National Stearman Fly-In – Day 5

Travis Aukes, Aledo, IL, flew for 15 years as a member of the Red Baron Squadron, which promoted Schwann Foods Co.’s brand of frozen pizza. He described the demanding life of a professional aerobatic pilot, and some of its rewards, to an attentive audience Friday night, Sept. 11, during the 38th National Stearman Fly-In at Gales burg, IL, Municipal Airport. Aukes was with the team when it was disbanded in 2007. One of his four brothers, Brian, bought the last of the Red Baron Squadron’s seven planes earlier this summer. Travis had flown that plane for about 500 hours.

Photo: Robert Harrison, National Stearman Fly-In