Charlie Hillard

Charlie Hillard (March 22, 1938 – April 16, 1996) was an American aerobatics pilot, and the first American to win the world aerobatics title.

Hillard formed the Red Devils aerobatic team in 1971 with fellow pilots Gene Soucy and Tom Poberezny. In 1979 the three re-formed as the Eagles Aerobatic Team, which they would fly as for more than 25 years, setting the record for the longest-running aerobatic team with the same members in the world.

In 1996, he was killed at the Sun 'n Fun fly-in in Lakeland, Florida, when the Hawker Sea Fury he was flying overturned after landing in a crosswind.

Early life Charlie R. Hillard was born March 22, 1938, in Fort Worth, Texas. At the age of 16, he secretly began taking flying lessons, having saved enough money working at his father's car dealership. and in 1972, won the World Aerobatics Championship, the first American ever to do so. with Charlie Hillard as the lead pilot. The Eagles Aerobatic Team would fly together for more than 25 years, and 1000 performances, setting a record for the longest-running aerobatic team with the same members.

Later career and death In 1995, the Eagles team disbanded. Hillard began to fly solo performances in a Hawker Sea Fury. It was in this aircraft that he was killed on April 16, 1996, when the aircraft flipped over upon landing, following an aerobatic performance at the Sun 'n Fun fly-in in Lakeland Florida. He had over 15,000 hours of flight time at the time of his death.

Aviation achievements and awards National Aerobatic Champion, 1967 First American to medal in a world aerobatics championship (Bronze, 1968) First American to win the World Aerobatic Championship (individual - 1972) Led the American aerobatics team to two world championships (1970, 1972) Author of the Federal Aviation Regulations for aerobatic competency evaluations (ACE) Founder of the Aerobatic Club of America Winner of the ICAS Wilkinson Sword of Excellence, 1983 International Aerobatic Club Hall of Fame, 1990 ICAS Foundation Air Show Hall of Fame, 1997