1968 Pitts Special

The Pitts Special is a series of light aerobatic biplanes designed by Curtis Pitts. It has accumulated many competition wins since its first flight in 1944. The Pitts biplanes dominated world aerobatic competition in the 1960s and 1970s and remains competitive. All Pitts Specials are variations of the basic design from 1944. In 1962, Pitts began to sell plans for the aircraft to be built by homebuilders. Plans and kits are still available and hundreds have been built. 

This S1-S was flown by Olie Pash, Harlan, in airshows and aerobatic competition for 26 years. It was built by Dan McGarry of Lansing, Illinois, in 1968 and acquired by Pash in 1975. It was damaged in 1976 and rebuilt by Gunnar Nielsen of Harlan before continuing to fly in competition for another 25 years until Olie Pash retired in 2002 at the age of 75. 

The Pitts Special can fly a wide range of aerobatic maneuvers. One of Pash’s signature maneuvers was low-level, knife-edge passes (flying with the wings vertical while using the fuselage as an airfoil).