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The national championship Aerobatic Team at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale has been on a temporary hiatus since early 2008 due to a lack of aircraft sponsorship for the last year. Since 2001, the team earned the national championship collegiate title six times. Coach Charley Rodriguez and team Captain Scott Marquardt have been trying to find a way to get the team its wings again. Southern Illinois Aerobatics, a not-for-profit corporation, has been formed to secure sponsorships from businesses and individuals in order to purchase an aerobatic aircraft. 

Team members not…

To avoid any confusion, or possible misinterpretation of the rules, regarding competition by Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) please note the following: A pilot holding a Sport Pilot certificate, or higher (e.g., Private, Commercial, etc.), does NOT require a FAA medical certificate IF they are flying a LSA. Those pilots may compete with only a U.S. driver’s license which complies with the restrictions set forth in the applicable sections of the FAR’s. If any question arises as to whether an aircraft (primarily T-craft and Cubs in IAC competition) is classified as a LSA, a complete list of LSA’s…

The 2009 IAC Official Contest Rule Book is now available for downloading from the Members Only section of the IAC Web Site in the "Contest Information" section. Once you have the Rule Book, use the time before those first contests fire up to flip through the pages and look for the change bars in the margin. These bars mark sections of the Rule Book which have received a substantive change from the 2008 edition. Advanced and Unlimited pilots take special note of the new figures in Appendix 3 which you might encounter in your Unknowns this…

After months of searching, IAC has hired Patricia (Trish) Deimer of Omro, Wisconsin to be the IAC Manager, taking the place of Lisa Popp in the Oshkosh office, who has been part-time with IAC since October. Trish will begin working for IAC on February 16th. She was formerly the National Association of Flight Instructors (NAFI) Program Manager. Trish is part owner of a clipped-wing cub and is working toward her Private Pilot Certificate. She will introduce herself in an upcoming issue of Sport Aerobatics and will be at Sun 'n Fun. IAC welcomes Trish to the club and we look forward to…

The University of North Dakota will become the recipient of the 2008 Collegiate Program Traveling Team Trophy, which found its home at Southern Illinois University for the last two years. Congratulations also go out to Charlie Wilkinson of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University – Daytona Beach for his first place win in the individual category.

Team rankings were as follows: 1) University of North Dakota with 86.74%, 2) Embry Riddle -Daytona Beach with 83.10%, and 3) United States Air Force Academy with 82.23%. Qualified collegiate teams must have at least three (3) pilots competing…

Aresti Systems of Spain has announced the availability of the 2009 Aresti System Aerobatic Catalogs in Power and Glider versions. This year introduces a new, less expensive version of the catalog that is good for the 2009 year only. This catalog, referred to as the Anticrisis Catalog, and is available for $20. The Traditional Catalog is the notebook-style version, in which the pages are replaceable each year with revisions provided by Aresti Systems. The 2009 Traditional Catalog is available for $57 and the 2009 update for the Traditional Version only is $10 (not needed if you purchase…

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…