The IAC Board of Directors has elected Doug Sowder, of Spokane, Washington, as the interim Director to fill the vacancy left by the untimely death of Erica Simpson. Doug will represent the Northwest Region, with Robert Armstrong being named as the Southwest Regional representative. Doug was previously on the IAC Board for a one-year term from 2005 to 2006. He is an Advanced competitor who was also a volunteer, and aircraft renter, at the 2008 Advanced World Championships in Pendleton, Oregon. When not flying, Doug is a ski-lift engineer in the Spokane area.

The members of the 2008 US Unlimited Aerobatic Team who will compete at the 2009 World Aerobatic Championships to be held in the United Kingdom August 18-30, 2009 are Robert Armstrong, Jeff Boerboon, Dan Clark, Vicki Cruse, David Martin, Allyson Parker-Lauck, Michael Racy, Debby Rihn-Harvey, and Hubie Tolson. Zach Heffley is the alternate.

Scholarship fund established for fallen pilot, IAC Director

Funeral services for Erica Simpson, IAC director and commercial pilot, will be held Saturday, September 13, in her hometown of Port Wing, Wisconsin. Simpson, 32, died September 6 in an aircraft accident during a practice flight at Reno’s Stead Field where she was preparing to compete in this week’s annual National Championship Air Races & Air Show. According to the FAA spokesman Ian Gregor, her aircraft, a Cassutt IIIM Little Lynn, suffered a catastrophic structural failure as she was performing a roll during…

Suzanne Chance, of Aurora, Colorado, (Greater Metro Denver area) is the new editor of Sport Aerobatics magazine, official publication of the International Aerobatic Club (IAC). She comes to the IAC with experience in aviation technical writing and editing, as well as a recently found love for aerobatic flight.

“I have been a writer/editor for 30 years, writing newspaper articles, copywriting marketing and press releases, serving as an acquisitions editor for a major reference book publisher, technical writing, a novelist, and many more things,” Chance said.

Chance was…

After a disappointing “wind-out” that grounded pilots on Saturday, Kirby Chambliss, EAA 261512, of Flying Crown Ranch, Arizona, scored a thrilling first-place finish during the Red Bull Air Races’ first visit to Detroit, Michigan/Windsor, Ontario, Canada last weekend. A crowd estimated at 750,000 turned out to watch the high-performance flying and aerobatic competition from both sides of the Detroit River.

Saturday’s scheduled qualifying races for the 12 competitors had to be canceled due to sustained high winds. The race’s…