I grew up in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, home of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) and the world’s largest sport aviation convention and airshow. My father began taking me to the EAA airshow when I was 1 year old.
By the age of 10, I was riding his bike out to the airport twice a day and volunteering during the EAA convention to earn admittance to the daily airshow. It was throughout this period that I vowed to one day become an aerobatic pilot.
I began flying radio control models with my father at the age of 8. Ever mindful of one day flying full-scale aerobatics, I always tried to fly my models in a manner that mirrored the crisp precise style of my favorite full-scale performers. It wasn’t long before my determination and attention to detail made me one of the more sought-after flight instructors in my flying club.
As my skills and reputation grew as a model flyer and instructor, people started offering to hire me to instruct on a scheduled basis. This became a major inspiration to develop even more effective methods of RC flight instruction …
Encouraged by the increasing demand for structured training, I was convinced by my father and others to provide professional RC flight training full-time and opened 1st U.S. RC Flight School. Over the next two decades, I consolidated a unique system of accelerated flight training and expanded to cover all model airplane and helicopter skill levels. I wrote a comprehensive series of training manuals and continue to write training articles for several magazines. To date, I’ve professionally trained over 2,000 RC pilots of all skill levels from around the world, including several who became National aerobatic champions.
The success of the flight school eventually made it possible for me to start pursuing my full-scale goals. Immediately after earning my license, I started renting a Super Decathlon and applying the techniques that I developed training competition RC pilots to full-scale aerobatic practice.
What I knew from flying models quickly translated to full-scale. I consequently won the first aerobatic contest I entered by a considerable margin. In 2020, I finished building a more capable Pitts S1S biplane that would enable me to step up to a higher category and start flying airshows. I subsequently went on to win numerous contests, including several gold and silver medals at the US Nationals and the Mid America Championship.
Building on decades watching the world’s best aerobatic pilots perform at EAA, I developed a unique airshow routine featuring a blend of continuous action, crisp precision, and constant variety. The aim was to break from the usual barrage of tumbles and stock maneuvers seen at most airshows. However, the aspect that grabbed the attention of the crowd most was the story that accompanied my airshow about “The kid from Oshkosh.” How I grew up watching the world’s best airshow pilots and dreamed of one day following in their footsteps. How I then created a one-of-a-kind radio control flight school and later applied the techniques that I developed teaching RC to become a winning full-scale aerobatic pilot, and ultimately how the performance that they are watching is living proof that dreams can come true!
When I’m not instructing, working on my latest training manual, or magazine article, I enjoy spending time with my wonderful wife and our two dogs.
