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| JANUARY
2011 | VOLUME 2 | NUMBER 1 |
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| LASER
200: THE MONOPLANE LEGACY OF LEO LOUDENSLAGER |
 No
conversation about the Laser 200 should leave out the
name Leo Loudenslager, just like talk about Pitts
Specials should always include the name Curtis Pitts.
These landmark airplanes are the direct result of the
legendary people behind them. Read
more
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| IMPORTANT
NEWS ABOUT IAC AIRCRAFT INSURANCE |
 Last
month the end of an insurance program offered to IAC
members by Northwest Insurance Group through Berkley
Aviation Insurance has had members searching for new
coverage. IAC President Doug Bartlett talked recently
with Ryan Birr of the Northwest Insurance Group, our
aerobatic insurance partner, about where IAC members may
be able to find new coverage. Read
more
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| FEATURED
AIR SHOW
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| Here's
a vintage video of Leo flying his Laser 200 at EAA
AirVenture Oshkosh. Watch
the video |
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| SAFETY
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Flying
Low-Level Aerobatics is Stupid
 How
often does this have to happen before irresponsible
pilots stop killing themselves and innocent people by
flying low-level aerobatics? It happened again, over the
ocean beaches on Florida's Treasure Coast. A local pilot
with a reputation for "showing off" exceeded
the limits of his airplane's V-G diagram (velocity
versus load). The pilot lost control and spun into the
water killing himself and his adult passenger. I mention
"adult" because the next scheduled flight that
day was with a youngster in the Young Eagles program. Read
more
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| FLIGHT
INSTRUCTION
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'Hey,
Watch This!' is Very Dangerous
YouTube is amazing; you can find just about anything if
you look hard enough. Aerobatics, by their nature, are
maneuvers that require special skill and equipment in
order to be performed safely. Notice the keyword here is
safely. All manner of airplanes have been used to
perform aerobatic maneuvers, and that has led a few
people to perform frankly stupid stunts in their
airplanes for family and friends.
When
watching the following videos, keep in mind that the
vast majority of competent pilots would immediately shun
these pilots for blatantly disregarding their own safety
and comfort and that of their passengers.
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AUDIO/VIDEO
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 Watch
Leo Loudenslager's demonstration from the 1986 Cleveland
National Air Show in his Laser 200. Narration provided
by "SkyTalker" Danny Clisham. View
the video |
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| POLL
QUESTION
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How
many aerobatic hours have you flown since October?
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| EVENTS
CALENDAR
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| Aerobatic Judges schools for 2011 are now posted on the IAC website. All classes are introductory except for one class in March which offers advanced training. Classes are offered in every region of the United States as well as one course in British Columbia. View the course listings
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| MYSTERY
PHOTO
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 Its
time once again to dig deep into your memory tanks and
crank up your brain
processor RPM to figure out the plane and pilot in this
month’s photo (right). Who is this? See the answer
next month.
 Last
month’s photo (left) showed Dennis Thompson flying his
Edge 540. If you guessed right then you are one
knowledgeable IAC member.
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EDITOR'S
NOTE
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 This
month's issue focuses on one of the International
Aerobatic Club's true legends of aviation. In a hangar
at Front Range Airport near Denver, Colorado, I nearly
crossed paths with Leo Loudenslager shortly before his
death in 1997. I was flying a twin-engine Piper Aztec at
the time, and I kept it in a large community hangar at
the airport. One day, while pushing the airplane into
the hangar after a flight, I noticed a pretty red
airplane sitting in the corner. On closer inspection, I
immediately suspected the airplane and its pilot. Leo's
name gracing the space below the canopy of the Laser 200
confirmed my suspicions. Read
more
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| GUEST
EDITORIAL
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We
Need Your Feedback
 At
the 2010 U.S. National Aerobatic Championships, several
non-U.S. citizens placed well enough to earn awards but
weren't eligible to receive them due to contest rules.
IAC President Doug Bartlett declined to extend the
honors because it ran counter to IAC policies. In the
intervening months, further examination revealed that
IAC leadership may change the rules, and Bartlett is
seeking input from the membership on if and how the
rules should be changed. Read
more |
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WEBINARS: FOLDING
WING ONEX CAN FIT IN YOUR GARAGE
Sonex Aircraft's Onex is an all-metal, single-place, kit
aircraft with a new feature: folding wings. The design
will allow it to be trailered with ease and fit in a
garage as narrow as 7 feet. Join Sonex's Jeremy Monnett
to learn about the latest design from the Hornets' Nest
R&D.
All webinars begin at 7
p.m. CST. To find out more about upcoming EAA Webinars
and to register, visit the webinars
page.
EAA gratefully
acknowledges the support of Aircraft
Spruce and Specialty Co. for their generous
sponsorship of our webinar programs. |
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IAC
HAS A FACEBOOK PAGE |
 The
IAC wants to be your friend and invites you to visit our
page on Facebook.
Connect with fellow aerobaticists. enthusiasts and the
writers of In The Loop and tell us what and where
you have been flying. You will also find links to EAA’s
other division Facebook pages and to our online
community Oshkosh 365. Become
a friend of IAC today! Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/IACHQ |
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SURVEY
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The Loop.
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