WINDSOR, Ontario – Canada’s Pete McLeod has replaced his technician for the team’s home round in Windsor this weekend on 5 and 6 June. Hoping to build on a strong start to the 2010 Red Bull Air Race World Championship campaign, the pilot has enlisted the help of Michael Goulian’s former assistant tech, Brad Huelsman.
The speedy restructure came about just days before the home race in Canada at what is a particularly high stress time for the team, already under the spotlight and with high expectations weighing heavily ahead of the race. McLeod says he and former technician Ted Reynolds parted company on good terms but admits that the decision had to be taken promptly to ensure a replacement could be found in time.
“I’ve got to look at not only my own goals but also I have a team that relies on me to make decisions,” says McLeod. “We’ve got to make sure we have our best foot forward all the time as a unit. In terms of development and reaching my future goals I’ve never been one to waste time.”
Bryn Lennon / Getty Images for Red Bull Air Race
Pete McLeod of Canada chats with his technician Brad Huelsman as they prepare for the first Red Bull Air Race Training day at the Race Airport on June 3, 2010 in Windsor, Canada.
“I’ve got to look at not only my own goals but also I have a team that relies on me to make decisions,” says McLeod. “We’ve got to make sure we have our best foot forward all the time as a unit. In terms of development and reaching my future goals I’ve never been one to waste time.”
Mutual respect
With almost 30 years of technical experience to tap into and a career in the Air Force to solidify his credentials, Huelsman is an experienced pilot who has built his own aircraft back in the US. He has also supported Michael Goulian in recent years as team coordinator before deciding to better exploit his mechanical know-how within the team in the role of assistant tech in 2010. Switching teams for the Canada race, Huelsman is enthusiastic about working with the young Canadian pilot and says he has a particular affinity with the country so it’s a fitting race to make the swap.
“I’m what you call a Can-Am, or Canadian-American,” says Huelsman, who spent stints living in Toronto and regularly travels from his current home in Dayton, Ohio, back to the Canadian city. “So I’ve got a lot of history right here in Windsor, halfway between the two places I’ve lived.”
Joining the up and coming team – McLeod is currently in 5th place overall in the championship – is an exciting prospect for Huelsman, who has quickly made himself at home in the new hangar. Used to working with Goulian, who is considered a true professional of the aviation world, Huelsman can already see the potential in McLeod and has no concerns about joining the young team.
“Pete grew up around aircraft so he knows machines,” says Huelsman, with the kind of authority you’d expect from someone with such extensive experience. “I’ve seen him fly in airshows outside of the Red Bull Air Race environment and he’s an excellent pilot. He knows the balance between pushing beyond risk and doing it in a calculated fashion; Pete’s got a really good handle on that. He’s moved up rapidly and there don’t seem to be any flat spots in his progression. It’s very exciting.”
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