Air ace in full flight
Ontario aerobatic pilot who grew up in cockpit dives into international racing
Becoming successful at something as specialized as the Red Bull Air Race, the world’s top level of aerobatic flying competition, takes not only immense skill but also a perfect storm of life circumstances and influences.
Canada’s first and only Red Bull Air Race entrant to date, Pete McLeod, found his winning combination in his upbringing.
McLeod was raised in Red Lake, Ont., a small mining town roughly 500 kilometres northwest of Thunder Bay with an airport that lies at the end of the northernmost highway in the province.
As such, aviation is a vital industry locally thanks to the residents of more than 20 fly-in northern communities for whom Red Lake acts as a hub.
After being taken on his first flight on his mother’s lap when he was 6 weeks old, and beginning to learn the ropes in the cockpit from his dad at the age of 3, McLeod became his family’s third generation of pilots when he earned his flying licence at 16.
“I was legally able to fly a plane, with passengers, before I could drive a car on my own in the province of Ontario,” McLeod told the Star in an interview.
From there, he decided to get trained in aerobatics, more colloquially known as stunt flying — the sort involving loops, rolls, and dives.
“I got into aerobatics initially as safety training to make me a better pilot,” McLeod explains. “I got hooked on it and started competing and pursuing it as a sport.”
It was in competitive aerobatics that McLeod found that all of his itches were scratched at once: being in the air combined with the adrenalin rush of stunt performing, the gearhead aspect of plane setup, and the sporting competitiveness he cultivated, like so many other Canadian kids, while playing hockey.
McLeod was well into competitive aerobatics by the time he got into his second year at university and it was then that he caught his first glimpse online of the then-new Red Bull Air Race, in which pilots fly through and around pylons in a spectator environment. “I saw it and went, obviously, ‘This is for me,’ ” he says. “This was built for me, basically. It’s got all the things that I love to do.”
The biggest challenge was getting McLeod ranked high enough internationally to enter the series, which required a move to Europe and some serious investment. Fortunately, he was singled out as a talent and received the help he needed directly from Red Bull.
“They got me over to Europe and provided me with access to the right equipment and some coaching,” McLeod explains. “That was definitely a big break for me. I was able to show that I had the ability to go to that level.”
McLeod landed on the Red Bull Air Race scene in 2009 at 25 years of age, making him the youngest rookie pilot in the short history of the season.
The Air Race operates in much the same way as car racing. McLeod flies the No. 84 Garmin Edge 540, one of two different planes that contest the championship. He and his pit crew form one of 14 teams that tour through eight venues around the world each year.
The pilots fly laps around a pre-set course, racing in heats to earn points toward a season-long total. Pilots can even tweak the set-ups on their planes to make them better for certain “tracks” or conditions.
McLeod’s breakout season was 2014, which marked a return to action for the series after a three-year hiatus. Last year saw him earn his first win, plus he had two more podium finishes to end up fifth in the point standings.
This year, 2015, has felt like more of a challenge to McLeod. Although he started the season with a podium in Abu Dhabi, he’s been largely unable to replicate last year’s results.
“We’re struggling with the airplane a little bit more,” he says. “The car crowd will understand it: any excess technological advantage, whether it’s a really strong setup or you’ve got the car tuned perfectly, allows the driver to take a little less risk. The variability is a little higher this year than I’d like. To be competitive, I’ve got to cut every corner and take everything I can from the race track.”
Despite those challenges, McLeod could finish as high as third in the points standings when he takes one final shot at a turnaround in the season-ending race in Las Vegas the weekend of Oct. 17-18, where he earned his one win a year ago.
The event will be streamed live online at redbullairrace.com and a taped show of the season finale will air on Rogers Sportsnet (check local listings for dates and times). Freelance writer Stephanie Wallcraft is a regular contributor to Toronto Star Wheels with an emphasis on motorsports. To reach her, email wheels@thestar.ca and put her name in the subject line.