JANUARY 2009 OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THEE IINTERNATIONALNTERNATIONAL AAEROBATICEROBA CLUB Your 2008 IAC Hall of Fame Inductee: Bill Finagin Basic Aerobatics Part IV IAC Life Insurance The Last Air Show • • • JANUARY 2009 VOLUME 38 NUMBER 1 IAC SPORT AEROBATICS CONTENTS FEATURES 6 Bill Finagin Inducted Into IAC Hall of Fame -Reggie Paulk 14 The Last Air Show Remembering Frank Price − Charles Cook COLUMNS 3 President’s Page – Vicki Cruse 20 Teaching Aerobatics 6 – Greg Koontz 28 Insurance – Ryan Birr 32 Meet A Member – Kent Misegades DEPARTMENTS 2 Letter from the Editor 14 4 Newsbriefs 29 IAC Info: Find it Fast 30 2009 Aresti Hesitation Change 31 Fly Mart & Classifieds THE COVER 20 Hall of Fame Inductee Bill Finagin flying his Pitts S-2C. -Photo by Jim Lawrence LETTER from the EDITOR OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE INTERNATIONAL AEROBATIC CLUB by Reggie Paulk Publisher: Vicki Cruse Executive Director: Lisa Popp Editor: Reggie Paulk Art Director: Phil Norton Interim Dir. of Publications: Mary Jones Copy Editor: Colleen Walsh Contributing Authors: Ryan Birr Greg Koontz Charles Cook Kent Misegades Vicki Cruse Reggie Paulk Brian Howard IAC Correspondence International Aerobatic Club, P.O. Box 3086 Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086 Tel: 920.426.6574 • Fax: 920.426.6579 E-mail: [email protected] Working Hard Advertising Director for the Katrina Bradshaw Tel: 920.426.6836 IAC E-mail: [email protected] Representatives: Northeast: Chester Baumgartner Tel: 727.532.4640 Fax: 727.532.4630 E-mail: [email protected] Southeast: Chester Baumgartner Tel: 727.532.4640 Fax: 727.532.4630 s you’re sitting down to read the Pitts biplane while instructing E-mail: [email protected] this issue, Christmas ’08 is but more than 600 students in the fine Central: Gary Worden A a memory and the New Year is art of competition aerobatics–and it’s Tel: 800.444.9932 Fax: 816.741.6458 upon us. For many of us, that means always just been a hobby! E-mail: [email protected] we’re hunkered down in front of the His accomplishments alone are Mountain & Pacific: John Gibson Tel: 916.784.9593 Fax: 510.217.3796 fire shuddering, as the temperature quite amazing, but what really sets E-mail: [email protected] continues to push the mercury into Bill apart is his personality. He’s Europe: Willi Tacke the bulb of its thermometer. For humble, kind, and laughs easily–just Tel: 498969340213 FAX: 498969340214 others, there’s no time to waste. the kind of person who makes you E-mail: [email protected] There’s a job to get done, and they’re smile and say, “What an amazing Mailing: Change of address, lost or going to do it. Bill Finagin is one of human being.” Hopefully, Bill will damaged magazines, back issues. the latter folks. again be at Oshkosh giving his EAA-IAC Membership Services For 2008, Bill Finagin was chosen seminars in the IAC tent. If you get Tel: 800.843.3612 Fax: 920.426.6761 E-mail: [email protected] as the IAC Hall of Fame inductee. I a chance, stop by and meet your had the privilege to spend about an newest Hall of Fame member. The International Aerobatic Club is a division of the EAA. hour interviewing him for the story Another story in this issue is Ryan you’ll read in this issue, and it made Birr’s piece on the new IAC life me think that I am one of the luckiest insurance program. The amount of guys around. I met Bill briefly at work that went into getting this WWW.IAC.ORG WWW.EAA.ORG Oshkosh last summer, but I never program to become a reality is got a chance to have a conversation staggering. I wanted to make sure with him. It wasn’t because he was to mention the hard work that your EAA® and SPORT AVIATION®, the EAA Logo® and Aeronautica™ are registered trademarks and putting me off, mind you––he was IAC president has been doing to service marks of the Experimental Aircraft Association, Inc. The use of these trademarks and service marks without the permission of the Experimental Aircraft Association, Inc. is strictly just too busy to stay in one place for help make this and other programs prohibited. Copyright © 2009 by the International Aerobatic Club, Inc. All rights reserved. long. At that time, I was ill-informed come to fruition. Vicki and I talk The International Aerobatic Club, Inc. is a division of EAA and of the NAA. A STATEMENT OF POLICY as to the contributions this man has regularly, either by phone or e-mail, The International Aerobatic Club, Inc. cannot assume responsibility for the accuracy of the mate- rial presented by the authors of the articles in the magazine. The pages of Sport Aerobatics made to the sport of aerobatics. One and every time we do, she’s at some are offered as a clearing house of information and a forum for the exchange of opinions and thing I didn’t mention in the story airport somewhere in the country ideas. The individual reader must evaluate this material for himself and use it as he sees fit. Every effort is made to present materials of wide interest that will be of help to the majority. is that Bill was the original aerobatic doing something for the IAC. I think Likewise we cannot guarantee nor endorse any product offered through our advertising. We invite constructive criticism and welcome any report of inferior merchandise obtained through competency evaluator/committee she spends more time in hotels our advertising so that corrective measures can be taken. Sport Aerobatics (USPS 953-560) is owned by the International Aerobatic Club, Inc., and is published monthly at EAA Aviation member appointed by the FAA––at performing tasks for the IAC then Center, Editorial Department, P.O. Box 3086, 3000 Poberezny Rd., Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. Periodical Postage is paid at Oshkosh Post Office, Oshkosh, Wisconsin 54901 and other post one time, if you wanted to fly air she does at home. She’s also a big offices. Membership rate for the International Aerobatic Club, Inc., is $45.00 per 12-month shows, Bill Finagin was the guy who help to me, and I wanted to say, period of which $18.00 is for the subscription to Sport Aerobatics. Manuscripts submitted for publication become the property of the International Aerobatic Club, Inc. Photographs will gave you the nod. In addition to “Thank you!” be returned upon request of the author. High resolution images are requested to assure the best quality reproduction. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Sport Aerobatics, P.O. flying air shows for 20 years, Bill has May you all have a happy and Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. PM 40063731 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to Pitney Bowes IMS, Station A, P.O. Box 54, Windsor, ON N9A 6J5. flown more than 10,000 hours in healthy New Year! Please submit news, comments, articles, or suggestions to: [email protected] 2 • JANUARY 2009 PRESIDENT’S PAGE by Vicki Cruse • IAC 22968 E-mail: [email protected] In with the New 2009 will be a good year for getting things done Jim Klick haven’t written a “state of the in the minutes that needs a little come up with the funding for these club” column for some time and further explanation. At Oshkosh things and whether or not the new I thought January would be a good (AirVenture) 2009, the IAC building awning can be done by this year’s time to do it, coming fresh off the will be located in a new area. You Oshkosh. fall board meeting. The highlight of can see the building looks rather sad As you’ll read in this issue, the the meeting had to be the induction from this October photo. However, IAC now has a new Life Insurance of Bill Finagin into the IAC Hall of its new concrete pad has been Program. After several requests from Fame. As always, the ceremony held poured. Currently the building is IAC aircraft owners, Ryan Birr and in the EAA AirVenture Museum was sitting on the opposite side of the Lori Richards of Northwest Insurance a gala event. The board meeting taxiway from its old location. EAA Group have found a program that was eventful and productive. Since Oshkosh site planning necessitated meets our needs as aircraft, and the meeting minutes are available the move, as well as other Oshkosh more importantly aerobatic aircraft, in the members-only section of the improvements, all funded by EAA. pilots. Thanks to member feedback IAC website, I will not rehash the The new location for the and board approval, we are a go on material but hit a few highlights building will be approximately 100 this program. and give a slightly more in-depth feet south of the old location and Lastly, I’d like to recognize the look at some exciting things closer to the taxiway, meaning we formal formation of the Technology currently happening as a result of give up our great space for six Committee, as chaired by Tom Myers. the meeting and my November visit to eight airplanes. We are now The committee has essentially been to the frozen north (Oshkosh). just off AeroShell Square. Aerobatic dormant for some time, and its Most of you know the executive aircraft parking will move across rebirth is going to create some director position held by Lisa Popp the taxiway and stretch out to the new and exciting things for the for the past nine years is vacant.