Vicki Cruse

[5][6][7] In 2008, she was shortlisted as one of the all-female slate of candidates in the Fossett LSR land speed record bid.

[8][9] Cruse died on August 22, 2009, when her light plane, a borrowed Zivko Edge 540, registration N540BW, crashed at the Silverstone Motor Race Circuit, Northamptonshire, England, during a qualifying flight for the World Aerobatic Championships.

In practice before the accident, Cruse had experienced a problem carrying out a snap roll, deforming the right footplate.

In response, the team engineer prepared a new set of stiffer footplates, but had not fitted these to the aircraft at the time of the accident.

She flew the first five maneuvers of her routine as practice without issue before signaling to the judges she would begin her competition flight.

[18] In 2010, the Vicki Cruse Educational Pavilion was dedicated and opened by the International Aerobatic Club on the grounds of the EAA Aviation Center in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.