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By Taylor Mershon 442603

I am excited to become the new Editor of Sport Aerobatics and honored to follow Lorrie Penner who has been an outstanding example of success in this role. Lorrie is absolutely amazing at this job and I know I have some massive shoes to fill, but I’m ready and eager to do it.

While I may be a new face, I am not new to general aviation. My passion for aviation has grown since childhood––my grandfather gave me instructional and recreational glider flights in a Blanik L-23, and when I was in high school, he took me on a very memorable cross country trip…

The 2025 edition of the IAC Contest Rules is now available to IAC members at:
https://www.iac.org/download-contest-rules 

Most of the changes are a direct result of member input.  Twenty proposals were submitted by members.  After these were published, other members provided valuable comments.  The Rules Committee discussed each proposal and associated comments in depth, then provided recommendations to the IAC Board of Directors.  After regarding all related implications, the Board determined a final disposition for each…

The IAC Board of Directors met at EAA Headquarters in Oshkosh, WI on Friday, October 17, 2024. This is a brief summary of the decisions made at the meeting.

Fundraising

• Executive director Tim Dahnke to post on the website a notice for members who would like to be on an IAC fundraising committee. 
• Create a more prominent Join button on the IAC home page.
•  Add a prominent button to donate on the IAC homepage. 
•  Add prominent Join and Donate buttons to all IAC social media including In the loop.

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The World Aerobatic Championship is headed back to the USA in 2026 after CIVA delegates attending the 2024 CIVA Plenary accepted a bid presented by U.S. CIVA representative Michael Gallaway.  

The presentation named Genesee County Airport, Batavia, New York (KGVQ) as the site  for the championship. The airport is a proven location for the Wings Over Batavia air show.

The proposed schedule begins with an unofficial practice day on August 18th, the Opening Ceremony on August 22nd and official contest flights from August 22nd through…

In this year's list of rule change proposals was item 2025-15, which intended to update the allowable Glider Unknown figures. This item was rejected because it didn't propose specific figure revisions. Although detailed changes are likely to be proposed for the 2026 rules, there were two changes identified by the IAC Glider Aerobatics Chair that will greatly assist in the generation of Glider Intermediate Unknown sequences. A special rule change, to be effective in the 2025 rule book is thus being considered. The change would only impact the Glider Intermediate category Unknowns and, if…

Following over five and a half years as the IAC editor for Sport Aerobatics and In the Loop, Lorrie Penner has announced she will retire from the IAC effective on January 31, 2025. Lorrie has been employed with the IAC since 2017 when she was first hired as the IAC Executive Director before transitioning to the editor position.

“Lorrie's breadth of experience, her deep knowledge, her dedication, her ambition, and her good humor will be missed,” said IAC president Jim Bourke. “On behalf of the IAC board of directors I want to thank Lorrie for all she has done…

The IAC is sad to share the news of a good friend and devoted IAC’er who passed away on October 31, 2024. Jim Klick, IAC #6870 became an IAC member on January 1, 1980. 

He was already a member of EAA and had been volunteering at Oshkosh for EAA AirVenture in their Communications (Comm) Center since 1977. He and his wife Therese could be found each summer performing set up tasks preparing for EAA operations for AirVenture.

When Jim joined the IAC, he brought his communications skills with him and became the "comm chairman", handling the radios that were used at Fond du…

At their meeting in Oshkosh, Wisconsin on October 17, 2024, the IAC board of directors approved the recommended Known Compulsory sequences for both power and glider categories for the 2025 contest season.

The 2025 proposed sequences were presented by the sequence committee lead by committee chair, Rob Holland. The committee recommended using the same Primary Known from 2024.

All sequences went through the 30-day member comment period with a total of 6 comments sent to the committee. Comments were:

• All sequences look good, and reasonable.
• Bring the total K…

WATCH LIVE VIDEO AND NEAR REAL-TIME SCORES!

US Nationals officials will be providing Live YouTube streaming of all the daily flying at the US Nationals from Salina Kansas. Watch the IAC YouTube Channel streaming channel here: 
https://www.youtube.com/@EAAIAC/streams 

Also, new this year, the scores will be generated in near-live time. At the end of each category the scoring director will be able to generate an update on current scores from the flights just flown. Click to view:

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