IAC Chapter 12 is very pleased to announce that the 2015 Ben Lowell Aerial Confrontation will be held April 24-26 at your U.S. Air Force Academy (KAFF). Incredible scenery, incredible facilities, incredible people. Important: Because this is a military facility there is some extra paperwork that must be received no later than March 24th (details).

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Schedule • Hotel • Permission for Pilots • Permission for Drive-Ins • Rental Aircraft • Pre-Registration • Banquet • Contacts • Eye Candy

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Schedule:

• Tues. 3/24: Deadline for Pilot Permission forms (No forms = no landing clearance, no kidding!)
• Tues. 3/24: Deadline for pre-registration. $140 fee, $100 for students, includes a contest T-shirt.
• Mon. 3/30: Deadline for hotel reservations
• Weds. 4/8: Deadline for drive-in visitors to register
• Fri. 4/24: Arrival, Tech Inspections, Practice
• Sat. 4/25: Competition Day 1, Banquet at the Eisenhower Golf Course
• Sun. 4/26: Competition Day 2, Awards Ceremony

 

Hotel

The official contest hotel is the Embassy Suites, 7290 Commerce Drive, Colorado Springs CO 80919 (map), phone: 719-599-9100. Click here to make a reservation online. We will have shuttle service between the hotel and the airfield each morning and evening.

Rates: $95/night for a King Suite, $99/night for a room with two Queen beds. Includes cooked-to-order breakfast, two-room suites, pool and hot tub, fitness center.​
Group name: 70th Flying Training Squadron Ben Lowell Aerobatic Competition.
Reservation Deadline: March 30. If you have any trouble booking a room please call Elle Christensen 719.955.6807

 

Banquet

We will hold the banquet on Saturday evening at the Eisenhower Golf Course clubhouse. Family and friends are welcome -- see info about drive-in visitors below. It will be a fixed-price buffet, with tickets sold at registration time.

 

Rental Aircraft

If you want to compete at the Academy but live too far away to bring your own bird, we have several options for you:

• Super Decathlon (limited to one renter). Contact JamieTreat [at] q.com (subject: Ben%20Lowell%20contest) (Jamie Treat) for details.
• Pitts S-2B and Extra 300L. The more the merrier. Contact teebird004 [at] yahoo.com (subject: Ben%20Lowell%20contest) (Tom Edwards) for details.

 

Pre-Registration

Please use the online registration system (link) by 3/24 to let us know that you're coming -- it helps tremendously with planning and preparation. Doing so does not obligate you, and if you pre-pay and need to cancel for any reason we will issue a full refund.

 

Forms for Pilots

Landing your personal-experimental-homebuilt-civilian aircraft at the U.S. Air Force Academy is not a big deal! It's... a medium-sized deal. But this is a well-trod path, and if you follow the instructions things will work out just fine.

The forms you need are at the bottom of this page, under "Attachments". Read the instructions carefully, and note the requirement to sign in blue ink. Also note that the DD-2400 form must be filled out by your insurer; your agent should know what to do. If you're sharing an aircraft, only one copy of the DD-2400 (insurance) and DD-2401 (permission to land) forms are required; however each pilot must submit a DD-2402 (hold harmless) form.

Send the completed forms to:

306 OSS/OSAA (Airfield Management)
Attn: Mr. Robert Popp
9206 Airfield Drive
USAF Academy, CO 80840

The Air Force must receive your paperwork no later than March 24th, so get started early!

 

Drive-In Visitors

Family, friends, and other interested parties are welcome to come and watch the action. No later than Weds. 4/8, we'll need the following info for each visitor:

• First and last name, as it appears on your driver's license
• Date of birth
• Driver's license number and state of issue (if someone does not have a driver's license, such a child, just indicate that)

Send this info to DJ Molny via email (djmolny [at] gmail.com) or call him at 303-619-4814. Again, the deadline for this is Weds. 4/8.

 

Misc. things you should know:

• There are lots of good hotels, restaurants, and attractions nearby, and there is a nice spectator's area adjacent to the box. So bring family and friends.
• Free hangar space, with gobs of room.
• In recognition of the field elevation, each competitor is allowed one unpenalized break per flight.

 

Contacts
Contest Director: Capt. Billy Jacks, william.jacks.2 [at] us.af.mil, 605-786-3070
Assistant CD: DJ Molny, djmolny [at] gmail.com, 303-619-4814

 

This opportunity only comes around once every few years... so don't miss it!!  Seriously, just picture yourself -- and your plane -- here. Nuff said.