Sport Aerobatics

President's Page - October 2000
by Doug McConnell   

Grass Roots Gut Check

• I created the new Grass Roots Achievement Award gold medallion, which gives competitors with 180 hp (or less) a chance to win special recognition at any of our approximately 50 regional contests.
• I also revived similar special recognition for the lAC Championships with the introduction of the Lycoming Trophy, which has the same 180-hp criteria and adds the award of a $1,000 check! 
• I especially enjoyed creating the Chuck Alley Old Buzzard Trophy to honor the accomplishments of our good friend Chuck Alley (who at 85 years of age still competes in a Pitts S-2E) and to offer our senior competitors (65 years or older) a chance to win special distinction at the U.S. Nationals. We appreciate the sponsorship of these grassroots initiatives by Textron, Lycoming and Buzzard Restaurant in Texas, which has made this possible.
• In addition, I proposed and gained approval to add Basic competition at both the IAC Championships and the U.S. Nationals, giving our new members an automatic welcome and a chance to meet and visit with a bunch of really neat and experienced pilots - a great learning incubator! 
• I created the Introductory Membership, which allows first timers to test lAC membership at a reduced membership rate for the first year. I felt that if aerobatics enthusiasts could sample our activities and magazine, they would get hooked. 
• Similarly, I created the Student Membership, which makes it easier for youth, college, and aviation school students to join and participate in lAC activities. 
• Recently, I also created a Collegiate Programs Committee, which includes new national recognition programs and trophies (sponsored by American Champion Aircraft) for the annual top college pilots and the top participating university or college. As many of you know, there are quite a few universities with aviation programs, and they already have national team competitions. It becomes my idea to build on those schools that already include aerobatic programs with the hope that their success and recognition will help aerobatic programs grow among many more universities.
• I introduced and gained approval for the creation of a Master CFI-Aerobatics designation, which the National Association of Flight Instructors (NAFI) has agreed to administer.
• In this connection, the lAC has recently been awarded responsibility for the administration of the Tony Levier SAFE scholarship program, which includes funds for introducing pilots to unusual attitudes, spins, and introductory aerobatics. Scholarships will be offered from the SAFE program to CFIs and CFI candidates for pursuit of the Master CFI- Aerobatics classification. As we all know, lack of aerobatic instructors has been a basic obstacle to increasing the supply of grassroots pilots to sport aerobatics.

In addition, I have enjoyed introducing a plethora of small initiatives, including: 

• the new Spin Patch Achievement Awards (with attached insurance benefits),
• the updated IAC logo, 
• a modernized Achievement Awards program, 
• the use of revitalized lAC posters by Chapters in their local areas, 
• the approval of aerobatic rides for Young Eagles, 
• a redesigned and enhanced IAC website, 
• renewed IAC membership promotional ads for aviation media, 
• annual member receptions at Sun 'n Fun and EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, 
• the IAC winter convention and annual meeting, 
• the incorporation of glider competition at both the lAC Championships and U.S. Nationals, and
• the improved support for the hard-working United States Aerobatic Foundation, which does a marvelous job funding and managing our U.S. Aerobatic Teams.

Finally, I have enjoyed recent board support on two very important grassroots initiatives.

First, we will form an ad hoc committee to review all five levels of aerobatic competition for grassroots appropriateness. Specifically the committee will review/recommend modifications in the degree of difficulty for each level of competition to assure that the appropriate "basic" grassroots aircraft can accomplish the included maneuvers in each category with ease. In addition, they will study complaints of category "creep," meaning gradual increases of difficulty that move the category out of reach for the intended basic aircraft type. They will also study the possibility of introducing 5 degree "pushes" to Intermediate and consider enhancing the name of the Intermediate category (maybe Expert?) and other recommendations made by our grassroots members.

Second, perhaps the most significant personal contribution that I have enjoyed is the recent approval of a Recreational Aerobatics Program initiative for lAC. What is envisioned is the creation of activities (aerobatic rallies) that avoid hard-core competition to serve the interests of hundreds of aerobatic aircraft owners (enthusiasts) that have avoided IAC membership in the past because of our focus on traditional competition.  By encouraging membership of recreational aerobatic enthusiasts (hundreds of RV's, Stardusters, Skybolts, Pitts, Stearmans, etc.), we open a grassroots opportunity that could potentially double or triple the current size of the IAC.  New recreational members will enjoy all the benefits of IAC's insurance coverage, safety seminars, aircraft inspections, achievement awards, camaraderie, technical tips, magazine features, and social events.  They will gain awareness of the IAC Leadership Pledge and other attendant safety standards, making them more cautious and safer in their aerobatic activities.  Of course, some percentage of the new recreational membership group will move on to traditional aerobatic competition, thus providing a regular source for growth of Chapter-sponsored local contests - an area that needs some propping up!

So, our grass roots have been regularly fed and watered by the IAC President and Board to assure a positive future for our club and for the future of sport aerobatics.  As Chauncy Garner said in the popular Peter Sellers movie Being There, "In the spring there will be growth!"  But it depends on vision and strategic planning to make it happen!  Long live IAC's grass roots!