Top Ten Aerobatic Pilots of North America of all time

[Colonel Sanders]

During a couple of other threads, the subject of the best
aerobatic pilots (of North America) of all time has come up.

The Brits and French and Germans and Russians have superb
aerobatic pilots, but this is just Canada and the USA.

My list would probably go something like this (in no particular order):

-- cut --

Lincoln Beachy (the first)
Leo Loudenslager (possibly the best, and a builder)
Bob Hoover (likely the best stick of all time)
Sean Tucker (can't leave him off)
Skip Stewart (wow)
Jim Leroy (double wow)
Rob Holland (up and coming)

-- cut --

Honorable mention to:

Jimmy Doolittle (first outside loop)
Gene Soucy (Mr Airshow)
Art Scholl (Lived to fly Airshow)
Duane Cole (you might not have heard of him - Mr Grass Roots)
Bobby Younkin (he could fly acro in anything, and often did)
Fern Villeneuve (Golden Hawks)
Mike Goulian (monoplane contest/airshow & Red Bull)
Kirby Chambliss (ditto)
Dale Snodgrass (flew an F-14 at the WAC)
Pete McLeod (hey, he flew Red Bull)

Whom did I miss?

[cdnpilot77]

Been fortunate enough to see and spend some time with a few on your list, good list!

Whom did I miss?

A cantankerous Pitts pilot from Smiths Falls?

Merry Christmas!!

[Colonel Sanders]

Been fortunate enough to see and spend some time with a few on your list

Amazing guys. Any suggestions as to whom I've missed?

A cantankerous Pitts pilot

No, I am 2nd tier at best - I will never belong in the same room
as those guys, but thanks anyways!

[Blakey]

Patty Wagstaff?

3 Championships have to indicate some skill.

[Whiskey25]

Kent Pietsch, maybe not as flashy as some of the others on the list, but a true gentleman.

Bill Carter, another gentleman of the airshow circuit.

[cdnpilot77]

Would you include Kyle Franklin? Pretty amazing stick and rudder skills as well

Edit: forgot it was North American

[TG]

John Mohr and his stock Stearman.

[Jerz]

Well CS, you should name your tread “Top 10 air show pilots in North America of all time”.

No disrespect to anybody mentioned. They are/were very good at what they do. But flying air shows is about noise, smoke and entertainment, not quality aerobatics. Ask any pilot who succeeded in both. Similarly, not much aerobatics in Red Bull Racing in it's last few years.

You want the best aerobatic pilots chosen by qualified judges, flying Unlimited level aerobatics, check the scores of World Aerobatic Championships, US Nationals, or IAC Hall of Fame. You will find names like Charlie Hillard (the first American World Champion, 1972), Betty Steward (the first consecutive World Champion ’80 and ’82), Henry Haigh (World Champion 1988, at the age of 64), Clint McHenry (WAC bronze, 3 times US National Champion), Robert Armstrong (WAC bronze, highest ranked American since 1988), Debby Rihn Harvey (highest ranked American female ), Kermitt Weeks (silver at WAC 1988), Betty Skelton (First Lady of aerobatics, 3 time National Champion), and the list goes on.

You mentioned some accomplished competition guys: Leo Laudeslager ,Kirby Chambliss, Rob Holland, Gene Souce, Mike Goulian , Pete McLeod, Patty Wagstaff, who crossed over to the air show dark side.

If looking for Canadians check Canadian National Championships scores and Canadian National Team members. Some names of the top of my head: Gordon Price, Randy Gagne, Gerry Younger, Guido Lepore, Lloyd Beaule, Doug Jardine.

Interesting bit: Neil Williams of landing a Zlin with a broken wing fame, was born in Canada, but flown for UK .

If looking for best Canadian air show pilots, can’t forget Bud and Ross Granley.

[P-40]

Well CS, you should name your tread “Top 10 air show pilots in North America of all time”.

No disrespect to anybody mentioned. They are/were very good at what they do. But flying air shows is about noise, smoke and entertainment, not quality aerobatics. Ask any pilot who succeeded in both. Similarly, not much aerobatics in Red Bull Racing in it's last few years.

You want the best aerobatic pilots chosen by qualified judges, flying Unlimited level aerobatics, check the scores of World Aerobatic Championships, US Nationals, or IAC Hall of Fame. You will find names like Charlie Hillard (the first American World Champion, 1972), Betty Steward (the first consecutive World Champion ’80 and ’82), Henry Haigh (World Champion 1988, at the age of 64), Clint McHenry (WAC bronze, 3 times US National Champion), Robert Armstrong (WAC bronze, highest ranked American since 1988), Debby Rihn Harvey (highest ranked American female ), Kermitt Weeks (silver at WAC 1988), Betty Skelton (First Lady of aerobatics, 3 time National Champion), and the list goes on.

You mentioned some accomplished competition guys: Leo Laudeslager ,Kirby Chambliss, Rob Holland, Gene Souce, Mike Goulian , Pete McLeod, Patty Wagstaff, who crossed over to the air show dark side.

If looking for Canadians check Canadian National Championships scores and Canadian National Team members. Some names of the top of my head: Gordon Price, Randy Gagne, Gerry Younger, Guido Lepore, Lloyd Beaule, Doug Jardine.

Interesting bit: Neil Williams of landing a Zlin with a broken wing fame, was born in Canada, but flown for UK .

If looking for best Canadian air show pilots, can’t forget Bud and Ross Granley.

Well put Jerzy.

Shameless plug but you rightfully have a spot on the list of accomplished Canadian aerobatic pilots (competition & airshow).

[jamesel]

+ 1.

I've been to maybe two airshows in the last 20 years, but I'll go & watch Jerz practice........

[Jerz]

Thanks guys but Iam not looking to stroke my own ego here. I am just trying to fill some big shoes and pay some tribute to my competition aerobatics mentors nobody remembers any more. IAC and Aerobatics Canada are partially to blame, as there is very little recognition for the guys, especially from the past. Try to find standings from Canadian contests from 10 years ago. How about members of National Teams or past National Champions? IAC is doing better job at celebrating their greatest, but there is room for improvement there as well. Not being able to invite general public to aerobatic contests is another reason (TC rule).

Air show flying is fun and you get paid (sometimes even more then gas and hamburger), but is not about precision or challenging aerobatics. Partially because you want to survive, but mostly, because Jonny Six Pack and Peggy Ice Cone Licker have no clue what their are looking at and are busy chasing Junior. You can be a hack, but as long as there is noise, smoke, and some low level loopy loops you can be a hero for the day. Buying the air show announcer a couple of drinks the night before doesn’t hurt either... BTW we do put red noses and wooden shoes on after flight.

I incorporated some outside snaps in my air show routine. The more challenging one is 11\4 on a vertical up line. It is difficult to do well, as elevator and rudder inputs on entry cause you to finish off axis after odd fraction of rotation and being on vertical up line doesn’t give you good outside references. It takes thousands practices to get them right. And guess what? Nobody ever complimented me on them. Not even my colleagues. I am not bitter, just having some fun at the expense of others. But everybody is impressed with a cobra, a relatively simple and crud maneuver.

One of my biggest screw ups at an airshow was missing the ribbon. I went under it. The side was challenging, I was flying into the setting sun with some tail wind, yada, yada. My ribbon is 18ft of the ground and I do it inverted. My airplane measures about 12 ft from the top of the vertical stub to the wheels at that particular Alpha . And guess what? The air show announcer, good friend of mine, talk me up and I never ever signed more autographs. People still , years later, talk about it whenever I show up at that location. My point: you don’t have to be good to be an airshow hero.

The most impressive bit of flying you can see at an air show is the Snowbirds. You have to fly formation aerobatics to understand the challenge. No room for hacks or screw ups there. All these guys past and present are the best air show pilots in my book.

[jamesel]

"Air show flying is fun and you get paid (sometimes even more then gas and hamburger), but is not about precision or challenging aerobatics. Partially because you want to survive, but mostly, because Jonny Six Pack and Peggy Ice Cone Licker have no clue what their are looking at and are busy chasing Junior. You can be a hack, but as long as there is noise, smoke, and some low level loopy loops you can be a hero for the day. Buying the air show announcer a couple of drinks the night before doesn’t hurt either... BTW we do put red noses and wooden shoes on after flight."

Exactly!, and that's why I'm not fussy about doing/going to airshows...

[Colonel Sanders]

The pavement judges the precision of my maneuvers - not Tonya Harding

PS. I really liked your movie - Blades of Glory, wasn't it?

[jamesel]

If your definition of precision is not hitting the ground, I guess there's not much more to say....

[Jerz]

The pavement judges the precision of my maneuvers - not Tonya Harding

PS. I really liked your movie - Blades of Glory, wasn't it?

Did somebody get skunked in competition?
Seriously, yes judging is subjective and judges do make mistakes just as pilots do. In the end usually the best pilot wins.

[Colonel Sanders]

If your definition of precision

That's what I was looking for someone to bring up.

At an airshow - or anywhere else - you can choose to
fly aerobatics precisely. Or not.

If you intentionally choose to not fly aerobatics very
precisely at an airshow, oh well. I guess you got what
you wanted.

Here's some sloppy airshow flying for you:

www.pittspecials.com/movies/outsideloop.wmv

You can see much more precise flying at any contest
in Canada in any category.