by Mike Wiskus					Gary is the guy who briefs the pilot prior to takeoff during an aerobatic contest. He reviews with the contestant the contest safety procedures, ensures that safety harnesses are latched and tight, updates altimeter settings, winds, traffic and radio frequencies and releases the aircraft into the aerobatic airspace when the chief judge calls for the next flight. More important, Gary has a fantastic gift of recognizing and calming that anx-ious pilot prior to his aerobatic sequence, which only contributes to a safe flight. Getting started in the sport is easy. The Cloud Dancers can help you with membership questions, locating aerobatic schools, aerobatic judging classes, practice areas, critiquing, contest volunteer information and upcoming events. The chapter meets the third Saturday of each month at 9:30 a.m., usually at Flying Cloud Airport in the Twin Cities. Come, get acquainted with the members and spend some time with people who have a real passion for the sport. Other Cloud Dancer club events in- clude the chapter's annual North Central Regional Aerobatic Contest, which is held in September and usually is the last con-test of the Mid-America Series, the Christ-mas party and, in the spring of 2002, our first attempt at a fly-in breakfast. For more information about the Cloud Dancers, check out our website at www.isd.net/chapter78 or call (9520 943-2182 or (612) 812-3873. There also is a Yahoo! e-mail list available for Cloud Dan-cer members. This will help keep you informed of meetings, events and practice days and is an open forum for aerobatic questions and discussion. To learn more about the International Aerobatic Club, check out the association's website at www.iac.org or call the main office at (920) 426-6574. Dirty side up!
Are you interested in aerobatics? Then you need to hear about the Minnesota Cloud Dancers. The International Aerobatic Club Chapter 78, the Cloud Dancers, is a division of the Experimental Aircraft Assoc-iation and is Minnesota's only aerobatic chapter. It's just one of the more than 50 IAC Aerobatic clubs spread throughout the United States and Canada and offers the pilot and aviation enthusiast an outlet to learn, share, participate, network and enjoy the world of sport and competition aerobatics. With over 60 chapter members and some 6,000 national members, the level of interest within the association varies from the hard-core competitors, who travel to as many of the 60 contests throughout the United States as they can afford, to the non-pilot members who can get as involved as they desire in the ground work, judging and political aspects of the sport. Who joins the IAC? People like John Wastvedt, who is an avid member of the Cloud Dancers and, at the age of 70-some-thing, flies sportsman category competition in his Pitts biplane. You see John out playing and practicing on the average of two times each week year-round. Another member is Mirna Mibus, a home maker and active member who not only helps create and edit the monthly chapter newsletter but also flies the family's Christian Eagle in aerobatic competitions. You can catch her at the local flight breakfasts and aviation events toting her daughter, usually traveling in formation with her husband, who also competes. As for non-pilot members, how could we fly our contests without Gary Mack? Gary has been a member of the IAC for years and has been an essential part of many of the contests throughout the Midwest. He is known as one of the best contest starters in the association.
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