2012 Hall of Fame Recipient Giles Henderson Lost in Accident

Dear IAC’ers:

I am sad to report that Giles Henderson, IAC #159 of Charleston, Illinois lost his life in a skydiving accident on Saturday, December 2nd. If you have been around IAC for any length of time at all, you knew who Giles was – a real icon in our sport and the quintessential Sportsman pilot.

I met Giles in about 1968 as he was an Illinoisan like our family. He is the only IAC pilot who flew in both our very first IAC-sanctioned contest in May 1970 at Lansing, Illino...is all the way up to the recent U.S. National Aerobatic Championships in Oshkosh. Though known mostly for his award-winning flights in his Clipped Wing Cub N6620H, in recent years he flew his Cassutt N429PM which was originally built and owned by Pete Myers, an airshow pilot for many years in the Chicago area and a mentor to Giles.

Giles was the winner of the L. Paul Soucy Award on four occasions – 1971, 1975, 1986, and 1988. In 2012, he was inducted into the IAC’s Aerobatics Hall of Fame. Very active for all those decades since he joined our organization in 1970, Giles flew in 35 contests in the last eleven years alone. If there was ever a “grass roots” pilot and IAC member, it was Giles. He is pictured below with my father, Bob Heuer, IAC #2 and our first President. They were good friends.

Funeral services will be as follows:

Adams Funeral Chapel
2330 Shawnee Drive
Charleston, Illinois 61920

Visitation is from 5:00 to 7:00 pm on Friday, December 8

Funeral service at 1:00 pm Saturday, December 9

On behalf of the IAC’s officers and directors, I offer our condolences to all of Giles’ friends and family.

Sincerely,

Mike Heuer

IAC President