2020 Board Election

Notice of Election • Candidate Profiles •  Cast Your Vote

NOTICE OF ELECTION

Wednesday June 24, 2020  through Tuesday July 21, 2020

Balloting closed on Tuesday, July 21 at 6:00 p.m. CDT. 

Members may cast their votes using the secure online ballot (member login required) Voting begins June 24. Our Webmaster can provide any assistance needed.

A member may not vote in this election in person at the annual meeting; it must be done via electronic ballot.

A Presidential-appointed Ballot Certification Committee will tabulate the election results and announce the election outcome at the annual meeting of members on August 1, 2020. Due to the cancellation of AirVenture the Annual meeting will be held at Timmerman Airport in Milwaukee, Wisconsin at 2:00pm CDT.

By Order of the Board of Directors,

DJ Molny

IAC Ballot Certification Committee Chair


 

CANDIDATE PROFILES

President:  Robert Armstrong  •  Jim Bourke

Secretary:  Sara Arnold

Directors:  Marty Flournoy  •  Rob Holland  •  Debby Rihn-Harvey

 

ROBERT ARMSTRONG - FOR PRESIDENT

 

 

 

A significant number of changes have occurred in the IAC since I accepted the position of president and subsequently was elected by the membership. IAC members continue to communicate to me that I am moving in a direction they appreciate, and I hope you will agree.

Some of the notable activities and direction in which I have been instrumental are listed below:

  • Relocation of the U.S. Nationals. While the move away from Sherman, Texas, was necessary, we found after two years at Oshkosh that the fit wasn’t what we hoped for or expected. At my urging and with my full support, the decision was made to search for a central location, the committee did its job, and the board made what I believe is the right decision for the future of the U.S. National Aerobatic Championships. We have found a new home in Salina, Kansas, and I’m extremely proud that it was accomplished during my term as your president.
  • Committee activity. I have found and promoted fresh voices and enthusiastic members to chair our established committees, and I believe strongly that these are the people who will take us into the future of aerobatics. New ideas, energetic personalities, and their excited outlook on aerobatics, competition, and recreational interests are what I believe the direction of the IAC should be. In order to keep us from growing stagnant, we need our members with different perspectives to keep IAC moving forward, and I appreciate every new voice in our committees and programs and on our IAC board of directors.
  •  Legacy category. At our spring board meeting in 2019, I fully supported the direction to bring former competitors back into the contest arena through the establishment of a new category — Legacy. By offering this option to chapters, they can attract members who have dropped by the wayside, and in the short time it has been enacted, I have been pleased with the interest this new idea brings to the IAC.

My future plans include:

  • A focus directed toward IAC chapters with activities that they can host other than an annual contest.
  • membership initiatives that are aimed at attracting new members and retaining existing members.
  • A team selection process for CIVA events that allows for the U.S. National Aerobatic Championships to give targeted attention to the championships’ purpose of crowning our national champion. The championships also should recognize the importance of all categories and skill levels of competition in what is our premier event in the IAC.

My background in aerobatics is deep. I began competition in 1982 in regional contests; enjoyed aircraft building, including the construction of my own airplane that I flew in international competition at the World Aerobatic Championships in 2001; served as the IAC director for the South Central Region from 2007 through 2012; and finally began to serve our membership as the president of the IAC from 2017 to present day. I have been involved in the mechanics of the IAC from the basics of grassroots through Unlimited competition and understand what it takes to be successful in your aerobatic journey. I am a believer in the all-inclusive aspects of our sport.

With your support, I would like to continue giving back to the membership as your IAC president, and together we will make a lasting impact for our organization.

Your vote is your voice of support, and I ask for your vote and continued support as president of the IAC.


JIM BOURKE - FOR PRESIDENT

 

 

 

I currently serve you as the IAC membership chair, as a member of the IAC board of directors, and on the IAC’s government liaison team. I now ask for your support as I seek the position of IAC president.

My campaign is endorsed by national champions Patty Wagstaff, Jeff Boerboon, and Rob Holland. My qualifications include the following:

  • Competition experience: I am an active competitor with 14 first-place Unlimited wins and 40 IAC competitions total. I am a two-time member of the U.S. Unlimited Aerobatic Team: in 2017 at Malelane, South Africa, and in 2019 at Chateauroux, France. I’ve placed second in the Nationals in the 4-Minute Free and sixth at the world level.
  • Judge experience: I am a national judge, a judge school instructor, a member of the rulebook committee, and the lead of the rulebook refactoring team, which trimmed the rulebook last year to just over a third of its original volume, from 269 pages to 96.
  • Professional experience: I am the owner of Knife Edge Software, the makers of the RealFlight simulator. We also make Acro FS, a free-to-play flight simulator for aerobatic enthusiasts with virtual-reality support. My RC industry experience of over 25 years and the many contacts I’ve developed from it allow me to champion the sport of aerobatics from all angles, including model aviation.
  • Air show experience: I am a nationally active air show pilot with a surface level waiver.
  • Other relevant experience: I am a coach and mentor to hundreds of aspiring aerobatic pilots both in real life and via my YouTube channel. I am a vocal proponent of aerobatics at all levels and disciplines, from grassroots to Unlimited, from sailplanes to power, from beginner to professional. I believe strongly that aerobatics is for everyone.
  • I give regular talks on aerobatics at EAA chapters, at AirVenture, and via the EAA webinars program. I also write articles for EAA’s Sport Aviation and the IAC’s Sport Aerobatics magazine. I try to contribute two or three pieces of new content on aerobatics each month to various outlets.

My commitment to you: Are you aware that the IAC has not called a meeting of the executive committee in over a year? We cannot drift along without attention to our important business any longer. I will fix this problem and many others. I have the time and enthusiasm needed to be an effective leader. I will communicate respectfully with all IAC partners and volunteers on your behalf. I will listen to concerns and apply myself to find real solutions.

My platform is simple:

1. We will push the FAA harder to meet the needs of aerobatic enthusiasts.

2. We will better leverage our relationship with the EAA to gain new members.

3. We will promote fair, safe, and joyful participation of aerobatics.

I promise a future where the burden of the past is lifted and where every IAC member trusts the leadership to listen and respond to concerns. Let’s work together and make it happen!


SARA ARNOLD FOR SECRETARY

 

 

 

 

I am a candidate for IAC secretary, and I am asking for your support and vote.

Currently, I work at the Des Moines Airport in Iowa where I am an airport operations supervisor who oversees the daily operation of all tenants and verifies the airport is within compliance of the Part 139 certificate. In 2018, I founded the Heartland Chapter of Women in Aviation International, and to this day, I am president of the chapter. In October 2019, I was able to have the governor of Iowa sign a proclamation for the Girls in Aviation Day. At the 2019 Doug Yost competition, I was the assistant contest director and will be the 2020 contest director. In the 2020 contest year, I helped facilitate the new American Champion medallion that will be handed out for the next five years. During prior contests, I have been a recorder, line judge, and score runner.

I live in Iowa with my husband and three kids. In my spare time, I enjoy flying a Decathlon and competing in aerobatic competitions around the Midwest.


MARTY FLOURNOY FOR DIRECTOR

 

 

I am interested in supporting and furthering the efforts that have been put in motion to make IAC a more inclusive and welcome place for pilots, aspiring aviators, and generally anyone with an interest in sport airplanes and those who support them.

During 25 years of contest organizing with IAC Chapter 3 in the Southeastern United States, like many members I began in Sportsman with an older Citabria and competed later in a Pitts I rebuilt before flying into Advanced and eventually taking it to the Nationals. Like many of you, I judge and volunteer and give back as much as possible. Our club also works to appreciate the dedication of mentors and unseen support key members such as scoring directors and registrars behind the scenes in our local IAC chapters.

Our local chapters have seen how involvement with practice days is critical for growth. The benefit of hosting an annual judges' school with minimal cost and maximum fun and education as our goal has helped expand our core volunteers.

Acquiring a two-place Pitts years ago, our chapter has the goal of recruiting and keeping members active, which only happens if they can participate in some way. As with collegiate programs or aero club members, having a less expensive entry point available without initial maintenance concerns or lump sum outlay for an aerobatic plane helps lower the barrier for aspiring pilots. As such, promoting club activities with insured aircraft and safety pilots should be a goal IAC supports and improves.

If elected, I will have the goal of reinforcing the current IAC leadership efforts that work to be proactive in the broader pilot community — not only as a place for competition but also as a place to find a mentor, become better pilots, and most importantly, to enjoy the fellowship experience through the collective knowledge we have in over 50 years.


ROB HOLLAND FOR DIRECTOR​​

 

 

 

 

I’m asking for your vote so I can continue to represent the membership of IAC as a board director.

I have been a proud member of the IAC for 19 years. In that time, I have dedicated my life to the art and passion of aerobatics. Climbing the ranks from flying Sportsman to eventually earning a position on the U.S. Aerobatic Team, I’m a nine-time U.S. National Aerobatic Champion, and I also have been proud to represent my country at the World Aerobatic Championships many times. But through all that I have never lost sight of what makes this sport and the IAC great: It’s the people. If you’re a new Primary pilot, an Unlimited competitor, or just someone who likes to watch aerobatics, I will represent you to the best of my abilities.


 

DEBBY RIHN-HARVEY FOR DIRECTOR​​

 

 

 

Ladies and gentlemen, I ask again for your support. It would be an honor to continue to be your representative on the IAC board of directors and to be a voice for all members, especially the grassroots members.

We have made a great deal of progress in the IAC the past few years, but there is still work to accomplish. The board wants to make the IAC strong, profitable, and a fun place where we can share, educate, and pass on our passion for aerobatics. We have addressed many issues in the past two years and have many great ideas and plans for the future to make our membership proud.

For those who may not be familiar, I will try to brief you on my background. I have been involved in aviation my entire life, being the third generation of aviators in my family. However, when I started aerobatics in 1978, my family thought I had lost my mind. I guess I had because now it is my passion. I began competition in 1980, and on a regional level, I have held many offices within IAC Chapter 25 (Houston, Texas). I have been a contest director for several regional contests as well as working all positions necessary during contests. Nationally, I have been a judges school instructor and am currently an active national judge.

I have been involved with international aerobatics since first qualifying for the U.S. Unlimited Aerobatic Team in 1983. I had the honor of qualifying for 16 U.S. Unlimited Aerobatic Teams and represented the United States in 15 world aerobatic championships over a 31-year period. Internationally, I have represented the United States as a delegate to CIVA.

My passion goes beyond just that of the IAC. It also includes teaching, coaching, mentoring, and encouraging and promoting aviation. I have owned and managed a fixed base operation since 1979, with an emphasis on aerobatics and safety proficiency training. My other jobs include being an FAA designated examiner, an aerobatic competency evaluator for International Council of Air Shows, and an air show pilot.

If reelected, I promise to continue being a voice for the membership. Being actively involved in all aspects and levels of the sport, I understand your concerns. Through business and competition, I have had many of the problems that each of you have experienced. There is much work to be done, but together we can make it the best aerobatic club possible. Let’s remember the fun of aerobatics.