Aerostars: the stars of the American sky

The Aerostars are among the most recognized precision aerobatic teams in the United States, dazzling audiences at air shows around the world for more than a decade. Flying at speeds of over 250 miles per hour just a few feet from one another, the trio performs breathtaking barrel rolls, graceful formation loops and dramatic opposing manoeuvres in their Yak-52TW warbirds. With combined 80-years of professional flying experience, the Aerostars have established themselves as true ambassadors of aviation and a source of inspiration for fans, young and old. Aerostars use AvMap avionics.

The Pilots

David "Cupid" Monroe - Right Wing

Dave was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota and grew up in an airline family. He soloed at the age of 16 and obtained his Private Pilot License on his 17th birthday. Dave is a Certified Flight Instructor, advanced aerobatic competition pilot and past Certified Aerobatic Judge. Dave holds and Airline Transport Pilot Certificate, is type rated in the SA227, MD80, B727, B757 and is an international B767 Captain for a major airline. He graduated from National University in San Diego, California and has logged over 26,000 hours of flight time.

Harvey "Boss" Meek - Team Lead

After graduating from college, Harvey joined the military where he served as a pilot with an operational fighter squadron in Europe, followed by a tour with a pilot training unit. During his military career he held positions as Flight Safety Officer, F-18 Maintenance Test Pilot, Senior Instructor Pilot, Instrument Check Pilot and Flight Commander. Harvey has over 30 years of global flying experience, holding Airline Transport Pilot Licenses in three countries. He has flown a wide variety of military and civilian aircraft ranging from light aircraft to the F-18 Hornet and 747-400, and currently flies for a major international airline.

Paul "Rocket" Hornick - Left Wing

Paul has 25 years of commercial flight experience with over 7,000 hours of flight time in aircraft ranging from a Piper Cub to the Airbus A300. He holds an Airline Transport Pilot Certificate, Flight Engineer Certificate and is a Gold Seal Flight Instructor with single and multi-engine instrument ratings. Paul is a former Captain and held positions during his airline tenure in the Engineering Test Flight Department, Flight Standards Department and Flight Crew Training Department. Paul is type rated in the A-300, CE-500, CE-560XL and G200 and currently flies for a privately-held

The aircraft

The Yak 52TW is a tailwheel derivative of the famous Yak-52 aerobatic trainer designed in the late 1970’s. The Aerostars chose the Yak 52TW for its new construction, sturdy airframe capable of withstanding +7 and -5 g-forces and its unique fuel and oil systems that allow for three minutes of inverted flight. The team’s fleet of Yak-52TWs are powered by the M-14PF-XDK, a nine cylinder, supercharged radial engine rated at 400 horsepower. More than 2,000 Yak-52s have been manufactured to date.

Gallery

Flying with AvMap