Mike Mangold

Mike Mangold (10 October 1955 to 6 December 2015), born Michael Eugene Mangold in Cincinnati, was an American aviator whose career spanned the United States Air Force, commercial airlines and aerobatics. He began as a skydiver at the Air Force Academy in 1974, flew F-4 Phantoms including the Wild Weasel variant for about ten years, and later flew for US Airways and American Airlines. He was a member of the U.S. Parachute Team from 1981 to 1985. His aerobatic and airshow career began in 1990 in a Super Decathlon, and he won medals at the U.S. National Aerobatic Championship and the 2002 L. Paul Soucy Award as top scoring unlimited pilot. He raced in the Red Bull Air Race World Series from 2004 to 2009 and won the world championship in 2005 and 2007. After retiring from racing in 2010 he coached rookies and commentated on the races. Mangold died on 6 December 2015 when his Aero L-39 Albatross crashed after takeoff from Apple Valley Airport in California.