EAA AirVenture Today - Saturday, July 29, 2023

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BY SAM OLESON AIRVENTURE TODAY STAFF

FIFTY YEARS AGO, in March 1973, U.S. military forces officially withdrew from South Vietnam after eight long years of conflict. This year at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2023, we’re honoring the aircraft and veterans of the Vietnam War. If you take a stroll out to the Warbirds area, you’ll see a number of Hueys, Skyraiders, and other aircraft of the era. Parked on the far northern end of Warbirds is a rare sight — a C-123 Provider, believed to be one of the few, if not the only one, still flying.

Originally designed by Chase Aircraft in the late 1940s, the C-123 was introduced in the mid-1950s and built by Fairchild. The U.S. Air Force used it primarily as a cargo and military transport aircraft for operation on short and unimproved runways, and it was used exactly for those purposes during the Vietnam War. It also took part in Operation Ranch Hand, defoliating the South Vietnamese jungle. The C-123 attending AirVenture, Thunderpig, is a K-model Provider and is owned and operated by the Air Heritage Museum in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania.

Air Heritage’s C-123 was operated primarily as a training aircraft and went to the boneyard in 1981. In the early 1990s, the museum acquired the airplane and spent about a year getting it into flying condition. Since then, the museum has flown it around the country for air shows, and it’s been featured in a number of TV shows and movies, including American Made, starring Tom Cruise.

Thunderpig pilot Jack McMahon last flew C-123s in the late 1970s and early ’80s with the Air Force Reserve before

getting involved with the Air Heritage Museum in 2006. Despite the lengthy gap between flying the Provider for the Reserve and the museum, Jack said it didn’t take too long to reacquaint himself.

“I can’t say it was extremely difficult,” Jack said. “I mean, obviously you had to go through the books and relearn all the numbers, because once we got rid of these airplanes, we had two different models of C-130s [in the Reserve]. So it’s like, ‘Okay, I really don’t remember the numbers from this,’ so you had to get back in the books. Flying it, it took some adjustment. 130s are hydraulic assisted. This is straight mechanical.”

Prior to C-123s and C-130s, Jack flew Convair F-102s and F-106s. Going from a supersonic interceptor to a radialengined cargo aircraft — that took some adjustment, to say the least.

“My first trip in the 123 after flying a 106, I looked out and I swore the cars were going faster than we were. And I said, ‘I’ve had cars go faster than this airplane.’ So yeah, it was a little bit different. The landing speed on a 106 was far higher than the cruise speed on this.”

Because of the aircraft’s age and design, it can be a bit tricky to fly in certain conditions.

“It was heavily used in Vietnam, so it’s built to go into very short strips, dirt strips. It’ll land within 2,500 feet, sometimes less if you’re really good and practice. So it does that very well, and did that in Vietnam very well. It’s a handful in winds, particularly gusty winds. It has an awfully big tail, short fuselage. I tell people, ‘The only autopilot is the guy in the other seat.’ So you’re constantly flying the airplane, trying to keep it on track at altitude.”

Jack said that being included in the commemoration honoring Vietnam War veterans and aircraft is a “great honor.”

“We certainly appreciate that they even thought about the airplane and bringing it into the ceremony,” Jack said. “The thing I would say is [that] when we go to air shows and some of us are standing in the back of the airplane, as people walk up, I can tell by the expression on the person’s face, pretty much all the time, that person was in this airplane in Vietnam. You can just see the memories flooding back into their thoughts with it. And it’s just a great privilege to be able to say, ‘Come on in, take a look.’”

PUBLISHER: Jack J. Pelton, EAA CEO & Chairman of the Board

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“I tell people, ‘The only autopilot is the guy in the other seat.’ So you’re constantly flying the airplane, trying to keep it on track at altitude.”

Jack McMahon

PHOTO BY HOLLY CHILSEN

PHOTO BY HOLLY CHILSEN

WHAT IF?

Grand-prize winner — EAA’s Pilot Your Own Adventure Contest, Supported by Flight Outfitters

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY

BY SHELBE JARRETT

WHAT IF? Two impactful words that held me in their powerful grip for a long time. As an adolescent growing up, I had no idea what I wanted to be in life. Sure, I had fantasies about becoming a doctor or a lawyer, but realistically, I had no idea. What kid does at the ripe age of 17? A few things I did know; I loved being at the airport, and I loved helping people.

As I neared the age of flying the nest, I could sense my parents’ fear that I would never find an interest to pursue after graduating. I recall one conversation that would live in my head for years to come; my family and I were boarding an airplane that would take us on our

vacation, and I tried to control my gawking as I boarded the aircraft and stole a quick peek inside the cockpit. Once we took our designated seats, I raved to my mom how incredible airplanes are. So large and heavy, yet able to defy gravity, the very thing that tethers us all to the surface.

My mom responded, “Why don’t you be a pilot then?” My response: “I could never do that; what if something bad happens?” My mom laughed and said, “What if you get in a car accident? You’re more likely to get in one of those, and you sure didn’t have a problem wanting to learn how to drive.”

For years to come, my family would poke fun at me for my usual retort of what if? The conversation was dropped,

and I decided to pursue being a geriatric psychiatrist instead.

It wasn’t until college that I realized life is entirely too short to worry about the what ifs. One semester of bio microorganisms and calculus was all it took for me to realize I needed to take another look at my future. As fate would have it, the university I attended also happened to have a flight school. For the first time, I decided to throw the what ifs to the wind

and take a leap of faith. As it turns out, it was the best decision I could’ve ever made.

While I still don’t know where life will take me, I have had incredible opportunities to make priceless memories in my short aviation career. In August 2018, I circled the Statue of Liberty and traversed the Hudson River, taking in the most spectacular view one can get of New York City.

That same year, I flew down to Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, and visited the very place where the Wright brothers made history with their maiden voyage. Later that year, I checked off spin training in an Extra 300 and got to experience the thrill of aerobatics for the first time.

Perhaps one of my biggest highlights to date is becoming a CFI. Finally, I got to meld the love of helping others and my love of flying by sharing with students the joy that is aviation. It was around this time that COVID-19 impacted the world in an unprecedented way, and one can imagine the number of what ifs that accompanied it for everyone. For me, this opened a brand-new chapter of my life.

I decided that there would be no better time to create lemonade from lemons, and packed up my belongings and moved across the country from Delaware to the plains of South Dakota. It was here where I was introduced to a whole new side of aviation. My passion for instructing grew, and I relished the moments of building a strong foundation for future generations of aviators. There was no comparison to the feeling of taking someone flying in a small aircraft for the first time, seeing the smile and adrenaline pumping through them. Or taking a student in actual IMC for the first time and witnessing the amazement that is instrument flying.

South Dakota afforded me numerous priceless opportunities (and not just by

forcing me to perfect my crosswind landings). My first flight in a glider was one of pure fascination. When I showed up to the lesson with my headset, Gray (the pilot) chuckled and informed me that it was certainly not needed.

There was no comparison to the feeling of taking someone flying in a small aircraft for the first time, seeing the smile and adrenaline pumping through them.

“This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Flight Outfitters has been amazing and super accommodating to make this such a unique experience,” Shelbe said. “I only stayed a day and a half last year, so this is experiencing Oshkosh in a whole new way. I feel honored, grateful, and thankful for the opportunity to represent EAA and my local EAA chapter in such a wonderful way — [it’s] awesome.”

SHELBE JARRETT, THIS YEAR’S GRAND-PRIZE WINNER OF THE 2023 PILOT YOUR OWN ADVENTURE CONTEST SUPPORTED BY FLIGHT OUTFITTERS, HAS ENJOYED AIRVENTURE IN STYLE THIS PAST WEEK.

PAGE 6 / WHAT IF?

The quietness of the cockpit was surreal, the only noise coming from the wind whipping past the sleek fuselage and my instructor speaking to me. Soaring is something captivating, a venture I hope to continue pursuing in the near future.

I eventually got the opportunity to compete in the 2022 Women’s Air Race Classic (ARC), hosted by The NinetyNines. This was one of the most rewarding, challenging, and resilient memories of flying I have to date. The ARC is something I have always dreamed of partaking in, and I knew the experience was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The what ifs relentlessly hounded me. What if we’re not able to complete the race? What if the aircraft can’t take that kind of stress? What if my partner and I aren’t compatible, seeing as we’ve never met in person and this race will stretch across thousands of nautical miles and several days?

Deciding to do the air race was lifechanging. The flying was unlike anything I’ve ever done before. The

aviators I met and the camaraderie experienced were refreshing and inspiring. The challenge of flying more than 3,500 nautical miles (the route itself was 2,100 nautical miles, and flying to the start in Florida from Colorado was another 1,500 nautical miles) was humbling, thrilling, informative, and hot!

Looking back, I can say that aviation has changed my life in a myriad of ways and afforded me opportunities that otherwise would have remained out of reach. But really, what changed my life was learning how to overcome the what ifs, live life to the fullest, and grab every opportunity with eager hands and don’t let go.

If there’s one thing to take away from this story, it’s to not let the what ifs clip your wings.

If there’s one thing to take away from this story, it’s to not let the what ifs clip your wings.

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BY BARBARA A. SCHMITZ AIRVENTURE TODAY STAFF

EAA AIRVENTURE OSHKOSH is always home to the airplanes that flew in World War II, and the Korean and Vietnam wars, so why not have the music from those times too?

For five years, Ladies of Liberty, of Louisville, Kentucky, have been doing that — performing at the Vintage Circle before the Vintage in Review programs with their Andrews Sisters style of music, as well as costumes and hairstyles of the time.

A pilot and regular to air shows, Wanda Martin officially started the company and group in 2010, realizing air shows were the perfect niche for that type of music.

Besides crooning songs like Pennies from Heaven, Side by Side, and Chattanooga Choo Choo, the group also performs patriotic music, said Wanda, who selects the music, creates samples in the studio, and works with a producer “who keeps them sounding good.”

“We try to stay as close to the Andrews Sisters as we can,” Wanda said. “This is a labor of love for us. We’re at Oshkosh because of peoples’ love of aviation and airplanes, and we just like to make this atmosphere a little bit better. We love to bring people back to a different time with our music.”

The Ladies of Liberty actually has two groups of three that travel to events throughout the country. Also performing in Oshkosh are Nancy Cheak and Deanna Hampton.

It all starts with a conversation. Contact us.

Toll-Free: (800) 999-3712 • Email: nafco@airloans.com Web: airloans.com

“We love to bring people back to a different time with our music.”

— Wanda Martin

They usually end their act singing to a very embarrassed veteran or current military. On Thursday, it was Henry Gross III, who had served in the U.S. Army at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio until last April. “I had no idea this was going to happen,” he said, still looking slightly embarrassed at what had just happened. “My mom is chair of the [Vintage] bookstore, and she set it up.”

Deanna Hampton gets close to Army veteran Henry Gross III, as Nancy Cheak, center, and Wanda Martin sing Oh Jonny, Oh Johnny, Oh at Thursday’s performance at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. Photo by Barbara A. Schmitz

PHOTO BY KAITLIN PIETTE

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STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY

BY ROBBIE CULVER AIRVENTURE TODAY STAFF

COVINGTON AIRCRAFT OF Okmulgee, Oklahoma, just celebrated 50 years in business overhauling Pratt & Whitney R-985s, R-1340s, and PT6As. Covington has a message for the aviation community: “While the rest of the world seems intent on growth through mergers, Covington Aircraft Engines remains true to the power of one: you. We are one family. Servicing engines from one manufacturer. With one guiding commitment. And by providing uncompromising service with core values first established by the Abbott family, we’ve built Covington Aircraft Engines over the last 50 years, one customer — and one engine — at a time.”

Covington has donated three new R-985 Wasp Junior nine-cylinder 450-hp supercharged air-cooled engines for EAA’s Ford Tri-Motor 4-AT-E. The first engine arrived in mid-July, with the remaining engines to arrive at the end of the year and in early spring 2024.

At an unveiling event held at EAA’s Kermit Weeks Hangar on Wednesday, July 26, Covington Aircraft’s

President Aaron Abbott said, “We love our partnership with EAA.” Abbott added, “We love EAA and AirVenture. We love coming up here — my wife and kids come up here, my parents are up here. It’s just a great time to come see friends — it’s like a family reunion every summer.” Abbott’s father, Paul, who founded Covington, joined his wife, Betty; Aaron’s wife, Michelle; and their daughters, Emma and Audrey, and their son, Oaks, at the Weeks Hangar to celebrate the occasion.

John Hopkins, manager of aircraft maintenance for EAA, said, “We’re just so excited to be part of the Covington family, and putting their engines on our airplane will give us many years of reliable service.”

Andrew Ramsey, business development manager at EAA, added, “Our relationship with Covington Aircraft is amazing! They sponsor our Wednesday night air show and are also the main sponsor of our Runway 5K. They support EAA in a lot of different ways and are great partners and really good people!”

WEATHER SAFETY

Tom Meadows Recognized With 2023 Phillips 66 Aviation’s EAA Young Eagles Leadership Award

BY ANNA MCGHEE

Phillips 66 Aviation on Wednesday, July 26, announced the 2023 Phillips 66 Young Eagles Leadership Award winner is Tom Meadows, EAA member of Chapter 1073 in Truckee, California. This annual award recognizes exceptional Young Eagles volunteers who have continually supported the future of aviation by exceeding expectations.

“I have so many stories of flying youngsters through the skies and seeing their faces light up with excitement and joy,” Tom said. “From allowing youth to sit in the pilot’s seat to helping them taxi to the runway, flying with these kids is always an adventure.”

A retired naval air crewman, Tom was the Young Eagles coordinator for EAA Chapter 1073 for nearly five years. During those years, his EAA chapter held rallies in the Truckee region at different airports in smaller communities without chapters to introduce their youths to aviation.

Meadows has flown to more distant cities to help their chapters hold rallies. His wife, Lynn, a private pilot, gets to fly to and from the rallies, and serves as a ground volunteer while he flies kids. “It

is important to us that we make aviation instruction as accessible to young people as possible, so flying from airport to airport is exciting for us.”

While he stepped down as a Young Eagle coordinator in 2020, Tom and Lynn still serve as ground and flight volunteers at rallies near and far.

In the fall, Tom plans to fly his 2,000th Young Eagles mission. By then he will have donated 1,500 flight hours of time in their Cessna 172, along with countless hours of volunteering on the ground.

“I am always mining for more Young Eagles. You never know when you are going to find a gem,” Tom said. “The future of aviation is in the hands of these kids, and I am proud to be a part of their journey.”

“I am always mining for more Young Eagles. You never know when you are going to find a gem.”

Tom Meadows

(L to R) Meghan du Plessis, Phillips 66 Aviation; Tom Meadows, 2023 Phillips 66 Leadership Award winner; David Leiting, EAA; Sean D. Tucker, EAA Young Eagles co-chairman.

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25TH AIRVENTURE CUP RACE RESULTS ARE IN

THIS YEAR’S AIRVENTURE Cup race, held annually in the days immediately preceding our annual fly-in convention, saw nearly 70 participants competing in more than 30 classes. Pilots flew everything from 172s to a Cirrus Vision SF50 jet across a looped course that started in Wausau, Wisconsin, proceeded east and then north along the western shore of Lake Michigan, then back

Factory Classes

west and then south to end in Merrill, Wisconsin. Upon arrival at Oshkosh for AirVenture, the racers’ aircraft were put on display for the week in a prominent parking area just north of air show center.

The following are the first-place winners in each class. The full results are available online at AirVentureCupRace.com.

Experimental Classes

Western Aircraft and Summit Aviation Mfg

10

YEARS

A.E.D. Metal Products & Supplies

Air Wisconsin Airlines LLC

Atlantic Radio Telephone/SatPhoneStore

Auburn University Aviation Auto PSRU’s LLC

Avilution, LLC H EarthX Lithium Batteries

Electric Pedals Inc H Flying Legend USA Inc

GoJet Airlines H LeTourneau University

MTS Aviation Models

Oshkosh Airport Products

Powrachute, LLC H Republic Airways

Round Engine Aero

Tosten MFG H U.S. Jaclean, Inc

World Famous Sunglasses/Andrew Constant

H Frontier Airlines H Frontier Precision H Garden City Aviation, LLC H Golf Aero Flight Training Center Grant Aviation, Inc H GrillGrate/Ecto Lifestyle H Hastings Air Energy Control Inc H High Tech Technology

Homestead Timber Frames H IAero Airways H IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers) H Infinity Flight Group

International Homes of Cedar H International Society of Women Airline Pilots H Ion Space Expeditions LLC H Justrite Safety Group

Ken McConnaughhay dba USAeroSports H Kilo Charlie Aviation H Lab One, Inc. H Latinas in Aviation H L’BRI H Lippert

Lundeen Sculptures, Ltd. H LX Navigation H Maule Air, Inc. H Mohawk Lifts LLC. H Myers Aviation LLC H National Aviation Academy

National Nuclear Security Administration-NNSA H NEO Aeronautics H Neoteric Hovercraft, Inc. H Neptune Aviation Services

NetJets Inc H New England Aero Services, Inc. H NOAA/Search and Rescue Satellite Aided Tracking (SARSAT) Program

Noble Flight Simulation H Northern Lights Paramotor, LLC. H Olympus Machinery Group H Operation Backpack4Kids H Owyhee Aviation LLC

PaperPie H Pecan Plantation H Pilot

H H H H PLATINUM LEVEL SPONSORS H H H H

H H H H GOLD LEVEL SPONSORS H H H H

DeltaHawk Engines H Epic Aircraft H HondaJet H Honeywell BendixKing H Lightspeed Aviation H

Lycoming H Mars Wrigley H PenFed H Phillips 66 H Redbird Flight

H H H H SILVER LEVEL SPONSORS H H H H

AeroShell H Airbus H Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) H Aspen Avionics H Cirrus Aircraft H Collins Aerospace H

Dynon H Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University H Icom America H John Deere H Piper Aircraft, Inc. H Pratt & Whitney H Wipaire

H H H H BRONZE LEVEL SPONSORS H H H H

Air Wisconsin Airlines H Aircraft Specialties Services H American Airlines H ASA (Aviation Supplies & Academics) H

Blackhawk Aerospace H Bose Aviation H Cleveland Wheels & Brakes H Continental Aerospace Technologies H Covington Aircraft H

CubCrafters, Inc. H Delta Air Lines H Electroair Acquisition Corporation H Flight Outfitters H GE Aerospace H Gulf Coast Avionics / Pacific Coast Avionics H Hartzell Engine Tech H Hartzell Propeller H Horizon Hobby H Jani-King H JP Instruments H Lincoln Electric H McFarlane Aviation Products H NATCA H Pepsi H Piedmont Airlines H Pilatus Business Aircraft H Poly Fiber, Inc H PowerLift Hydraulic Doors H Red Box Tools and Foam / Priceless Tugs H Rotax Independent Service and Training Centres H Siemens Digital Industry Software H Southwest Airlines H Superflite H Superior Air Parts, Inc. H SureFly Partners H Tempest Aero Group H True Blue Power H United Airlines H Van’s Aircraft H WACO Aircraft Corporation H Williams International H Women in Aviation International (WAI) H Zenith Aircraft

H H H H PATRON LEVEL SPONSORS H H H H

B & C Specialty Products Inc. H Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company H

SOFTIE PARACHUTES by Para-Phernalia, Inc. H Starr Aviation H U.S. Air Force H uAvionix

H H H H SUPPORTER LEVEL SPONSORS H H H H

4imprint H Arena Americas H Crewchief Systems H DATC H Endeavor Air H EnerSys ® H FliteTest H General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) H GES H Global Aerospace H Green Bay Austin Straubel Int. Airport H Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation H

Honda Power Equipment H JSFirm.com H Scheme Designers, Inc H Sherwin-Williams Aerospace H UND Aerospace H Walkabout Hats H WILCO H Wing Aviation H Wisconsin Imaging, LLC

EAA would like to thank its sponsors for their support in making your convention special

OSHKOSH MOMENTS

Panamanian Volunteer Assists at International Tent

BY JADE MORRIS AIRVENTURE TODAY STAFF

GUSTAVO AROSEMENA OF Panama is highly involved with EAA, starting his chapter in Panama and volunteering year after year at the International Visitors Tent during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh week.

Gustavo first came to the United States in 1997 as a part of an exchange program and attended high school in Lomira, Wisconsin. When Gustavo was around 17 years old, he first attended AirVenture with his foreign exchange family and went to the EAA Aviation Museum, walking out with admiration for aviation. Little did Gustavo know aviation would play a large role in his future.

After Gustavo graduated high school, he studied industrial engineering in Germany and started to work independently upon graduation. He worked in customer service for an import company. With his work, he learned more about forestry and industrial engineering in Colombia. The company Gustavo worked with rented a lot of aircraft, mainly twin-engine airplanes, to bring people to the region they were working in. Through his work environment, Gustavo’s fellow workers encouraged him to pursue getting his private pilot certificate, which is precisely what he did.

Gustavo sought out how to attain his certificate through research and friends of his. He attained his certificate in 2011 and considered it a “dream come true.” He became the

operations manager of the hangar his company stored its aircraft in. He started flying more, and it became his addiction. To feed his frenzy of aviation, he continued to grow professionally. He obtained his instrument and commercial ratings and started an EAA chapter located in Panama that is slowly growing.

Gustavo sought to find like-minded individuals, so he attended SUN ’n FUN in Lakeland, Florida. He went there and met people who had similar aircraft, and they pointed him in the direction of Oshkosh, referring to it as a special place. Gustavo remembered his trip to Wisconsin and seeing the museum during AirVenture, so he was confident going alone. He came in 2015, and it was love at first sight.

“I feel like I was at Disney World,” Gustavo said. “I came here to the International Visitors Tent, and I felt very welcome and at home.”

After his trip to AirVenture, Gustavo decided he wanted to contribute, so he volunteered at the International Visitors Tent. He travels from Panama year after year, usually going to Chicago, then driving the rest of the way with a friend. He loves helping others by being in the international tent, mainly because coming to the tent in 2015 changed his life.

“I wait the entire year to come to the U.S. I call this my spiritual aviation retreat. I come back every year for the family I have made here, the friends I have met, sharing the camaraderie for aviation,” Gustavo said. “I love coming to share, serve, and be immersed with the people that enjoy aviation.”

OSHKOSH MOMENTS

Carole Holtmeier: 50 Years a Volunteer

BY JADE MORRIS AIRVENTURE TODAY STAFF

Carole has been volunteering all her life. She believes there is not one organization in Oshkosh she has not volunteered for. Carole got involved aviation in the 1950s when her partner at the time had an airplane. Since then, aviation has been her niche. At around age 21, Carole left home and worked as a flight hostess for Trans World Airlines. After some time, she focused more on her family but kept aviation a priority.

In the First Aid building, Carole and the other volunteers assess injuries, recommend treatments or next steps, refer them to different hospital locations, and, if they can, fix them right then and there. They also help people when it comes to storing medications, so AirVenture attendees can have a safe, clean space to keep them. Throughout her years of volunteering, she has

THIS YEAR MARKS Carole Holtmeier’s 50th year volunteering during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh in the First Aid building.

“The thing that brings me back year after year to volunteer is the family feeling I get being here.”

— Carole Holtmeier

EAA PHOTOS

found there is a family within the volunteering world, including at EAA.

“EAA is doing so much for Oshkosh and showcasing this city to the whole world. The thing that brings me back year after year to volunteer is the family feeling I get being here,” Carole said. “This is a family here within EAA, and I am just happy to be here and be a part of it.”

Dr. Robert Wubben has been volunteering at the First Aid building since 2007. Being around people like Carole shows how amazing the volunteer community is here at AirVenture. He loves seeing the same faces and getting to know other volunteers personally and professionally in the First Aid building.

“My favorite part of AirVenture is this place, meeting the same group of people year after year, reestablishing old friendships, and getting acquainted again,” Robert said. “This is a great group of people, and they do a lot of good in the First Aid building, seeing patients. There is a steady stream every convention of hundreds of people coming in here.”

Connie Campbell, chair of the First Aid building, has been volunteering for 33 years and has witnessed firsthand how caring and kind Carole is when it comes to volunteering.

“This is a family atmosphere. I have been friends with these people forever. You know, you got the one who comes back from Delaware — they have not been here for a couple of years, but they have been out here for 30 years — and then you have your new friends, which you have had for 20 years, and those are your new ones,” Connie said. “Our previous chair came back these years, and she had done it for 40 years, and now Carole is in her 50th year. We would happily help anyone; once we are a friend, we are always friends.”

OSHKOSH MOMENTS

Siblings Set Sequential Solo World Records

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY

BY ABIGAIL OLENICZAK AIRVENTURE TODAY STAFF

MACK AND ZARA Rutherford aren’t just your typical sibling duo. These two set out to accomplish bold endeavors and ended up with an adventure that placed them in record books.

When she was 15, Zara decided to attend flight school in her homeland of France. And a few years later, Mack, also then 15, began his flight training.

Zara decided she wanted to set a world record and become the youngest to fly solo around the world. So after earning her pilot certificate, she continued to learn, train, and prepare. First, she needed to find an airplane and sponsors.

Zara wrote a post on LinkedIn about who she was and her ambition to fly around the world. She told companies that, in return for their support, she would display their logos on her aircraft. One day she was surprised when she received a phone call from Bulgaria about a sponsor interested in supporting her journey.

“You have to take the first step forward and reach for the skies.” — Zara Rutherford

Mack and Zara Rutherford set world records by flying around the world solo.

In the back of her mind, Zara said she often felt that “this wasn’t something meant for me to do.” But she always reminded herself, “You have to take the first step forward and reach for the skies.” The Rutherford siblings did just that.

Not long after, in August of 2021, Zara left for northern Scotland on her solo journey around the world. Crossing over the Atlantic would be her first long flight alone. Zara said, “This was a little out of my comfort zone. Flying over the ocean is quite cool, but also a little scary at times.”

But being a little frightened didn’t stop her from chasing her dream.

Flying around the world comes with many challenges, including bad weather, visa problems, and transportation issues in different countries. When Mack was circumnavigating the world in 2022, Zara would help by “flight following.” This meant she would send live updates to her brother about the weather through SAT.

The two siblings like to have more fun and help each other out instead of being competitive about holding world records. Five months after the start of Zara’s mission to fly solo, she completed her flight and safely returned home at 19.

Not long after Zara’s return, Mack wanted to set his own world record. From the age of 7, Mack was introduced to aviation and quickly grew a passion for it. At 15, he became a pilot and next had to decide on his

route to circumnavigate. On March 10, he took off from Bulgaria, and not long after his first stop in Sicily, he decided to change his route and fly through east Africa.

Then, while flying over Egypt, he had an issue with his fuel pump. But thankfully, over the Sudan Desert where he thought he may have to perform an emergency landing, the problem with the pump resolved itself.

“My passion is aviation. Even if I am not able to fly around the world, my passion is still aviation,” Mack said.

With less than 100 hours in his logbook prior to the flight, Mack returned safely home in five months (at age 17 years and 64 days) and currently holds the Guinness World Record for the youngest pilot to circumnavigate around the world solo. Zara holds the Guinness World Record for youngest woman to circumnavigate the world solo (at age 19 years and 199 days). The two siblings hope to encourage others to believe that you can truly do anything if you put your mind to it.

Mack said he plans to continue flying and accomplish some smaller goals. In addition to flying, Zara is currently working on a degree in electrical engineering.

“My passion is aviation. Even if I am not able to fly around the world, my passion is still aviation.” —

Mack Rutherford

Aircraft of the Vietnam War

THIS YEAR AT EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2023, we’re commemorating the 50th anniversary of the official end of U.S. military involvement in Vietnam — honoring the remarkable aircraft of the era, the nearly 60,000 American troops who made the ultimate sacrifice during the war, and the thousands of Vietnam veterans who served their country valiantly in Southeast Asia.

We’re expecting to have a strong presence of Vietnam War-era aircraft at AirVenture Oshkosh this summer to honor those who fought in the

jungles of Vietnam half a century ago. While many of the most-famous aircraft from Vietnam have only one or two flying examples left (if any at all), we anticipate a number of the following aircraft, either still serving on active duty or in private hands as warbirds, will potentially make an appearance at AirVenture. Note: Not all of these aircraft will attend Oshkosh this year, nor at the time of this writing do we know definitively which ones will be attending, so keep your eyes open as you wander the grounds.

GRUMMAN HU-16 ALBATROSS

INTRODUCED IN 1949, the twin-engined amphibious Albatross saw plenty of service with the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, and U.S. Coast Guard as a search and rescue aircraft. The Albatross was used in Korea for combat rescue and continued in that role with the USAF’s Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Service during the Vietnam War. The Albatross was operated by the Coast Guard until 1983.

EAA ARCHIVE PHOTO

BELL OH-58 KIOWA

A RIVAL TO the Hughes-produced Loach, the OH-58 Kiowa was operated by the U.S. Army during Vietnam as an observation and reconnaissance helicopter, with the type entering service in 1969. Developed from the Bell 206, 2,200 Kiowas were produced over two-plus decades, with the Army retiring the type in 2017.

DOUGLAS AC-47

AS THE HEAVILY armed gunship version of the World War II-era C-47, the AC-47 Spooky was operated by the U.S. Air Force from the start of the war in 1965 until 1969. Armed with three 7.62 mm miniguns, the AC-47 performed ground attacks and provided close air support. Most AC-47s were transferred to the Republic of Vietnam Air Force in late 1969.

DE HAVILLAND CANADA U-6 BEAVER

DEVELOPED FROM THE DHC-2 Beaver civilian aircraft, the U-6 Beaver was operated primarily by the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. Used as a utility airplane, the Beaver could fill a number of different roles, including cargo transport, light supply dropping, courier service, reconnaissance, aerial observation, and casualty evacuation, among others.

US ARMY PHOTO

EAA ARCHIVE PHOTO

EAA ARCHIVE PHOTO

70 Years of Dreamers and Doers

EAA celebrates its platinum anniversary

BY SAM OLESON AIRVENTURE TODAY STAFF

SEVENTY YEARS AGO, on January 26, 1953, EAA was officially founded. That first meeting took place in a classroom at Gran-Aire Inc. at Curtiss-Wright Airport (now Timmerman field) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with 36 pilots and aviation enthusiasts in attendance. Over the past seven decades, EAA headquarters has moved a few times and the annual members convention and fly-in has shifted around, but one thing has remained the same — the organization’s dedication to spreading The Spirit of Aviation. As we celebrate EAA’s platinum anniversary at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2023, each day we’ll share highlights from a different decade of our history.

The 2000s

July 2000: NASA’s Super Guppy debuts at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh.

program reaches 1 million flights when

15-year-old Andrew Grant of German Valley, Illinois, is given a flight. Approximately 35,000 volunteer pilots helped EAA reach its ambitious goal.

September 2004: The new sport pilot/ light-sport aircraft regulations become effective. The regulation changes are the culmination of a decadelong effort by EAA to create new pilot and aircraft certifications devoted exclusively to recreational aviation.

March 2009: Paul Poberezny retires as EAA’s chairman of the board. Tom Poberezny is appointed the new chairman.

June 2009: The Founders’ Wing in the EAA Aviation Museum opens, which includes a re-creation of the basement of Paul and Audrey Poberezny’s home in Hales Corners.

EAA ARCHIVE PHOTOS

Scholler Shorts

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY

BY KAITLIN PIETTE AIRVENTURE TODAY STAFF

GREG JOYNER from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, is attending his first AirVenture this year! Greg is enthusiastic about, in his words, “all things aviation!” He served in the U.S. Air Force for 23 years, during which he spent time traveling with the Thunderbirds as their aircraft painter. Greg is now retired and has acquired a taste for attending air shows when he can. Greg can’t wait to see all the planes from World War II, along with seeing all the static displays and talking to the owners and flyers.

PAYTON MARTIN from Winder, Georgia, and TY STAFFORD are attending AirVenture for the first time this year! They are in the process of building a model F-22 airplane together and will attend classes throughout the week. They are aviation enthusiasts interested in learning more about how airplanes function and seeing them c lose-up while talking to their pilots. Prior to their arrival, they attended the STOL Competition in Hartford, Wisconsin, and this week are making the most of their AirVenture experience.

GREG JOYNER

PAYTON MARTIN AND TY STAFFORD

What About These Other Airplanes?

A spotter’s guide to the EAA Aviation Museum aircraft around the grounds

EVERY YEAR, MORE than 10,000 aircraft fly to Wisconsin for AirVenture. Of those, nearly 3,000 are showplanes — vintage aircraft, warbirds, homebuilts, aerobatic airplanes, etc. — that are displayed around the grounds. But some visitors may notice other airplanes parked here and there that didn’t fly in at all, because they’re part of the EAA Aviation Museum collection. Because our museum exhibits rotate, many of these aircraft are only viewable by the public during AirVenture, spending the rest of the year in longterm storage on the convention grounds. Each day, we’ll highlight one of these airplanes that you’ll see as you wander the neighborhoods of AirVenture.

AIRCRAFT: STITS SA-11A PLAYMATE

DESIGNER RAY STITS built the SA-11A Playmate as a simple and inexpensive homebuilt in the late 1960s. The side-by-side two-seater was powered by a 125-hp Lycoming O-290, and featured quickfolding wings that made the airplane fit in a standard-size garage. Ray donated the prototype to EAA in 1969.

EAA AVIATION GATEWAY PARK

AT EAA® AIRVENTURE® OSHKOSH™ 2023

Aviation Gateway Park is your headquarters for education, careers, and networking with aviation companies and industries.

PHOTO BY CRYSTAL PEREZ

PHOTO BY CAMDEN THRASHER

PHOTO BY LAURIE GOOSSENS

OSHKOSH MOMENTS

KidVenture to Captain

Volunteer receives Air Force coin from Tuskegee Airman

BY BARBARA A. SCHMITZ AIRVENTURE TODAY STAFF

BRITNY CONNELLA ATTENDED EAA AirVenture

Oshkosh with her family in 1999, the first year KidVenture began, and after a day of traipsing around the main grounds and not being able to keep up with her father, she and her mother, Tina Stott, found refuge at the children’s activity center at Pioneer Airport.

They’ve been back at KidVenture almost every year since, so it’s easy to see why it holds a special place in Britny’s life. But on Thursday it became even more special when she received her Air Force captain’s coin from Retired Lt. Col. James H. Harvey III, a Tuskegee Airman, at the venue where she now coordinates the artists booth.

“I was very surprised to get my captain’s coin from Lt. Col Harvey,” she said, noting that her mother usually gets her a coin for

each rank she achieves and coordinated the surprise. It was coincidental that her promotion date was during AirVenture.

Britny joined the Air Force in 2010 and works as a medical laboratory officer; her time at AirVenture and KidVenture influenced her decision to join the military.

“KidVenture allowed me to do things that were aviation focused, but kid centric,” she said, noting she brings along her own daughter, 7, who attended her first EAA fly-in and convention at only 7 weeks.

KidVenture Administration Chairman Dan Majka estimated that about 30 percent of KidVenture attendees come back to volunteer as adults. “It is such a good experience, and leaves a good memory and they want to give back,” he said. But Britny has gone beyond that and taken on a leadership role, he said.

Britny said she started volunteering at KidVenture when she was 13, the age you are

Get Hands-On

Homebuilding gets to the heart of EAA, and you can learn virtually every skill and gain the confidence you need to build an airplane while at EAA® AirVenture® Oshkosh™. Presented by Aircraft Spruce & Speciality and patterned after the highly successful EAA SportAir Workshops, these mini workshops let you experience a taste of aircraft building.

EAA AirVenture Oshkosh Workshops is sponsored by:

Presenting Sponsor

Supporting Sponsors

is supported by:

Her mother usually gets her a coin for each rank she achieves and coordinated the surprise. It was coincidental that her promotion date was during AirVenture.

first allowed to volunteer. “But I unofficially volunteered next to Mom for years before when we weren’t out having fun.” But it’s a family affair as her mother, Tina, is currently KidVenture vice chairman and her daughter, RayLyn; her husband, Randy; and her father, Brady, also volunteer with KidVenture.

Learn from Experts

At the AirVenture Forums Plaza, the very best from the aviation world come together for one week to share their knowledge with you. Hundreds of innovators, authors, experts, and legends are on hand in the most comprehensive collection of aviation knowledge available anywhere, all at EAA® AirVenture® Oshkosh™

Photo above: Britny and Retired Lt. Col. James H. Harvey III, a Tuskegee Airman. Photo to right: Three generations: Tina Stott, back, is co-chairman of KidVenture; her daughter, Britny Connella, is in charge of the artists booth; and her granddaughter, RayLyn, 7, helps out both Mom and Grandma. Photography by Kaitlin Piette.

CONGRESSIONAL

PRESENTERS: U.S. REP. SAM GRAVES, EAA CEO JACK PELTON, GA ASSOCIATION HEADS

including

Young Eagles program, which has provided more than 2.2 million youths with a free first flight since 1992. The

BLUE BARN

Your go-to destination for EAA Chapters™ and EAA Young Eagles® at AirVenture.

> Attend a forum about growing your chapter, engaging youth, and more

> Represent your chapter by placing your pin on the chapter map

> Become a Young Eagles or Eagle Flights volunteer

> Learn about chapter resources and best practices

> Connect with chapter leaders and EAA’s Chapters staff

Meet Your Favorite Authors!

COME AND MEET the authors of your favorite aviation books! From 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., various authors will be available in the EAA Wearhouse, located between the EAA Member Center and the FAA Aviation Safety Center.

9 a.m. — Eileen Bjorkman, The Fly Girls Revolt: The Story of the Women Who Kicked Open The Door To Fly In Combat

10 a.m. — John Lancaster, The Great Air Race

11 a.m. — Adam Makos, Devotion

Noon — Tammie Jo Shults, Nerves of Steel

1 p.m. — Kevin Lacey, Fly It Like You Stole It

2 p.m. — Laura Savino, Jet Boss

3 p.m. — John Slemp, Bomber Boys

4 p.m. — Erin Miller, Final Flight, Final Fight

5 p.m. — Thomas Upson, Sky Raider

We offer hot coffee, doughnuts, fresh fruit, salads, sandwiches and much more. Red One Market has everything you need to make your stay more enjoyable.

CONVENIENTLY LOCATED SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO LEAVE THE GROUNDS!

Head over to one of our six Red One Market locations today!

RED ONE MARKET CENTRAL* | RED ONE MARKET WEST * RED ONE MARKET SOUTHWEST | RED ONE MARKET NORTH* RED ONE MARKET SOUTH 40 | RED ONE MARKET EAST

*Cold beer and wine are for sale at our Central, West, and North Red One Market locations.

DOWN:

1. If you built it and flew it in, check in at Homebuilders ____________.

2. We’re having our 70th one of these this year.

3. It’s right there in our name.

4. We’re all striving for the perfect one.

5. Aircraft kits built right here in Oshkosh.

ACROSS:

6. The official name of our annual fly-in convention.

7. If you’re not one, we think you should become one.

8. A classic air race from 1931-1962.

9. You can build an airplane from plans or a buy a ___.

10. Your first solo is a major milestone on your way to becoming one of these.

FRIDAY 7/28 ANSWERS

DOWN

For Youths Ages 8 to 17 Free Flights

1. Barnstormer

2. Museum

3. Controller

4. Rudder

5. Fokker

8. Flaps

ACROSS

3. Chapter 6. Auster

7. Stinson

9. Monocoupe

10. Knot

11. Corsair

12. Rockford

HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW EAA HISTORY?

TRY YOUR HAND at these trivia questions and find out. The answers, along with a new batch of questions, will be in tomorrow’s paper.

1. In what year did we publish the first issue of EAA Sport Aviation magazine?

2. Which of these EAA Aviation Museum airplanes appeared in the movie Tail Spin?

a. Curtiss Pusher

b. Bugatti 100P

c. Chester Jeep

d. Christen Eagle

3. What airliner did British Airways first bring to Oshkosh in 1985?

YESTERDAY’S ANSWERS.

1. Paul Harvey

2. Howard (taken from Paul Poberezny’s middle name)

3. Franklin, Wisconsin

YOUR JOURNEY. YOUR OSHKOSH.

FROM FIRST ARRIVAL to final takeoff and everything in between, we want to see AirVenture through your eyes. Check out today’s featured social shots of the day! Share your highlights on social media using #OSH23 to possibly be featured in a future issue of AirVenture Today!

@abbyscholl23

I was able to spend the last few days in Oshkosh, Wisconsin at the biggest aviation celebration in the world! Flying in was quite the experience to say I had an amazing time would be an understatement! I can’t wait for next year

Thankyou

to the following for supporting Make-A-Wish and helping the children and their families have a memorable experience at AirVenture!

Backyard Grill & Bar

Badger Sports Park

Bookworm Gardens

Children’s Museum of Fond du Lac

Eaton’s Fresh Pizza Oshkosh

Glow in the Park Indoor Mini Golf

Green Bay Botanical Garden

HuHot Mongolian Grill

Insomnia Cookies

M&M’s

Mineshaft Oshkosh

Red Robin Oshkosh

Target

TJ’s Harbor Restaurant

@tampa_bay_flying_club

Ready to watch the Wednesday night air show at @eaa AirVenture in Oshkosh, WI. Thank you to Jason, Mac and his wife Jan for hosting us beneath the DC-3 Miss Virginia. Thank you @dynamicaviationgroup

Forever

PHOTO BY KAITLIN PIETTE

Visit the EAA® Pilot Proficiency Center Today!

Saturday, July 29

9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.

• How to Land in A Tree: In-Flight Emergencies

• Look Up! Clouds Tell a Story

10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

• I Didn’t Hit the Building, but I Could see What the People were Cooking in the Kitchen.

11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. • ATC and You: In-Flight Emergencies • Learning to Deal with Spatial Disorientation

12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

• Principles in Retrospect

1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

• Weather simulation: A new look at modeling the 4th dimension

3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

• The Biggest Cause of Pilot Accidents; Not What You Think!

Presented by:

PRIMARY LOGO

PHOTO BY LAURIE GOOSSENS

PHOTO BY AJ RICCOBONO

PHOTO BY BAILEY NOEL

PHOTO BY ANDREW ZABACK