In 1992, 1994, and 1996, my family made the long road trip
from our home in Southern California up to Reno for the annual Reno Air Races.
I don’t remember which one Leo Loudenslager performed at, maybe it was all of
them, but I remember that very distinct name, and seeing him fling his little
custom aerobatic aircraft through an amazing set of maneuvers.
What I didn’t know at the time, was what a pioneer Leo had
been. The only person to win 7 World Aerobatic titles, his custom Laser 200 was
cutting edge for its time, and practically the grandfather of the Edge 360s and
similar aircraft that are flown by many of today’s top aerobatics performers,
and of course in the Red Bull Air Races.
 |
| Leo Loudenslager's Laser 200 as it's displayed at NASM's Udvar-Hazy center |
I love that the NASM hung the aircraft vertically. The Laser
was built for unusual attitudes, and standing a few feet away, it’s easy to
imagine that your perch is an impossible one in the clouds, as you watch Leo
dance his aircraft across the sky.
 |
| The Laser 200 in flight. |
And for a bonus, here's Leo's routine from Reno 1993.
No comments:
Post a Comment