Alain Aguayo wins at Sebring, raising the Dominican flag in U.S. aerobatic competition

The Santo Domingo–born pilot claimed first place in the Advanced category at the 90th Sebring Aerobatic Contest, continuing a legacy of Dominican excellence above the flight box.

Por el equipo de FlyDominicanRepublic.com Fotos cortesia de @aguayoaerosports ·  Sebring, Florida  ·  Abril 24–25, 2026

Alain Aguayo, the aerobatic pilot born and raised in Santo Domingo, claimed first place in the Advanced category at the 90th Sebring Aerobatic Contest, held April 24–25, 2026, at Sebring Regional Airport in Florida. The victory adds another highlight to an already distinguished career and cements his standing as one of the most accomplished aviators to emerge from the Dominican Republic.

Aguayo, who flies various planes including the Winning MX2 in the Advanced category of the International Aerobatic Club (IAC), demonstrated the precision and discipline that have defined his competitive flying since he first entered the contest circuit in 2010. Sebring is one of the oldest and most respected stops on the IAC Southeast regional calendar, and the 90th edition drew a competitive field of Advanced, Sportsman, Intermediate, and Primary pilots from across the United States.

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“He is the product of Dominican determination and American-trained precision — a combination that, above a contest box, is nearly impossible to beat.”

Born in the Dominican capital and raised with aviation woven into his ambitions, Aguayo moved to Florida in 2006 to study at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical Science and later a second degree in Aerospace and Occupational Safety. He discovered aerobatics in 2009, and within a year he was competing. He would go on to serve as a full-time instructor pilot at Embry-Riddle for six years, managing the university’s Upset Recovery Program — a role that sharpened both his flying and his teaching to a professional edge.

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His résumé reads like a catalog of dedication: more than 5,000 flight hours across over 60 aircraft types, ratings spanning aerobatic monoplanes to business jets, and a history as a member of the U.S. Advanced Aerobatic Team. Through his organization Aguayo Aerosports, he has also worked to make the world of upset prevention and competition aerobatics more accessible to the broader aviation community.

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The Sebring contest, directed by Michael Cappiello of IAC Chapter 23, is one of the most anticipated events on the IAC Southeast regional series. For Aguayo, it represents familiar ground — he has competed at Sebring multiple times over the years, and the flight box at Sebring Regional Airport is well-known territory. This latest win adds to a Southeast regional legacy that has seen him consistently challenge for the top of the Advanced standings.

For the Dominican aviation community, Aguayo’s continued success at the highest levels of U.S. aerobatics is a source of pride and inspiration. He represents something increasingly rare: a pilot who carries the Dominican flag not into commercial aviation, but into the demanding, technical, and artistic world of competitive precision flying. Every snap roll, hammerhead, and outside loop scored by the judges is one more statement that the island’s skies produce world-class aviators.