Rob Holland Breaks National Aerobatic Championships Record

Rob Holland won the U.S. National Aerobatic Championships in a two-seat MX2. Glenn Watson/Mach Point One Aviation Photography

The U.S. National Aerobatic Championships took place this week at the Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, bringing the country's best aerobatic pilots together to battle it out in the skies. Rob Holland took home the gold in the Unlimited category for the 8th consecutive year, breaking the all-time record set by Leo Loudenslager in 1982.

The competition brings a cumulative score from three rounds of flying: Known, Free and Unknown. Holland won all three rounds, bringing a total score of 11,028 points, more than 80 percent of the maximum total in this extreme precision sport.

Holland's win comes despite inconceivable roadblocks this year. He damaged his MX Aircraft MXS airplane after a catastrophic engine failure during a ferry flight from one airshow to another in April. While the airplane was broken, Holland walked away without major injuries. As a result, he has been performing in a two-seat MX2, while all other competitors flew single-seat aerobatic airplanes.

Pia Bergqvist joined FLYING in December 2010. A passionate aviator, Pia started flying in 1999 and quickly obtained her single- and multi-engine commercial, instrument and instructor ratings. After a decade of working in general aviation, Pia has accumulated almost 3,000 hours of flight time in nearly 40 different types of aircraft.

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