Frank Versteegh

Frank Versteegh
Frank Versteegh with his Extra 300L aircraft at Helsinki-Malmi airport
Born	(1954-09-19) September 19, 1954
Nationality	Dutch
Racing career
First race	2003
Best position	6th (2004)
Aircraft	Zivko Edge 540
Website
aerobatics.nl

Frank Versteegh (born 19 September 1954) is a Dutch aerobatics pilot. He is also an airshow organiser, a flight safety committee member, a FAI judge and a freestyle aerobatics competitor.

Versteegh was born in Oosterbeek, the Netherlands and started his flying career in 1972 at the age of 18. Between 1982 and 1994, he competed in European and World Championships. During his career, he flew in over 1,250 aerobatic displays at major aviation events all over the world, using over 160 different types of aircraft.

He flew his first display in a Cessna 150 aerobat in 1983. Between 1987 and 1989, he flew in the Pitts S-2S G-SOLO, which also flew in the Rothmanns team as a solo aircraft. In 1989, the Pitts was sold to Germany. He flew back in his new aircraft, the Zlin 50 LS, which he overtook from Manfred Strossenreuther, who died in earlier that year towards Teuge in the Netherlands. In this aircraft, Versteegh managed to win the Open Dutch National Unlimited Aerobatic Championship in that same year.

His sponsor "Shake 20" made it possible to purchase his new Extra 300, a mid-wing composite mono-plane. Versteegh flew three years in this plane under a Shake 20 license, but changed to a new sponsor "Volny" in 1995. During 1996, Volny made it possible to purchase his current airplane, the Extra 300L. In July 1997, he was the first pilot ever making a touch and go with an Extra 300L (D-EZOZ) on a 70-meter-long river freighter in the Rhine at Rhenen in his home country. This was unique because during the landing in the Extra 300L, the pilot is unable to see the landing gear and therefore unable to see the ship, while flying over with 150 km/h. Versteegh only had 1.5 seconds to land the aircraft on the boat due to the approaching speed of 80 knots. The stunt took place during an airshow which was attended by 50,000 spectators.

After participating in the FAI World Cup of Aerobatics for three years, he specialized in freestyle aerobatics and skydancing. Currently, Versteegh is one of the selected pilots in the Red Bull Air Race World Series, already participating since the event started in 2003. He was, however, unable to score any points in the 2005 and 2006 series finishing in 8th and 11th position.

Versteegh has a Jack Russell Terrier called "Joe the Co", who is known as his mascotte and co-pilot. Joe the Co was born on 12 July 1996 and has been flying alongside Versteegh in the Extra 300L, the Bücker "Jungmann", Robinson R44, A-26 Invader and many other aircraft. The dog joins Versteegh in most of his airshows.

Competitions and tournaments

1982–1994

Dutch Aerobatic Champion

1985

South African Masters La Mercy, Durban, South Africa

1987

Eurobatics Speichersdorf, Germany

1989

Masters Palaborwa, South Africa
Eurobatics Becescaba, Hungary

1990

Masters Ocaña, Spain
World Championship, Yverdon, Switzerland

1991

International Masters of Aerobatics, Argentina
Eurobatics, Toulouse, France

1992

World Championship, Le Havre, France

1993

Contest director World Glider Aerobatic Championship, Venlo, Netherlands

Breitling World Cup of Aerobatics

1998

Freestyle Cup Sassuolo, Italy (Winner of the Reggiani Freestyle Cup)

2000

Freestyle Cup Milano Bresso, Italy (Silver medal)

2002

Italian Free Style Championship Sassuolo (Second position)

2003

Melilla Masters, Spain and Morocco
Italy Reggiani Trophy (Fourth position)

2006

Italian Freestyle championships (First position)

Frank Versteegh at the Red Bull Air Race World Series
Year	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	Points	Wins	Rank
2004	5th	6th	DNS										3	0	6th
2005	8th	8th	8th	7th	8th	DNS	8th						0	0	8th
2006	10th	11th	10th	CAN	10th	DQ	10th	DQ	11th				0	0	11th
2007	6th	10th	6th	6th	CAN	9th	8th	8th	11th	12th	CAN	12th	3	0	11th

Legend:

CAN: Cancelled
DNP: Did not participate
DNS: Did not show
DQ: Disqualified
NC: Not classified

References

Red Bull Air Race World Championship pilots

Current pilots - Master	Cristian Bolton Kirby Chambliss Matthias Dolderer Michael Goulian Matt Hall Nicolas Ivanoff Petr Kopfstein Nigel Lamb François Le Vot Pete McLeod Yoshihide Muroya Peter Podlunšek Martin Šonka Juan Velarde

Current pilots - Challenger	Mélanie Astles Francis Barros Florian Berger Kevin Coleman Luke Czepiela Ben Murphy Daniel Ryfa

Former pilots	Hannes Arch Péter Besenyei Paul Bonhomme Glen Dell Steve Jones Jurgis Kairys Adilson Kindlemann Alejandro Maclean Mike Mangold David Martin Sergey Rakhmanin Klaus Schrodt Frank Versteegh

Aerobatics

Aircraft	List of aerobatic aircraft

Competitions	European Gliding Championships FAI European Aerobatic Championships FAI World Aerobatic Championships FAI World Grand Prix Red Bull Air Race World Championship World Gliding Championships

Maneuvers	Loop (Inside & Outside) Aileron roll Barrel roll Cuban Eight Falling leaf Hesitation roll Immelmann turn Kulbit Lomcevak Pugachev's Cobra Slip Spin Split S Stall Turn/Hammerhead Tailslide The Scissors Whifferdill turn Zurabatic Cartwheel

Organizations	British Aerobatic Association Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (Aresti Catalog) International Aerobatic Club International Miniature Aerobatic Club

Pilots	Cecilia R. Aragon Hannes Arch Princess Basmah Bani Ahmad Lincoln J. Beachey Péter Besenyei Ladislav Bezák Marta Bohn-Meyer Paul Bonhomme Pip Borrman Kirby Chambliss Julie Clark Marion Cole Vicki Cruse Mario de Bernardi Glen Dell Matthias Dolderer Wilhelm Düerkop Walter Extra Markus Feyerabend Gerhard Fieseler Jozef Gabris Michael Goulian Matt Hall Wayne Handley Ray Hanna Charlie Hillard Bob Hoover Bevo Howard Petr Jirmus Steve Jones Jurgis Kairys Georgij Kaminski Svetlana Kapanina Sándor Katona Charlie Kulp Anatoly Kvochur Nigel Lamb Jim LeRoy François Le Vot Leo Loudenslager Nancy Lynn Alejandro Maclean Pete McLeod Jerzy Makula Stanisław Makula Mikhail Mamistov Mike Mangold Scott Manning Catherine Maunoury Neil Williams Pyotr Nesterov Alexandr Panfierov Ivy May Pearce Adolphe Pégoud František Peřina Tom Poberezny Maciej Pospieszyński Sergey Rakhmanin Amelia Reid Olaf Schmidt Art Scholl Klaus Schrodt Betty Skelton Erde Skip Stewart Martin Šonka Gene Soucy Chris Sperou Victor Tchmal Reinhold Tiling Ferenc Tóth Sean D. Tucker Nick Turvey Ernst Udet Gabor Varga Juan Velarde Frank Versteegh Patty Wagstaff Kermit Weeks Walter Wolfrum Janusz Żurakowski

Other	3D Radio control Virtual Festival of Aerobatic Teams

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Frank Versteegh

Competitions and tournaments

See also

References