Charlie Hillard

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Charlie Hillard
Born22 March 1938
Died16 April 1996
world aerobatics title.[1]

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.[2]

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.[3]

Early life

Charlie R. Hillard was born March 22, 1938, in

Georgia Tech
.

In 1958, at the age of 20, Hillard joined the US skydiving team, and became the first person in the US to pass a baton in freefall.

World Aerobatics Championship, the first American ever to do so.[2]

Eagles Aerobatic Team

EAA Airventure Museum

Hillard formed the Red Devils Aerobatic Team in 1971, with fellow pilots Gene Soucy and Tom Poberezny. The Red Devils flew the

Christen Eagle. The Devils were so impressed that they switched their team aircraft to the Eagle, and renamed the Red Devils to the Eagles Aerobatic Team,[5] 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.[2]

During this time, Hillard also flew as a pilot for Hollywood, in the movies Aces: Iron Eagle III and Cloud Dancer, as well as the TV movie Skyward.[6]

Later career and death

In 1995, the Eagles team disbanded. Hillard began to fly solo performances in a

EAA AirVenture Museum in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.[7]

Aviation achievements and awards

See also

References

  1. ^ "World Aerobatics Champions". Archived from the original on July 4, 2008. Retrieved July 11, 2008.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Charlie Hillard". Air Show Hall of Fame. International Council of Air Shows Foundation. 1997. Archived from the original on 2007-08-15. Retrieved 2011-07-09.
  3. ^ "Stunt pilot dies in flip after show". April 17, 1996. Retrieved Sep 22, 2009.[permanent dead link]
  4. ^ Nigel Moll (September 1993). "Charlie Hillard All Torque". Flying.
  5. ^ "Christen Eagle". Archived from the original on August 13, 2008. Retrieved September 26, 2008.
  6. ^ "Charlie Hillard Filmography". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2011. Archived from the original on May 20, 2011. Retrieved September 26, 2008.
  7. ^ Sport Aviation: 94. June 2012. {{cite journal}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
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