Foundational Supporter of US Aerobatic Championships Recognized for Service

The International Aerobatic Club Hall of Fame will induct Maurice Hunter Spinks - or “Pappy” as many called him - into the International Aerobatic Club Hall of Fame on November 10. 

Spinks will be one of 4 individuals to be honored by the EAA as a part of its annual Sport Aviation Halls of Fame program in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Though long departed, Spinks left an indelible mark on the art of aerobatic flight, acting as president of the Aerobatic Club of America and the sponsor of the U.S. National Aerobatic Championships from. The championships were held from 1967 to 1971 near his Texas stomping grounds of Oak Grove Airport before moving to Reno, Nevada to join the greater collection of air races there.  

As it happens, the move was instrumental in attracting a fresh roster of skilled talent to the sport, adding to the resume of aerobatic legends like Pancho Barnes, Alan Bean, Charlie Hillard, and Harold Krier. Spinks was part of the drafting process for the Club’s first set of rules, laying the groundwork for the IAC before its formation in 1970. His assistance extended to the 1970 U.S. Unlimited Aerobatic Team.

Of course, Spinks wasn’t just a pilot, getting his start by building his own airplane at 15 and using it to self-teach. Later on, he used his aerobatic know-how to design 2 aerobatic aircraft, the Spinks Akromaster and the Model 10. His goal lay in the creation of simple, uncomplicated aircraft, starting a company in Spinks Aircraft Industries. The company’s Akromaster, built in Oak Grove during the tenure of the US Aerobatic Championships, ended up placing 3rd in the 1970 World Aerobatic Championships being flown by Charlie Hillard. Hillard’s success soon continued at the 1972 World Aerobatic Championships at the helm of his 200-hp Pitts Special. 

FMI: www.eaa.org