BREAKING NEWS:
Raptor alert: Latest U.S. fighter to visit AirVenture

On Wednesday, we received confirmation that two F-22 Raptors, the next-generation fighter for the U.S. Air Force, will make a special appearance for EAA AirVenture attendees on Thursday, July 27. Expected time of arrival is 2:40 p.m., followed by about a 10-minute flight demonstration. This is one you won’t want to miss!

AIRVENTURE HIGHLIGHT:
DAILY AIR SHOWS

The daily afternoon air show is one of the most popular draws of EAA AirVenture, as thousands of people pack the flight line to enjoy the skill and artistry of aerobatic flight and see many unique aircraft.

EAA AirVenture
Oshkosh 2006
Photo Highlight of the Day

Formations cross during the opening 2006 AirVenture air show. Photo by Phil Weston
See more photos in the 2006 AirVenture Photo Gallery

The Latest from EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2006
July 24 - 30, 2006

e-Hotline Brings EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2006 to You
Get a daily dose of the World's Greatest Aviation Celebration with e-Hotline, EAA's electronic newsletter. Every day throughout the fly-in, we'll bring EAA AirVenture highlights, as they appear in the official convention publication, EAA AirVenture Today. This year's line-up features everything from sport pilot/light-sport aircraft to civilian space flight, vintage, warbirds, and the people who fly them. For those of you preparing for OSH, we can't wait to see you! For the rest of you, look for us every day in your in-box!

Follow It! During EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2006, e-Hotline will be published on a daily basis with current news and events directly from EAA AirVenture. Visit the EAA AirVenture website for full coverage of the event. We welcome your comments and suggestions to ehotline@eaa.org. Live EAA Radio! Streamed live to you from EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2006! - Showcase fly-bys - Live Air Show coverage - Arrivals and departures - Taped and live interviews - EAA Information and more. EAA AirVenture Oshkosh Photo Gallery Each day will feature new photos of the grounds, events, forums, exhibits, people, air shows and many other daily highlights. AirVenture Video Highlights Video highlights of activities, aircraft, personalities and more starting tomorrow.

The official daily newspaper of EAA AirVenture Oshkosh

Honda to enter the VLJ market and form alliance with Piper
Honda Motor Co., primarily known for its automotive products, yesterday made two announcements with major implications for general aviation at a press conference at the Honda Pavilion at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2006. First, the company unveiled plans to certificate and build the HondaJet, its innovative experimental very light jet (VLJ), and second, it announced an alliance with Piper Aircraft to explore opportunities in the general aviation marketplace and collaborate on sales and service for the HondaJet. Read more

Record crowd sees SpaceShipOne exhibit dedication
When the plane’s designer and pilot can’t tell the difference between a replica and the original, you know you’ve done a good job. Read more

"Here comes the judge!"
Each year, hundreds of aircraft come to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh hoping to win one of the builder awards, especially the highly coveted Grand Champion. EAA, and the volunteer judging teams, take their responsibilities for judging aircraft very seriously, and both put a lot of thought and effort into recognizing the best of the best. Read more

Young Eagles volunteers recognized
Some are pilots, others aren’t. Some live in the Midwest. Others live on the East or West Coast. Yet one similarity binds them together. They are all volunteers in EAA’s Young Eagles program, and they have gone that extra mile to introduce aviation to today’s youth. For their efforts, they will be recognized this evening in a Theater in the Woods presentation that begins at about 7:30 p.m. Young Eagles Chairman Harrison Ford will present the awards. Read more

No extension for ultralight pilots and trainers planning sport pilot upgrade
There will be no extension of the January 2007 deadline for registered ultralight pilots to "test out" of sport pilot training requirements or of the January 2008 deadline for converting ultralight trainers to light-sport aircraft. Officials from the FAA’s Flight Standards Service clarified and emphasized that position Monday afternoon here at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. Those deadlines were specified in the sport pilot rule in 2004 and are firm, the FAA said. Read more

Lancaster bomber arrives today
One of the world’s only two flying Lancaster bombers is slated to arrive today, its first visit by the British/Canadian bomber to EAA AirVenture in more than a decade. The Lancaster, C-GVRA, owned and operated by the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum (CWH), was one of the 422 Mk X models built at Victory Aircraft in Canada between 1943 and 1945. It saw service with the No. 107 Rescue Unit at Torbay, Newfoundland, as a maritime patrol/search and rescue aircraft until retired by the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) in 1964. Read more

Crossfield is Freedom of Flight award recipient
To the world, Scott Crossfield was known as the first man to fly at more than twice the speed of sound. But to those at EAA, the legendary test pilot was known for helping to promote and support the grassroots aviation organization where he was member number 430120. Read more

GA unified against airlines’ GA user fee proposal
A diverse group of general aviation voices joined in opposition to general aviation (GA) user fees on Tuesday at EAA AirVenture. The session, moderated by EAA President Tom Poberezny, included Jack Pelton, president and CEO of Cessna Aircraft Company; Ed Bolen, president of the National Business Aircraft Association; Phil Boyer, president of the Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association; Alan Klapmeier, president of Cirrus Design; and Pete Bunce, president of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association. Read more

AAA Ford Fusion race car simulator makes pit stop at EAA AirVenture
Ever wondered what it’s like to drive a NASCAR racer at speeds approaching 200 mph? EAA AirVenture visitors can give it a go this year as the AAA race car and simulator will appear for the first time. Read more

Simple Green creates Aircraft & Precision Cleaner
Sunshine Makers Inc., manufacturers of Simple Green brand cleaning products, will be showing its newest offering, Extreme Simple Green Aircraft & Precision Cleaner, at this year’s EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2006. Read more

Bird wants to encourage building from scratch
Two years ago, Cory Bird brought his one-of-a-kind composite homebuilt, named Symmetry, to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. From that moment there was no question the airplane was going to be a champion. That year, Symmetry was awarded Homebuilt Grand Champion. Read more

Tucker hasn’t lost nerve despite crash
Sean D. Tucker looks the same. Only his plane is different. In April, Tucker was forced to bail out of his Oracle Challenger II biplane Dream Maker, when he lost elevator control during a practice session in Louisiana. The plane was destroyed when it crashed into a field after failure of a rod end linked to the elevator torque tube. Read more

CFI’s Guide to Sport Pilot and Light-Sport Aircraft
With the large number of aviation enthusiasts interested in becoming sport pilots, there is a need for instructors as well. The National Association of Flight Instructors (NAFI), an EAA affiliate, is offering the CFI’s Guide to Sport Pilot and Light-Sport Aircraft. Read more

ColorEyes for pilots needing prescription eyewear
ColorEyes says it guarantees a dramatic improvement of your visual performance when wearing the company’s high performance sunglasses. Their HDL-3C advanced lens technology uses a patented high-definition filter built into the lens that equalizes the colors in the color spectrum producing improved color sensitivity and contrast apprehension. Read more

Wright Master Pilot Award presented
Dudley A. Whitman first soloed in 1940. Sixty-six flying years later he was presented with the FAA’s Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award in front of EAA’s Wright Flyer replica at the museum on Tuesday morning. Read more

Making it easier to buy a Cirrus
Alan Klapmeier, CEO and co-founder of Cirrus Design, has often talked about how hard it is for someone to become involved in and enjoy the benefits of personal aviation. Now, his company is trying to do something about it. Along the way, they’d like to sell a few of the company’s products, of course. Read more

Model takes the heat for the space shuttle
Could a surface anomaly on the space shuttle pose a danger to the vehicle and its crew on landing? NASA has a way of finding out while the shuttle is in orbit. A small molded space shuttle model in the NASA exhibit at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh can be coated with a thermal reactive finish that reveals any hot spots caused by air friction during re-entry. Read more

Pilot Briefings - Industry News
Miller Electric gives hands-on demonstrations
Visitors who stop at the Miller Electric booths (783-785) at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh will have the opportunity to see and participate in MIG and TIG welding and plasma cutting demonstrations. Miller factory reps will be on hand to answer questions and recommend products. Read more

Diamond snags fleet order for Twin Star and D-Jet
Yesterday at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, Diamond Aircraft joined with Point2Point Airways to announce the airframer’s first sales of its diesel-powered DA42 Twin Star and forthcoming D-Jet to a certificated U.S. air carrier. Point2Point Airways said it would use the new planes—a mix of both types totaling up to 100 aircraft—as part of its plans to expand its non-scheduled commercial air service. Read more

Yes, you can build an airplane!
Okay, here’s the premise: If I could build an airplane, anybody could. First, I am not good with tools and such. It virtually takes tutoring for me to learn which is the business end of a hammer. But, the homebuilding of airplanes is the heart and soul of EAA. That, in a very real sense, is how all this got started back in 1953. Read more

Gaggle of 16
I was part of a gaggle of 16. That’s what our "flight leader" called our disparate group of airplanes when he contacted the controller as we passed Ripon on our way to Fisk. We had launched from an airport in Illinois and rendezvoused in the air like an armada of Air Force fighters preparing to set out on a mission. Flying in loose formation, the mix of airplanes—ranging from Decathlons and a Husky to a Centurion—made for an interesting exercise in airspeed control as we tried to stay close enough to each other so that we’d appear professional when it came time to form up line-astern to flow into the line of airplanes approaching Oshkosh on the Fisk arrival. Read more

"Good progress" toward implementing sport pilot/light-sport aircraft rule
Working together, the FAA and the general aviation community are "making good progress" toward full implementation of the less than 2-year-old sport pilot/light-sport aircraft (SP/LSA) rule. Read more

Brain cancer awareness to take flight
Four years ago Brian Kissinger collapsed while playing tennis. He and others felt that surely the cause was the hot day, but it wasn’t that simple. Doctors soon discovered the cause of Kissinger’s collapse to be a tennis ball size tumor on his brain. Read more

Superior, Flying join with Challenge Air to help disabled children
Superior Air Parts and Flying Magazine this week announced they are joining with Challenge Air in a combined effort to bring the wonders of flight to disabled children. Challenge Air for Kids and Friends is a not-for-profit organization that offers motivational, inspirational, and life-changing experiences to physically challenged youth through flights in small, private airplanes. Read more

Ask Tom
EAA members and attendees who have questions regarding aviation, AirVenture or EAA, feel free to drop them off at the AirVenture Today office just north of the control tower, or e-mail asktom_airventure@hotmail.com and Tom will attempt to answer them. Please be sure to include your name and where you are from. Read more