Pete McLeod

Pete McLeod
Pete McLeod, 2018 in Chiba
Surname	Pete McLeod
Born	February 23, 1984 in Kapuskasing , Ontario , Canada
Red Bull Air Race
Racing team	Team McLeod
plane	Edge 540 V3
Placements / titles
Placement (year)	14th (2010) 08th (2014) 04th (2015) 07th (2016) 02nd (2017) 08th (2018)

Pete McLeod (born February 23, 1984 in Kapuskasing , Ontario ) is a Canadian aerobatic pilot who is currently competing in the Red Bull Air Race World Championship .

Career

Beginnings

McLeod grew up in Red Lake , a small town in northwestern Ontario hunting, fishing, snowmobiling, boating, flying, and playing ice hockey. He took his first flight on the family plane when he was 6 weeks old. McLeod's mother Margaret recalls that when Pete was six, Pete was allowed to sit on his father Dave's lap with his hands on the control horn during flights .

He learned to fly waterplanes and ski planes, completed flight training at Harv's Air Service in Steinbach and qualified for his private pilot license at the age of 16 . He built up his flying lessons over the next few years and acquired his commercial pilot license with the qualification for seaplanes at the age of 18. McLeod spent the summer months flying fishermen to remote fishing areas.

Competitive aerobatics

Pitts S1T Special

McLeod received his aerobatic license at age 18 and began aerobatics in a Pitts Special in 2003. He was undefeated in his first full season in 2004 and received many awards in his class in a United States Regional Championship and the 2004 North American Collegiate Aerobatic Championship.

After graduating from the University of Western Ontario with a degree in economics , he decided to take up professional aerobatics at the beginning of the 2006 season and concentrated all his energies on this sport. He finished the season in second place at the United States Aerobatic Championships. In 2007 McLeod received his unrestricted aerobatic license as one of the youngest pilots in the world to receive such a clearance for high-performance aerobatic aircraft.

successes

Red Bull Air Race World Championship

Zivko Edge 540 V3 of Pete McLeod at the Red Bull Air Race 2017 in Chiba

Pete McLeod indicated his enormous potential right from the start and made great strides in his first two seasons (2009/2010) at the Red Bull Air Race. He jumped from 15th place in his first season in 2009 to fifth place in 2010, which he confirmed in 2014. McLeod, Canada's best young aviator, made history in 2009 when he became the youngest pilot ever and the only Canadian to fly in the Red Bull Air Race World Championship .

Pete McLeod at the Red Bull Air Race World Championship
year	1	2	3	4th	5	6th	7th	8th	Points	Victories	rank
2009	15th	15th	11.	13.	14th	12.			1	0	15th
2010	5.	5.	7th	9.	5.	8th.	CAN	CAN	33	0	5.
The series was suspended between 2011 and 2013
2014	3.	4th	4th	8th.	11.	3.	1.	8th.	38	1	5.
2015	3.	12.	7th	4th	13.	5.	8th.	11.	19th	0	8th.
2016	7th	4th	12.	9.	13.	3.	3.	CAN	30.5	0	9.
2017	3.	10.	7th	2.	2.	2.	5.	11.	56	0	3.
2018	14th	7th	4th	DNF	11.	7th	2.	11.	27	0	8th.
2019	9.								5	0	9.

(Legend: CAN = canceled; DNP = not participated; DNS = not started; DNF = not finished; DSQ = disqualified)

Web links

Commons : Pete McLeod  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Official website of Pete McLeod
• Red Bull Air Race

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Red Bull Air Race: Pete McLeod | Red Bull Air Race. Accessed November 20, 2017 (German).