Pilot Spencer Suderman, a world record holder, will take flight during the Hollister Airshow this weekend.
Suderman earned a place in the Guinness Book of World Records in 2014 for achieving the most “inverted flat spins in an aircraft.” This means that Suderman spun his plane a record 81 times while it was completely inverted – upside down.
Fourteen years ago, however, Suderman was simply a regular private pilot who was required to take an emergency maneuvers training course to prepare him in the event that he found his aircraft in a challenging position while in the air. In fact Suderman had only earned his private pilot’s license three years earlier in 1997 after learning to fly while earning a Business Management degree at California State University, Northridge.
“I always had a big sense of adventure,” Suderman said when asked what inspired his decision to learn to fly.
Suderman says he still remembers the first lesson of the required emergency maneuvers course, when the instructor introduced him to what it felt like to roll the plane and what he should do in response.
“My brain said I want to do more of this,” Suderman remarked.
The Los Angeles resident continued the lessons and began training in aerobatics after those ended, eventually competing in aerobatic competitions across the country. Now Suderman calls his plane, a Pitts Special purchased in 2003, the “Meteor Pitts” because, “It shoots across the sky like a meteor.”
Suderman’s first airshow performance was in 2006 at his home airport in Camarillo. He became interested in air shows specifically after assisting one of his mentor pilots, Bill Cormick, with an air show he was part of. At that point Suderman, who had been competing in aerobatics competitions for several years, realized that rather than paying to compete in competitions, he could actually be paid to provide a show for the public by participating in air shows.
Now, as a regular on the air show circuit, Suderman says he enjoys entertaining the crowd. He says he also takes pride in inspiring kids of all ages to consider becoming pilots themselves one day.
“A lot of people don’t follow their dreams,” Suderman said, remarking that he hopes his performances inspire both kids and adults to pursue their goals.
During the work week Suderman is employed in corporate IT for the Walt Disney Company. In February he earned his MBA from the University of Massacussetts at Amhearst.
See Suderman in action during this weekend’s air show at 12:45 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday at the Hollister Municipal Airport. The air show starts at 9 a.m. and ends at 2 p.m. each day.
Tickets for the annual air show can be purchased at the door, or ahead of time at the airshow’s website, for $15 per adult and $10 for children. Parking passes are $5. A family pack, which includes two adult tickets, two child tickets and one parking pass, is also available for $40.