Times Advocate, 1997-09-10, Page 13tember 10, 1997
Stuart's high flying antics nets prizes
By Craig Bradford
T -A Reporter
HURON PARK — Mark Stuart is putting his
own spin on life.
Stuart, 24, brought home an armful of awards
from the Can -Am Aerobatic Nationals at
Collingwood on Aug. 29-31, his first ever flying
competition. Stuart won highest scoring Pitts (the
kind of aircraft) pilot, the Dick Frost Memorial
Trophy for highest points percentage for all five
flying levels (basic, sportsman, intermediate,
advanced and unlimited) highest scoring first
timer and first place in sportsman.
His aircraft, a home -built Pitts S1S, is a small
single engine bi-plane built for the special evasive
aerobatic manoeuvres competitors are put
through at air show competitions.
"The manoeuvres have to be very precise,"
Stuart said. "Whoever does them best wins."
Here's how the competition works: flyers are
given a set of manoeuvres that are to be done in
an invisible box of airspace. Five judges give
scores out of 10 that are then added up and made
into a percentage. At the Collingwood show
Stuart. achieved an 89.88 final percentage, best of
the 14 flyers m sportsman and of all 30 pilots
competing.
While this was his first competition, Stuart has
performed in dozen of air shows. He got his first
taste of wings with his late father Terry who died
after an air accident outside the Centralia -Huron
Air
Air Park in May '96.
"I've been flying since I was six weeks old and
I've been doing it ever since," Stuart said.
He now runs the aircraft maintenance business
his dad started, TerryAir, at the Air Park. His day
job perfectly complements his hobby and his
three mechanics and he work on the Pitts when
not taking care of other people's aircraft.
What does it take to be a good aerobatic flyer?
"A strong stomach," Stuart said without
joshing. "Being able to orientate yourself after
being upside down and inside out."
High flyer. Ailsa Craig's Mark Stuart brings some excitement to the skies in his Pitt S1S bi-plane during air shows
throughout Ontario. Stuart recently brought home awards from his first ever aerobatics competition in Collingwood.
And you have to be fit, he said, since the body
experiences up to six 'Gs', (Earth gravity) to
negative Gs during -the turns, spins, loops and
other manoeuvres.
Though he admitted people have been killed
during aerobatic competitions and practice,
Stuart said it's as safe as the pilot wants to make
it. • aerobatics schoolwith an aircraft maintenance
"It's not dangerous providing you maintain shop attached.
your machine properly, keep a clean head and To compete internationally Stuart said he
not show off," he said. needs to get sponsors to help foot the
Though not for every flying aficionado, Stuart expensive bill.
believes learning the aerobatics basics can have Until then, Stuart will continue to make the
benefits for everyone. blue skies an even more exciting place.
"I think anyone who flies should take unusual
latitude training courses," he said.
But its that thrill of being on the edge that
makes aerobatics so much fun.
"It's just a rush to do it and it's always a
challenge," Stuart said.
His ultimate goal is to move up the
aerobatics ladder eventually to unlimited,
travel the world competing and later own an
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