Aviation Celebration World’s Greatest
July 20 - July 26, 2015
A publication produced and distributed by Oshkosh Northwestern Media
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AIRVENTURE 2015
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Survival 2015 From the AirVenture experts at EAA, we relay this advice on planning your visit: Slather on the sunscreen. One thing is certain: Sunscreen works. Make sure you cover exposed areas of your body with at least an SPF 15. If you bring children, don’t forget to cover them as well.
2015
Admission Rates EAA runs from Monday, July 20, through Sunday, July 26.
ADULT EAA MEMBER Monday-Saturday $30 Sunday $17 Weekly $121 ADULT NONMEMBER Monday-Saturday $45 Sunday $22 NEW: Two consecutive days pass (must purchase two consecutive days July 20 through 26) $75 *EAA MEMBER GUEST (limit 1) Monday-Saturday $30 Sunday $17 Weekly $121
STUDENTS AGE 6-18 EAA MEMBER Monday-Saturday $19 Sunday $10 Weekly $60 STUDENT NON-MEMBER Monday-Saturday $24 Sunday $12 CHILDREN (5 and younger) FREE VETERANS/ACTIVE MILITARY Monday-Saturday $33 Sunday $22 Available only when purchased online.
CAMPING (basic campsite) Monday-Saturday $26 Sunday $26 Three-night minimum. CAMPING (electric and water hookup)
Monday-Saturday $60 Sunday $60
All electric and water campsites offered on a first-paid, first-served basis, and all days must be purchased from the time of purchase through Sunday, July 26.
PARKING EAA MEMBER Monday-Saturday $10 Sunday $10 Weekly $60 PARKING NON-MEMBER Monday-through Saturday $10 Sunday $10
*As an EAA member, you may purchase one adult weekly pass or up to seven daily admission tickets for yourself at the EAA member rate. You may also purchase one daily ticket or weekly pass for your spouse or guest at the EAA member rate for each daily or weekly admission ticket purchased for yourself.
Bring comfortable shoes. Take good care of your feet. Wear the most comfortable walking shoes you have. Exploring the grounds can add up to several miles during the course of one day. Wear a hat. Temperatures can range anywhere from the 60s to the 90s, but AirVenture usually has a stretch of very hot, humid weather. A hat can provide some protection from overheating. If, for some reason, you forget to bring one, there will be plenty of official EAA AirVenture Oshkosh hats available to buy. Use lip balm. Not many people think of this, but bring some preferably with SPF and apply often to prevent the sun from turning your lips into leather. Wear sunglasses. A fairly obvious item on your checklist, one for which your eyes will thank you. A neck strap also comes in handy. Check the forecast. If there’s a chance of rain during the day, CONTINUED on PAGE 4
This publication is produced and distributed by the Oshkosh Northwestern Media. GENERAL MANAGER/ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Karen Befus EDITOR Jim Fitzhenry LAYOUT & DESIGN Marie Rayome-Gill TOP PHOTO: Gene Soucy and Teresa Stoke amaze the crowd with their Showcat Wingwalk at the 2014 EAA AirVenture Airshow on July 31. Mark Ebert/Oshkosh Northwestern Media Early Sunday morning found many planes making their departure from the 2014 EAA AirVenture grounds as the last day still brought in spectators to close out the convention. Mark Ebert/Oshkosh Northwestern Media
Cover photos: A U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter from the 58th Fighter Squadron, 33rd Fighter Wing, Eglin AFB, Fla. navigates into position off the coast of Northwest Florida, May 13, 2013. The 33rd Fighter Wing is a joint graduate flying and maintenance training wing that trains Air Force, Marine, Navy and international partner operators and maintainers of the F-35 Lightning II. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. John R. Nimmo, Sr./RELEASED) DIGITAL Andrey Veselov photo The Skydiving Hall of Fame based in Fredericksburg, Va., will organize a 108-person jump team during EAA AirVenture. Airbus will bring its extra wide body passenger test aircraft to EAA for airshow flyover and appearance at Boeing Plaza. Courtesy EAA
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be prepared with a light jacket or poncho, a small umbrella and an extra pair of socks. Drink lots of water/bring a water bottle. Dehydration can hit even the heartiest AirVenture attendees, especially on hot afternoons. Nothing prevents dehydration as well as water, and bottled water is available. You can make good use of the many water fountains found throughout the grounds. Don’t rely on soft drinks to prevent dehydration.
Brian Dierks,18, left; and his brother Eric, 20, both of Austin, Texas, ride the shuttle bus from EAA AirVenture grounds to the EAA Museum. Oshkosh Northwestern Media photo.
Oshkosh transit system EAA Bus schedule Service Hours First bus from Gruenhagen Hall July 19 (Sunday) 7 a.m. July 20 (Monday) 6:30 a.m. July 21 (Tuesday) 6:30 a.m. July 22 (Wednesday) 6:30 a.m. July 23 (Thursday) 6:30 a.m. July 24 (Friday) 6:30 a.m. July 25 (Saturday) 6:30 a.m. July 26 (Sunday) 6:30 a.m.
Last bus from EAA Main Gate 7 p.m. 11 p.m. 11 p.m. 11 p.m. 11 p.m. 11 p.m. 11 p.m. 5:30 p.m.
Route Schedule (minutes after the hour) Stop Location Service Times A Scott/Gruenhagen halls :30 & :00 B EAA - Main Gate :00 & :30 C Wittman Airport :10 & :40 D Downtown Transit Center :20 & :50 More frequent service is provided during a.m. and p.m. peak travel times. Fares One-way cash fare or one-way ticket (exact fare required). $3 EAA bus pass $20 Riders younger than 6 ride free. EAA passes are sold in the Gruenhagen Conference Center at the UW-Oshkosh campus and on buses. Shuttle Buses Shuttle buses run from 6:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. daily. Museum/KidVenture – Bus departs Bus Park for KidVenture located at Pioneer Airport and swings over to EAA AirVenture Museum. Campground – Bus makes several stops through its loop through Camp Scholler en route to the Bus Park. North 40 – Bus route along North 40 perimeter road from Admission
TRAMS
Gate located near Warbirds to Knapp Street/20th Avenue. Seaplane Base – Departs south of Ultralights Area for the Seaplane Base, located in a cove along Lake Winnebago. $3 per rider round-trip. Trams Trams run 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily (unless noted), making several stops along three separate routes to help attendees move about the grounds. Red Tram – Route along Knapp Street and Vern Avenue through exhibit hangar area connects Vintage Area and Warbirds Area, passing along Forums and Workshops Area. Blue Tram – Route along Wittman Road connects Vintage Area with Ultralights Area and Seaplane Base shuttle bus stop. Green Tram (noon to 8 p.m.) – Route from FAA Control Tower to the Bus Park serves as a convenience for departing attendees. Source: EAA
Bring a camera and extra supplies. If you own a digital camera, extra batteries and memory cards are a smart investment. For film cameras, be sure to check your battery, have extras just to be safe and bring two more rolls of film than you plan to shoot. If you bring a video camera, make sure you have an extra tape or memory card and at least one fully charged spare battery. Watch the overhang! It’s natural to lean forward to look into the cockpit of your favorite aircraft, but wait just a second! Make sure the camera or sunglasses around your neck aren’t striking the aircraft. Those items can leave nasty scratches. Oshkosh rules apply. When you’re near aircraft, the rule is, “Always ask before touching.” For safety’s sake, eating and smoking are not allowed in the flight line or near airplanes. It is nearly impossible to see everything in one day, or even a week. Pace yourself and focus on what really interests you. Source: EAA
Kevin Slezewski, and his family, 13-year old Benjamin, Tracy, 11-year old Griffin and 8-year old Spencer set up early along the flight line so they can get front row seats to watch the Thunderbirds during the air show at AirVenture 2014. Oshkosh Northwestern Media photo.
AIRVENTURE 2015
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AirVenture 2015 Air Show Performers
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*Performers subject to change, check airventure.org for the latest schedule
Sean D. Tucker – EAA’s very own Young Eagles chairman, Tucker performs a high-energy aerobatic demonstration in the one-of-a-kind Oracle Challenger III biplane. Kyle Franklin – This year Franklin and his Super Cub return to perform his wingtip-draggin’ comedy act. Mike Goulian – One of the top air show performers in the world and a Red Bull Air Race competitor, Goulian will again thrill Oshkosh faithful with his Extra 330SC. AeroShell Aerobatic Team – The AeroShell Aerobatic Team brings its four North American T-6 Texans to Oshkosh again for both day and night air show performances. Bob Carlton – Flying the SubSonex jet, Carlton will display the precise aerobatic capabilities he has become famous for in his jetpowered glider. Joe Shetterly – Joe “Rifle” Shetterly is a military aviator who inspires others to fly, performing in his very special RV-8, N76540. Luca Bertossio – This sensational young aerobatic glider pilot from Italy is set to debut in Oshkosh this year. Stay tuned for more about this up-and-coming performer. Patty Wagstaff – Wagstaff is a sixtime member of the U.S. Aerobatic Team, a three-time U.S. National Aerobatic champion, and one of the most famous air show personalities of all time, flying the Extra 300. Rex & Melissa Pemberton – Melissa flies to 10,000 feet in her Edge 540, then husband Rex jumps out in his wingsuit and the two fly together in formation in this unique performance. Matt Younkin – Younkin, the first second-generation recipient of the Bill Barber Award for Showmanship, will fly in both day and night air shows in his famous twin-engine Beech 18. Rob Holland – Holland is the four-time defending U.S. National Aerobatic champion, and has 10,000 flight hours in more than 168 different aircraft types. See him perform at Oshkosh in the MXS-MH. Matt Chapman – Chapman flies the Eagle 580 and counts the Hillard Trophy, the IAC Championship, and the Fond du Lac Cup among his long
list of achievements. Gene Soucy & Teresa Stokes – Soucy flies three acts with his iconic Grumman Showcat biplane: a Hollywood-style smoke and noise solo routine, a wing-walking act with Stokes, and a night pyrotechnic performance called the Fireflight. Bill Stein – Stein flies the dazzling Zivko Edge 540, whose paint continuously changes color based on constantly varying angles between spectators, airplane and lighting. Skip Stewart – Stewart delights his audience with a high-energy solo demonstration flight in his highly modified Pitts S2S biplane, Prometheus 2. Jim Peitz – Peitz performs incredible low-level maneuvers in his aerobatic F33C Beechcraft Bonanza. Vicky Benzing – A veteran IAC aerobatic competitor, Benzing makes her EAA AirVenture Oshkosh debut this year performing in a Stearman. Greg Koontz – One of the greatest stick and rudder pilots in the air show business today, Koontz will perform in either the Xtreme Decathlon or with the Alabama Boys. Jerry Kerby – When not flying lead for the Black Diamond Jet Team, Jerry “Jive” Kerby demonstrates the capabilities of his RV-8 Wild Blue. Roger Buis – The OTTO helicopter entertains crowds with antics such as blowing bubbles, playing with his yo-yo and barrel racing. Buis also will fly OTTO with pyrotechnics in both night shows (Wednesday and Saturday). Kevin Coleman (Extra 330SC) – The extraordinary airplane, Extra 300SHP, has allowed Coleman to “think outside the box” to come up with many new and inventive maneuvers. Peter Davies (Calidus autogyro) – Watch as Davies takes this airplane, which is essentially a flying windmill or even a rotating parachute, through an aerobatics routine. Jeff Boerboon (Sasquatch) – Nicknamed Screamin’ Sasquatch, Boerboon takes his vintage biplane to new heights with a CJ 610 jet engine. Kirby Chambliss (Edge 540) – Chambliss goes full throttle in his
Night airshow wowed the crowd with its fireworks display. The Geico Skytyper in their SNJ’s demonstrated some military maneuvers during the 2014 EAA AirVenture Airshow on Wednesday. The 4CE perform during the air show the second day of AirVenture 2014. The USAF Thurderbirds take to the sky at the 2014 EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh on Friday. The USMC demonstrated the capabilities of the MV-22B Osprey at the 2014 EAA AirVenture Airshow in Oshkosh. OSHKOSH NORTHWESTERN MEDIA file photos.
aggressive and explosive aerobatic routine. The 4ce – Four is better than one. The 4CE team is made up of four different airplanes doing precise aerobatic maneuvers while flying in formation. Julie Clark (T-34) – Clark’s 35 years of aerobatic experience shines bright in her graceful and patriotic routine with her beautifully redone T-34 “Free Spirit.” Eagles skydiving formation group – The Hall of Fame’s 108-way skydiving team, known as the Eagles, will make three exhibition jumps in Oshkosh as part of an effort to set a new FAI skydiving world record. Sammy Mason (Pitts S-1S) – The youngest member of the US national Aerobatic team at 19, Mason
is a third generation aerobatic pilot treating AirVenture crowds to a special show for the first time with his Pitts S-1S. Team Aerostars (Yak 52 formation) – As this group of three military trainers soar through the air, they amaze with a combination of graceful aerobatics flown in tight formation, spectacular breakaways followed by breath-taking opposing passes. Scott Yoak (P-51) – As Yoak sores through the Oshkosh air in Quick Silver Bird P-51D, he reminds us to honor our troops past, present and future. Warbirds – The CAFs FIFI, P-51 Mustangs and many more Warbirds will perform during themed air shows Wednesday through Saturday.
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Kenny Loggins and the Blue Sky Riders play before a packed Boeing Plaza crowd July 28, capping off the first day of AirVenture 2014. Joe Sienkiewicz / Oshkosh Northwestern Media
Day-By-Day
EVENTS
For an event as large and varied as AirVenture, it is easy to be overwhelmed. Here are a few suggestions for can’t-miss events each day. This guide goes to print before the schedule is finalized, so check each day at airventure.org for changes.
Monday, July 20
Today’s theme: Opening Day Celebration – The World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration opens, with forums, air shows and the Airbus. The Airbus A350 XWB (short for “extra wide body”) will arrive today with an aerial demonstration during the afternoon air show. Daily air show: 2:30 to 6 p.m. Dierks Bentley, who has rocketed to the top tier of country music’s hitmakers, will get EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2015 week off to a great start when he headlines the fly-in’s popular opening night concert from 6 to 8:30 pm. Monday, July 20, on Boeing Plaza.
Tuesday, July 21
Today’s theme: Rutan Legacy Day – Legendary designer Burt Rutan returns to Oshkosh, with all owners of Rutan-design aircraft invited to participate. Also public tours of the Airbus A350 XWB at Boeing Plaza. Daily air show: 2:30 to 6 p.m.
John Peacock keeps his eye on welder Marty Torres of Park Ridge, IL while his son get a video of him welding at AirVenture 2014. Joe Sienkiewicz / Oshkosh Northwestern Media
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Wednesday, July 22
Today’s theme: Honoring Apollo 13 – Featuring astronauts Jim Lovell and Fred Haise, along with Mission Control’s Gene Kranz and other members of the NASA flight team. And the Airbus A350 XWB will perform another aerial demonstration during the air show, prior to its departure.
Saturday, July 25
Today’s theme: World War II Tribute – From the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain to the 70th anniversary of the end of the war, a look at the era through the eyes of aviation.
WomenVenture group photo: 11 to 11:15 a.m. in Boeing Plaza, all female pilots are encouraged to participate.
EAA Runway 5K Charity Run/Walk: a 3.1 mile route around the convention grounds starting at the Ultralight runway with proceeds benefiting Clarity Care located in Oshkosh. Each registration includes free daily admission to AirVenture. Event starts at 7 a.m.
Daily air show: 2:30 to 6 p.m.
Daily air show: 2:30 to 6 p.m.
Gathering of Eagles: This evening brings together 1,100 people of all ages, corporate and individual sponsors alike, into a transformed Eagle Hangar. Since its inception the goal of the event was to help fund EAA programs, including EAA’s flagship program –Young Eagles.
Night air show: 8 to 10 p.m.
Night air show: 8 to 10 p.m.
Thursday, July 23
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Sunday, July 26
Today’s theme: Only on Sunday – See aircraft flying in one place that can only be seen at Oshkosh and on this day. Daily air show: 1 to 4:30 p.m.
Today’s theme: Gateway to Innovation – The latest and greatest in aircraft design, unmanned aerial systems, and more. Daily air show: 2:30 to 6 p.m. Thursday night concert: The Presidents will perform from 6 to 9 p.m., in Boeing Plaza. The band formed in Wisconsin’s Fox Valley, and is one of the most requested party bands in the state.
Friday, July 22
Today’s theme: Salute to Veterans – Honoring those who served and are serving, with a special Friday night concert on Boeing Plaza. On Friday morning, the Yellow Ribbon Honor Flight will fly approximately 100 Vietnam veterans from the AirVenture grounds to Washington, D.C., for a day-long tour of memorials honoring their service and the sacrifices they made. Daily air show: 2:30 to 6 p.m.
Hellmuth Steinlin of Switzerland, Mark Pasevich of Zenith Factory Builds, and Mike Young of Munroe Falls, Ohio, work on the plane wing. Workers continue to work on a plane at the One Week Wonder plane building tent. The One Week Wonder has volunteers build a kit plane in a week. The plane will be able to taxi on Sunday of AirVenture 2014.
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Dennis Stillway of Vallejo, California, John Allen of Vallejo, California and Bob Rudolph of Orinda, California look over the 1909 Bleriot XI that is on display in the Vintage Aircraft parking at AirVenture 2014.
Vintage Aircraft changes honor longtime supporter Vintage Aircraft Association executive administrator.
volunteers, after touching down in Oshkosh.
and at a gathering as big as EAA, that’s rare.
irVenture attendees can expect to see a new platform for vintage
“We go out and find cool planes,” Brueggn said. “From year to year, you don’t know what planes you’re going to find.”
Rose has been gone for about six years now, but his wife, Myrtle, has carried the torch of aviation in his honor.
Each year, the Vintage Aircraft Association enlists novel aircraft from EAA for display. These folks recruit owners of these unique planes to share stories of these machines before a crowd.
Rose was one of these classic airplane enthusiasts, said Geoff Robison, President of Vintage Aircraft Association. His enthusiasm for vintage aircraft was wellknown, hence his namesake on the newly poured concrete stage bearing the Vintage Aircraft Association logo.
The Vintage Aircraft Association corrals people who bring uncommon aircraft to EAA onto the stage for interviews about their planes. Crowds gather. Robison said it’s a chance to flesh out the history of aviation and showcase stories behind these aircraft.
Robison worked as a police officer for years before branching into aviation as a hobby. Police work doesn’t often attract a gaggle of friends, he said. But aviation, that’s different. Through the annual convention he’s met people nationwide. Each year, they return and he does too.
By Nate Beck Oshkosh Northwestern Media
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aircraft.
And this year, that tradition will be christened as the Bill Rose Memorial Plaza. It’s an opportunity to marvel at the rare and uncommon aircraft that migrate from across America to Oshkosh each summer. The Vintage Aircraft Association gives awards to notable planes and honors past winners of that award, said Erin Brueggn,
“This is the aviation mecca,” Robison said. “This is everything about aviation. There’s something here for everybody. It’s an unheard of experience. You can’t describe it, you just can’t.” Robison recalls Rose hefting twin hunks of ham from his Illinois meat-packing plant for EAA
“This is a family event, we’re just one big family,” he said. “This is a unique group of people.” Robison remembers a nighttime movie screening on EAA grounds a couple years ago. After the movie ended a couple volunteers arrived to clean up trash. But there was none, Robison said. No one left garbage lying around,
Also this year, expect improvements to the vintage café, where folks flock for breakfast daily. The tented breakfast area now sits on concrete, not grass and mud. “Really it’s a way to keep people’s socks dry while they’re eating breakfast,” Robison said. “We’re still in fundraising mode because it’s a very popular place to eat.”
AIRVENTURE 2015
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‘Drone cage’ an effort to expand aviation to new generation By Nate Beck Oshkosh Northwestern Media
A
irVenture will feature a “drone cage” and space for model aircraft and other attractions inside EAA’s new Aviation Gateway Park. These drones, more formally known as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, or UAVs, are basically tiny remote-operated helicopters No, the drone cage isn’t the first of its kind in the country. The attraction is modeled off similar contraptions in Florida and elsewhere. But the cage gives folks a chance to see these aircraft in action. Though these may not measure up in stature to full-size aircraft scattered across Wittman Regional Airport, Sean Elliott, EAA vice president of advocacy and safety, said these small craft fall within EAA’s mission and purpose of the event: to educate and inspire interest in aviation. “It’s all about promoting people to be passionate about aviation,” Elliott said. Staff will hold drone demonstrations and obstacle course challenges inside the netted cage. The cage also aims to educate people about drone-specific rules, Elliott said. For instance: no flying drones within five miles of an airport, and drones can’t
fly higher than 400 feet. Breaking either rule could cause a collision between drones and people-carrying aircraft.
President Jack Pelton said.
New here also is a strip nearby the drone cage open to model aircraft each day from 7 to 10 p.m. It’s a space for remote-controlled aircraft because there’s often overlap between model and fullsize aircraft enthusiasts.
will hopefully get piqued (by),”
“It’s kind of the area that the fertile young minds of interest
Pelton said. “So I’m really excited that that is much better definition and permanency to what we’re going to do that in that area, year over year.”
While there won’t be model aircraft available to rent, vendors at EAA carry model airplanes for sale.
$198,900
“You could go purchase a model airplane and be flying it in 45 minutes,” Elliott said.
284-8389
There are new things happening in EAA’s Aviation Gateway Park, too. Formerly known as College Park, it serves to introduce aviation to casual visitors. The area is meant to showcase career opportunities and innovation in the flight industry.
$149,900
284-8389
Gateway features the Innovations Center, sponsored by the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, which demonstrates new thinking in the aviation industry. It also serves to spark an interest in an aviation career -- about 20 aviation colleges are expected to set up career exploration centers inside. Largely, the Gateway Park and drone cage are aimed at a younger generation of prospect airplane nuts -- millennials, EAA
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College volunteer program seeks to court millennial crop of aviation buffs By Nate Beck Oshkosh Northwestern Media
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irVenture organizers created a new program to help convert a crop of millennials into aviation enthusiasts. So far, about 100 students have signed up for the college volunteer program, which is on track with benchmarks project organizers set, said Michelle Farr, a human resources business partner at EAA. While it’s easy to appeal to young and old, EAA is working to appeal to millennials, too. The student volunteers will be enmeshed inside EAA’s army of more than 5,000 volunteers.
EAA President Jack Pelton said while the organization depends on volunteers, volunteering also creates a continued interest in aviation. “It keeps people engaged daily out in their communities to teach them to build airplanes and understand the aviation from soup to nuts, if you will,” Pelton said. So if EAA can spark that interest in college volunteers, that’s another group of millennials the organization can reach out to, which is crucial for future membership. “There’s so many things (youth) can be involved in grabbing their attention, and we’ve got to fight to make them believe we’re relevant for their time,” he said. “We want
to occupy some of that time, so we have a tough effort to get out there and get our story told and get hands-on with young people.”
The convention will act as a networking opportunity, too, for young adults from colleges across the country.
Farr said no better way to sculpt that interest than through the convention.
EAA offers full-time student volunteers a free pass to the grounds and for camping during off-hours. Farr said EAA staff is also working to organize rallies and “behind-the-scenes” experiences for volunteers.
“We’re kind of missing that inbetween generation,” she said. “So this program is a way to introduce EAA to the next generation.” College volunteers won’t just pick up litter. EAA staffs college human resources and business majors to help with customer service, finance and other back-office functions. Student photographers and video editors will help document the event.
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10 for Jack Q&A with EAA Chairman Jack Pelton By Nathaniel Shuda Oshkosh Northwestern Media QUESTION: How have things gone in the past year? What is the state of the association? ANSWER: I appreciate the question because we’re more than just a weekly event. We are an association that’s year-round and serving our mission. The association is in a really strong position. Our membership numbers are the best they’ve ever been — over 190,000 members to date. … We’ve done a pretty good job of making sure that we’ve stayed strong, financially. The support from our partners, our exhibitors, our donors continues to remain strong, and I think it’s all reflective on the fact that the world is saying there’s such a demand and need coming for pilots and mechanics and people in the aviation industry that we become a way for people to get engaged and get involved and understand what that’s about, so that’s all good news. … Q: What excites you the most as chairman going into this year’s AirVenture? A: This is my third convention of being in this seat, so what I’m most excited about is I still recognize that this is just pure magic as to how it all happens. I’ve tried to figure it out as a buttoned-down executive that knows how to design and build certified airplanes. This year it’s a lot calmer for me, personally, in knowing how this all works. What I’m most excited about is (that) year over year it’s different. We’ll focus on some key attractions and some key events that are going to happen during convention. … While the fundamentals are the same — the food service, the tram, the parking and the camping and all that — the things that are going to
show up for you to enjoy and see are always different. This year, what I’m excited about is understanding that constant variety, so we’re going to have just a lot of interesting reasons to be at Oshkosh this year. … For us, it’s always (about) who’s going to show up with what that nobody’s known about? … They’ve built it, and it’s an unbelievable world-class grand champion kind of winner; what’s it going to be? You’re always walking around with those finds that you just don’t know (will be there). … They’ve been working on it for two years and they don’t call us to tell us; they just show up here and say this is where I want to showcase the whole thing, which is kind of remarkable. In the United States — and I go back to my past life (as senior vice president and later CEO of Cessna Aircraft Co.) — this was always viewed as the place you want to unveil something new. … There is no other convention in the United States that provides that. Q: There have been many discussions of late about how Oshkosh can spur economic development around the aviation industry. What is EAA’s role, and what do you think about the efforts so far? A: If you go all the way back to Day 1, there was no regulatory environment, no structure, no marketing around (the concept of) you, too, can actually get into aviation … by building your own airplane, and (EAA founder) Paul (Poberezny) took the belief that that was an emerging market segment that needed to be cultivated and created EAA in doing just that. … So, what’s next? What’s the next segment? Is it autonomous flight? CONTINUED on PAGE 13
AIRVENTURE 2015 CONTINUED from PAGE 12
Is it new technologies? I don’t know, but that’s where EAA can help because if we really are introspective, we’ve done that. … Now, the big question is what’s next, and are we an organization that understands that those kinds of visions can get turned into commercial successes? I think we don’t have any blinders like other groups might. … So, when you look at the development of this region from an aviation area, we’re certainly as a participant going in saying every idea needs to be considered. There’s a history we can offer on be(ing) patient; it can be a long road, but here’s the lessons learned that we’ve seen from all of our participants. … It’s known that if you can get like businesses of a certain segment — whether it be health, aviation, computing, software (or) any of those — that one plus one can equal three. Getting that synergy together in an area that starts attracting people (with) backgrounds that are in similar kinds of fields, you start getting more cross-talk across the people who are trying to innovate and create companies. That ends up creating a nice, real natural bias for some success because you can’t create that kind of impact just deciding I want to do something exciting in aviation; I’m going to put my stake in the ground in Wausau (for example) all by myself. … To pick something that has no infrastructure to support it, you might independently be successful to a point, but you aren’t going to have an economic impact on the region as you would in creating these larger footprints because now you can draw on the Fox Valley from
the people an education standpoint, you can draw on Fox Valley from a human capital (standpoint), you can draw yet more resources from the help economically from whether it be the city, county or state because it’s more concentrated; it’s a better use of the dollar in that area.
He saw that there was this new next level in the evolution and reinventing the region in Sonex and taking what john saw that was appropriate in his day and … then Jeremy saying OK, now here’s what that next level of attachment in that area could be.
Those will be very interesting to watch. My enlightenment this week has been the strength of what’s been going on in this region, compared to two years ago or three years ago, where I think we were all very concerned with such high unemployment numbers and everybody kind of dragging their chin, not feeling very proud about the economy in the area, and now we’ve got 4.2 percent unemployment in the area. …
You talk about a guy that … besides being passionate about the vision and trying to get other people to see the vision, (had) the dogma of going about doing it. His personal effort and time he put into it is incredible. … I think he had that personality to take things across the finish line. …
Q: Undoubtedly, one of the driving forces behind using the aviation industry to spur local development was Sonex Aircraft CEO Jeremy Monnett. What did his contributions mean to EAA? A: You go back to John and you look at the history of him making the decision to move from Illinois to Oshkosh specifically because of Steve Wittman and Paul Poberezny. … I think John is an incredible visionary in many, many ways. He saw that way back when. … He thought there’s something here, and I think that EAA was the attraction that caused him to make that move. The company evolves, grows, Sonex happens, Jeremy takes over, and then I think Jeremy saw it and was taking it to the next level as far as … the next Monnett vision, if you will, as to there’s a bigger play here that can happen by getting the city and the county and the development activity to getting a broader aviation footprint here besides just Sonex. …
I have an incredible admiration for people who can do that because that’s how things happen. Q: What challenges do the association or the industry as a whole face, and what are you doing to address them? A: One of the biggest values we bring to our members are our advocacy effort, so when you look at challenges … it’s working within the regulatory environment that we have today. … You had the original folks that created the aviation regulatory environment. … It’s pretty wellestablished; it pretty well worked, and it seems like we’re continuing now to challenge that and in doing that … it’s easy for (the new folks) to put new constraints in place. We’re constantly fight that. In some respects, there’s part of me that I keep saying it wasn’t broken; why are we trying to fix this? There’s just these little tweaks and changes. We’re constantly fighting to ensure that we’re taking steps forward — not steps backward. … It’s protecting what we have and making sure that doesn’t get taken away. … Based on what we know today are there some more sensible things that we can be doing in relaxing or expanding the regulatory environment to even allow more involvement in aviation and make it an easier activity to participate in? We spend an awful lot on that, and I think that’s a huge challenge. … You can get in long discussions on tort reform and all that, but it just seems like because of that the liabilities issues and all that it just keeps upping the cost. … I think that’s the fear that I have is that some of this recreational sports stuff, we… the insurance
13 burdens, the concerns, the risk, you just aren’t allowed to go take some risk without some extremely punitive results that can occur. We’re constantly trying to fight and work on those issues, those kinds of headwinds — you know, airports not now having fences around them. Oshkosh is a great example of a great wide space here, but post-9/11, we’ve got a fence around it to beat all fences for an airport this size with this level of activity. We’ve (also) got challenges with youth today: There’s so many things they can be involved in grabbing their attention, and we’ve got to fight to make them believe we’re relevant for their time. We want to occupy some of that time, so we have a tough effort to get out there and get our story told and get hands-on with young people to say this is something that you should participate in. … Q: What are your thoughts looking forward to the next year, and what is your outlook for the association and the industry as a whole? A: I think first that’s going back to also what’s AirVenture all about. … This is the place you come with your eyes wide open, your imagination fully switched on to anything is possible, and that’s the environment we’re giving. … I hate to be cliché, but it’s kind of like you’ll know it when you see it. … Here we’re dealing in the yet-undefined space, which is so exciting. … I think we’re realistic that we’re not forecasting that you’re going to see 2 million people here next year and innovation that’s gone off the chart — that this is an evolutionary process. One of the things that we’re very mindful of is protecting the legacy and making sure that this is sustainable and that we continue to move with it as it moves, and that’s our goal. You will not hear our board or anybody setting these unrealistic expectations. We’ve got something here that already is truly unique and special and can’t be replicated because you can’t get 5,000 volunteers to start popping up in communities around the country, and this would not happen with them; that’s the other underpinning to it. Reach Nathaniel Shuda at 920-4266632 or nshuda@thenorthwestern. com; on Twitter @onwnshuda.
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A certificate of completion for Kord Thompson signed by Bill Stein, Rob Holland and Sean D. Tucker at AirVenture 2014.
Tucker never tuckers when he can inspire others through flight
Famous performing pilot leads EAA Young Eagles By Melissa Siegler Gannett Wisconsin Media
S
ean D. Tucker is known nationwide for his breathtaking, one-of-a-kind aerobatics and his unending list of accomplishments in the world of aviation. He has traveled all over the country entertaining audiences since 1976.
Sean D. Tucker at the controls of his Oracle Pitts S-2 over the Fox River in Oshkosh. Oshkosh Northwestern Media file photo
As a child, Tucker was enamored with the notion of flight. The idea of being free in the sky was awe inspiring. After his parents gave him a gift certificate for flying lessons, he jumped at the opportunity to experience that freedom. Now, with more than 25,000 hours of flight, he says he is still learning and trying to achieve that perfect flight.
Tucker, who performs annually at the EAA AirVenture Show in Oshkosh, says that as a pilot he has developed a reverence and a humility knowing that it is a beautiful thing and that he is privileged to be able to do it. He knows that what he does takes courage and he is proud of that. Tucker is in the middle of a six-month tour across the United States with Team Oracle. He will perform more than 30 shows in 17 cities. He says touring is a big commitment. He practices for every show three times a day and by the end of each performance he’s exhausted. But if people walk away inspired, he feels like he has done his job. CONTINUED on PAGE 15
AIRVENTURE 2015
the people
Sean D. Tucker goes over a few things before he takes Young Eagle 13 year old Kord Thompson on a flight at AirVenture 2014. Oshkosh Northwestern Media file photo
CONTINUED from PAGE 14
Throughout his career, Tucker has flown in more than 1,225 performances and 500 airshows in front of over 125 million people, according to Team Oracle. This will be his 24th consecutive year performing for audiences in Oshkosh. Some of his major accomplishments include joining General “Chuck” Yeager and fellow airshow pilot Bob Hoover as one of the 25 Living Legends of Flight in the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, his induction into the National Aviation Hall of Fame and one of his more recent accomplishments, being named chairman of the Young Eagle program organized by the Experimental Aircraft Association. Tucker believes that the Young Eagle program is special because of its vested interest in kids. For him, getting to be a part of it is the ultimate payback. The main mission in the Young
Eagle program, he said, is to tell the kids, “You are special. You’re important to us and we want to give you the gift of flight.” He loves getting to relive his first flight through a kid’s eyes. He gets to see their eyes light up when they leave the ground, their tentativeness as they reach for the controls and they can walk away thinking, “Someone invested in me.” The Young Eagle program has more than 8,000 volunteers and gives almost 75,000 children the opportunity to fly with them each year. Currently, the EAA has 1.9 million kids registered in the program and plans to fly its 2 millionth child by early 2016. As for his greatest achievement, Tucker says that his sustained reverence and passion for the art form after 25 years is what makes him most proud. “I have received so many awards … but I’m still out here flying around doing the best I can.”
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EAA, aviation industry remember Sonex CEO Jeremy Monnett By Nathaniel Shuda Oshkosh Northwestern Media
tion, the National Transportation Safety Board and Sonex Aircraft.
or the past several years, Sonex Aircraft CEO Jeremey Monnett had garnered a reputation for using his passion for aviation to help spur economic development.
EAA officials and aviation industry leaders say the loss will have a dramatic effect on the future of experimental flight.
F
In fact, just one week before his death, Monnett stood before the Oshkosh Common Council, speaking in favor of a plan for the region to capitalize on its aviation resources by developing a business park around Wittman Regional Airport. A week later, on June 2, after having just taken off from the airport’s Runway 9 with one of his newest employees, Monnett’s fixed-wing, single-engine Sonex Sport Acro crashed inside a gate in a parking area at the west end of Oshkosh Corp.’s north plant property, just east of the Oshkosh airport. The crash killed both Monnett, 40, and Mike Clark, 20, a recent Fox Valley Technical College graduate and relatively new employee of the Oshkosh-based aircraft kit manufacturer. The cause of the crash remained under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administra-
“I think he had that personality to take things across the finish line,” EAA Chairman Jack Pelton said. “There’s a lot of parts about the loss that are tough and tough to deal with and understand, but I think one of them is we’re not really going to understand where he could have taken it. “There will be other people that will pick this up, but believe me, I know Jeremy would something big and exiting at the helm was going to happen because he wasn’t going to take no for an answer.” Monnett was very passionate about not only the aviation industry but about the Oshkosh community, those who knew and worked with him said. Among his recent projects was helping to develop the Greater
Oshkosh Economic Development Corp. and working with the City of Oshkosh and Winnebago County to develop the aviation business park, said Bill Wyman, chairman of the GO EDC board. “He was one of the founders of the idea of starting a new economic development organization in the community,” Wyman said. “There’s no doubt that aviation was his passion and continuing the growth of aviation in Winnebago County at Wittman Field was something he felt very strongly about. He’s going to be a huge loss for the city; he’s been intricate in the beginning of GO EDC.” Monnett’s passion and leadership extended far beyond the aviation industry, said John Casper, president and CEO of the Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce. “Jeremy was very engaged in the community and certainly in very visible, vocal leadership roles,” Casper said. “His passion for aviation and the growth for the
community was far beyond his own business, but really looked out for what’s good for the community and what makes Oshkosh a good place to live and work.” From John Monnett’s early designs to Jeremy Monnett’s innovative leadership, Sonex has been an integral part of the aviation industry, including the Experimental Aircraft Association, said Dick Knapinski, an EAA spokesman. “Aviation is a fairly small community, and when you’re in a city the size of Oshkosh, aviation is a very tight-knit community,” Knapinski said, noting both the association and the company have employed many of the same individuals throughout the years. “Looking at the innovation with John’s concepts and Jeremy’s involvement ... it’s a great success story for aviation, it’s a great success story for Oshkosh and for the airport.” Reach Nathaniel Shuda at 920-4266632 or nshuda@thenorthwestern. com; on Twitter @onwnshuda. Noell Dickmann contributed to this report.
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AIRVENTURE 2015
EAA AirVenture Banquet featured speaker Bill Harrelson’s record-setting flight By Leah Ulatowski Gannett Wisconsin Media
P
ilot Bill Harrelson, a featured speaker at the EAA AirVenture Banquet, simply wanted to see if an ordinary person without riches or fame could complete a record-setting flight. This was enough motivation for Harrelson to successfully circumnavigate the earth via the polar route earlier this year in his modified Lancair IV N6ZQ. “I didn’t want fame or fortune out of this,” Harrelson said. “It was just a personal project.” In fact, Harrelson’s endeavor had very minimal sponsorship, and not a single media outlet was present at his victorious homecoming. The only people to greet him were a few close pilot friends and his wife, Sue. “Everyone wants to get a lot of sponsors when they do something like this, but they can get you in trouble,” Harrelson said. “They have a legitimate right to get some mileage out of the venture; however, those pressures almost always cause problems.” According to Harrelson, sponsors and media outlets often want to know exact departure and arrival times when pilots set out
the risk of such an endeavor.
Lancair Owners & Builders Organization annual EAA AirVenture Banquet
“People often ask how I stayed awake during the flights. I always get a chuckle out of this, but fear kept me awake,” Harrelson said. “I knew there was always something that could happen. If I didn’t do things correctly or at the appropriate time, I would die.”
Thursday, July 23 Best Western Premiere Waterfront, Oshkosh
For more information, visit www.lancairowners.com. on record-setting ventures. They have an expectation of specificity and success when it comes to an endeavor full of unpredictability. Harrelson is very familiar with the uncertainty that accompanies record-setting flights. The pilot attempted to circumnavigate the earth via the polar route in 2013, but severe weather over Antarctica forced him to abort this first attempt. “The weather over the Southern Ocean is known by sailors as the worst weather on the planet,” Harrelson said. “I was very lucky to get a good stretch this time around.” Harrelson explained that the prior attempt, countless hours of research and more than a decade total of preparation resulted in few surprises the second time
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around. “We went through a lot of testing with the plane and loads of research before this,” Harrelson said. “We didn’t just fill the airplane with fuel and see if we could fly this route.” Harrelson said his wife, an accomplished pilot, played an enormous role in this preparatory work as well as in logistics and ground support during the venture. “She worked harder than I did,” Harrelson said. “I certainly could not think of doing any of these record trips without her.” Harrelson knew to expect the constant climate changes, countless hours of flying in pure darkness and general fatigue. Yet, he admits it is nearly impossible to mentally prepare for
Nevertheless, Harrelson did more than just survive the venture. He set a new world record for small, lightweight, single-engine airplanes circling the earth and touched both the north and south poles along the way. Harrelson’s record-setting flight started Dec. 28, 2014, at Kinston, in eastern North Carolina, and concluded at the same destination when he returned 24 days, eight hours and 10 minutes later. “Surprisingly, for an old fart like me, I was able to handle it pretty well,” Harrelson said with a chuckle. Harrelson will be the featured speaker at the LOBO (Lancair Owners and Builders Organization) annual EAA AirVenture Banquet Thursday, July 23, at the Best Western Premiere Waterfront in Oshkosh. For more information, visit www.lancairowners. com.
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Rutan Legacy Day When: Tuesday, July 21. Events: Homebuilts in Review
from 10 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. at the Homebuilders Hangar. Interview with Burt Rutan at 1:00 p.m. at Boeing Plaza.
Other Burt Rutan events:
Presentation on SkiGull, his newest design, 1 p.m. Wednesday July 22 at the Honda Pavilion Presentation on 1986 Voyager flight with Dick Rutan, 10 a.m. Thursday July 23 at the AirVenture Museum Presentation, Space History and Dynamic Launch, 1 p.m. Thursday July 23 at the Honda Pavilion Rutan Model Aircraft Factory, RC models of Rutan airplanes, 11:30 a.m. Friday July 24 at the Honda Pavilion
Rutan Legacy Day to honor contributions to aviation By Hanaa’ Tameez Gannett Wisconsin Media
T
he Experimental Aircraft Association will honor aircraft designer Burt Rutan with a full-day of AirVenture dedicated to his pioneering designs. Rutan Legacy Day, on Tuesday July 21, also marks the 40th anniversary of the debut of Rutan’s VariEze, a popular high-performance homebuilt airplane. Rutan’s highest profile designs include Voyager, the first aircraft to fly around the world without refueling and SpaceShipOne, one of the world’s first private space vehicles.
Several of Rutan’s designs will be on display in Boeing Plaza. Rutan himself will be available for a plane-side interviews, giving attendees the chance to ask him questions. “He’s probably the most futuristic-looking aircraft designer on the planet,” said Terry Schubert, Newsletter Editor for the Central States Association, an organization of Rutan-type aircraft builders and flyers. “He comes up with a really wild ideas and lot of them have ended up being seen on commercial airplanes.” Schubert said one of Rutan’s early and influential innovations was the implementation of the winglet that is now used on commercial aircraft.
“When you look out and you see that fin standing up on the end of the wing, that winglet was developed by a fellow by the name of [Richard T. Whitcomb],” he said. “The very first airplane that it got tried out in the real world on was Burt Rutan’s experimental design of the VariEze.” Rutan’s gained a new level of fame from SpaceShipOne, which made the first privately-funded flight to space with Mike Melvill as the first civilian pilot in 2004, but for Schubert, Rutan’s influence lies in his accomplishments throughout his career. “What he did in his early design work was completely turn around the design of small airplanes and general aviation-type airplanes,”
he said. “Efficiency was way, way increased with his ideas. Prices on things had the potential to be dropped a lot. There’s all kinds of things that he’s done for general aviation.” Though Rutan is now retired and no longer accepts consulting jobs, Schubert said his work ethic got him where he is today. “He’s extremely driven,” Schubert said. “He can start working on something and be at it for a day or two before he even takes time out to stop to sleep. He’s just an amazing hard worker and dedicated and keeps his nose to the grindstone.”
AIRVENTURE 2015
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Jeff Boerboon, the pilot of the Jack Link’s Screamin’ Sasquatch show off his plane on Thursday June 12, 2014, during a preview for the Great Tennessee Air Show. HELEN COMER/DNJ
‘Screamin’ Sasquatch’ jet-powered Waco boasts unique speed By Leah Ulatowski Gannett Wisconsin Media
T
he “Screamin’ Sasquatch” jet-powered Waco from John Klatt Airshows is all set to make its Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) AirVenture Oshkosh debut with pilot Jeff Boerboon, a current member of the U.S. Unlimited Aerobatic Team, taking the reins. According to Boerboon, the airplane weighs in at about 4,000 pounds, and its twin-engine configuration provides a more than one-to-one thrust-weight ratio (4,500 pounds of thrust). “Biplanes are typically slow,” Boerboon said. “However, with the Screamin’ Sasquatch, you can bring it to 1,500 feet, engage the jet, and it just goes straight up.”
Boerboon plans to successfully tame the Screamin’ Sasquatch, a highly modified 1929 Waco Taperwing, for several of the daily air shows July 20-26, but it certainly won’t be his first visit to EAA AirVenture. While Boerboon resides in Phoenix, he grew up in Minneapolis, which was just close enough to Oshkosh to regularly attend the annual EAA event with his family. In fact, it was both the show and his commercial pilot father who sparked his interest in aviation at only 6 years old. “It definitely appealed to me at a very young age,” Boerboon said. “Now, here I am flying a oneof-a-kind plane, and I am honored to be a part of it all.”
Boerboon’s childhood infatuation with aviation and aerobatics made it an easy choice for him to enroll in the aviation program at the University of North Dakota, where he first started flying.
the World Aerobatic Championships,” Boerboon said.
A few years after graduation, he started flying competition aerobatics in the early 2000s. It did not take long for him to qualify as a member of the U.S. Advanced Aerobatic Team, where he remained from 2003 to 2008, securing his title as a two-time Advanced National Champion.
Despite his busy schedule, Boerboon always looks forward to returning for the Oshkosh event, having attended 28 EAA Oshkosh conventions.
Boerboon qualified for the U.S. Unlimited Aerobatic Team in 2008 and won the U.S. national unlimited title in 2010. “After EAA, I’m leaving with the U.S. Unlimited Aerobatic Team for France to compete in
According to Boerboon, nine members are on the team with several flying in the Oshkosh show.
“It was the first air show I ever saw, and I watched it every year growing up,” Boerboon said. “I always visit a few places in Oshkosh when I arrive for the show; things definitely change and people move away, but the EAA never changes. It has always been a place for aviation nuts and an arena for skilled pilots to come and connect.”
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AIRVENTURE 2015
the people
23 F-22 Raptor flies over at the EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh Thursday, July 31, 2008. Oshkosh Northwestern Media file photo.
Cummings to return home behind controls of F-22 Rapor By Grace Ebert Gannett Wisconsin Media
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hen Major John Cummings first attended EAA AirVenture at 6, he knew airplanes would always be part of his life. His father, who was a pilot, introduced him to flying and after continuously attending EAA shows with anticipation each year, Cummings, an Appleton native, was hooked. “I don’t remember a time I didn’t think airplanes were cool,” Cummings said. After graduating from Appleton East High School in 1996 and spending some time in college,
Cummings began his employment at Boeing, an airplane manufacturer in Seattle. While there, Cummings was able to receive his pilot’s license as part of a company sponsorship. Shortly after becoming a pilot and the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Cummings decided to join the United States Air Force. “I sure liked the flying and wanted to join the Air Force,” Cummings said. “I thought it was a good time to join.” Cummings, who is now stationed at the Langley Air Force base in Hampton, Virginia, is currently finishing up his 2-year contract as F-22 Demo Team Com-
mander. He flies the F-22 Raptor in airshows around the nation. Dennis Dunbar, EAA director of show operations, said the F-22 Raptor is one of the most advanced aircraft today. He is excited to have Cummings perform at AirVenture 2015 as part of the U.S. Air Force Heritage Flight, which matches modern fighter aircraft with historic warbirds for air show demonstrations. “It’s incredible to have an Appleton native fly this plane,” Dunbar said. Performing with two World War II aircrafts during the heritage flight, the F-22 Raptor will capture the attention of many,
Dunbar said. “It’s really nice to see John coming home to perform in front of his family and friends,” Dunbar said. “We thought it would be good for him to come home. Oshkosh inspired him.” Cummings said he is happy to return to the EAA show at Oshkosh and perform for kids who love airplanes just as he did when he was in as a child. “I’m excited to go back and pay it forward to the kids who are in the position I was 25 years ago,” Cummings said. “It’ll be fun to bring the jet to my backyard.”
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Airbus will bring its extra wide body passenger test aircraft to EAA for airshow flyover and appearance at Boeing Plaza. Courtesy EAA
Coming to America:
An extra-wide passenger plane with Rolls-Royce engines By Lauren French Gannett Wisconsin Media OSHKOSH – A 325-passenger European aircraft will make its first public debut in North America July 20 through 23 at Wittman Regional Airport for the Experimental Aircraft Association’s annual fly-in AirVenture convention. The Airbus A350 XWB – extra wide body – will start its threeday stay at AirVenture with an aerial demonstration at the afternoon air show. The show will begin at 2:30 p.m. on the flight line. The plane has a wingspan of about 65 meters and a length of about 67 meters, but its large size doesn’t mean it isn’t maneuver-
able enough for an air show. Dick Knapinski, EAA senior communications adviser, said large planes are still easily controllable. “These airliners from both Airbus and Boeing are amazingly maneuverable,” Knapinski said. “People would be surprised at the capabilities for slow-level flight.” Other performers in the air show include AeroShell Aerobatic Team, Team Aerostars and Mike Goulian. Airbus also participated in AirVenture and the air show in 2009 with its A380 aircraft. The day after its opening performance, the Airbus A350 will
be open to public tours at the Boeing Plaza. Tour-goers can expect to see panoramic windows, 18-inch economy seats, individual seat monitors and first-class mini private suites. The plane also has LED lighting that can be programmed to mimic natural sunrises and sunsets to help the body adapt to jetlag on long-range flights. Other notable characteristics of the Airbus A350 is its higher fuel efficiency, lower maintenance requirements and lower carbon emission. The aircraft has RollsRoyce Trent XWB engines, which have the lowest carbon emissions among wide-body power plants.
The Airbus A350 entered commercial service earlier this year, and North America has yet to see the plane in public action. Knapinski said AirVenture attendees are always excited to see the newest in air travel technology, and that Oshkosh is the best place to introduce new aviation products. “When you want to showcase to the greatest cross-section of the aviation community,” Knapinski said, “Oshkosh is the place to do it.” The AirVenture convention goes from July 20 to 26 at 525 W. 20th Ave.
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Oshkosh Northwestern Media
KidVenture features airplane-themed activities throughout the event. Gannett Wisconsin Media file photo
KidVenture gives kids hands-on experience with aviation By Katherine Macek Oshkosh Northwestern Media
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ids have the opportunity to take flight at an early age at the EAA AirVenture’s KidVenture, where they can learn behind-the-scenes work of aviation and even the beginnings of a potential career. KidVenture Chairman Dan Majka said it’s a great time for kids to learn more about what it takes to be a pilot or mechanic, and the history of aviation. “What we try and offer them are experiences they couldn’t get somewhere else,” Majka said. Some of these experiences include the Future A & P booths, where kids can learn how airplane mechanics think, tackling everything from building and repairing airplanes to the wiring of
the machines. Majka said all of the lessons are taught by educated people working in the aviation industry, and kids who complete all nine booths will receive a Future A & P badge and two hours of official credit toward an A & P license. The first 800 kids who complete the booths will also receive a tool kit. Kids can also visit Young Eagle Flight Education booths, where they can learn all the skills a pilot would need to know, including navigation, weather, how to inspect an airplane and more from a certified flight instructor. Completion of these activities will result in 20 minutes of loggable flight simulator instruction and a flight badge. In addition, there is a second hangar full of activities, includ-
ing “Live Legends,” which gives kids an opportunity to listen to famous people in aviation speak and get their autographs. “Everywhere else on the grounds when you go to a speaking engagement, adults are up front and kids can’t see,” Majka said. “But here, the kids are up front, parents have to wait in the back.” This is the 17th year KidVenture has been a part of AirVenture, and Majka said he has been on board with it since the very beginning with then-EAA Chairman Tom Poberezny. The two tried a pilot program in 1997 and 1998 to see if kids would be interested, and they launched KidVenture in 1999. Some 2,000 kids and families showed up. In 2014, that number rose to 22,000.
“(Poberezny) said he wanted to do something to bring kids and families here so the convention wouldn’t just be for adults,” Majka said. “I told him I’d do it a year, and that was 17 years ago.” Majka said he hopes kids who come to the event leave with a better understanding and appreciation of aviation. “Not just necessarily to be a pilot, but maybe a mechanic or an artist, or just a historian,” he said. “To appreciate the role aviation has played in the growing of America.” Kids can experience KidVenture 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Monday, July 20, through Saturday, July 25, and 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Sunday, July 26, at Pioneer Airport.
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Two military plane icons, F-22 Raptor, top, and P-51 fly over the Experimental Aircraft Association grounds during the air show Thursday, July 31, 2008, at EAA AirVenture. Oshkosh Northwestern Media file photo
F-22 Raptor to spotlight Heritage Flight air show demonstrations By Grace Ebert Gannett Wisconsin Media
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odern and historic U.S. Air Force aircraft, including the F-22 Raptor, will mark the 70th anniversary of the end of the Second World War at AirVenture 2015. Dennis Dunbar, director of show operations for the Experimental Aircraft Association, said the Heritage Flight demonstrations featuring the Raptor should be one of the biggest highlights of this year’s convention. “It’s amazing to see these old fighters with the most modern aircraft today,” Dunbar said.
Major John Cummings, an Appleton native, will fly the Raptor. Cummings, the F-22 Demo Team Commander, who is stationed at the Langley Air Force base in Hampton, Virginia, said this fifth-generation aircraft is unique because of its advanced capabilities. “It’s very fast, very efficient at high speeds,” Cummings said. “It’s a stealth fighter, so it’s hard to detect.” The heritage flight will begin with two World War II airplanes meeting up with the F-22 Raptor. Each pilot will then complete a series of formations and passes,
creating a cohesive show. While exact vintage aircraft could still be swapped before the show, current plans include pilots Vlado Lenoch flying the historic P-51 Mustang and Kevin Eldridge flying the historic P-38 Lightning. “Both of these planes played a major role in our victories 70 years ago,” Dunbar said. Cummings said the combination of the three airplanes is used “to showcase aircrafts past and present.” Heritage flights are tributes to airmen who served previously, along with other veterans, Dun-
bar said. Marty Haugen’s “We Remember” will play during this performance. “It is a very stirring and prideswelling part of the show,” Dunbar said. “It pays homage to those who came before us.” Cummings said he hopes he is able to speak with attendees after the demonstrations about the F-22 while it is on the ground for display. “There’ll be a lot of opportunities for locals to see the F-22,” Cummings said. “We’ll be able to showcase advanced flying.”
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WomenVenture participants lined up for a group photo on Wednesday in the Boeing Plaza at AirVenture 2014. Joe Sienkiewicz / Oshkosh Northwestern Media
Women soar to new heights with high school day camp program By Katherine Macek Oshkosh Northwestern Media
portunities in aviation than just becoming a pilot.
s part of what’s billed as The World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration, the head of the Women Soar You Soar program said it is important to recognize all members of aviation, including females.
Woman Soar You Soar is a fourday camp for high school girls. In previous years the girls stayed overnight at UW-Oshkosh, but this year it has been turned in to a day camp.
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Tara Parkhurst, museum educator, is heading the program for the first time after joining EAA about a year ago. “What better time for us to see the women in this industry all gathered together?” Parkhurst said. “It’s a celebration of aviation in general, why not have this camp and this opportunity?” Parkhurst, who is working on her private pilot certificate, said it is a wonderful chance for young girls to realize there are more op-
“For these girls to be able to come in and see what is a possibility for them, I really do believe it can change their future and hone their path,” she said. The camp runs July 19-22, and in those four days groups of 6-8 girls are partnered with a pair of mentors, get to know each other and participate in various activities ranging from flight simulation, workshops, mentor sessions, career exploration and others. In addition, they also have the opportunity to hear from the
Women Air Force Service Pilots, the WASP, and learn about their history. “They not only get to hear from the mentors themselves, these mentors will get to be with them all day long for those four days,” she said. Mentors, who range from pilots to mechanics and all other areas of aviation, are all female and can apply for the position on the EAA’s website. EAA members, including Parkhurst, then sift through the applicants and try to choose females in a variety of different fields. Parkhurst thinks having female role models in the industry is a great way for young girls to feel this is an avenue they can actually pursue, since females in aviation are still not very common.
“Maybe they know no one else that’s a female that’s becoming a pilot,” she said. “They’re going to feel affirmed that they can do this and have that support from these mentors.” It also bridges the gap between the high school girls, where freshmen who are just getting interested in aviation can learn from seniors who may be farther along the path. However, Parkhurst said even girls who are interested in aviation recreationally can learn something from this program. “It’s a great avenue to pursue,” she said. “You really become innovated with the information and understand it, it’s so much hands on.”
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Perlan Mission II Glider to have first public display at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, seeks to break altitude records in 2016 By ROBIN OPSAHL Gannett Wisconsin Media
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ttendees of EAA AirVenture Oshkosh this July will see the first public display of the Airbus Perlan Mission II, an engineless aircraft that plans to break records by flying to 90,000 feet. But the Perlan Project won’t stop there: after clearing 90,000 feet, the controllers plan to get the glider to 100,000 feet on the edge of space, equipped with new transonic wings. Ed Warnock, CEO of the Perlan Project, says the project is more than just breaking records: It’s about studying the atmosphere and expanding the envelope for wing-borne flight. The focus is exploring the upper atmosphere and ozone layer, using mountain
waves and the polar vortex in the South American mountains to sustain flight. “Working here is simply inspiring,” he said. “You get to see young people get involved in science and exploration through Perlan.” Education is a major piece of the Perlan Project. The institute involves high schools and research facilities across the nation. For Warnock, exhibiting at the EAA is a big part of educating people interested in aviation, and publicizing the project. This is Perlan Project’s second year at AirVenture Oshkosh — but the first time displaying its cockpit mockup. As in its name, the EAA has an emphasis on experimental air-
craft, and many people come to events like EAA AirVenture to see what innovations are happening in the field. AirVenture gives developers a means to have a project get attention and involvement with both the public, other aviation designers, and investors. Dick Knapinski, senior communications adviser at the EAA, said that the EAA AirVenture event often attracts pioneers in experimental aircraft design. An example is SpaceshipOne, winner of the $10 million Ansari X Prize contest for the first privately developed spacecraft. The project was displayed at EAA AirVenture while being developed, and again in 2005 with Burt Rutan and the ship’s crew after winning the prize. EAA AirVenture has a long
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history of debuting innovative aircraft designs. In 1975, the VariEze canard aircraft set a world record in closed-course distance and founded the use of glass-reinforced plastic in aviation that was later adopted by commercial models — currently displayed at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. “People come to EAA AirVenture knowing what’s here; this is what the next evolution of aviation might be,” Knapinski said. The Airbus Perlan Mission II record-breaking flight attempt is set for July 2016. Until then, it’ll be going through test flights and traveling to air shows— and its first stop is Oshkosh.
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Top: The Old Glory Honor flight with 100 veterans takes off heading to Washington, D.C., to tour some of the memorials. Above, left, middle: Vietnam veterans were welcomed back to AirVenture where they left early morning for a day trip to Washington, D.C., for a Yellow Ribbon Honor Flight Aug. 2, 2013. Above, right: An honorary fly-over took place during the welcome home celebration at AirVenture for the Vietnam veterans who returned from their Yellow Ribbon Honor Flight on Aug. 2, 2013. OSHKOSH NORTHWESTERN MEDIA file photos.
Vietnam War veterans to take Yellow Ribbon Honor Flight By Noell Dickmann Oshkosh Northwestern Media
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ietnam War veterans will receive special recognition for their service for the third year at AirVenture as part of a Yellow Ribbon Honor Flight on Friday, July 24. As many as 100 veterans will go on a free, one-day tour of their war memorials in the nation’s capital. Drew MacDonald, Old Glory Honor Flight president, said the flight was originally a one-time
event, but it was so well received that both the organization and EAA were encouraged to continue it as part of the AirVenture Salute to Veterans. “We’ll do it as long as they’ll have us,” MacDonald said. Since 2009, the Old Glory Honor Flight has taken at least 2,500 World War II and Korean War veterans on the flight. While the organization focuses on giving the eldest veterans the opportunity first, the Yellow Ribbon Honor Flight is specifically for Vietnam veterans.
MacDonald said because of the logistics of navigating 60 to 70 wheelchairs at the event it made sense to offer the flight to the younger group of veterans, and Vietnam veterans won’t have the opportunity to take the flight through the Old Glory Honor Flight program until 2017 at the earliest.
truly unique,” he said. “Especially for these Vietnam veterans who didn’t get any welcome home and their return was very unfortunate. This is a huge way of making up for that for all these veterans that are on that flight, to see thousands of people greeting them as they get off that flight it’s extremely special.”
Coordinating the welcome home event with AirVenture makes it extra special.
The flight is scheduled to arrive at AirVenture at 6:15 p.m., following the air show.
“AirVenture is truly worldclass and to be able to conduct an honor flight in that setting is
Noell Dickmann: (920) 426-6658 or ndickmann@thenorthwestern. com; on Twitter: @ONW_Noell
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The F-35 Lightning II makes its first appearance March 10, 2014, at Luke Air Force Base. The aircraft was flown in directly from the Lockheed Martin factor at Fort Worth, Tex., and is the first of 144 F-35s that will eventually be assigned to the base. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Darlene Seltmann)
Lockheed Martin F-35A kicks off civilian debut at AirVenture By Leah Ulatowski Oshkosh Northwestern Media
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he Lockheed Martin F35A, also known as the “Lightning II,” a multirole fifth-generation fighter, will kick off its civilian debut at the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) AirVenture in Oshkosh.
F-35A is designed to replace the aging aircraft fighter fleet in the U.S. military. Current fighter aircraft are typically at least 25 years old. “The F-35A is going to be replacing the F-16, the A-10, the F/A 18 and others,” Cronin said. “It is designed to work very complimentary with the F-22.”
The airplane is based with the U.S. Air Force’s 33rd Fighter Wing at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida.
What sets the F-35A apart from other models is largely its fully fused sensor information and unparalleled situational awareness.
It is scheduled to arrive midway through EAA AirVenture week, which takes place July 2026. The model will then remain on display throughout the remainder of the fly-in. According to Lt. Hope Cronin, chief of public affairs at the F-35 Integrated Training Center, the
lot in a very concise manner. “Essentially, it does all of the thinking for the pilot, and then he or she can decide what tactics to employ to counter whatever the threat is out there and can also share the information with other aircraft,” Cronin said. The data collected by F-35A sensors can be instantaneously shared with commanders at sea, in the air or on the ground.
communication much more efficient in the battle space.” Cronin added: “The EAA AirVenture is a great show for the F-35A debut. We are excited to bring a crew of pilots and trainers to the show to talk about our mission and what role the F-35A is going to serve. We hope to answer a lot of questions from the American taxpayers to help assure we are meeting the mark.”
These components enable the fighter to understand the battle space in a way that has never been possible before, said Cronin.
“It creates a more synthesized battle picture,” Cronin explained. “The Air Force doesn’t go to war alone. We work with other services and other partners, whether it is air support or ground support.
According to EAA.org, the F-35 program began as the Joint Strike Fighter program in 1997. Along with cutting-edge technology, the airplane was conceived as a resource for multiple military branches.
In layman’s terms, Cronin explained that the features make the model akin to a “flying computer.” The aircraft takes all of the data it collects through its sensors and presents it to the pi-
“The ability to share information across the different realms is so important,” Cronin said. “When we go to war together, we are all operating on a common platform, and this model makes
In 2001, Lockheed Martin was selected as the winning concept designer and it teamed with Northrup Grumman and BAE Systems to develop the prototype aircraft.
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Oshkosh Northwestern Media A World War II-era PB4Y-2 Privateer Navy patrol bomber flew in to Palm Springs on Sunday, March 16, 2014. Visitors will get the chance to see it fly in at this year’s Experimental Aircraft Association AirVenture festival in Oshkosh.
Flying solo: Last operational Privateer to fly into AirVenture this year By Rachael Lallensack Gannett Wisconsin Media
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he world’s only airworthy Privateer bomber has been active in conflicts ranging from World War II to the early stages of the Cold War and everything in between. This year marks its 70th year in flight. Visitors will get the chance to see it fly in at this year’s Experimental Aircraft Association AirVenture festival in Oshkosh. One of 739 originally made for the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard in 1943, the Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer has quite possibly seen
more action than any other bomber ever made, current flight crew member Bruce Brockhagen said in an email. This particular plane, N2871G, was built in 1945 and reassigned to the Coast Guard, according to an EAA news release. Privateers were used mainly in WWII and the Korean War, but many flew in the National-Communist Chinese civil war, used by the French in Vietnam and several Latin American conflicts, Brockhagen said. One was even shot down over the Baltic Sea by the Soviet Union early in the Cold War, he said.
Privateers were also used by Naval Reservists as hurricane hunters, planes that would fly directly into storms to collect weather data. During the Korean War, Privateers performed Firefly missions, potentially very dangerous night flights that dropped flares over troops “so air support can continue around the clock,” according to the press release. Many Privateers were retired in the 1960s, but others, including N2871G, were converted to fire bombers used to fight forest fires. N2871G was stationed in Greybull, Wyoming and went through several private ownerships while fighting fires from 1969 until 2006. GossHawk Unlimited, a vintage warbird restoration company, purchased N2871G at auction in 2010. Since then they’ve been working on what Lindsey Goss, GosssHawk marketing manager, calls a “rolling restoration” process.
This is an undated handout photo of a U.S. Navy Privateer airplane, the type of aircraft shot down by Russian pilots over the Baltic Sea on April 8, 1950. The U.S.-Russian Joint Commission on POW-MIAs is investigating the incident in an effort to determine the fate of the crew. (AP Photo/HO)
“We restore little bits at a time so that the owners can take her out and fly her when they would like to, or take her to an airshow,” Goss said.
The restoration process has been thorough. The carburetors were replaced with overhauled versions. And propellers were overhauled, and the engine mounts and ailerons were restored. The team at GossHawk even replaced the seatbelts in the plane with the original Naval design. When it flew as a fire bomber, the exterior was colored orange and white. Now, it’s been completely stripped of the paintwork and returned to a more traditional exposed metal finish. “GossHawk really enjoys restoring and maintaining one-ofa-kind, unique aircraft. She is the only Privateer flying in the world; we are honored to be a part,” Goss said. “We always like a challenge.” The plane’s lengthy history and rareness was a big draw for the team at AirVenture, Dick Knapinski, EAA Senior Communications Advisor said. “The fact that they took the time expense to bring it back to the original is certainly something other aviation experts will be very interested in,” Knapinski said.
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Various Warbirds perform during the AirVenture 2014 air show on the first day of the convention in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
Warbirds: British Lancaster, Mosquito aircraft among hundreds to see By Noell Dickmann Oshkosh Northwestern Media
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arbird enthusiasts will have plenty of opportunities to see the military aircraft in the sky during the Experimental Aircraft Association’s AirVenture air shows. The daily airshows will have themed performances commemorating the Battle of Britain, Victory in Europe Day, Victory over Japan Day and the Vietnam War. “This would probably be one of the only events in the world
where you’ll see over 300 warbird-type aircraft, and some of these unique, one-of-a-kind examples are the last ones flying,” said Bill Fisher, Warbirds of America executive director. “It’s a great opportunity for people to come to Oshkosh and learn a little bit about the history of these aircraft.” Airplanes of the Pacific Theater of World War II will be featured Wednesday, July 22, with the return of the Commemorative Air Force’s ‘Tora! Tora! Tora!’ air show. The show recalls the
Dec. 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor. Doolittle’s Raid, which was the first U.S. air raid on Japanese islands, the Battle of Midway and island hopping campaign will also be in the show that day. The Thursday, July 23, air show will begin with a Battle of Britain 75th anniversary performance. It’s followed by a tribute to the European Theater air campaign featuring B-17 bombers, fighter and transport aircraft and a British Lancaster bomber. Fisher said it’ll be exciting to see the British Lancaster bomber and Mosquito aircraft in the air. The Mosquito is unique in that it’s constructed of plywood, a move made to conserve materials like aluminum, he said, and the Lancaster is famous for being the backbone of the Royal Air Force bomber command. “It took on raids all throughout Europe and is very famous for the Dambuster Raids,” Fisher said, referring to the RAF’s May 1943 attacks that destroyed heavily protected German dams.
Kyle Litwinchek of Maple Grove, MN takes the dust off on a North American T-6 Texan on the fourth day of AirVenture 2014.
The Warbirds air show will feature airplanes and rotorcraft that flew in Southeast Asia in the Vietnam War on Friday, July 24.
All of the aircraft featured in the show will be on display in Warbird Alley as well during a program called Warbirds in Review. “Twice a day we have a program where they’ll tow the airplane out in front of a set of bleachers and ... have the current pilots talk about them,” Fisher said. “Special guests will be veterans that actually flew them in combat ... they will share personal stories of what it was like.” The Commemorative Air Force FIFI, the world’s only flying B-29 Superfortress, returns for the Victory in Japan tribute during the Saturday, July 25, air show. Fisher said it’s a combination of sensory stimulations that make warbirds such a hit. At AirVenture people can get up close to the aircraft, see the propellers turning and engines winding up. “There’ something about hearing all the noise and seeing all the smoke,” he said. “People can visualize what it may have been like ... when our pilots and ground crews were working so hard to get these aircraft airborne and do their missions and return.” Noell Dickmann: (920) 426-6658 or ndickmann@thenorthwestern. com; on Twitter: @ONW_Noell.
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Boeing B-52H Stratofortress bomber will be a prime attraction this year. Courtesy EAA
B-52 to glide into AirVenture debut By Hanaa’ Tameez Gannett Wisconsin Media
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B-52H Stratofortress bomber will land for the first time at the Experimental Aircraft Association’s AirVenture this year. The appearance of the longrange bomber coincides with the celebration of the B-52’s 60th anniversary of active military service. It will be showcased in Boeing Plaza during AirVenture’s weeklong festivities. Known as “the backbone of the U.S. Air Force bomber fleet,” the B-52 first took flight in 1954 and entered military service in 1955. The airplane has been modernized over the years and remains in service. The aircraft appearing at AirVenture is from the U.S. Air Force Reserve’s 93rd Bomb Squadron of the 307th Bomb Wing. It is based at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana.
Maj. Jeremy Holt, an instructor pilot in the 93rd Bomb Squadron at Barksdale AFB, is one of the pilots who will be manning the jet in Oshkosh. Holt said the B-52’s debut in Oshkosh has been a long time coming. While they had planned to bring it to AirVenture two years ago, those plans were put on hold due to federal budget issues. “We’re just trying to get it to the biggest show in the United States since it’s never been there before,” Holt said. “We can’t believe that it hasn’t, so we thought: what better way to show people what a relevant and viable force B-52 is?” Landing the massive jet bomber at Wittman Regional Airport also presents some logistical challenges. Measuring in at 159 feet long with a wingspan of 185 feet, one of the initial concerns, Holt said, was making sure that the massive aircraft would be
able to safely land in Oshkosh. Because the plane’s wing-tip landing gear spans 148 feet, almost the entire width of Wittman’s largest runway, 6,000 feet of the Oshkosh’s runway lights will need be removed to make space for the B-52 to land. “We’re landing it on their largest runway, about 8,000 feet by 150 feet. It’s a tight squeeze for us,” Holt said. “We usually land on [runways] 10,000 feet long and 300 feet wide so it’s half the width.” The bomber will be on display during AirVenture, but attendees will not actually be able to tour the inside of the aircraft. Most of it is a bomb bayand there is barely space for a person to stand up. Instead, a staircase will be pushed up to a cockpit window to allow visitors to see inside. Rick Larsen, EAA’s vice president of communities and member
services, said the B-52s appearance continues a tradition of creating “opportunities for people to see aircraft in one place that you cannot see anywhere else in the world.’ “It’s only fitting that on the B-52’s 60th anniversary of active military service that it comes to Oshkosh and, for the first time, will be on ground display for the world’s aviation enthusiasts to see up-close,” Larsen said in a statement . Holt will be attending AirVenture for the first time. In addition to showing off the plane, he said he’s also interested in the convention’s exhibits and demonstrations. “It seems like AirVenture is where all the new technology for general aviation comes out,” he said. “[It’s nice] just being able to interact with the people there that never got to see a B-52 up there in the northern states.”
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Oshkosh Northwestern Media
The Skydiving Hall of Fame based in Fredericksburg, Va., will organize a 108-person jump team during EAA AirVenture. Andrey Veselov photo
Skydivers to make world-record attempts at AirVenture By Noell Dickmann Oshkosh Northwestern Media
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group of skydivers from 20 different countries will attempt to break world-record skydives during two Experimental Aircraft Association AirVenture air shows. Team Hall of Fame Eagles, a group of men and woman from all over the world, will jump from 20,000 feet and go into at least three formations in 75 seconds. After the formations they’ll part ways, pull their parachutes and land in designated areas along the air show crowd line. The current record is 106 sky-
divers in three formations, set in Spain two years ago, said Jim McCormick, director of special events for the Skydiving Museum and Hall of Fame who will take part in the jump. The group of 108 is aiming to make as many as six different formations in the sky. Once they get to the third, they’ll set a new record; if they get to the fourth formation, they’ll set another, and so on. “We consider this to be a profoundly significant event,” McCormick said. “This is one of our defining events of our skydiving careers.”
Their team name is a tribute to the aerobatics team that was popular at AirVenture for many years, he said. Each of the members on the team has more than 4,000 jumps under their canopies and 25 years of skydiving experience on average. The skydivers will wear special jumpsuits and oxygen tanks for the high-altitude jump. Among the members of the team is BJ Worth, who performed a jump into the 1989 Seoul Olympics and numerous jumps for films as James Bond’s skydiving stunt double – one of which was even off the Eiffel Tower.
The team will make the attempts about 20 times, practicing in Ottowa, Illinois before and in-between their AirVenture appearances. The world-record attempts will happen during the Wednesday, July 22, and Friday, July 24, airshows. The team will do a public de-briefing after each jump. Learn more about the formations and people that make up Team Hall of Fame Eagles at eaglesoveroshkosh.org. Noell Dickmann: (920) 426-6658 or ndickmann@thenorthwestern. com; on Twitter: @ONW_Noell
AIRVENTURE 2015
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Officials from the National Aviation Heritage Alliance (NAHA), in partnership with the Wright B Flyer, Inc, and representing the Dayton region, will present the Wright Brothers 1911 replica airplane at the Farnborough International Airshow in July 2008. The original Wright B Flyer was designed to provide pilot training and reconnaissance for the US Army Signal Corps from 1911 to 1914.
Wright “B” Flyer replica to appear at AirVenture By Nathaniel Shuda Oshkosh Northwestern Media
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one-of-a-kind replica of the airplane that started it all will make its way back to EAA AirVenture this year — in pieces and on a custom trailer. When the Brown Bird arrives in Oshkosh, volunteers will reassemble the 3,400-pound biplane that embodies the spirit of the 1910-era original, said Jay Jabor, president of Wright “B” Flyer, a Dayton, Ohio-based nonprofit heritage aviation organization that owns the aircraft. “Would fly it up there (to Oshkosh), but it would probably take us about a week and a half,” Jabor said. “We’ll reassemble it, and we
will fly in the air shows that we’re compatible with during the week of AirVenture.” The display and demonstrations will serve a dual role — helping to fulfill the group’s mission of sharing history with industry enthusiasts and the general public alike, as well as raising money for a new replica. The group already has raised about $140,000 of its $300,000 goal. “EAA is providing us an awful lot of support, with people and expertise and stuff like that,” he said. “I would suspect that we would be ready to bring it to Oshkosh in two or three years.” The new plane, which is about 95 percent complete, will be
easier to transport because the current aircraft doesn’t fit into a standard shipping container. In addition, volunteers will get the chance to do some of the major construction in the original Wright Brothers factory — another example of the group’s dedication to aviation history. “Our mission is to give to the public the feeling that the Wright Brothers felt when they flew in 1911,” said Jabor, noting the group has about 40 full-time volunteers. “We’re motivated to kind of show people what it’s like in the way-back days. It’s really inspiring on a Saturday to have civilians who don’t know much about aviation come out and experience that.”
While most of the contributions so far have come from visitors to the Wright “B” Flyer museum, organizers hope the static display, forums and demonstrations at AirVenture will help them reach their goal. Donations are tax deductible. “EAA has about 185,000 members that are zealots like we are, and we thought that’d be a good tie-in,” he said. “I’d like to tell you we’re savvy fundraisers, but we’re airplane builders. … Frankly, the (aviation) community has been great for us. We’re really excited about coming out.” Reach Nathaniel Shuda at 920-426-6632 or nshuda@ thenorthwestern.com; on Twitter @onwnshuda.
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F-100F Super Sabre to make first appearance in Oshkosh
Anticipation soars as the historic fighter jet becomes the first of its kind to visit Oshkosh By Jacob Guyer Gannett Wisconsin Media OSHKOSH -- Excitement is flying high as an F-100F Super Sabre is set to make its first-ever appearance in Oshkosh. The jet fighter, nicknamed “Hun” (short for “hundred” as it is the first of the “Century Series” collection), will take part in warbird air show performances at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh from July 20 to 26. “The Super Sabre is a major part of the development of American jetfighters,” said Dick Knapinski, the senior communications staffer for EAA. “We’re excited because there are not many still in existence, and we’ve never had one in Oshkosh.” The air show is already generating eagerness as other vintage
military aircraft are expected to fly, including the B-29 Superfortress, P-51 Mustangs, CAF’s FIFI, and more. However, the rare F100F Super Sabre has made very few visits to airshows, so it will undoubtedly appeal to aircraft enthusiasts and pilots alike. The Super Sabre made history when it became the first fighter jet to be capable of supersonic speed in level flight. First built in 1953, the Super Sabre played a vital role with the U.S. Air Force from 1954 to 1971. It was originally designed as a more superior version of the F-86 Sabre air superiority fighter. The jet saw a lot of action during the Vietnam War as it aided the U.S. and South Vietnamese troops by providing fighter escorts and bombing runs, according to Knapinski.
The F-100 became the subject of many modification programs as mechanics looked to improve the use of the American fighter jet. Because of its wide range of use, many Super Sabres were converted into remote control drones after they were pulled out of service. “The Super Sabre started the next generation of jet fighters from the late 1950s to early 1960s era with a lot of improvements,” Knapinski said. “You can see how the technology has come along.” The unique fighter jet features two M-39 20mm cannons with 175 rounds and a maximum of 5,000 pounds of external stores. The Super Sabre can fly at a maximum speed of 875 mph while weighing in at over 21,000 pounds, accord-
ing to the National Museum of the Air Force. The F-100F Super Sabre coming to Oshkosh is owned by Dean “Cutter” Cutshall, a former Navy A-4 pilot from Fort Wayne, Indiana. He obtained the jet in 1996 after it had been shuffled around in many other hands, including the U.S. inventory, the Turkish air force, and Tracor Industries. Cutshall’s Super Sabre has on it the markings of Francis “Gabby” Gabreski, a legendary Air Force ace pilot who is one of only seven U.S. pilots to achieve ace status in two wars (WWII and Korea). With so few left in the world today, this F-100F Super Sabre is expected to give onlookers a special appreciation for aerial history.
AirVenture is underway on July 28, 2014. The main gate was busy processing people through the gates.
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