vicky benzing biography
Born and raised in California, Vicky Benzing has logged over 5000 hours of flight time. An accomplished
pilot, skydiver, and aerobatic competitor, she has a passion for everything airborne.
While in college, she learned to fly in an antique Taylorcraft in her hometown of Watsonville, California.
Early on she took aerobatic instruction from the legendary pilot Amelia Reid and has since had a love for
the sport. Her flying career has spanned over twenty years and today she holds both a Commercial
Helicopter and an Airline Transport Pilot Rating. In addition to her current aerobatic pursuits she holds a
PhD in Chemistry and has had a successful career in the semiconductor industry. She is also fortunate to
be able to fly as a Captain on her company’s Gulfstream.
She began training with air show legend Wayne Handley in 2005 and now competes in International
Aerobatic Club competitions throughout the US. In 2006 she won first place in the Intermediate Category
in both the Northwest Regional Championship (Oregon, Washington, Idaho) and the Southwest Regional
Championship (California, Nevada, and Arizona), as well as winning numerous regional contests.
Currently, she competes in the Advanced Category and won third place in the 2008 and 2009 Northwest
Regional Championship.
Vicky’s airplane is a modified German-built single seat Extra 300S. Powered by a Lycon experimental
AEIO540 high performance engine and a Hartzell “Claw” propeller, this aircraft is both powerful and
nimble, making it a perfect choice for air show performances and competition aerobatics.
Vicky is sponsored by FESTO Corporation, a worldwide leader in pneumatic and electromechanical
components and controls for the industrial automation market.
