Jim Bourke

Jim Bourke is an American pilot, software engineer and RC modeler.

Biography
Bourke got interested in aviation when he was a child. In his teens, he earned his pilot's license. He was also one of the early adopters of electric powered aircraft in RC modelling hobby.

In 1995, when Bourke was a computer programmer working as a defense contractor, he learned about HTML and World Wide Web. The following year, he started a website called "The E Zone" ("The Electric Flight Zone"). In 2001, "The E Zone" got rebranded to RCGroups.com and became the largest website for RC hobbyists worldwide.

His company Knife Edge Software makes simulation products including the RealFlight RC simulator, which is distributed by Horizon Hobby.

In 2020, Jim Bourke was elected as president of the International Aerobatic Club, a division of the Experimental Aircraft Association, which is dedicated to the safety and promotion of aerobatic flight. At the time, Bourke was the second-ranked freestyle aerobatic pilot in the U.S. and sixth-ranked in the world. A member of the U.S. Aerobatic Team, he represented his country at the world aerobatic championships in 2017 and 2019.

In August of 2020, the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) inducted Jim into the Model Aviation Hall of Fame.