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WORLD WAR II triple ace fighter pilot Bud Anderson said he “was scared as hell” going into combat for the first time.
“I didn’t know what it was going to be like,” said Bud, the highest scoring living American fighter ace. “But after a couple of missions, you get used to seeing the enemy territory below you, and then it’s not so bad. And if you’re successful, that gives you confidence. It was almost like fun, but you can’t say that.”
Just 23 years old when he flew his last mission in World War II, Bud, now 101, told stories and answered questions during Tuesday’s Warbirds in Review on the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh grounds.
Bud said it took him almost a month to get his first victory, which worried him. But that changed in March 1944.
“I was promoted to operations officer shortly after I was in, and I didn’t yet have a kill, and I wondered what was the matter with me,” Bud recalled. “I was never in the right position.”
But that day in March, he was in a dogfight [with a Messerschmitt Bf 109] and flying fairly low. “This guy was giving me a hard time,” Bud said. “But I dug in, and we were just doing circles; neither of us were getting a good chance of shooting.”
Bud said when you’re flying down low and pulling high g ’s, your plane is banked up and you can’t see underneath your wing. Plus when you’re pulling all of those g’s, you can’t see your target.
Even though he couldn’t see, he took a lucky shot, and immediately coolant came streaming out.
“Hot dog, I got him! I was sitting in my cockpit patting myself on my back when all of a sudden I realized someone was on my wing.”
Bud Anderson“Hot dog, I got him!” Bud said. “I was sitting in my cockpit patting myself on my back when all of a sudden I realized someone was on my wing.”
It was an American pilot from another squadron. That pilot already had had a few kills, and Bud started questioning himself if he or the other pilot got the kill.
“I thought, ‘Dang it, did he shoot that thing out from under me?’” Bud said. “I spent the rest of the flight home questioning if I had really shot that guy down.”
Back at home, he went through the squadron debrief and then reported to the intelligence officer that he had a kill … but asked him to hold onto it for a bit.
“I’m driving down the road to the officers club where we all used to go after my missions,” he said. “I knew John (the other pilot) would be there.” He planned to go to him and say: “Hey, you a******. Did you shoot that thing out from under me?”
But inside, the other pilot came running up to him as he entered, saying, “That was the greatest shot I have ever seen.”
Bud replied, “That was just a lucky shot,” and then he rushed to the telephone to claim his first kill. Altogether, Bud ended his career with 16-1/4 kills, one of the few fighter pilots to share a kill with three others in his squadron, which gave him a 1/4 kill.
PUBLISHER: Jack J. Pelton, EAA CEO & Chairman of the Board
VICE PRESIDENT OF PUBLICATIONS, MARKETING, MEMBERSHIP, AND RETAIL/EDITOR IN CHIEF: Jim Busha
MANAGING EDITOR: Hal Bryan
SENIOR EDITOR: Sam Oleson
EDITORIAL STAFF: Robbie Culver, Emme Hornung, Abigail Oleniczak, Jim Roberts, Barb Schmitz
PHOTOGRAPHER: Kaitlin Piette
SENIOR COPY EDITOR: Colleen Walsh
COPY EDITOR: Jennifer Knaack
PUBLICATIONS INTERN: Jade Morris
PRINT PRODUCTION TEAM LEAD/GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Marie Rayome-Gill
GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Lynn Balderrama, Brandon Wheeler
MULTI MEDIA JOURNALIST: Holly Chilsen
SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR: Michael Sullivan
ADVERTISING MANAGER: Sue Anderson
ABOUT TEN THOUSAND hours ago (pilots understand this time frame, and this is a flying story after all), I found myself working as a civilian for the Air Force in Taegu, South Korea, while my then husband worked as a JAG officer at a nearby Army post. I had a nice office with a window from which I could see the runway. I watched the fighters take off and land, or do low approaches then pitch up wildly into the sky at the end of the runway. I came to enjoy this daily air show. Occasionally, one of the pilots would make his way into my office. I knew absolutely nothing about flying, and being naturally curious I began asking questions. I was told that I could take flying lessons in Osan. “Just go to the Aero Club and check into it.” “The Arrow Club?” I asked. He looked at me, surprised that I didn’t understand. “Yeah. The Aero Club.”
My reasons for wanting to learn to fly are different than most. It was winter and Koreans heated their homes with Ondol heaters. A yeontan is a large cylindrical brick made from the same substance as charcoal briquettes. In the Ondol heater, it turns the air sooty black, and Taegu was a huge city with a lot of heaters. I wanted to — no, needed to — get out. I learned that I could take a 20-minute taxi ride to the train station, a
three-hour train ride to Pyeongtaek, a 50-minute bus ride, then walk the rest of the way to the place that would take me above the soot and out of the big city.
“Is this where I learn to fly?” I asked no one in particular, although there were four or five guys in the office who looked up when I came in from my five-hour trek. One of them came over and introduced himself as an instructor, Dan. “Yes. And here’s the most important thing you need to know: You have three cardinal headings and north is NOT one of them.” He looked at the others who all chuckled. Clearly, I had more to learn than I thought, because I didn’t get it.
Dan sat with me at a table and explained how the Aero Club worked. He unfolded a huge aeronautical
chart and showed me where we were. I couldn’t help but notice the big red letters that read, “IF YOU FLY NORTH OF THIS LINE, YOU WILL BE SHOT DOWN.” “This line” was rather close to Dan’s pen mark at our air base. I see.
Our little Cessna lined up behind the fighters, and I felt like Maverick had nothing on me!
My first flight was pure magic. Our little Cessna lined up behind the fighters, and I felt like Maverick had nothing on me! We took off into the clear sky where the soot couldn’t reach us. The noise of the city gave way to the humming engine. My mind then split into two separate experiences. I could hear Dan explaining altitude and airspeed and headings and power settings, and at the same time I was marveling at the incredible view of the small peninsula, the huge river next to the incredibly long runway, and the pillowlike clouds. I noted the important landmarks that would keep us safe from the DMZ that separated us from North Korea. The story goes that the North Koreans had made good on their promise back in the ’70s, and an aero club aircraft came back with bullet holes.
The weekly 10-hour round-trip commute was worth the one-hour lesson. I became the poster child for the mandatory safety meetings held once a month. “If SHE can make it, YOU can make it!” the manager barked to the sleepy pilots who may have had a rough Friday night in “the Ville.”
I finally soloed and it was time for my long crosscountry flight. To make the mandatory 50-mile legs on a small peninsula, my flight took on a star like pattern.
Up and down while crossing the peninsula, I stopped at different airports to satisfy the requirement. The FAA examiner came from Hawaii twice a year to give the students their checkrides. You had to be ready or you would have to wait six months. I felt like an athlete trying to peak at just the right time. And I did.
With a pilot certificate in my pocket, the adventures really began. I sometimes became the target for training fighters who circled my plane just for fun. “That’s it. I’m going to guns!” I thought to myself. I would sometimes have to give way to “priority aircraft” that just might have been a U-2. I once landed at a civilian airport that
I learned too late imposed a $70 landing fee. In order to avoid that which I couldn’t afford, I taxied over to base operations feeling quite smug, except that it was a Korean military base. I was met by the Korean military with M16 rifles pointed at my airplane, and confused expressions. What to do with a female American in a November-registered civilian aircraft that they weren’t expecting? I gave them all the American snacks I had in
my bag, and they let me use their phone to file a flight plan to get home. Win-win!
After two years, it was time to leave Korea. We moved back to Germany where we had met. I settled into a job with Jeppesen in the Frankfurt office, and found that there was an Aero Club just 20 minutes down the autobahn (at 100 miles per hour). “That’s just perfect,” I thought. “Let the games begin.”
I gave them all the American snacks I had in my bag, and they let me use their phone to file a flight plan to get home.
FOR THE WITTMAN Tailwind pilots at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2023, it’s a true homecoming. They’re celebrating the 70th anniversary of an aircraft that was designed by Wisconsin native and aviation icon Steve Wittman, a man who wrote his name in air racing record books in the early 20th century, and who from 1931 to 1969 was the manager of the airport that now bears his name.
Undeterred by a childhood illness that claimed most of his vision in one eye, Wittman learned to fly in 1924.
With the spark lit, Wittman was soon building his own raceplanes. Visitors to AirVenture can see two of his racers on display in the EAA Aviation Museum: the 1934 D-12, Bonzo, and the 1948 Wittman DFA, Little Bonzo. More aircraft and artifacts from Wittman’s illustrious
aviation career are on display in the Wittman hangar at the museum’s Pioneer Airport.
In the early ’50s, Wittman turned his talent to designing the Tailwind, an airplane for cross-country travel. In December 1953 his Tailwind Model W-8C was the first two-place homebuilt approved by the FAA to carry a passenger. The design was noteworthy for its speed and efficiency. Born well before the days of kitbuilt airplanes and composite construction, it was a plansbuilt aircraft that anyone with reasonable mechanical skills could build using common shop tools. Following the W-8, Wittman came out with the W-9, a tricycle-gear version, and then the W-10, a slightly larger variant with tapered wings.
One of the many Tailwind pilots gathered at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2023, Jim Stanton flew his 2015 W-10 from Arizona to his 60th EAA fly-in convention. His first was at
Rockford, Illinois, in 1961, and he’s only missed one gathering since then. A retired professional pilot and accomplished builder, this is his second Tailwind project; the first was a W-8 built in 1964.
When asked what drew him to the aircraft, Jim answered, “I joined EAA in 1959, and the Tailwind was the hot ticket in those days. The only viable choice was the Stits Playboy or the Tailwind, and I realized that the Playboy was no match for the Tailwind.”
What does he like most about the aircraft? “It’s an incredibly docile airplane; it has incredible control in the stall,” he said. “And I tell people that if you use the parameters of a generous cabin for two people, a decent-sized baggage compartment and decent fuel capacity, and a fixed landing gear, the Tailwind is the fastest airplane in E-AB history that meets those criteria.”
Powered by a Lycoming O-320, Jim’s W-10 carries two full-sized adults, 60 pounds of baggage, and 34 gallons of fuel, giving an endurance of four hours at 170 knots. In a fitting tribute to its designer, his airplane bears the registration number NX14855; the same as Steve Wittman’s racer, Chief Oshkosh, that hangs in the National Air and Space Museum.
“If you use the parameters of a generous cabin for two people, a decent-sized baggage compartment and decent fuel capacity, and a fixed landing gear, the Tailwind is the fastest airplane in E-AB history that meets those criteria.”
Jim Stanton
HILL 887. YOU’RE holding the Huey in a dead hover 150 feet above a firefight. Through the trees below, a critically wounded GI is strapped to a forest penetrator, dangling from the end of your hoist cable, but the hoist is jammed. The only way out is to “pull pitch” and slowly draw the patient up through the trees. The ship is taking hits and hemorrhaging precious hydraulic fluid, without which you will lose all flight controls. Just when it can’t get any worse, it does; rounds burst through the chopper’s nose, shattering the instrument panel and spraying your face with shards of plexiglass.
Paul Mercandetti, EAA 346300, is my hangar mate and good friend. His voice is steady as the tale pours forth, but the tension is palpable. For many like Paul, the soundtrack of their war was the distinct and haunting reverberations of rotor blades.
Nearly 7,000 Bell UH-1 Hueys served in the Vietnam War. Carrying a crew of four (aircraft commander, co-pilot, crew chief, and door gunner or medic), the bird
was typically outfitted as a “Slick” transport, a gunship, or an aerial ambulance; the latter frequently bore the call sign “Dustoff.”
From June 1968 to June 1969, 20-year-old Paul Mercandetti was “Dustoff 39,” a UH-1 aircraft commander with the 283rd Medical Detachment at Pleiku, in the Central Highlands of South Vietnam. Unarmed except for sidearms and M16 rifles (for self-defense if they were shot down), their mission was to extract wounded troops from the field, often in the midst of active battles. Paul half-joked that the big red crosses on the chopper made excellent targets.
“The co-pilot thought I was hit,” Paul continued, “so he took control of the aircraft. The radios and intercom were shot out, so we were yelling at each other. He did a great job of flying while I cleared plexiglass out of my face.
“I came to a hover and waited for the patient to stop swinging on the end of the cable, and then eased the helicopter down until they could put the patient on the ground, then I set down next to him. I later counted the holes in the bottom of the aircraft, and stopped counting at 50.”
Paul Mercandetti
“There was a firebase several clicks away, so I headed for that,” he said. “I came to a hover and waited for the patient to stop swinging on the end of the cable, and then eased the helicopter down until they could put the patient on the ground, then I set down next to him. I later counted the holes in the bottom of the aircraft, and stopped counting at 50.”
During his time in Vietnam, Paul said he was credited with over 1,500 saves, which included soldiers, civilians, and enemy combatants. “Dustoff took anyone that was wounded,” he said.
Paul enlisted in 1967, and he shared his motivation for doing so.
“I wanted to fly gunships and fight for my country,” he said. “My parents were immigrants, and my dad was in the Army, so I wanted to do my part.” Was he disappointed to be assigned to medevac duties and not gunships? “In the beginning I was disappointed, but
after having been there a couple of weeks, I would not have traded it because it was such a rewarding experience. You know, saving someone’s life is incredible.”
Those saves came at considerable risk; nearly 5,000 service members — pilots and crew — were lost in what has come to be called “The Helicopter War.” Eleven UH-1 pilots and crewmen would be awarded the Medal of Honor.
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DURING A PRESS conference on Tuesday, July 25, at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, Hartzell Propeller President JJ Frigge reviewed Hartzell’s commitment to quality, performance, and support. Each subsection of the company’s wholly owned subsidiaries — Propeller, Engine Technology, and Aerospace Welding — continues to focus on these key aspects.
Saying he is “excited about the portfolio,” Frigge focused on the companies’ innovative products and on safety. Hartzell announced the release of a new series of short safety-oriented videos to be released, starting with firewall-forward topics broken into four-to-six-minute segments. Each video will qualify for FAA WINGS training credit. A sample was shown, and the results look both interesting and well paced — a key aspect in today’s content-driven world of consumption.
Several product innovation releases were reviewed.
A five-bladed carbon propeller for the Kodiak 100 with a measured rpm reduction from 2200 to 2000 with no loss in climb or cruise performance, a weight savings of 13 pounds, a 5 percent reduction in takeoff distance, and a 6 dB reduction in noise was introduced. Frigge described the prop as “a little bit unique.”
Released for the Diamond DA40 NG was the Polaris. The new prop will be offered as a factory option at Diamond in early fall 2023 and is a Bantam series — a lightweight, three-bladed carbon fiber propeller offering quiet operation at 74 dB, an increase of 3 knots in cruise performance, and a six-year, 2,400hour warranty.
Also announced was a Wipaire Caravan STC — the Yukon four-bladed carbon fiber propeller with a 110-inch scimitar design that offers 25 percent shorter takeoff and a 5-knot increase in cruise performance. The Yukon also provides a 20-pound weight savings
with a six-year, 2,400-hour warranty. The STC will cover Cessna C-208 and C-208B models with an STC expected in the third quarter of 2023.
Hartzell will be offering a carbon blended airfoil for Van’s RV series aircraft. The new prop will provide the same market-leading performance as the blended airfoil metal propeller (7497 blade). The new two-bladed Raptor series composite propeller provides a 20-pound weight savings and has been tested on 390/360 stock engines. It is available in 74- and 72-inch diameters.
There is a $500 Hartzell discount through 2023 with a total $1,500 discount for a Hartzell/Lycoming bundle through Van’s aircraft. Frigge mentioned that the “Van’s world with so many different engines and airframes” remains a key market focus, with unique challenges.
A new area of focus for Hartzell is product innovation in the electric/ hybrid, advanced air mobility, and unmanned aerial vehicle market segments. Frigge refers to Hartzell’s work as “a very deep investment in this world.”
Hartzell announced the release of a new series of short safetyoriented videos to be released, starting with firewall-forward topics broken into four- to sixminute segments. Each video will qualify for FAA WINGS training credit.
Finally, Frigge circled back to the Top Prop program, sharing that Hartzell has had 30,000 deliveries in 30 years with broad offerings across general aviation. Hartzell continues to offer performance advantages with an industry-leading warranty all the way through first overhaul.
Recent challenges in industrywide supply chain issues now have much improved lead times, with two weeks or less on metal props. Frigge also shared a heartfelt “thank you” to the industry for its ongoing support.
More information can be found at HartzellProp.com and Hartzell.aero.
STEVE TAYLOR AND his team have been playing one big chess game this EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, and it’s been a winning game for those attending the weeklong convention and fly-in.
Steve, EAA director of facilities, and his team have had to expand Camp Scholler three times, reposition a parking lot, and move an admissions gate as crowds came in larger than the present facilities allowed.
“Making changes on the fly is the nature of the game,” Steve said. “It doesn’t pay to get distraught about it since it just means that it will take longer to complete and make it more difficult for people to buy in [to the change].”
Steve said the campground was expanded into property that EAA had set aside for future use. “We had planned to use it for parking, but that changed rapidly as the influx of campers came into Camp Scholler.”
He estimated their crew added about 1,500 camping sites, and he thanked the campers for their patience as they waited in the registration queue so they could add trash containers and portable toilets, and get the campsites properly marked in the new area.
“It’s just easier to do those things before the campers set up,” Steve said. And thinking of the logistics before the campers move in also allows them to make sure things make sense and flow properly, such as how people will get to the gate or buses, or ensure admission is prepared for an influx of people.
And once people start arriving, staff has to be there to position them so fire lanes are maintained and the space is used efficiently, he added.
Steve said he always has ideas how some of their land could be used when it is needed. “It’s like a chess match. If I make this move, I have to think what will happen next. But it’s fun, and I enjoy this. We have a great team of support staff and maintenance … that do whatever needs to be done.”
Many of the changes made this week were in EAA’s long-term master plan. “We’re just institutionalizing things a little bit earlier, and we’ll use this as a test model to see how things work.”
Steve said he thinks the Green Lot, just off Knapp Street Road, south of Ultralights, will give visitors good access to the site from the south. In addition, they won’t need buses to take people to the grounds since they can just walk down Knapp to get to the trams. The area is also home to the extended camping area.
By Tuesday afternoon, the lot was ready for use, he said. Steve estimates there will be room for 3,000 cars in the lot, which will likely be used starting Friday.
“We’re in good shape,” Steve said, admitting there still may be more surprises. “After all, this is AirVenture and it’s always an adventure. But this is where the long days pay off. All of these changes are made for the members, to make their experience more valuable and enjoyable.”
“We’re in good shape. After all, this is AirVenture, and it’s always an adventure.”
Steve Taylor
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PENFED CREDIT UNION officials announced Wednesday that the company will give out a $10,000 annual scholarship to one youth who aspires to become a pilot but doesn’t have the financial means to do so.
PenFed’s senior vice president/ CMO Gaurav Bhatia said the company, which started in 1935, has been energized by EAA and its members, and they decided to “help nurture the next generation to pursue their pilot’s license.”
Bhatia said the company is always thinking of what they can do for their members. “We saw the need for this type of scholarship,” he said, adding that the $10,000 award should be a significant help in paying for the cost of earning a private pilot certificate.
“A lot of people come to us and say they love flying, but that taking flight lessons is a financial burden to them,” he said. The scholarship is just a first step to help them achieve their dreams.
Youths under 18 can apply for the flight-training scholarship starting in November at EAA.org. You do not need to be a member of PenFed to apply, and applicants will be judged on both financial need and merit.
Samantha Weiss, senior manager of brand marketing, said: “We don’t want to have strict guidelines on who can qualify for the scholarship. We want people to feel eligible and empowered to apply.”
All information about the scholarship will be distributed through the Young Eagles network, and PenFed will be involved in selecting the scholarship recipient, Weiss said.
“We’re happy to give back to the community and help make dreams come true,” she said. “PenFed feels a strong corporate responsibility to give back to the community.”
While the winners will not be required to report back on their training progress, Weiss hopes the youths will keep the company informed about their achievements. “We want to build a community and network, and we think this is a wonderful first step.”
The second largest credit union in the United States with 2.9 million members, PenFed is a Gold Sponsor of EAA this year, and is sponsoring the Saturday night air show and fireworks, as well as other events. It is located in Booth 270 between Hangar A and Hangar C.
“We want to build a community and network, and we think this is a wonderful first step.”
Samantha Weiss
WHATEVER YOUR INTEREST in aircraft building is, there is a free workshop at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh to show you the techniques, tools, and skill set required.
The Builders Education Center and Workshop Volunteer Center offers classroom areas and workshops, and is included with AirVenture daily admission. Programs include metal forming, fabric covering, composite construction techniques, both gas and TIG welding, as well as sheet metal and wood workshops.
The Workshops Plaza is located just north of the control tower and east of Knapp Street, adjacent to the forums area. To participate just stop by, and if there is an
open seat, sit down. Most workshops start with a lecture followed by a hands-on session, and run from 8:30 a.m. until about 11:30 a.m. and then from 1 p.m. to about 3:30 p.m. daily.
Workshop times and specifics may be found in AirVenture Today, on the EAA Events app on your mobile device, or online at EAA.org > AirVenture > Features & Attractions > Workshops and Forums.
Carl Franz, chairman emeritus of the Builders Education Center and the 2021 recipient of the Tony Bingelis Award, sat down with AirVenture Today to discuss the workshops. Each offers an experience to see what building or restoring an aircraft is all about and includes both classroom lecture and hands-on learning.
Carl added that EAA offers additional resources for builders — the EAA Flight Advisor program is “underutilized” and has flight advisors to reduce accidents on first flights. The program is designed to increase sport aviation safety by developing a corps of volunteers who have demonstrated expertise in specific areas of flying, and these volunteers are available to EAA members who may be preparing to fly an unfamiliar aircraft.
The EAA Flight Test Manual and Flight Test Cards have “reduced the need” for the program. Carl said flight advisors are like the “Maytag repairman” — they just don’t get calls. He has been a flight advisor for 20 years and said he has received maybe six calls.
Carl also discussed the EAA Technical Counselor program, saying “a lot of people are building planes.” The program offers experienced builders, restorers, and mechanics who can provide guidance to new builders as they work toward completing their aircraft. Both the Flight Advisor and Technical Counselor programs are free to EAA members.
BY BARBARA A. SCHMITZ AIRVENTURE TODAY STAFF
EAA CEO AND Chairman of the Board Jack J. Pelton said there was a lot to celebrate for EAA’s 70th anniversary as the organization has grown from its “humble beginning of getting people together with a like-minded interest in homebuilding” to a “place that includes all aviation.”
At the EAA annual membership meeting, held Wednesday in Theater in the Woods, Jack said, “No other organization is like EAA that represents the total aviation industry.”
In some good news, Pelton said EAA has spent much time and effort working with regulatory agencies on MOSAIC (the Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certificates), and the rulemaking package is expected to contain changes to the lightsport aircraft and sport pilot regulations.
A key change includes changing the entry-level sport pilot certificate to allow the operation of larger, more capable aircraft. “EAA has done a lot of
wonderful work getting legislative work done in the past,” Jack said. “But this one, over the next couple of decades, will have the largest impact on general aviation,” he predicted.
Jack also said the House reauthorization bill is currently being worked on, with funding set to expire in September. But this is the first time that general aviation is called out specifically in the bill, he said.
In addition, EAA Treasurer Stuart Auerbach reported that fiscal 2023 financial results were strong, despite the downturn in investment markets.
In fiscal 2023, EAA generated $46 million in income, down $2.1 million or 4.5 percent from fiscal 2022. But $22.1 million of the total income from operations was attributed to AirVenture 2022, which exceeded the prior year by $2.8 million, Auerbach said.
On the expense side, EAA incurred nearly $46 million of operating expenses in fiscal 2023, an increase of $6.5 million or 16 percent over the prior year, he said. The increase in expenses was
due to expanded services, features and attractions, as well as inflation, for AirVenture 2022, and a reactivation of programs that had been on hold during the pandemic.
“EAA’s management and the board believe that the organization has weathered the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Auerbach said. “EAA posted strong results in both fiscal 2022 and fiscal 2023 and is back on track producing sustainable cash flow and restoring an appropriate level of liquidity.”
In other news:
Seven directors were re-elected to the EAA board of directors: Jeremy Behler, Ben Diachun, Mike Goulian, Keith Kocourek, David Pasahow, Lacey Pittman, and Charlie Precourt.
EAA membership continues to grow. Members numbered 270,000 on March 1, and the number is now at 291,583.
EAA’s B-17 has a crack and is grounded while they have parts manufactured. It will be a long time before it is flying again, Pelton said.
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.
July 1990: The highly secretive F-117 Nighthawk visits EAA Oshkosh for the first time.
May 1992: EAA unveils its new Young Eagles program at a news conference in Washington, D.C., and Academy Awardwinning actor Cliff Robertson is announced as the program’s first chairman.
July 1992: The first Young Eagles flights take place at EAA Oshkosh, with the goal of providing 1 million flights by the centennial of flight in 2003.
March 1994: EAA’s B-17 Flying Fortress Aluminum Overcast leaves on its first national tour.
July 1994: EAA’s Flight Advisors program is announced at EAA Oshkosh, which allows experienced homebuilders and restorers to provide counsel to homebuilding and aircraft restoration newcomers. Also in 1994, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the moon landing, 15 Apollo astronauts, including Buzz Aldrin, Neil Armstrong, and Jim Lovell, attend EAA Oshkosh.
1995: EAA’s Aviation Medical Examiner Pilot Advocates program is launched. This
program allows doctors to begin advising pilots who may be having trouble obtaining their medical certificates.
1998: EAA’s Air Academy Lodge, which serves as headquarters and lodging for the Air Academy educational camps, is completed. 1999: EAA establishes the Homebuilt Aircraft Council to better serve the needs of the expanding homebuilt aircraft community.
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.
AS THE WORLD’S first supersonic jet trainer, the T-38 entered service with the U.S. Air Force in 1961 and is still used to train future fighter pilots. Meanwhile, the F-5 Freedom Fighter is the light fighter developed from Northrop’s N-156 design that was also the basis for the T-38. While the F-5 was primarily exported to foreign air forces, it did see limited action early in the war in Vietnam with the U.S. Air Force, flying 2,100 sorties over the course of two years. The remaining aircraft in Southeast Asia were transferred to the Republic of Vietnam Air Force.
A MID-1950S DESIGN, the H-34 Choctaw helicopter was designed for the U.S. Navy for anti-submarine warfare purposes, but it was also used by the Marine Corps and Army. During Vietnam, the USMC initially operated the H-34 as a gunship, though this experiment didn’t last long, and the Marines went back to using it for what it did best — hauling heavy loads of troops and materiel. The Army didn’t operate the H-34 in Vietnam, though a small number were supplied to the Republic of Vietnam Air Force.
THE TWIN-TURBOPROP OV-1 entered service in the late 1950s with the U.S. Army as a light attack and observation aircraft, with the aircraft serving in those roles during the Vietnam War. In 1968, a Mohawk flown by Capt. Ken Lee downed a MiG-17, becoming the first and only Army aviator to shoot down a MiG. The OV-1 served with the Army for many years following Vietnam, finally getting retired in 1996.
A member of the Huey family, the AH-1 (also known as the Huey Cobra) entered service with the U.S. Army in 1967 and was used as an attack helicopter throughout the conflict. During the war, the type racked up more than 1 million operational hours, providing fire support to ground forces, escorting transport helicopters, and teaming up with the Loach on “hunter-killer” missions. The Army withdrew the Cobra from active service in 1999, though the Marine Corps continues to operate the AH-1Z Viper, a modernized variant of the AH-1.
THE EAA AIRVENTURE Oshkosh 2022 “One Week Wonder” has returned to the roost and is on display all week in the Homebuilders Hangar.
Charlie Becker, EAA director of chapters and homebuilding, said, “Last year, we built a Sonex Waiex as part of the One Week Wonder. This year, the aircraft is back on display in the homebuilders Hangar. The more than 2,000 people who … helped pull a rivet on the aircraft, their names are now on the wings. If they want to, they can come by and find their names.”
The Waiex has been painted using the paint scheme created by Craig
Barnett, CEO of Scheme Designers Inc., from the 2022 Pick the Paint contest sponsored by Sherwin-Williams Aerospace Coatings. For those who participated, this is a fantastic opportunity to see the completed aircraft.
Painted by Meyers Aviation in Oshkosh, the One Week Wonder project was sponsored by Rotax, Sonex Aircraft, MGL Avionics, Sherwin-Williams, and Aircraft Spruce & Specialty.
Charlie added, “Come by and check it out!” The Homebuilders Hangar is open daily until 5 p.m., and is located just northeast of the forums, near Eide Street and Waukau Avenue.
The 2022 One Week Wonder was presented by Sonex Aircraft and Rotax and supported by AeroLEDs, Aircraft
Specialty Flightlines, Aircraft Spruce & Specialty, Crow Safety Gear, David Clark, EarthX Batteries, Flightline Interiors, FlyONSPEED, MGL Avionics, Midwest Panel Builders, Sandia Aerospace,
Scheme Designers, Sensenich Propeller, Sherwin-Williams Aerospace Coatings, Toucan Exhaust, True Blue Power, uAvionix, and WB Parts Express.
EILEEN BJORKMAN SAID there have been a lot of books written about female aviators known as Women Airforce Service Pilots in World War II, as well as books written by younger women who have flown in combat the last 25 years.
“But there are very few books about the women of my generation who were the ones who kicked open the door to flying in combat,” she said.
Add one more to the list. A retired Air Force colonel and a flight test engineer in the Air Force who has flown in 25 different aircraft, Bjorkman wrote The Fly Girls Revolt: The Story of the Women Who Kicked Open the Door to Fly in Combat, which came out in May.
She is signing copies this week, including a 9-9:45 a.m. session on Saturday at the Authors Corner in the EAA Wearhouse.
Bjorkman has published two other books, Unforgotten in the Gulf of Tonkin and The Propeller Under the Bed, but The Fly Girls Revolt is a much more personal story, she said.
“It was time to tell this story. It was a recognition that my generation isn’t getting any younger, and we need to tell these stories now.”
The role of women in the 1970s and ’80s was changing quickly, and many women didn’t want to draw attention to themselves, she said.
SATURDAY, JULY 29, 9-9:45 A.M.
“They wanted to stay out of the limelight, and I think a lot of people were not aware of what women were doing and their stories were forgotten,” Bjorkman said. “It’s a good time to bring those stories back to get their collective experiences and keep them for posterity.”
When Bjorkman went into the Air Force in 1980, women were not allowed to fly in combat. So instead she became a flight test engineer.
“I had a front row seat and know what women went through to get there,” she said.
Her favorite part of the book is the chapter on Desert Storm and Desert Shield.
“It was a real turning point,” she said. “I think the door would have opened, but it was such a catalyst and women did so many amazing things during that war.”
Bjorkman knows her book is an important part of history, because women in the military have told her so. “The most touching one was from the first operational female F-22 pilot; she reached out to me and thanked me for writing the book.”
BROTHERS RODNEY AND Steve Jarrell aren’t veterans, but they had friends who were and never got the respect they deserved. So the two decided to do something about it.
After building an RV-10 and RV-14, they each had their airplanes, named Liberty and Freedom, respectively, painted to salute the U.S. armed forces and veterans.
Rodney, EAA 1132855, of Phoenix, Arizona, and Steve, EAA 866295, of Hendersonville, North Carolina, finished building their airplanes in 2016 and 2021. Rodney’s airplane has been displayed at AirVenture in the past, but the paint job on Steve’s plane was just finished on July 1, making AirVenture its first big public appearance.
“I’ve been to a couple air shows with Rodney, and veterans normally don’t say a word; they walk around and just take it in,” Steve said. “This isn’t about us or the planes’ pretty paint jobs. It’s about the message those planes represent: to support our troops, past, present, and future, and our veterans’ families.”
Rodney said he originally didn’t know how he wanted to paint his airplane, but after meeting with John Stahr of Artistic Aviation, eventually decided on the military theme. And Steve liked Rodney’s paint job so much he decided to do a similar theme. It took Stahr 16 days, 14 hours a day, to finish Steve’s paint job, which includes the message, “May we never forget that freedom isn’t free.”
Rodney’s airplane features faces of each branch of the military, including U.S. Army Gen. George Patton and Jeannie Leavitt, the U.S. Air Force’s first female fighter pilot. But his favorite is “Chesty” Puller, a U.S. Marine Corps officer and the most decorated Marine in U.S. history. The bottom of the wings includes a ribbon with the words “God bless our troops,” and on his cowling is a picture of a soldier guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery.
Steve’s airplane tells more of a story, from Colonial times to present day, and includes an immature eagle on one side, with Betsy Ross’ flag, George Washington crossing the Delaware, and Paul Revere’s famous ride. The other side includes a mature eagle with six Marines raising the flag at Iwo Jima and Arlington cemetery with a horse-drawn caisson. On the cowling is the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
Their airplanes can be found throughout the week just north of Forum Building 5. To learn more about their airplanes and the symbolism, scan the QR code on the sign near the airplane.
“It’s about the message those planes represent: to support our troops, past, present, and future, and our veterans’ families.”
Steve Jarrell
BY BARBARA A. SCHMITZ AIRVENTURE TODAY STAFF
CHARLES “COWBOY” CRINNIAN thought he was just one of the presenters in a Tuesday forum, and the surprised look on his face made it clear he didn’t have a clue about what was happening.
Ken Knopp, FAA deputy regional administrator, New England, stepped on stage to supposedly answer an audience member’s question. But instead he gave Charles the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award, named in honor of Orville and Wilbur Wright. “It is the most prestigious award given to pilots, who must have 50 years of safe flying history,” Knopp said.
Charles said he had been told his nomination for the award was hung up in paperwork, so he was especially surprised to get it now, and at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh.
“This is everything aviation, and aviation has been my life,” Charles said. “It couldn’t have been given to me at a better venue.”
Charles said he became interested in flight as a child. “I was in Boy Scouts and my troop did a joint ground school with the Civil Air Patrol,” he recalled. After that, he dropped Scouts and started mowing lawns at $4 a yard to earn the $8 it would take for him to pay for a half-hour of flight instruction.
“And things just took off from there,” he said.
Charles has multiple ratings in commercial, instrument, multiengine, flight instruction, and more, and he has flown 18 different airplanes as pilot in command. He is also a senior aviation medical examiner and active in volunteer pilot organizations.
Knopp said about 8,000 people have received the award in the last 30 years; coincidentally, three other award winners were in the forum audience.
Charles has advice for new pilots. “Don’t get overconfident,” he said. “Put together a go/no-go decision matrix and follow that, remembering you can always get there tomorrow. Nothing is so important to put your airplane or your life on the line.”
“It is the best career or avocation in the world.” — Charles Crinnian
He also encourages youths to take a Young Eagles flight and get jobs so they can afford flight lessons and earn the privilege of becoming an aviator. “It is the best career or avocation in the world.”
THREE GENERATIONS OF PILOTS in one family are fully immersed in aviation, so much so that to them coming to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh is a family reunion.
Donald Duck grew up around aviation. When he was 5 years old he built model airplanes and received his first airplane ride in a Cub. After some time, Donald’s father bought a Cub himself. Donald did most of the flying when his dad purchased the Cub, and he went on to join the Air Force. He became an EAA member in 1968.
Eventually Donald met his wife, Karen, and introduced her to the world of aviation. Karen always flew with Donald and was his biggest supporter. Karen and Donald have volunteered in South Maintenance for 20-25 years and have loved every second of it.
When Donald and Karen decided it was time to start a family, they made sure their children had the opportunity to be involved with aviation. Their oldest son, Donald Scott, who goes by Scott, has always admired his father’s love for aviation. With that in mind, Scott wanted his dad to see the Cub his dad acquired in the 1960s attend AirVenture. Donald tore the Cub down in 1972, and the restoration began in 2006. After a lengthy rebuild, last Tuesday, July 18, was the first test flight. The family’s youngest son, Craig, got checked out in it, and after that, the family set out for AirVenture.
The trip was made from Edwardsburg, Michigan, with Scott flying a Piper PA-17 Vagabond and his son, Craig, flying the Piper J-3 Cub.
Donald and Karen’s second-oldest son, Tim, watched his dad’s reaction as his airplanes flew in. Even though it was nerve-wracking for Scott and Craig as they flew the airplanes in, Tim thought it was all worth it when he saw the smile it brought to their dad’s face.
“To see him come in here with the two of them and the Cub, the smile on his face,” Tim said, “I thought when they first came in, it was worth a lifetime.”
“To see him break down in tears when we got there made it all worthwhile,” Craig added.
The family loves attending AirVenture year after year because they get to see friends who have become family and spend time with their immediate family. The whole family,
including the kids, parents, wives, and grandkids, all give their time to volunteer during AirVenture. They all value family connections and relationships, so when AirVenture comes around, it is a chance to have quality time together. They love what the event brings to them and everything it has done for their family.
“The group we work with is a family; the people make us want to volunteer year after year,” Karen said, “I love when the family is around; family is very important to us.”
“There is a couple that is with our group, they have no background in aviation,” Donald said, “but they come up here and have a good time volunteering.”
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EAA would like to thank its sponsors for their support in making your convention special
A NOTICE OF PROPOSED RULEMAKING (NPRM) from the FAA, titled Public Aircraft Logging of Flight Time, Training in Certain Aircraft Holding Special Airworthiness Certificates, and Flight Instructor Privileges, was published in the Federal Register in June. Among several rule changes, the NPRM proposes to codify the ability to train, without any further FAA authorization, in experimental, limited, and primary category aircraft when the use of aircraft is not being offered for hire to a third party as part of the instruction.
Under the proposed rule, letters of deviation authority (LODA) would continue to permit certain types of training where the aircraft is offered for hire. This has allowed and would continue to allow training operations to offer transition training to appropriately rated members
of the flying public where the use of an experimental aircraft is compensated.
Another significant rule change proposed in the NPRM is the removal of a prohibition on experimental light-sport aircraft to be used in compensated training operations. Over the years, this restriction has severely limited the availability of suitable aircraft for ultralight training. With an appropriate LODA, these aircraft would once again be legal for training prospective ultralight pilots. This is a long-awaited change first proposed in 2018 in an NPRM that was later withdrawn and combined with this new rulemaking initiative.
The NPRM, like most rulemaking documents, is complex. EAA is reviewing the document in detail and will provide appropriate comments. The FAA will accept comment for 60 days.
ON TUESDAY, JULY 25, EAA’s Type Club Coalition (TCC) held its annual meeting at AirVenture. Some common themes were on this year’s agenda, including insurance challenges, transition training, the additional pilot program for E-AB aircraft, and task-based flight testing.
Jeff Edwards, Ph.D., airline transport pilot, and founder of the Lancair Owners and Builders Organization (LOBO), shared the type club’s “worst to first” story. LOBO was formed in late 2008 in response to the aircraft type’s accident rate — that year there were 11 fatal U.S. Lancair accidents. The LOBO training program began in early 2009, and since that time, the accident rate has steadily dropped. In 2023, there have been no U.S. fatal accidents for 25 months, and there have been no fatal Lancair Phase I accidents since AC 90-116 was released in 2014.
LOBO solved a real-world problem with data, training, and quality-control processes, and has shared the information across the E-AB community via the TCC.
During follow-up discussions, Tom Turner of the American Bonanza Society (ABS), a longtime member
of the TCC and promoter of training for pilots and owners, stated that type clubs and owners “continue to navigate the challenging environment of training and insurance challenges.”
Minard Thompson of the International Birddog Association reviewed the challenges of a type without realistic transition training opportunities due to the unique nature of the aircraft type. Thompson shared that a recent spate of accidents continues to prove that “you can’t fix stupid.”
Tom Charpentier, government relations director at EAA, shared with the TCC that the current year accident statistics continue to look good and remain below the FAA’s “not-to-exceed” threshold. “We are on pace to have a very good year.”
New safety initiatives from EAA were released, including a publication aimed at nonbuilder E-AB owners. The guide will be free and is currently in the final editing stages.
TCC chairman Coyle Schwab told AirVenture Today, “AirVenture offers a unique opportunity for aircraft owners and pilots to meet with regulators and discuss their perspectives on issues that impact safety. Today’s meeting was very productive. I’m grateful to the type club representatives, the FAA, and EAA for the forum.”
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STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY KAITLIN PIETTE AIRVENTURE TODAY STAFF
WES EDWARDS FROM North Dakota has been attending EAA AirVenture Oshkosh for three years now. He’s been a member of EAA since 1991 and flies a tailwheel Piper PA-11. Wes has never flown into AirVenture but each year has camped for the week at Camp Scholler. During the week, Wes likes to visit the Vintage, Ultralights, and Homebuilt areas.
DAVE JOYNER FROM Sylacauga, Alabama, is attending AirVenture for the first time! He served in the Navy Seabees for 30 years and has always wanted to fly. Now retired, Dave has more time to fulfill his dream and is building a kit plane. He plans to visit Zenith Aircraft to pick up a horizontal tail section for his STOL CH 750, and he’s hoping to buy a Viking 130 or 150 for his airplane too. He looks forward to viewing the Warbirds, visiting Vintage, and seeing authentic military aircraft.
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 long-term 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.
The Ryan Aeronautical Co. introduced the ST, or Sport Trainer, in 1934, followed soon thereafter by the ST-A Super Sport, which was equipped with a 125-hp Menasco C-4 engine. The Guatemalan Air Force bought six of the airplanes in 1938, designated ST-M and including larger cockpit cutouts and two wing-mounted Lewis machine guns. The museum’s example was built from parts of those ST-Ms after World War II, and it was later restored in Guatemalan Air Force colors and donated to EAA in 2003.
Now is your chance to pass the aviation torch by gifting an EAA membership to someone you feel will help carry on the legacy of EAA founder Paul Poberezny.
To thank you for sharing this membership, you will receive the following recognition items for the corresponding number of Legacy Memberships gifted.
by the EAA Member Center or visit EAA.org/Legacy to learn more!
Presented by:
A scholarship has been established within the EAA Aviation Foundation™ to recognize Tom’s impact and help a new generation of aviation enthusiasts pursue their aviation goals. Contributions will extend the legacy of Tom Poberezny, who was dedicated to the world of flight and inspiring people of all ages to be a part of it. Visit EAA.org/Poberezny
Aviation Gateway Park is your headquarters for education, careers, and networking with aviation companies and industries.
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. — Mary Shipko, The Firsts: Women Pilots and How They Changed the Airlines
10 a.m. — Mike O’Connor, Badger Aces
11 a.m. — John Lancaster, The Great Air Race Noon — Adam Makos, Devotion
1 p.m. — Michelle Curran, Upside Down Dreams
2 p.m. — Brian Smith, Soaring to Glory
3 p.m. — Scott Thompson, Final Cut
4 p.m. — John Lancaster, The Great Air Race
5 p.m. — Wayne Mutza, The U.S. Air Force Air Rescue Service and The A-1 Skyraider in Vietnam
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.
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. Our new museum store, the ___________ Boutique.
2. Don’t miss the EAA Aviation ______ while you’re here.
3. One tells you to rock your wings; another says, “Welcome to Oshkosh.”
4. Good old stick-and-______ skills.
5. The Dutch designer who built a triplane.
8. Not all airplanes have them; they come down in degrees.
ACROSS:
3. Stay connected with aviation by joining your local EAA _______.
6. This British company built Taylorcrafts and more.
7. Eddie and Katherine _______.
9. Don Luscombe worked here before starting his own company.
10. A unit of speed, but not statute.
11. The “bent-wing bird.”
12. Before Oshkosh, it was ________.
DOWN
1. Fuselage
2. Young Eagles
4. Sky
6. Oshkosh
9. Takeoff
$100 per ticket – Only 1,500 tickets available
Proceeds support the youth education activities of EAA, including EAA’s Young Eagles program, which has provided more than 2.2 million youths with a free first flight since 1992.
The 2022 Ford Mustang is provided with the support of Kocourek Ford, Wausau, Wisconsin.
ACROSS
3. Aluminum Overcast
5. Green Dot
7. Yoke
8. Stay 10. Cockpit
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. A longtime friend of EAA, this legendary broadcaster told us the rest of the story.
2. In The Adventures of Aviore comic book, what is Aviore’s alter-ego Perry’s last name?
3. (Just) before the move to Oshkosh, in what city were EAA’s headquarters and museum located?
ONLY 3,000 raffle tickets are available | $100 per ticket EAA.org/AircraftRaffle
AFTER 42 SHORT hops in six days, 14-year-old Alina Scott made her first trip to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh all the way from South Carolina in her Aerolite 103 ultralight!
Alina was born into the world of aviation. Growing up in Virginia, her family always made it a priority to attend AirVenture. Her father is a pilot, so throughout her aviation journey, her dad has provided reassurance that she can achieve great things. Although her mom is not a pilot, she supports Alina wholeheartedly.
Alina started by flying paragliders to see if aviation was something she wanted to pursue. Even though her first flight in a paraglider did not go as planned, she knew this was something she wanted to continue and improve.
Eventually, she tried her hand at flying an ultralight. Her first flight was in an Aerolite 103, the same model she flew to AirVenture. After she reached this
“Once you’re done, you realize you did it, and it was not impossible. I can do more.” — Alina Scott
milestone, her determination and perseverance only grew.
“Because I accomplished this, now I feel like I can accomplish more. I am not saying it was easy to get here, but once you are done with it, you are like, ‘That is it!’” Alina said. “It takes patience, which is the hard part, but once you’re done, you realize you did it, and it was not impossible. I can do more.”
Alina has been coming to AirVenture since she was born. She loves attending because it is always an action-packed event. She sees it as a place where everyone can find something they enjoy, from cooking shows to jewelry booths to air shows and demonstrations. She always takes away information she can use to grow in her aviation career.
Arriving several days before the start of AirVenture, Alina stayed at a hotel but prefers camping. “When we were at the hotel, this didn’t feel like Oshkosh yet. We camped out on Sunday night; it was the first day that felt like Oshkosh. You have to walk to breakfast, walk to the showers, the trainer for P-51 [T-6] flying by waking up everyone, and the guy who yodels on the speakers — it is all a tradition for people at AirVenture.”
The future is bright for Alina, as she plans to continue mastering her craft of flying. She wants to keep improving and accomplishing everything she can in aviation, and hopes to soon earn her pilot certificate. Eventually, she wants to join the Air Force and be fully immersed in aviation. And, of course, she wants to keep attending AirVenture for years to come
Friday, July 28
9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
• All About Angle of Attack
• Winds and Weather Theory
10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
• E3 - Expanded Envelope Exercises
• Beyond the Approach Plate Numbers
• Checklists: So Basic, Yet So Improperly Used!
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
• Why do we Suck at Safety?
• Improving the Culture of Flight Instruction: Eliminating a Mindset of Apathy
1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
• The Primary Controls
• Answers to Your Maintenance and Systems Questions
2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
• The Kings on Straight Talk About Aviation Safety
• Learn to Turn
3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
• When Are You Too Old to Fly?
• RMK-able METARs
Presented by:
PRIMARY LOGO EDUCATION AND OUTREACHCELEBRATING ITS 40TH anniversary this year, Air Academy program manager Scott Cameron said, “It’s a privilege and an honor to have youth from all over the country come here to Oshkosh each summer to participate in one of the best youth aviation summer camps available. We have hundreds of former campers now working throughout the aviation industry in exciting and rewarding ways.”
As EAA concludes the 30th anniversary of Young Eagles flights, Program Manager David Leiting notes that EAA chapters have flown nearly 2.5 million youths since its launch in 1992, with thousands of current aviation professionals giving credit to a Young Eagles flight for setting them on their career path.
Today, in response to the current critical and growing talent shortages throughout the world in the aviation and aerospace industries, EAA continues to work to help encourage young people to get involved. Working with many aviation and aerospace organizations, EAA’s education team works diligently to develop relationships and
opportunities for youths to engage in fun activities that open new possibilities for learning skills and creating paths into exciting future careers.
EAA’s new Youth Education Center, which opened last year, is bringing better-than-ever hands-on activities and events for regional schools and youth groups to experience.
“We offer a wide variety of fun and thought-provoking programming in our Youth Education Center, designed to give kids of all ages a look into aviation and the truly thrilling possibilities for their futures,” said Alyssa Horpedahl, program manager for the YEC.
Learn more at EAA.org/Youth and EAA.org/Education.
The EAA education department wishes to acknowledge and thank key relationships, including Airbus, AMA, AOPA, Estes Rockets, the FAA, Flite Test, Gulfstream, HondaJet, Horizon Hobbies, NASA, NEXTGEN Aviators, NOAA, Siemens AG, United Airlines, and the U.S. Air Force, for their support of EAA educational programming.
aboard one of EAA’s unique Flight Experiences
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!
@pilotoverpnw
Today I was able to scratch another bucket list item…I flew on a B29 bomber. “Doc” is one of two Boeing B29 Superfortress that are still flying. I sat in the Pilot Observer seat, so I was across from the flight engineer and behind the left-seat pilot - the perfect vantage point to see all the action. The crew was fantastic - encouraged us to get up and explore the plane once we were in the air, and gave us time to go all over once we landed. More pics and video to follow…
@n282rv Osh 23! With another first timer! Kay kay and
hei! That dumb bird is always scared! First time on 36 right, first go around at OSH, always a good time when you get to fly more at the big show! #OSH23!
