Burleson Star (Burleson, Tex.), Vol. 26, No. 122, Ed. 1 Thursday, October 3, 1991 Page: 8 of 14
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8-Burleson Star. Thursday. October 3.1991
She makes history as first female to be top aerobatic pilot
Four Burlesonites participated in
national aerobatic competition
BY LORI ELMORE
It was a week involving an im-
portant first in the field of aerobatics
in Grayson County.
The National Aerobatic compe-
tition took place in Denison, Texas,
at the Grayson County Airport Sept.
23-27. What makes this year's con-
test so incredible is that Patty Wag-
staff from Alaska was chosen as the
top aerobatic pilot, making this the
in which the pilot himself chooses
the set of sequences he wishes to
perform.
The key to basic aerobatics in-
volves the loop, the spin, rolls, in-
verted spins, 90 degree turns, 180
degree turns, and 360 degree turns.
Variations are added to these basics,
depending upon the divisions in-
volved.
Each figure flown perfectly is
first female in the competition’s his^xgiven a 10. The basis of criterial for
tory to win this prestigious honor.
Pilots were judged in four sepa-
rate categories: sportsman, interme-
diate, advanced, and unlimited. Each
division advances with difficulty
adding more manuevers. Burleson
had four pilots involved in the com-
petitions: Scott Edgerton, John
MacGuire, Hiram Douglas, and Dan
Clark. These four were among the
group, depending on scores, of pilots
which were chosen to represent the
United States in the International
Competititon which takes place in
1 .eLe Harve, France.
The sport of aerobatics demands
both physical and mental dedication
unlike any other sport. The pilot's
sequences are flown with split-sec-
ond timing and require altitude con-
trol and constant calculation in rela-
tion to wind and temperature, as these
factors can greatly affect perform-
ance and precision in speed
Pilots from across the nation
participated throughout the week,
with never a dull moment from sun-
rise to sunset.
Spinks Airport had a sizable crew
at the competition. In addition to Dan
Clark, Scott Edgerton, John
MacGuire, and Hiram Douglas com-
peting in the unlimited, Glenn Frick,
and John Taber competing in the ad-
vanced, and Jamie Treat, and Geary
Blair, competed in the intermediate.
In fact, Treat received a first
place gold medal in the free-style
event, and triumphantly finished
second in the intermediate division
nationwide, taking home an impres-
sive trophy.
Flight patterns were defined as
known, unknown, and free. Known
is exactly what the term implies: a
pattern which the pilot is familiar
with and has practiced before. Un-
known is a sequence of manuevers
the pilot has not practiced and will be
doing for the first time for the compe-
tition. The sportman's division does
not require the performance of any
unknown manuevers. Free is that style
judging involves the roundness of
the loops that each pilot executes, the
pilot's ability to keep from over rotat-
ing a roll, that the pilot's form of
imaginary line is vertical, or that a
roll is in the center of the line.
"There are seven judges," Russ
Mayberry, assistant contest director
explained, "that sit over on the center
line of the (aerobatic) box."
The box is a 1,000 meters square
laterally. The top of the box is 3,500
feet aboveground level. The bottom
of the box varies. The unlimited can
come down to 328 feet, the advanced
can come down to 800 feet, the inter-
mediate can come down to 1,200
feet, and the sportsman can come
down to 1,500 feet.
Russ Mayberry has been in-
volved in the competitions for 12
years and has been a pilot since he
was 18. He competes in the interme-
diate level. In addition to being an
aerobatic pilot and enthusiast, he has
also been a television director for
such shows as " Dallas," "Magnum
P.I.,” "The Equalizer,” "Kojak," "The
Rockford Files," and is currently
directing "In the Heat of the Night."
"Each figure that they do has a
diffuculty factor," Mayberry went on
to explain, "what we call a" K" factor
and the scores are computed that
way." The scores are fed into a com-
puter and tabulated throughout the
week.
Debbie Rihn of LaPorte, who
was competing in the unlimited, has
been on the world team four times.
She also flys for Southwest Airlines.
Her competition aircraft, "The Texas
Hurricane," is a monoplane.
"I got involved for safety rea-
sons. I wanted to have better control
over the airplane," Rihn said. "It's
really a test against yourself; it's a test
in perfection."
The week involved constant
competing, with pilot and judge brief-
ings before each division flew the
category scheduled that day.
The entire contes t was extremely
The Spinks aerobatic pilots
The crew of aerobatic pilots out of Spinks airport gathered together in John MacGuire, John Taber, Hiram Douglas; front row, Dan Clark,
front of their aircraft at the Grayson Airport during the national aero- Scott Edgerton, and Jamie Treat,
batic competitions. They are, back row (l-r) Glenn Frick, Geary Blair,
' •• :"U
well organized and the stress on safety
was in the forefront. Pilots were called
upon and lined up in front of the
hangar, and to the average spectator,
the behavior might border on bizarre.
What is going on is that each pilot is
going over his aerial movements
mentally, and as he concentrates on
the patterns of flight, he is mimicking
the plane's movements with his hands.
What results are several pilots stand-
ing by their planes moving across an
imaginary aerobatic box, using their
hands as their "pretend planes"
moving through the patterns as their
bodies tum and pivot in mocked
gestures of what they hope to achieve
. in the air.
Cecilia Aragon of California
competed along with 28 pilots in the
unlimited category. She is also among
the pilots who will be representing
the United States in the International
competitions. The highest rated will
be the major factor in determining
the American team for the world
championships.
Bob Bateman, the air traffic
controller for the competition, is an
air traffic controller at Meapham
Field.
"I was pretty well raised out il
Meacham Field," Bateman said. "My
dad had a flight school out there.
That's where t got into it."
Also on hand was a "wing
walker" who also hails out of Burle-
son: Judy Cole. Her husband Duane
Cole was one of Patty Wagstaffs
instructors. Duane himself, is an
accomplished world competitor and
airshow pilot.
All kinds of the incredible
i
- ■
: -! -
Burleson fs own
Pilots Kathryn Ott and Scott Edgerton of Burleson stand in front of
Edgerton's Pitts biplane at Grayson Airport. Edgerton competed all
week in at the aerobatic contest.
f -I aS!
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Sat. Oct. 5th
5:00 to 9:00 p.m.
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machinery were spread out across the
airport—beautifully constructed air-
craft, large and small, brightly col-
ored and in a wide variety of designs.
My favorite has to be the tiny bi-
planes and monoplanes, with wings
so small it puts one in mind of mini-
ature model aircraft The compari-
son of these aircraft might be like
comparing aLincoln Continental with
a Corvette. Both are exquisite in de-
sign, and impressive torideaboutin.
But the workmanship is completely
different. Each has that air of ele-
gance, yet each is totally diverse.
At the close of the competitions,
the four-minute unlimited took place.
As I sat with pilots Jim McCormick
of Dallas and Jamie Treat of Fort
Worth, I was mesmerized by the
breathtaking performances I wit-
nessed with the backdrop of a Texas
sunset mirrroring itself off the wispy
clouds.
Anyone unfamiliar with the
knowledge of aerobatics would be-
lieve these pilots to be in serious
trouble. In fact, I would have thought
that the aircraft was out of control as
it dangled in the air, folding down
across the clouds like a leaf as it turns
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Ellertson, Sally. Burleson Star (Burleson, Tex.), Vol. 26, No. 122, Ed. 1 Thursday, October 3, 1991, newspaper, October 3, 1991; Burleson, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth762090/m1/8/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Burleson Public Library.