Friday, August 1, 2014
THE OFFICIAL DAILY NEWSPAPER OF EAA AIRVENTURE OSHKOSH
www.AirVenture.org
FAA’s medical reform: ‘It’s a high priority.’
PHOTO BY TYSON RININGER
By James Wynbrandt
Relief for many pilots from the requirement to obtain and carry a medical certificate is a “very, very high priority” FAA Administrator Michael P. Huerta told EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2014 attendees yesterday. In his traditional “Meet the Administrator” event, Huerta said FAA last week signed off on a new proposed rule designed to reform his agency’s third-class medical requirements. The proposed rule responds to a 2012 petition jointly filed by EAA and the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) to expand the number of pilots who aren’t required to obtain a medical certificate. “I heard you loud and clear,” Huerta told a full house during the event. “We’ve begun the rulemaking process.” CONT. P12
Lockheed 12s owned by David Marco, Les Whittlesey, and Peter Ramm are among the seven examples at Oshkosh this year.
Seven Lockheed 12s at AirVenture By Randy Dufault
W
ith great expectations of sales into the business aviation and small airliner market of the 1930s, Lockheed designed a smaller version of its 10-passenger Electra model. The resulting Model 12 was a good-looking, good-performing engineering marvel. But the power of a fickle market intervened. Of the 130 copies produced, by most estimates only 12 remain that either are airworthy or may be capable of flying again. Which means more than half of the existing fleet is gathered together here at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2014.
According to Les Whittlesey, from Irvine, California, and one of the organizers of the reunion, an attempt to gather was initially made in 2011, with the idea of celebrating the 75th anniversary of the type. Unfortunately only three airplanes could make it Oshkosh that year. “Not long after that, Peter Ramm [one of the other owners] said let’s do a fly-in,” Whittlesey said. “We talked about a number of different locations, but decided to come to Oshkosh.” The first to arrive of the seven taildragger twins here belongs to brothers Yon and Uwanna Perras, who base their
plane at their grass strip near Morrisville, Vermont. “We heard from a friend that this 12 was in Brenham, Texas, and could be purchased reasonably,” Yon said. In 1988, a deal was struck on the airplane and, even though it had been sitting in a field for eight years or more, a bit of work got the engines run- CONT. P14
Sponsor of the day
Thunderbirds fly today! The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds fly their full dress rehearsal today at 5 p.m. Please see page 50 for special crowd line instructions that will be in place today, Saturday, and weather Sunday.