UND makes appearance at aerobatic 'Super Bowl'
· Yahoo Sports
Aug. 8—GRAND FORKS — For years, Michael Lents and other faculty members have been representing the University of North Dakota at an air show that regularly draws more than 600,000 attendees.
This year is the first time he's had the opportunity to directly show off UND's aerobatics expertise with an aerobatic performance requested by a UND alum.
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Lents, an assistant professor of aviation and aerobatic flight instructor, said it was a privilege and honor to demonstrate UND's aircraft at the venue.
"It really helped get the name out and get a lot more people seeing UND in the sky and what we can do," he said. "I did have a lot of people approach (and) signed some autographs, which was kind of a new one for me."
The Experimental Aircraft Association AirVenture Oshkosh fly-in convention in Wisconsin, held July 20-26, had a record-breaking number of attendees this year, at about 734,000.
Lents' performance was in one of UND's two American Champion Aircraft Super Decathlons. He said UND has had a booth at the event for a number of years, where he's given talks for aerobatics, safety and training. He said some people don't see or know that UND does aerobatics or has an aerobatic team. UND's appearance at the event helps get the word out, he said.
Lents teaches one elective course on aerobatics and coaches UND's aerobatic team, which competes in collegiate-level competitions at International Aerobatic Club-sanctioned events around the country. UND's aerobatic team has won 12 national championships, including last year.
Aerobatic competitions are judged similarly to sports like gymnastics and skating.
"You're looking at specific elements that have to be there and have a certain precision to them," he said.
Jeff Boerboon — a UND alum and team captain of the IAC's US world team — has been running the IAC demonstration at Oshkosh for the last couple years. Boerboon asked if Lents was interested in being part of the demonstration.
"It's kind of like being asked to play the Super Bowl," Lents said.
The loops, rolls and spins of aerobatics aren't just for those interested in flying for competition, but also for pilots who want to enhance their skill set.
Lents said loss of control is a big issue, from small aircraft up through airlines, for incidents and accidents. There are technologies that assist pilots to prevent issues, but aerobatics training can help pilots be more competent, capable and confident in their craft and their ability to handle it safely if a problem arises.
He compared it to learning how to drive in the snow.
"If you start sensing the aircraft getting out of position or out of where it's supposed to be, you can bring it back," he said. "I enjoy getting to see students grow in their confidence and in their field to make the aircraft and flying that much smoother and more precise."
Aerobatics has become more popular over the years, though Lents' course is limited to how many students he can take, with a wait list that could double or triple the course, he said. There's also a challenge in building more instructors to teach aerobatics, as they get scooped up rapidly by those in the industry who seek out pilots with aerobatics skills.
"Even just as a safety component, the interest has been growing significantly over the last few years," he said. "Ever since I've been involved, it's just kind of accelerated."
Lents has been getting aerobatic team members into instructing earlier, both to ensure a good level of safety and to enhance the skill sets of the instructors at UND. His goal, he said, is to see the fleet grow and add more capable aircraft, although what UND has now are machines perfect for teaching the basics.
It often comes down to timing and funding, he said.
"But, right now, it's a very strong program that I'm honored to be a part of," he said.
UND has also been working with the IAC to get more colleges involved in aerobatics, though sometimes there is hesitance because of the challenge in getting someone on staff who has the experience and can keep a program running. Students from a number of different places have approached UND about receiving training or developing an aerobatic team.
"I've had a request to provide training from around the world, so I'm looking at a few options for doing that when I'm in my off time, off season," he said.