Biography | BAB Aerosports

The High-Flying Life of "Diamond Dick" Fennell

Most people celebrate retirement with a gold watch and a rocking chair. At 23, Dick Fennell celebrated his retirement from formula car and motorcycle racing by deciding to trade wheels for a set of wings, but with a daring catch: he skipped the flight school and decided to teach himself to fly. Armed with nothing but a DIY manual, Dick took to the skies in 1978. He started with a Phoenix 6B hang glider before graduating to a Pterodactyl ultralight—which is effectively a hang glider strapped to an engine. Dick describes those early "self-taught" days as a thrilling blend of aviation and high-stakes survival training. He has now received training from some of the greats in the industry like; Harvey Ruddick, Sergei Boriak, Linda Myers and the two-time woman’s World Champion Betty Stewart.

From DIY Gliders to the Bendix Trophy

Since that first leap of faith, Dick has logged over 6,500 hours in the cockpit, mastering everything from hang gliders to high-performance jets. His thirst for speed eventually led him to the racing world:

1993: Competed in one of the last Bendix Trophy Races from Palm Springs to Chicago.
1994: Claimed his first major victory in the twin-engine class piloting a modified Piper Aerostar.
Today: He flies in the Unlimited Category of the International Aerobatic Club (IAC), Dick was crowned the 2022 IAC Southwest Regional Champion.

The Beast: The MXS-R

Dick’s current ride is a mechanical marvel—the MX Technologies MXS-R. There are only eleven of these single-seat masterpieces in existence, and Dick commands Serial Number Three. To understand the intensity of his performance, consider the numbers:

Roll Rate: A dizzying 500 degrees per second.
Climb Rate: A staggering 28,000 feet per minute (he can fly vertically for nearly a mile).
Power: A power-to-weight ratio of less than 3 pounds per horsepower.

A Family Affair at 70

Now 70 years young, "Diamond Dick" shows no signs of slowing down. While he runs Diamond Truss in Ralston, Wyoming, and enjoys sailing and skiing, aviation remains the family heartbeat.

His wife, Spanky, manages the aviation business, while his daughter Brandi Lou Hellwinkel and granddaughter Laken Lou run his ever-growing fan club. Though he jokingly admits he takes aviation "much more seriously" now than in his self-taught days, his mission remains the same: to share the pure, adrenaline-pumping joy of flight.

Don’t miss the show—come watch him fly his exciting MXS with flicks, loops, rolls and tumbles, that only "Diamond Dick" can deliver!