Professional pilot and flight instructor Erik Ledet returned to the U.S. National Aerobatic Championships earlier this month in his Pitts S-1S, placing third overall in Sportsman Power after winning the 2024 National Championship in Primary Power. The event, held Sept. 29 through Oct. 3 in Salina, drew aerobatic pilots from across the country to compete in five categories ranging from Primary to Unlimited.
Ledet purchased his single-seat Pitts as a damaged project at age 22 and rebuilt it in time for last year’s contest season.
“It had some damage from a little ground loop or hard landing,” he said. “I repaired it and got it flying just in time for contest season last year and flew primary at nationals and won that and now moved up to sportsman.”
He said the Pitts S-1S remains a strong performer in the lower categories—“a great budget buy where you can get a lot of performance for relatively few dollars.”
Ledet credited the sport’s community and local IAC chapters for helping pilots advance.
“You start at regional contests, make friends, find somebody to coach you and critique you from the ground,” he said. “When you’re flying well and want to compete at the national level, you come here.”
Check out our full interview with Ledet, recorded at the championship in Salina, above. You can also see our interview at the same event with newly minted U.S. Unlimited Aerobatic Team member Marco Bouw about aerobatics in his rare Sukhoi SU-31.
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