Rapid City Flying Aces

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Rapid City Flying Aces

Founded	2000
Arena	Don Barnett Arena
Based in	Rapid City, South Dakota
Colors	Black, red, silver
League	none as of right now
Head coach
President of Football Operations

The Rapid City Flying Aces are a professional indoor football team. Like their predecessors, the Black Hills Red Dogs, they play their home games at the Don Barnett Arena in Rapid City, South Dakota. However, as expressed repeatedly at the introduction press conference, that's the only thing these two teams will have in common.

The team began play as the Black Hills Machine of the Indoor Football League in 2000. Despite a good inaugural year, they lost Round 1 to the Topeka Kings. When the IFL folded, the franchise moved to the newly-formed National Indoor Football League as a charter member and became the Rapid City Red Dogs. After one mostly successful 2001 season, they had poor follow-ups in 2002 and 2003. In 2004, the franchise did a minor name change and became the Black Hills Red Dogs. However, the name change didn't result in success. In 2005, the Red Dogs joined the UIF as a charter member. However, in their inagural UIF season, they only won one game. In 2006, the franchise moved back to the NIFL and became the Rapid City Flying Aces. In the 2006 season, they successfully started the season 8-0. However, new owner Howard Patterson, who is wanted by the FBI on several fraud counts, fled the city, leaving several bounced checks and unpaid bills.^{[citation needed]} It appeared the team was going to fold; however, several local investors helped pay the bills and save the team. The team went on to the Pacific Conference title game, losing to the Billings Outlaws.

Recently the Flying Aces announced that they had left the NIFL. They are considering moving to United Indoor Football joining new converts such as the Billings Outlaws and River City Rage. If they do move to the UIF, they will share another thing in common with the Red Dogs, as the Red Dogs left the NIFL for UIF. However, finances are currently not in order right now, and unless they do come together by December 11, they will sit out the 2007 season. It is highly unlikely that indoor football will ever return to Rapid City if they fold; however, the Aces might come back for 2008 if they sit out 2007. [1]

[edit] Season-By-Season

Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties

Season	W	L	T	Finish	Playoff Results
Black Hills Machine (IFL)
2000	10	4	0	2nd WC Northern	Lost Round 1 (Topeka)
Rapid City Red Dogs (NIFL)
2001	13	1	0	1st PC Central	Lost Round 1 (Sioux Falls)
2002	6	8	0	4th PC Western	--
2003	7	7	0	3rd PC Western	--
Black Hills Red Dogs (NIFL)
2004	3	11	0	4th PC Western	--
Black Hills Red Dogs (UIF)
2005	1	14	0	4th North	--
Rapid City Flying Aces (NIFL)
2006	11	3	0	1st Pacific West	Won Pacific Semi-Final (Katy) Lost Pacific Championship (Billings)
2007	Did Not Play
Totals	52	51	0	(including playoffs)