David is one of the most versatile airshow performers on the circuit today flying full blown air shows in multiple aircraft. His standard for excellence encompasses every aspect of aviation from performing aerobatic shows to aircraft restoration. He is the consummate aviator with a passion that has influenced him his entire life.

 

Starting on January 1, 2014, David flew every day stopping on December 31, 2018. That’s 5 years or 1826 consecutive days! He started out just shooting for all of 2014 but then decided to see how long he could keep going. It was quite challenging with setting aside the time and also the weather. He actually went ski flying in his J-3 Cub on 3 days, which in Texas is pretty rare.

 

David grew up in a family of pilots. His grandfather and father both were airline pilots. His interest in flying started at a very early age. David started flying with his father in the family’s 1959 K model Bonanza at age 12. David did his first aerobatics with his grandfather in a 1941 Fleet Biplane. His grandfather was from the barnstormer era in the 1930s and insisted that David learned aerobatics as a part of his basic flight training. His high school graduation present was an aerobatic course with the famous Duane Cole.

 

David graduated from Southeastern Oklahoma State University with a degree in aviation and then went on to fly corporate jet aircraft for several years.

 

In the mid 1980s, David joined the Texas Air National Guard. He graduated from Air Force Pilot training, F-4 training and F-16 training at the top of his classes.

 

David started to seriously pursue competition aerobatics in 1994 when he purchased an Extra 300S. He flew many competitions in the Extra and then changed to a French built CAP 232 in 1999. David was on the United States Aerobatic Team for many years and competed in 8 World and 2 European Championships. In 2001, David won the United Stated Aerobatic Championships and was Men’s Freestyle Champion at the World Air Games in Spain.

 

When he’s not flying, David enjoys restoring airplanes. He is currently working on his PA-11 and finished a complete rebuild of a Great Lakes biplane.

 

David had the wonderful opportunity to fly an original 1917 OX-5 powered Curtiss Jenny for 8 years. The plane belongs to the Call Field Museum in Wichita Falls, TX and commemorated the WWI training field there. The museum needed a pilot to fly the Jenny for them and offered David the chance. It was a bit of a challenge since you can’t just go out to the local airport for a Jenny checkout! But he had a lot of fun flying it. Not many pilots can say that they have flown everything from a 1917 Jenny to the modern day F-16! The Jenny is now on permanent display at the Sheppard Field terminal.

 

These days David is perfecting his new airshow routine in a Beechcraft Baron. It is an unusual act of power on and dead stick aerobatics. A true lesson in energy management!

 

David and his wife, Martha live at Possum Kingdom Lake, TX.