Jim Bourke of Corvallis, Oregon, has been elected as president of the International Aerobatic Club, a division of the Experimental Aircraft Association, which is dedicated to the safety and promotion of aerobatic flight.
Bourke succeeds Robert Armstrong, who served as IAC president since March 2018.
“We thank Robert for serving as IAC president during a time that brought many changes to IAC and the aerobatic flight community,” said Jack J. Pelton, EAA CEO and chairman of the board. “We look forward to working with Jim, whose background in both competition aerobatics and air show performances give him in-depth knowledge to serve the IAC membership.”
Bourke is currently the second-ranked freestyle aerobatic pilot in the U.S. and sixth-ranked in the world. A member of the U.S. Aerobatic Team, he represented his country at the world aerobatic championships in 2017 and 2019. He flies a variety of aerobatic aircraft in competition and at select air shows throughout the nation.
Along with his flying activities, Bourke founded RCGroups.com, a website for enthusiasts of radio controlled aircraft, and is owner of Knife Edge Software, makers of flight simulation products including the RealFlight simulator. He also has served as a member of the IAC board of directors.
