“I’m celebrating a half century being a licensed pilot. I earned my private license on June 20,1973! A life changing event!” said Bob. One of his first aerobatic mounts was this 7ECA Citabria pictured here.
I’ve been flying for 50 years and have been a member of the IAC for 41 years. I started flying as a Junior in High School, inspired by my dad and his love of flying. I joined the IAC at the Fond du Lac contest and became completely hooked. My focus has been on IAC aerobatics for most of my 41 years of flying. Inspired by the success of the US teams at the Worlds in the 70’s, it became a goal to one day fly for the U.S. on the Unlimited team (accomplished in 2017). I‘ve been on three U.S. teams and placed 4th overall at the 2002 AWAC. My journey from Sportsman to Unlimited is probably the longest of any pilot ever to make the journey. Balancing my IAC team goals with family, career, and financial constraints, I fully appreciate the challenges, from the grassroots end of our sport to the U.S. teams that represent us.
Over the course of my IAC years, I’ve served in many roles; Contest Director, Chapter President, Judge, Asst Judge, Boundary Judge, and IAC Board Member. I volunteered to and led the effort to find a new home for the U.S. National Aerobatic Championships. I was appointed by the Board to serve as the Team Liaison, acting as a conduit and facilitator for communications between the teams and the Board.
Our club has many challenges and faces many issues, but we are united in our love of airplanes, aerobatics, and our incredibly talented, interesting, and diverse members. While on the Board, I’ve worked on several significant, controversial issues. I do my best to take a thoughtful, objective, fact based, balanced approach to the resolution of these challenging issues. I hope my reputation reflects this. I led the effort to select a new site (Salina) for the Nationals using a clear, objective, and non-political process.
As the Team Liaison, I led a working group in the rewrite of P&P 504, for the selection of US teams. I led another effort to consolidate three different versions of our team Code of Conduct and to formally document the organization and process for managing our teams.
I proposed, established, and administer the National Championship Point Series (The Leo), which requires tracking and processing the scores of every pilot of every contest each year for all categories. I sponsor the trophies along with Tim Just and Tom Rhodes.
I also proposed and established, with the help of Dave Watson, the new awards that recognize our most active competitors annually as well as their lifetime participation.
• 1981: Attended Fond du Lac with my Dad…Dad finished last in Sportsman, non-inverted 7ECA (watched newly released Cloud Dancer movie at the membership meeting –met lifelong friends, IAC hook fully planted)
• 1982: Bought Decathlon
• 1983: Sold Decathlon, bought Pitts S1C
• 1985: Sold Pitts, bought AcroDuster II, 1st contest Eloy AZ (Sportsman 3rd met Wayne Handley) Longmont CO (Sportsman 1st), Nationals Sherman (Intermediate 12th met Bob Herendeen)
• 1985 to 1997: Flew AcroDuster II in regional contests at Intermediate level (lots of 1st place)
• 1994 started Giles G200 kit
• 1998: Moved to Advanced – flew borrowed Laser (Fred Zayas), US Nationals
• 1999 – 2000: Regional success in the Laser in Advanced
• 2000: Leukemia diagnosis, G200 kit completed, test flights, fly off restrictions
• 2001: US Nationals Advanced, 5th place, qualified for US Advanced Team
• 2002: AWAC Slovenia, team captain, 4th overall
• 2002 – 2003: Chemotherapy battle 1 for the Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)
• 2004: US Nationals, Advanced, 2nd place
• 2005 - 2008: Moved to Unlimited flying G200
• 2009: US Nationals, qualified for Advanced Team
• 2009-2010: Chemotherapy battle 2 for CLL
• 2010: AWAC, Radom Poland – (shipped G200), 23rd (4th flight oops)
• 2011: Sold G200, bought Panzl
• 2011-2012: IAC BoD, South Central
• 2012 – 2014: Overseas job assignment, Seoul South Korea. Earned commercial and instructor licenses in South Korea. Became Instructor Pilot for Advanced Aerobatics at Hanseo, University (Extra 330LT)
• 2014: Repatriated to US, sold Panzl, bought Extra330SC
• 2015: US Nationals, Unlimited, 3rd place
• 2016: US West Region Unlimited Champion
• 2016: Qualified for the US Unlimited Aerobatic Team
• 2016: Won the Silver medal in the 4 Minute Free program at the US Nationals
• 2017: Flew for the US at the World Championships in South Africa, Class IV IAC Director
• 2018: US West Region Unlimited Champion
Bob is currently focused on his airshow career, coaching, and supplying aerobatic training in his Extra 330LX.
See his air show video from the 2017 Dayton Air Show. YouTube video link: https://youtu.be/lMSzudxfDMw
