Dave Lutes, John
Ostmeyer, Kellee Valentine,
Luisa Romero and Stuart
Vann. The Second session of
the 2009 Ashland Aerobatic
camp was attended by Bill
Denton, Brian Correll, Bruce
Ballew, Doug Bartlett, Doug
Sowder, Phil Gragg and Tom
Rhodes. In years past attendees have included Loren
Smith, Mike Wiskus, Dick Bevington, Melissa Andrzejewski,
Vicki Cruse and Robert Armstrong among a multitude of
others.
What I experienced was
a lack of ego among all
levels. Just because I
had a battle keeping
figures 3-5 in the box
during the compulsory
and pilots like Debby
were working on outside 1 1/4 snaps both
directions on the vertical upline, nobody was
treated any differently.
The coaches and all of Shot taken of Aaron in his Pitts returning from Ashland.
the pilots had mutual Below: Aaron takes a self-portrait in-flight with his iPhone.
respect and we all
worked together to improve.
Louisa Romero, the other UnlimRespectfully Submitted,
ited pilot, would greet me at the
gas pump after every flight to give
Aaron McCartan
me a hand refuelling and ask
about progress in my recent flight.
The seven pilots plus two coaches
were eating three meals a day together, swapping stories, telling
jokes and striving for improvement. It was a training environment like none other. We should
all be so fortunate to find such
camaradarie.
8
Mark Kedrowski
Mark purchased Byran Jensen’s Pitts S-1S earlier this year. He picked up
the akro bug from friend and Chapter 78 member, Ben Jackson in his Decathlon. Mark plans to fly competition and the photo was taken at our
recent practice session at the Waseca airport on June 26 where Mark
participated in his first critique session. Mark is in the website development business. Check out his
cool interactive website at
BlueEarth.net
J R Spalj
I fly a Pilatus PC-12 for a family business which my brother and I own. I bought an 8KCAB 3 years ago to stay
sharp on my stick and rudder skills (all I do in the Pilatus is push buttons). A year ago I took an upset recovery
course in an Extra 300 in Phoenix and really enjoyed it. So I decided to buy and Extra 300 and sell my 8KCAB. I
contacted Pete Tallarita for training and he suggested I join Chapter 78. That seemed like a good idea so here
I am. I am 50 yrs old. I have been flying for 10 years and have about 2000 hr TT. I have Comm. / IFR / SEL /
MEL / SES and tail dragger endorsements. I fly out of Brainerd MN and my Extra is based @ KBRD. Thanks for
the opportunity to join your club.
Craig Gifford
I moved to Minneapolis from Texas this past
winter, having spent most of my life in
Texas. I've been flying since I was a kid, and
have a Bellanca Viking in addition to the Eagle. The Viking is a bit unusual in the motor
department too, with a retro-fitted IO-550 making it about 15 kts faster. Though I have about
4,000 hours, I've only been flying acro since I
bought the Eagle in 2007 - about 150
hours. Currently based at FCM, I anticipate
moving to MIC in the next couple months
Craig’s Eagle is a muscle bi-plane with an IO-540 up front.
9
S
ome of you are acquainted with Jim Hancock, the parachute re-packer for many of us. He has been building a
Model 12 in his hangar at Fleming Field, pretty much full-time for the last two years. Jim is a retired Northwest
captain who owns and flies three other aircraft in addition to the Model 12. Tom Kerns was kind enough to offer
his P-Rex for dual with Jim to get familiar with handling a high performance bi-plane and get the view from the cockpit
during landing before making the first flight in the Macho Stinker. Jim made the first flight on May 8, 2009 at Fleming
Field in MN. Jim reports all went very well. Congratulations Jim!
Jim and Kevin Kimball are the purveyors of kits and components for Curtis Pitts' most recent biplane design, the hairy
chested, round-motored Model 12, they have applied their deep knowledge of round motored biplanes to their version of
a sorta-antique for the homebuilder. Of course, being a Pitts, it's an antique with spunk. Before Curtis was even close to
finishing the Macho Stinker back in 1996, Kevin and Jim were standing on his doorstep looking over his shoulder. They
were looking for something new to add to their repertoire and the Model 12 tickled their fancy. They came away with a
set of plans and started building at the same time as Curtis and his Biplane Mafia.
Jim shows off his beautifully crafted bird. The Model 12 uses the fire breathing M14P Russian engine same as used in the
Sukhoi 26. Jim outfitted his plane with state of the art avionics complete with HIS built into the panel Garmin GPS.
The Model 12 has a cruise speed of 170 MPH and roll rate of around 360 degrees per second. What a beautiful plane and a
great addition to our local aerobatic community.
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Bryan Jensen, long time Chapter 78 member and IAC competitor in a number of different aircraft starting with a
Christen Eagle, then a Laser, and finally a Pitts S-1S, has taken delivery on his custom built Model 12 Macho
Stinker. Called “The Beast”, this plane was built for airshow performing. Here’s what Bryan told me about the
performance of this remarkable airplane:
“I have 8 hours in it now, and it completely amazes me. It will simply do whatever I want and go where ever I
point it. Monte Barrett found 50+ more HP from an M14P engine, and that is with conservative settings with
the timing, ignition, and supercharger. Monte injected it, put NASCAR pistons and rings in it, cleaned up the
gearbox, and some other goodies. Right now it is putting out right at 415 "honest" HP. We did a static thrust
pull with it, and measured over 1800 lbs of thrust. The empty weight is 1454#, so you can do the math and see
why each takeoff is like a cat shot off of a carrier. (Today I was doing climbing knife edge flight with < 3/4%
power.)”
Bryan Jensen took delivery of
the airplane March 27, 2009.
The BEAST was designed and
built with 2 goals in mind.
Light weight and high thrust.
Not only these 2 points, but it
had to look awesome as well
creating an airplane that will
be sought after for airshows.
The copyrighted scheme created by Mirco Pecorari of Italy.
Specifications: Length 19' 8"
span 21' empty wt 1454 lb
gross wt 2000 lb fuel capacity
36 gal smoke capacity 12 gal
top speed 220 mph Vne 250
mph stall 67 mph roll rate 370
deg/sec climb 4500 + FPM
Take off roll at gross wt 150ft Custom features include carbon fiber and titanium components. Engine by Barrett
Precision Engines. MT 102" dia prop. BEAST is a trademark of Kevin Kimball, BEAST paint scheme is a copyright
of Kevin Kimball.
11
The article is reproduced from World Airshow News March/April 2009 issue.
Website and subscription info: http://www.airshowmag.com/
The article was written by our own Myrna Mibus. Website: www.myrnacgmibus.com
MIKE NICCUM
12
When it came time to choose a career, Mike decided to be a
machinist. Life progressed smoothly until one day he caught
his fingers in a machine at work. His mangled fingers led to a
lengthy hospital stay, rehabilitation, and a chance to consider
a new career. When his rehabilitation counselor asked Mike
what he would like to do, the memory of those military airplanes prompted him to admit that he really wanted to get involved in aviation.
Mike immersed himself in aviation, earning his A&P license
and his private pilot license. Immediately after earning his
private in 1986, Mike started flying aerobatics in a Cessna 150
Acrobat. Looping and rolling an Acrobat was a far cry from
the speed and precision of military flight, but Mike learned
everything he could in that little plane.
He also discovered an airpark community and he and his wife,
Marilyn, moved to Sky Harbor Airpark in Minnesota in 1993.
As luck would have it, Sky Harbor was active with grassroots
aviation and several acrobatic planes and pilots, including the
summer home of airshow performer Julie Clark. With a home
on an airpark and lots of acrobatic flying overhead, Mike didn’t think the life could get much better. But it did.
Mike quickly gained a reputation for being a nice guy and a
good stick. His neighbors soon found out he had a passion for
aerobatics and offered to help him. One introduced Mike to
acrobatic competition. Another volunteered to coach him. He
bought a Pitts S IS and hit the competition season hard in
1999, learning every facet of competition from flying to
judging, to teching planes. By 2003 his hard work earned
13
him a spot on the 2004 United States Advanced Acrobatic
Team.
In 2005, Mike decided to move into an airplane that could
take him into the Unlimited category and airshow flying. He
found what he was looking for in a Staudacher S 300D
whose 10 540 kicks out 330 horsepower and is great for
showcasing Mike’s favorite maneuver, the rolling loop. He
flew his first airshow in 2007. His routine is smooth and
precise from years of critique in IAC competitions, yet is
aggressive enough to wow the crowds.
“Flying airshows has been fun,” Mike says. He enjoys
meeting kids, telling them about his airplane and how his
airshow career started with a dream. He likes getting to
know airshow legends like John Mohr and Julie Clark and
is constantly amazed at how nice everyone is. Mike feels
fortunate that so many people have stepped forward to
help him in his journey. “One thing I’ve found out is how
many friends you have out there:’ Mike says of the people
who helped him pursue his multi faceted aviation career. “I
dor~t know what I did to deserve the kindness that has
been given me in so many ways.
Maybe Mike doest~t know what he’s done to deserve kindness, but his peers and friends know. They recognize his
hard work and dedication, they know he takes time to help
other people, they see him talking to kids and encouraging
them to pursue their dreams. “What I like about Mike is
he’s upbeat all the time, says Julie. ,“He’s a great showman and a great pilot and a great competition pilot.” To top
it off, Julie adds, I just think he’s a really great guy!”
IAC Chapter 78
2254 Edgcumbe Road
Saint Paul, MN 55116-2448
Guenther Eichhorn’s aerobatic email exploder
Guenther Eichhorn, long time IAC’er, maintains a national
email distribution group dedicated to aerobatics. Guenther’s
“exploder” is the best source for news and announcements
about contests and IAC events. Here’s how to log on:
<url:http://acro.aerobaticsweb.org/>
OLAN - Free software for drawing free style
programs!
If you are thinking of designing your own free style sequence,
check out Micheal Golan’s OLAN (One Letter Aerobatic Notation). This program runs in Windows and is very easy to
learn to use. The beauty of the program is that it checks your
sequence to make sure it conforms to all current IAC rules.
I have on-line information about aerobatics, contest schedThe program can be found at:
ules and contest results. The ACRO email list is archived on http://www.aerobatics.org.il/olan/install.htm
that site. The archive is accessible in the section
"Communications". The archive can be searched. The
search form is available in the archive section of the ACRO
website. The section "Communications" also has a link to a
page that allows you to sign up for the ACRO email list. You
can include a link to the signup page from your chapters
page. The URL is:
<url:http://acro.aerobaticsweb.org/iac_exploder.html>
To subscribe or unsubscribe with the exploder, please follow
the instructions on that page. PLEASE do not send unsubscribe questions to the exploder.
Once you are signed up, you can manage your subscription
yourself by going to
<url:http://aerobaticsweb.org/mailman/listinfo/acro>
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