Skip Stewart Takes The Crown In Inaugural Event

After what was called by aerobatic authority Keoki Gray "The most awesome display of aerobatics I have ever seen," Skip Stewart carried away first place last weekend in the inaugural event of the eXtreme Airshow Challenge.

"I flew my best and fortunately the judges liked what they saw," said Stewart after the show. "There was some awesome flying out there from everyone today, and I think I will really have to keep my game sharp if I have any chance of holding on to the lead."

The Aeroshell Aerobatic Team kicked off each day with their crowd-pleasing formation demonstration. A moment of silence was observed Saturday, with a missing man formation for ACAP contenders Eric Beard and Nick Nilmeyer. A child from the Make-a-Wish Foundation was also given honorary aviator's wings by a member of the US Navy.

Competition opened Saturday morning in Fernandina Beach, FL, with overcast skies and a threat of rain, but that did not diminish the performances. The second round Saturday was cancelled due to rain, but Sunday's weather was outstanding -- and over two more rounds, the hard-flying improved even more.

Onboard video feeds to huge 30-foot LED screens gave onlookers a first-hand view of what it's like to fly in a high performance aerobatic aircraft, with on-screen commentary provided by veteran Stephen Cox and aviation legend Wayne Handley provided the crowd with exciting, authoritative descriptions of the action. The entire performance was recorded for broadcast later this summer on cable television.

Judges from the Aeroshell Aerobatic team, joined by Michael Goulian and Gene Soucy gave entertaining descriptions of their observations, and the post-flight interviews with the pilots gave their insight to what they were feeling and experiencing in the cockpit during their performance.

"With the hard work and dedication of many people, today a dream and vision became reality. Airshows will be held to a higher standard from this point forward," said ACAP founder Rick Rushing. "This event was the most fast-paced and entertaining you could ask for. The bar for a first class exciting airshow was raised significantly."

Minor penalties causing point deductions plagued competitors Greg Poe and Jim Peitz. New arrival Bill Stein drew a first round disqualification for a major rule infraction. "The wind was really howling up there" said Stein. "I got more drift than I expected during the Harrier, and broke the penalty line." Contenders Jeff Mawhinney and Matt Chapman turned in solid performances.

All contenders had crowd-pleasing performances, but early competition standouts Skip Stewart and Sergei Boriak fought nose to nose all weekend for the top finish. Boriak's inverted engine-out, dead-stick maneuver was a crowd favorite, and Skip's mainstay, the Knife-Edge Pass down the runway, drew tremendous applause from the spectators. The competition was fierce, and the aircraft were pushed to their limits with an onslaught of torque rolls, tumbles, snaps, and any number of other incredible maneuvers.

As the scores will show, the season is still early, and the Championship could belong to any one of these extraordinary pilots. Final official scores will be released this week.

After two days and three grueling rounds of competition, Stewart emerged victorious, with Sergei Boriak hot on his heels in second. Matt Chapman took third place. The rest are, in order of finish: Jeff Mawhinney, Jon Melby, Jim Peitz, Greg Poe, and Bill Stein.

FMI: www.acapshows.com