The roar of the engine fills the air, then stops. The small plane pauses and begins to fall back to the earth as the pilot works through a series of maneuvers. The engine starts again and the plane roars off to its next sequence.
AJ Wilder is practicing.
Wilder, an aerobatic pilot who hails from the Los Angeles area, uses the Seward Municipal Airport as a practice site for nationals in Salina, Kansas. He was flying in Seward Sept. 15.
“Precise is the idea,” videographer Mary Beth Rudd said. She films Wilder’s practices and competitions so he and his coach, Chris Rudd, can review and polish the moves.
The group was en route from the world unlimited competition in Mason City, Iowa, to nationals. The Rudds and another pilot come from Georgia, and a third pilot is from San Francisco.
Wilder said he heard of the Seward airport through a friend.
“I met Greg (Whisler), and he gives us the run of the place,” Wilder said.
The weather, wind and time zone are the same as Salina, which makes it an ideal training spot. The limited air traffic in Seward lets the instructors and pilots work together more smoothly. The airport also has fuel, FBO (fixed-base operator that provides aeronautical services) and is only seven minutes to food, he said.
“The town is generous. They know us when we come in,” Wilder said.
He had been in Seward for about a week and a half working on his freestyle routine.
By day, Wilder is an architect in Los Angeles at Wolcott. They do mostly commercial design, he said.
Wilder has been flying for 35 years and has over 12,000 hours of flight time. He’s licensed in helicoptors, gliders, multi-engine and single-engine aircraft, as well as having all the instrumental ratings.
When it comes to aerobatics, Wilder said, spectators don’t usually understand what goes into a smooth run.
“It’s very detailed,” he said.
Pilots are given a sequence card that lists the required moves.
“All flights are unknowns,” he said, adding that pilots also have to adjust to the weather.
He said it’s all about knowing where to miss, what to give up to get something.
“It’s all about precision and aggression,” he said.
Flying is a physical activity, and adding the aerial tricks makes it mentally tough, as well. Wilder takes time to visualize his flights before leaving the ground. He is also aware of his heart rate and blood sugar, making sure they are within the necessary limits, and ensures he gets eight hours of sleep the night before competition.
Wilder flies in the unlimited division, which is the most technical of the five competition categories. He said he is still new to the division and is just starting to figure out how to compete at that level.
He flies six days a week to keep his skills sharp.
His goal, he said, is to “be the best in the world.”
To achieve that goal requires discipline, and Wilder’s routine is the same each day. His daughter Georgia also flies and had her first competition last year.
Wilder’s other passion is his foundation, Figure 1. It was created to provide opportunities for inner-city kids to get their pilot’s license. The Foundation pays for all their expenses, he said.
“It started in a bar on a rainy day,” he said.
Kids start at age 14 with a glider, then advance to fixed wing aircraft.
“It’s all grass roots,” Wilder said.
The website, figure1foundation.org, lists 69 scholarship winners since 2016. It is a 501(c)3 organization. Wilder said before Covid, the Foundation funded a father and son, and in 2021, that son brought his son.
“He said we gave him a golden ticket,” Wilder said. “We can change someone’s life.”
