Curtis Pitts designed the first Pitts Special in 1942. Since then the original design and several derivatives have proven to be very popular for competitive aerobatic flying. This S-1C was built in 1962. John Marek of Tucson purchased the plane in 1978 and flew it in competitions in Arizona and California until 1994. Marek and his Pitts Special appeared in the Tequila Cup, Tucson’s annual aerobatic competition between 1985 and 1994, winning the “Unlimited” class, the most expert rating, in 1994. Marek donated the plane to the Tucson Airport Authority (TAA) for display at the Tucson International Airport after his retirement from competition. The aircraft hung over the entrance to the airport terminal for several years before renovations at the airport required that it be removed. The Tucson Airport Authority donated the Pitts along with another aircraft to the Pima Air & Space Museum in June 2002.
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