I recently competed in my first aerobatic competition down in Hondo, TX. The journey to get there was a bit sporadic, but I managed to learn as much as I could. The path is about two years long, but for the sake of a decent word count, I'll condense it into a few paragraphs.
I had received training through a local aerobatic flight school in TX when I was seventeen. I flew SO many loops, rolls, spins, and hammerheads. I felt like I could fly for hours on end performing these maneuvers. I wanted to find a way to incorporate aerobatics into Cadenza Aviation. Then, opportunity struck!
Cadenza Aviation was fortunate enough to lease a Super Decathlon for a short time in 2023 to teach basic aerobatics, tailwheel, and UPRT (Upset Recovery Training). I received a scholarship from the International Aerobatic Club to learn how to instruct aerobatics with Greg Koontz, the Super Decathlon master. I spent a weekend with him at his private airport in Alabama. I learned some great techniques from critiquing slow rolls to helping a student recover from an unusual attitude. When I got back from Koontz's course, I began teaching in our Decathlon. It was a joy to have our Super Decathlon for those 6 months. After ending the lease on the Super Decathlon, I began instructing independently for a few clients who had their own aerobatic trainer.
I began to miss the ability to go out and practice on my own. The idea of owning an aerobatic airplane of my own came into fruition. I narrowed my search down to a single-seat Pitts. The FAA Registry had a couple hundred Pitts listed in their database, so I wrote a couple hundred letters to Pitts owners across the country hoping one might want to sell their airplane. After mailing roughly 200 letters, I received about 50 offers. Most of the airplanes for sale had been sitting or needed a full fabric recover or engine overhaul though a handful have made it onto the shortlist.
I became curious about Pitts maintenance, specifically what to look for on a pre-purchase inspection as a mechanic. One lady, an A&P/IA in South TX, reached out to me to discuss what maintenance items she frequently saw. After talking with her about her two Pitts, she mentioned that she was competing at a competition in a few weeks. She graciously offered to rent me her Decathlon to fly in the competition after I mentioned that I never got the chance to compete in my Decathlon. I was ecstatic after receiving her offer. It was also a great opportunity to come down to see her other airplanes and learn more about the Pitts.
The day before the competition, I got to fly two practice sessions in her airplane. I enjoyed getting the feel of her airplane as I practiced a few slow rolls. I was so thankful to have that time before the competition to get back into aerobatics after not having practiced since January. The competition was a great way to sharpen my skills and knock off the rust before my next competition in California where I will be competing in the next category (luckily, I will have more than one day to practice).
I haven't landed on the right Pitts for me quite yet, but the day will soon be here. Competition aerobatics is such a small, close-knit community and I hope to be a part of it for the rest of my career. If you are interested in getting started in aerobatics, write me an email and I would love to help!
-Cady
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