Denny
My company was the sole sponsor of an Extra last year.
The pilot was new to the scene and no great shakes.
So what?
An aerobatic plane is a great billboard for you products, most especially if you have a commentator on the ground. They will get the sponsors name and business mentioned in every other breath if they're good.
So, speaking as a sponsor, it doesn't matter a stuff how good the pilot is as long as - your company name is in big bright letters, the crowd know what you do and you get overhead as many crowds as possible in the season. All displays were provided at my companies expense. I was happy to do it.
All the pilot needs to do is a few loops, rolls and tumbles and make plenty of smoke and noise.
Denny Dobson has a most impressive story to tell as far as the promotion of his sponsors is concerned.
As a business tool then, he is top shelf.
He also happens to be a display pilot who does lots of the aforementioned things really well and adds his own stamp to it - including loooaaads of noise!
The crowds love him - it doesn't matter a stuff if other pilots are crticial of his manouvres.
Maybe they aren't as succesful as him in achieving the ultimate gaol of any aerobatic pilot and that is to do it for a living. What better than to fly your @ss off in a plane that somebody else is funding and paying you to do it as well!
Fair play to the bloke and much respect. His is a great story.
Ok, he won't win many trophy's but, hey, so what? That ain't his bag.
I bet he is chuckling all the way to the bank at these posts!
HP