Sunday, July 26, 2015
THE OFFICIAL DAILY NEWSPAPER OF EAA AIRVENTURE OSHKOSH
www.EAA.org/airventure
EAA fires back at ALPA
PHOTO BY PHIL WESTON
Airline pilots’ union attacks PBOR2, EAA calls on members to redouble efforts
EAA and other general aviation groups are reacting strongly and swiftly to an inflammatory letter from the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) that surfaced PHOTO BY RIC REYNOLDS Friday night, inaccurately characterizing GA’s efforts to reform aeromedical certification. CONT. P3
Sponsor of the day
The show crowd watches the Airbus A350 on a demonstration flight during EAA AirVenture 2015.
AirVenture 2015: Planes, people, flying, and as fun as ever By Dave Higdon
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id you see it? What flew? You buy anything? What? How many airplanes came? Any new… something? How was the weather? Such questions and scores more await the lucky tens of thousands returning from this year’s wildly varied, entertaining, and successful EAA AirVenture 2015. In a word: It was grrreat! The answers may make questioners wish they were here—and lament they missed out. A new Goodyear Wingfoot One airship; five new homebuilding projects for
five lucky chapters; two night air shows; enough pyrotechnics to rattle walls. Concerts, films, forums; a full Fun Fly Zone; warbirds enough for a national air force; and a greater-than-ever variety of aerial, film, and musical entertainment. Veterans honored with yellow ribbons; would-be builders taught workshop skills; forums by the score on a wide range of topics; aircraft builders and owners recognized. Programs with the remaining crew of Apollo 13; a record-setting sky diver; the
first B-52 to land at EAA AirVenture; a new Airbus; more business and fun. EAA Chairman Jack J. Pelton sported the grin of a guy having as much fun as anyone on the grounds. And he showed up everywhere. Even Mother Nature smiled, treating AirVenture to seven days of smooth winds and (mostly) moderate temperatures. Final attendance numbers remain at least a few days away, but Rick Larson, EAA’s vice president of communities and member programs, confirmed it’s been
“a very strong week, attendancewise.” Translation: Lots and lots of people came. A record? Can’t say—but by the sights and sounds, the week boomed. And sometimes you don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows. (But an airship helps.) And though not wholly accident-free, EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2015 came so close to safety perfect that one could scarcely believe that it occurred in airspace saturated with the movements of 10,000 aircraft. When you get home, consider how to answer all those questions. Be kind and point them toward your copies of this paper, or link them to the copious coverage on EAA.org and the plentiful tweets and blogs and videos…oh my. No point in making them feel bad when your answers can set the stage for those friends to attend EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2016. And now a scheduling reminder: With 2016’s AirVenture set for July 25-31, there’s already barely 360 days to prepare. Safe travels home…and see you next year!