UND aviators take competition aerobatics to Oshkosh
UND professor Michael Lents and alumnus Jeff Boerboon give AirVenture crowds a firsthand look at the precision of competition aerobatics
Each July, thousands of aviation enthusiasts flock to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, where the Experimental Aircraft Association hosts the world’s largest airshow. Aviators make the journey from all around the world just to see the show.
Among them was UND’s own Michael Lents. Lents, however, he was not there just to watch, but to perform alongside alum Jeff Boerboon.
On July 21 and 22, Lents and Boerboon performed a 10-minute demonstration featuring routines typically seen in competition aerobatics. As members of the International Aerobatic Club, they showcased the precision flying and unique challenges competitors encounter at the U.S. National Aerobatic Championships — a style of flying quite different from a typical airshow performance.
“It’s two entirely different disciplines,” said Boerboon. “Competition is so much precision. For me, it carried throughout my aerobatics in airshows. I try to get a bit away from that in airshow flying. It’s like an artist versus an engineer. You get some of the discipline of competition out of your flying when you get relaxed and start flying an airshow.”
From UND to aerobatics
Lents, an assistant professor of aviation at UND and coach of the UND Aerobatic Team, is a U.S. national champion and three-time member of the U.S. Advanced Aerobatic Team. He began flying aerobatics in 2003 and has been a Master CFI-Aerobatic since 2013.
“I came into UND as a student and saw they offered an aerobatics course,” Lents said. “That was something I’ve always wanted to do, and once I experienced that type of flying, I made it my mission to stay in it. So, I became a flight instructor and flew as much as I could to perfect my skills in the Decathlon.”
Boerboon, captain of the U.S. Unlimited Aerobatic Team, is the current U.S. national unlimited aerobatic champion. He also got his start in aerobatics at UND, graduating in 1992.
“I did some flight instruction in the aerobatic course, training tailwheel and spins during my time at UND,” Boerboon said. “The university was such a big supporter of me when I first started getting into airshows. They used to sponsor me with my airplane and were always so behind what I was doing. I’m really excited that they now have an aerobatic team.”
An invitation to Oshkosh
Since then, Boerboon has gained decades of experience performing both in the US and Internationally, known for his precise flying and field expertise. He’s a five-time member of the UAS Unlimited Aerobatic Team and met Lents in 2012 during the national competition.
When asked to perform a demonstration in this year’s airshow, Boerboon knew exactly who his partner should be.
“I’ve been very fortunate that EAA has entrusted in me to bring in this IAC demo,” expressed Boerboon. “This year they requested a lower-performance, entry flying instead of unlimited style. It was a bit different this year to give everyone a sense that they could do this also. When they said that this was the plan, my first thought was a side-by-side airplane like I flew at UND, and Michael Lents was first on my list. He didn’t fight too hard when I asked, ‘do you want to fly at Oshkosh this year?'”
The two performed for 5-minutes each although in competition against each other, with attendees acting as judges scoring the two flights. Boerboon flew an AURA AERO’s Integral R aerobatic trainer and Lents flew the UND Aerospace-themed American Champion Super Decathlon.
Boerboon is no stranger to AirVenture, having first performed there in 2011. For Lents, however, this year’s appearance marked his first time flying in the show.
“It was amazing,” expressed Lents. “Jeff helped keep me distracted so I could just focus on flying. Just being able to fly in front of a lot more people than we typically what we do in a contest has a little more gravity and it was fun to share that experience with everybody. It was cool seeing how excited the little kids were with aviation and seeing an aircraft that is approachable.”
Showing what’s possible
The demonstration was designed to give the public a look at grassroots competition aerobatics — a form of flying that Lents and Boerboon say is more accessible than many people might assume.
They hope their AirVenture performance inspires more pilots to explore aerobatics and shows that the sport isn’t reserved for elite performers flying highly specialized aircraft.
“Sometimes I hear a lot of ‘that’s something I can’t do’,” said Boerboon. “Whether it’s too expensive or motion sickness and all kinds of reasons people come up with for why they can’t do this. That’s the person I look for and say ‘let’s go fly’, then you’ll know the difference between can and can’t. Anyone can do this. Any private pilot within 10 lessons can do what we did out there today.”
About the author:
Averie Eixenberger is a communications and writing intern for UND Aerospace.
