Ephrata hosts aerobatic airshow

EPHRATA — Last weekend, the Ephrata Municipal Airport was buzzing with the sound of propellers as the Apple Cup Contest was underway.

Apple Cup Contest Director Kevin Miller said his inspiration for aerobatics and aerobatic planes started when he was a kid and his dad, brother and he started flying remote-controlled airplanes.

“One year we went to a big airshow in Wisconsin and out of all the airplanes there, old war planes, jets, you name it, everything, aerobatic planes spoke to me,” said Miller.

Since then, he’s been passionate about airplanes, he said.

“It was that plane right there,” Miller continued, pointing to a plane at the event. “It was brand new at the time, I mean not that particular plane but that designed plane, the Christen Eagle, I was like, ‘Oh, I just love that plane.’”

However, Miller didn't get into aerobatic competition until after his career in the Navy.

Pilots competing in aerobatic competitions come from all kinds of backgrounds. Miller said some at the Apple Cup Contest had backgrounds in commercial flying, and others, like himself, were just intrigued by aerobatics and aerobatic planes.

The Apple Cup Contest was put on by Chapter 67 of the International Aerobatic Club and saw 14 contestants over the two-day competition. IAC pilots competed at five different aerobatic skill levels; primary, sportsman, intermediate, advanced and unlimited.

In the contest, each competitor was given a preset flight pattern to follow of loops, rolls, dives, stalls and turns. Each pilot entered the aerobatic box, a rectangle outlined on the ground, which is one of the parameters for the pilots to do their stunts above. They also had a maximum and minimum elevation they were allowed to do their routine in, depending on their class level. As the competitors entered the box to start the routine, they ‘wagged’ their wings three times to indicate they were ready and started their routines. They then did their routines as judges on the ground watched and scored them.

Each judge has two assistants, a caller and a scribe. The caller told the judge what the next maneuver that the competitor was supposed to do and the scribe writes down the score the judge gives for each maneuver so that the judge never had to take their eyes off the planes.

When it comes to the types of planes used, there isn't necessarily a ‘best plane’, it's down to which plane is the best for the pilot. Miller explained that the type of aerobatic plane matters when competing because some types are more forgiving than others. He described how some planes are a little slower to do the same maneuvers than others which make them more appropriate for beginners so that they have a little more time to react or learn how to do the maneuver.

The Apple Cup Contest had planes and contestants from all over. There were American planes, Russian planes and German planes. The country for each plane is where it was designed and manufactured. One contestant was from Canada and flew a Russian Sukhoi Su-26MX plane.

Miller is still somewhat of a beginner, so the American Christen Eagle II he shares ownership of is perfect for him as he learns maneuvers and competes.

Obtaining a plane and their maintenance are not the only things that aerobatic competitors have to worry about, they also have to make sure their parachute is properly packed, decide on whether or not to wear a helmet, or if they want to wear a special suit such as ones that are fire retardant.

“You kind of have to evaluate, ‘What’s my most likely scenario?’ and, ‘What can I do to mitigate those risks,’” said Miller.

The Apple Cup is one of two competitions held by IAC at Ephrata, the Apple Turnover is the second and will happen September 9-10. The public is welcome to come and observe, Miller said.

Competition results:

Primary: Kevin Miller scored 1381.38 points and was the only competitor in this class level.

Sportsman: Pat Lavielle placed first with a total score of 3496.76, James Potterf came in second with a score of 3174.06 and Bruce Mamont took third with 1864.33 total points.

Intermediate: John Paul Takacs placed first with 4508.76 points, Matthew Smith took second with 4321.01 points and Scott Emery scored 3372.41 to take third.

Advanced: First was Jerzy Strzyz with 7414.08 points, Mark Cunningham placed second with a score of 7072.35 and Ronald McMinn took third with 6603.89 points. Fourth place was Jeff Hirschauer with 6273.18 points and fifth was Dave Barbet with a total score of 6052.71.

Unlimited: Christian Baxter placed first with 10172.78 points and Peter Gelinas came in second at 9848.56 points.

Rebecca Pettingill can be reached via email at rpettingill@columbiabasinherald.com.