by Gerry Molidor, IAC 14825

by Gerry Molidor, IAC 14825

Sun ‘n Fun

Holy cow! I can’t believe how fast time is going by. As I sit down to write this column, we are coming up on the end of April. What a month this has been, with Sun ’n Fun in Lakeland, Florida, topping the list.

by Gerry Molidor, IAC 14825

Situational Awareness

The big picture

I’m pleased to announce that Anheuser-Busch will be the presenting sponsor of the World Aerobatic Championships (WAC). Since assuming the office of IAC president last summer, I have been struggling to close the gap in the WAC’s budget, and I’m very happy to say that my very good friends at Anheuser-Busch have helped me to make sure this will be a first-class international event.

by Gerry Molidor, IAC 14825

The Leading Edge

We all move forward on their wings

It might have been that time when your uncle flew his 172 to town for Thanksgiving and let you take the yoke as you flew over your house.

It might have been that spring afternoon you spent sitting in the field watching the returning mallards and Canada geese set their wings…twist and turn and work the wind…then drop, soft as feathers, onto the farm pond.

Come to Lakeland!

The 2003 World Aerobatic Championships By the time this reaches your homes, we will be three short months away from the 2003 World Aerobatic Championships (WAC). At the time of this writing, I have just returned from Lakeland, Florida, where we had meetings with Contest Director Phil Knight and Sun ’n Fun President John Burton and Sun ’n Fun Vice President Greg Harbaugh. I came away from that meeting energized and enthused as to the progress being made on the WAC. This event will be something that all IAC members and our country will be proud of.

Leadership

One thing I am very pleased with since taking office is the way our officers, directors, committee members, and staff have formed a cohesive team to push our club forward. It would be impossible for a few people to run this organization alone, and the cumulative effort of many is really what makes things happen.

by Gerry Molidor, IAC 14825

by Gerry Molidor, IAC 14825

by Gerry Molidor, IAC 14825

Categories

A delicate issue that has been brought to the forefront in recent years for the competition-minded member is that the categories are getting harder to fly. The term given to this perception is category creep. As president, I am tasked with weighing the merit of these concerns with that of the possible watering down of what the aerobatic achievement was originally intended to be for each level.

by Gerry Molidor, IAC 14825

Making It Happen

The IAC held the 2002 U.S. National Aerobatic Championships at Grayson County Airport in Sherman/Denison, Texas, the last week in September. It was one of the best ever and largely because of the efforts of Contest Director BJ Boyle, Barb Boyle, and the support of the Lone Star Chapter of the IAC. 103 competitors made the pilgrimage to Texas, and several hundred sorties were flown in absolutely gorgeous weather, which lasted throughout the week. In fact, we had only one day with a few fair weather clouds in the sky.