ZK: From where did your inspiration to fly come?

 

MC: It actually kind of fell in my lap. My mom met, dated, and married the man who introduced me to aviation when I was 5 years old. He was a blue-collar worker but had looked skyward at DC3s from childhood and knew he had to learn to fly. When I met him, he had just completed his PPL rating and partnered with a lifelong friend in a Fairchild 24. At age 5, I had no idea that my first flight would happen to be in a really cool aircraft. I would say that’s where the fire was lit!

 

ZK: The timeframe between earning your pilot certificate and pursuing aerobatics was brisk. What accounts for your fired-up enthusiasm?

 

MC: Well, that answer needs a short history lesson. My dad and I spent many hours flying together through my childhood and into my teens, initially, in our 1946 Aeronca “Air knocker” Chief, then in the family 1964 Cessna 172E. We attended many fly-in pancake breakfasts and cross-country flights; I especially enjoyed the spring vacation flights to Gaston’s White River Resort in Lakeview, Ark. But what I loved most was sharing our affinity for flying and our pilgrimage to Oshkosh every year. It was there that I fell in love with aerobatics.

 

In those days, the hot aerobatic airplane was the Pitts S-1; I instantly fell in love with it. Watching the Red Devils at Oshkosh fly formation aerobatics in the Pitts S-1 made me realize that I want to fly aerobatics and be an airshow pilot when I grew up. But as a kid, I didn’t’t have the wherewithal to purchase one, so it remained a dream. However, my love for the Pitts was soon replaced with my love for the Christen Eagle and apparently for the Red Devils. They also decided to move into the Super Eagle and become the Eagle Aerobatic Team.

 

Well, that was the late 1960s and through the 1970s. Then life changed as I started a construction business, got married, and began having children; no time or money for aviation. Until sometime in the early ‘80s, when I was introduced to the new craze of ultralights. This looked like my ticket to get back in the air for a guy who had little time and even less expendable income. I had lost my zest for standard category straight and level flying, but this was a page out of those magnificent men and their flying machines, a sure way to get an adrenaline rush. Long story short, my dad and I bought a Fisher 404, which I had a blast flying; I even flew it from Rochelle, Ill., to Oshkosh three times. I thrived on adrenaline, but I moved on after my 10th engine out.

 

Life can be unpredictable; I moved from the Midwest to California in 2000. With aviation far from my heart and mind, I took up golf. I have a very competitive spirit and believed I could make this a profession early on. Extremely lofty goals, I know, but it’s how I’m wired. So, I dedicated the next 20 years of my free time to chasing that goal. I had some successes along the way, but I was dealing with some upper back pain. Without golf, I was at a loss for what I could do as a hobby or a passion.

 

My dad had since passed away, and my son Alex and I kept the pilgrimage to Oshkosh alive. So, at Oshkosh 2017, he and I were looking at Lynn O’Jala’s absolutely beautiful Christen Eagle. I was sharing my story about wanting an Eagle as a child and how I wanted to be an aerobatic airshow pilot. He had just graduated from college with a degree in finance and thought he would rather fly for a living than a desk. So, we continued to talk about the possibilities, getting each other pumped up. I rationalized that I’m not getting any younger, and if I wait too long, I might not have the acuteness to do it. My children were raised, and I had a couple of nickels to rub together. So, I decided to go for it! Although when I flew with my dad, I flew with a solo license, flying ultralights didn’t’t require a pilot’s license-ish! So, when we bought the Eagle. I started my journey to get my PPL and, of course, to become an aerobatic pilot. My good friend and personal CFI Norman Manary taught me how to “wheel land” the Eagle and motivated me to finally get my PPL.

 

ZK: Who, how, and when was Team Coats formed?

 

MC: That term of endearment started years ago when my son Alexander Coats was a young boy. He and I used to play in two-man team golf events, and that term has carried over into everything that we do together. I have been truly blessed to have a son and now an adult son and best friend who shares the same affinity!

 

ZK: How did you prepare for your first competitive season, and what did you learn?

 

MC: Norm provided me with UPRT and demonstrated one loop, one slow roll, and one snap. He also took me to a contest in Apple Valley, explained how to read Aresti, and I was off and running. Through trial and lots of errors, I taught myself how to perform all the "gentlemen’s aerobatic figures," as Alex would tell me sarcastically,

 

I combined the figures and flew the Primary sequence. Finally, when I felt I was executing pretty well, I asked Norm for ground coaching. I flew it three times with him watching. His debrief was, “If you don’t choke, then you should win.”

 

I have flown three contests this past year; the first was the Hammerhead Roundup in Borrego Springs, Calif., where I was fortunate enough to take first place. My second was the Inaugural Redlands Aerobatic Cup in Redlands, Calif. I had moved up to Sportsman and took second place. Unfortunately, I missed first by the narrowest of margins: Pawel Miko: 2,930.65 points; Michael Coats: 2,929.60 points.

 

Sean D. Tucker recommended I win at every level before moving up. So, my third contest was the Southern California Classic in Borrego Springs. I was clearly off my game and very humbled as I placed 4th overall. However, I learned that there are plenty of very experienced pilots I am competing against, and if I want to win, I will need to keep working very hard, but I'll persevere because it’s a labor of love.

 

ZK: Do you have team aspirations?

 

MC: I have very lofty goals for my business and for aerobatics. It is my goal to win at every level of the IAC categories. I plan to compete at Nationals this year, and if some pennies fall from heaven, I can step up to an Extra, and I would love to make the National Aerobatic Team!

 

Chapter: 26

Occupation: Senior Project Manager