The 10th Annual Kathy Jaffe Challenge

Can it be any better? The Kathy Jaffe Challenge celebrated its tenth anniversary this year. The Flying-W airport resort (N14) hosted for the fourth consective year. Read all about it. See the contest announcement.

Green Mountain Aerobatic Contest

The setting for the Springfield, VT contest is beautiful and weather cooperated for three full flights of thirty-eight competitors. Chapter 52 sent Scott Jordan, our lone entry in a field of eight primary competitors, Greg Stringer and Grant Russell in Sportsman, John Fellenzer, Doug Lovell, Rob Mars, and Kirill Bars Intermediate, and Sergey in Advanced.

Sergey won in a field of five, with competition from Scott Francis and Mark Stewart. John took third out of ten Intermediate flying his new Giles 200. Greg and Grant made us proud taking second and third out of thirteen Sportsman. You haven't lived if you haven't seen Greg fly his Bucher. Scott started with a strong first place on the first primary flight in his RV-8, but failed to hold-off the onslaught of 8KCABs or Randol Webb's J3 Cub.

A good time was had by all.

World Premier of the Wildwood Acroblast

The first ever Acroblast is one for the books. All accounts are it was a great contest. Everyone, including families had fun with the evening and daytime waterpark and boardwalk activities. The Friday and Saturday evening dinner and banquet hosted by Morey's Piers were over the top excellent. Every category got three flights.

Mike Ciliberti bested Dennis Thompson in Unlimited. Mike is going to Nationals this year and has his eye on the World Team qualification. Keep an eye on Mike.

Will Morey got the best of Wes Jones in Sportsman, with Jason Flood taking third. Jason's brother Joe took first in Primary followed by first time competitor Scott Jordan and Randall Webb. Intermediate went to John Homrok flying the Pitts Model 12. Advanced was won by our world class ace, Sergei Prolagayev.

Contest Announcement.

Cover Pitts

Who's flying on the cover of GA News on June 6? It's Father and Son, Joe and Jason Flood. The GA News is a national general aviation publication published twice a month by Flyer Media, Inc. out of Lakewood, Washington. The cover shows Jason's blue S1S in the foreground, Joe's red S2A in the background, flying together in formation near Hammonton in Southern New Jersey. The story is on page 12.

Wood at Farmville

Farmville? The Maytown, PA contest relocated to Farmville, VA this year. Not exactly their back yard, but there it was. The regular Farmville contest, the Mason Dixon Clash, will still fly in October. See the contest calendar.

We hear the contest was lightly attended. We also hear that our young star Jason Flood did us proud in his Pitts S1S. You might remember last year's story about Jason earning his Private pilot certificate after doing a lot of supervised solo in his solo Pitts. He promised he'd come out in 2008 to compete. He made good.

Jason completed his first contest at Farmville Maytown (Maytown Farmville?), winning second place in the Sportsman category, Best First Time Sportsman, and the Grass Roots award. The winner of Sportsman was Wes Jones, the same Chapter 11 competitor who won the category at the Carolina Boogie. We're thinking Wes is milking the category; but, watch-out! Jason is fresh on his tail gunning right next to Will Morey. We're proud of you, Jason. Good flying!

Morris Plains Memorial Day Flyover

Our May 24 flyover at Morris Plains went off without a hitch. We arrived as a 3 ship exactly at 10:15 as requested and performed three passes of different formations ending with a missing man.

Thanks goes out to Morristown Tower for their special handling, as well as pilots Rob Marsicano, Bill Green and Erica Simpson….oops …just Erica’s plane, flown masterfully by stand-in Kendal Simpson.

Stephen has posted some youtube videos and Rob M. posted this video presentation of last year's flyover. Here's a thank you letter from the parade committee.

Corolina Boogie

Our own Will Morey kicked-off the contest season with a sortie down below the Mason-Dixon line, and brought home wood. Will was sole representative of Chapter 52 in North Carolina for the first ever Carolina Boogie, held April 25th and 26th. He won the Best First Time Sportsman award and second place overall in a field of eight Sportsman competitors. The winner of Sportsman was veteran competitor Wes Jones.

The Sportsman category flew three flights at the Carolina Boogie, and Will accumulated 3424.66 points, 82.72% of possible 4140 total. He scored ten points ahead of another veteran from Chapter 11, Adam Cope. Good flying, Will!

Judges School

2008 Chapter 52 Graduates Steve G., Scott J., Lynn, Kurt, Jay T., Michael Z., and Chris G. gave a whole weekend to classroom study of Aresti, IAC rules, and judging criterion. Read the judging school wrapup.

The Goulian & Chapman critique weekend was postponed due to weather. Watch for a new date, possibly before this year's Kathy Jaffe Challenge in August.

Critique and Training With Michael Goulian and Matt Chapman

Ever wonder what it takes to become one of the best airshow or competitor pilots in the world, or fly in the Red Bull Air Race?

Mark your calendar for March 28-30, 2008 to learn from not one, but TWO former national team members, and airshow aces-- Michael Goulian and Matt Chapman.

See the announcement

Scouts Earn Aviation Merit

Kurt Stofko of Chapter 52 explained aviation and flying to a group of Boy Scouts on February 23rd. The scouts earned a merit badge for aviation. We're thinking the scouts got a little aerobatics extra for the bargain.

Blue Bowl Photos

If you made the Blue Bowl last year, and even if you didn't, you'll enjoy this family album from Laurie Zaleski.

Aerobatics in an RV-8

Member Scott Jordan has shared this story with us about his introduction to doing competition-style aerobatics with Chapter 52 in his RV-8.

Officers Appointed

Our Chapter 52 Directors have renewed appointments of chapter officers. Miriam Levin has graciously consented to act as chapter Secretary. Mark Mattioli will continue as President, Ron Chadwick as Vice-President, and Douglas Lovell as Treasurer.

Contest organizational meeting

The chapter met at Greenwood Lake on Saturday, January 12, 2008 to begin preparation for the Kathy Jaffe Challenge.

We set the date for August 21-24. John Fellenzer and Stephen Seidel will co-direct the contest with Ron Chadwick this year. John will handle the arrangements for the banquet and barbeque. Miriam Levin and Jay Tesauro are the contacts for sponsorships and advertising.

Will Morey and Craig Wisman attended to talk about the contest in Cape May, at Wildwood. This will be a family-orinented contest with many opportunities for spouses and children to enjoy themselves while the pilots face-off in the box. Craig will take the lead as Contest Director at Wildwood.

2007 Wrap-up

Jason Flood got his Private Pilot license after flying his single seat Pitts for half a year on supervised solo. We think he bothered with the check ride because he wants to compete. Ron Chadwick gave us a formation flying tips, ran another winner of a Kathy Jaffe Challenge. Stephen Seidel rolled-out the red carpet at the KJC and found us some great sponsors. He organized Memorial Day and July 4th parade flyovers in New Jersey. Mark Mattioli organized a sell-out two day spin clinic with Bill Finagin at the W. He accepted the mantle of 52 President from Chris Getz. John Homrok brought home the cover girl Pitts Model 12 to Candlelight farms. Rob Marsicano and others rubbed elbows with Kirby Chambliss at Hammonton in June. Ann Salcedo, Doug Lovell, and Miriam Levin posted the IAC display at Sun-n-Fun. Gus Fraser set us up with a web mashup that plots an aerobatic box anywhere in the world. Lauri Z. photographed all the fun at Sun-n-Fun, KJC, and Blue Bowl. We saw Marti's airport at Cold Spring officially memorialized as the Charles G. Kalko Airport. Alex Belov married Marina. We ratified fresh bylaws and officially settled our name as IAC Chapter 52. We won't forget our Mid-Hudson roots; but, we've grown far beyond the Mid-Hudson region. Doug Lovell organized a patch event at Kline Kill in Columbia County that went swell. Chris Getz, Doug, and Dennie Thompson organized another great fall picnic Blue Bowl event. Dennie explored the complete range of aircraft engine performance from one end of the scale to the other.

All of the (printed) news from 2007