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July
30, 2011 Volume 11,
Number 37 |
AIRVENTURE 2011: DOZENS OF
MEMORABLE MOMENTS
 It
started sunny, turned slightly soggy and finished with a sunny
wrap. AirVenture 2011. The contrasts with 2010 could hardly be
stronger, the week as strong and fun and far-flung with aircraft
as ever in the 58 years since the founding of the Experimental
Aircraft Association. Individuals can discuss what their
highpoints were for weeks to come-and the week delivered dozens
of memorable moments. Read
more
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HUMMEL
ULTRACRUISER SERIAL NO. 1 FLOWN TO AIRVENTURE FROM NEW YORK
 The
original prototype all-metal UltraCruiser ultralight designed, built,
and flown by Morry Hummel was flown to AirVenture from central New York
state by its new owner Kirk Mills. It was his first long cross-country
flight. The engine is a two-cylinder 1/2 Volkswagen that gives the FAR
103 legal ultralight a range of nearly 150 miles. He had planned to have
some flying companions but ended up going solo. Read
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AIRVENTURE IS AMERICA'S
NATIONAL AIR SHOW
 Every
year a new and important segment of aviation-no, make that the
broader term of aerospace-learns what we AirVenture veterans
have known for years. This really is America's national air
show, and it's the best in the world.
Though it is the airplanes and
all that goes into making them fly that attracts us to Oshkosh
every year it is the people who bring AirVenture to life. Being
surrounded by so many people sharing the same passion is an
annual refresher and reminder of why we love aviation so
much.
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YEAR
OF THE TOUCH SCREEN AT AIRVENTURE
 Garmin
started it more than a year ago when it unveiled its G3000 flat glass
avionics system with touch-screen control pads. Now every major avionics
company is developing systems that you can tap and swipe to control.
Garmin followed that announcement with introduction and delivery this
spring of its GTN 750/650 combined GPS navigators and flight management
systems with first-ever touch-screen control. Read
more |
CHRIS
HEINTZ HONORED AT AIRVENTURE DINNER
 On
Wednesday evening at AirVenture, aircraft designer Chris Heintz was
greeted by nearly 250 attendees who gathered together for a dinner in
his honor. Hosted by Sebastien Heintz, Chris' son and president of
Zenith Aircraft Company of Mexico, Missouri, and Charlie Becker,
director of EAA Member Programs, attendees came from as far away as
Venezuela and South Africa. Paul Poberezny was the guest speaker and
gave the message that we are all family, which is especially relevant to
the Heintz family of five sons who are all in the process of following
in their father's footsteps. Read
more
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HISTORICAL
PAINT SCHEMES ADORN NAVY PLANES AT AIRVENTURE
 It
is history in living color on ConocoPhillips Plaza as 15 different
vintage Navy paint schemes rotate all week long for the art appreciation
of AirVenture 2011 attendees. The U.S. Navy is celebrating the
Centennial of Naval Aviation all year and part of that celebration are
these aircraft that were slated for repainting and earned the vintage
scheme instead. These legacy birds will not change their feathers back
right away, at least not until the next painting cycle. Read
more |
ROTAX
CELEBRATES 40,000TH 912/914 ENGINE
 Who
doesn't love milestones and birthdays? Rotax Aircraft Engines, a
division of BRP Inc., achieved two at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh: the sale
of its 40,000th four-stroke 912/914 engine and the 15th anniversary of
the 115-hp 914 turbo engine. Here's another milestone-and it's a
whopper: This four-stroke line of aviation engines has logged more than
24 million hours in the air. Even bigger, Rotax has produced more than
seven million engines for all BRP products. Read
more
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A
10-YEAR TOWER VETERAN IN A PINK SHIRT
 Wanda
Adelman's day job is running the FAA's Milwaukee, Wisconsin, air traffic
control tower 50 or so weeks out of the year. She's a mother of five,
and a CFI-IA with some 1,200 hours of stick time. But each summer, she
steps away from those responsibilities to tackle an even greater
challenge: running the world's busiest control tower, the one at EAA
AirVenture Oshkosh. When AirVenture Today caught up with her in the
tower cab, she was calm, collected, professional, smiling. After all,
much of the work necessary to safely handle the thousands of aircraft
operations during the week had already been done. Read
more
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WEATHER
IMPACTS ANTIQUE ARRIVALS
 According
to Vintage Aircraft Association President Geoff Robison, weather early
in the week likely impacted the number of antique airplanes able to
attend EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2011. "There was a line of
thunderstorms around Chicago that wouldn't move," Robison said. I
know that impacted arrivals from the east and from the west.
"Weather like that is just not fun in an open cockpit
airplane." However, numerous airplanes that did make it were
something very special to see. Read
more |
KIDVENTURE
OFFERS ACTIVITIES FOR YOUNG, OLD
 It
may be called KidVenture, but at a glance, you won't be able to tell who
is having more fun-the kids or the adults. That's because KidVenture has
grown into an event that has something for all ages, with parents
usually learning alongside their children. Sponsored by United
Technologies Corp., KidVenture features lots of flight simulators, the
newest software, and lots of hands-on opportunities. Read
more
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HIGHTOWER:
PERFECT WEATHER BRINGS IN CROWDS
 Although
final numbers aren't in, Friday's attendance at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh
2011 could set a new record, according to EAA's president and CEO. After
the annual meeting Saturday, Rod Hightower said EAA needs to finish its
count to determine if they really set a record, but Friday's attendance
was certainly "one of the biggest days we've ever had."
Hightower attributed the large attendance to perfect weather and big
events, such as the arrival and departure of Boeing's 787 Dreamliner. In
fact, weather played a big part in the fly-in convention's success
throughout the week. Read
more
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READ
TODAY'S ISSUE OF AIRVENTURE TODAY ONLINE
 The
official newspaper of EAA AirVenture, as found around the grounds. Check
the highlights of the day with this interactive
online edition.
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HIGHLIGHTS
FOR SUNDAY, JULY 31
- Warbirds in Review: Tuskegee
Airmen: F-16, T-6 with Harry Stewart (10 a.m.)
- ASIMO demonstrations: HondaJet
exhibit (11 a.m. & 2 p.m.)
- Warbirds in Review: AeroShell
Team T-6 with the AeroShell Aerobatic Team (1 p.m.)
- Military Scramble: Organized
departure of military aircraft
- Afternoon air show: Presented
by Rockwell Collins (2 p.m.)
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HEAVY
METAL JET TEAM HELPS MAKE-A-WISH
If anyone knows about wishes coming true, it's Jared
"Rook" Isaacson. Five years after earning his pilot's
certificate, he is today one of the pilots in the newly formed Heavy
Metal Jet Team that thrilled AirVenture audiences this past week. The
team has dedicated its debut season to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, an
organization that grants wishes to youngsters with life-threatening
medical conditions. The five-ship Heavy Metal team, one of only three
civilian jet teams in the world, performs with four L-39s and a T-33. A
Mig 17 was recently added to the team's stable and all are painted in a
distinctive Arctic camouflage livery. Read
more
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PIPER'S
'READY, SET, FLY!' PROGRAM EARNS FIRST SOLO
 As
of July 20, Jon Roberts, from Rhode Island, was the first person to solo
through Piper Aircraft's "Ready, Set, Fly!" program. Roberts,
who always wanted to fly, started researching airplanes and flight
training a year ago. He wanted the flexibility to take weekend trips and
fly whenever he wanted, and after learning about the "Ready, Set,
Fly!" program, he decided it was the right choice for him. In
Piper's program, hopeful pilots buy an Archer LX and receive their
private pilot certificate for free with executive-style training. Read
more
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AEROLEDS
DONATES EXTERIOR LIGHTING TO EAA MUSEUM
 Alan
Harper, of Beckley, West Virginia, 30-year EAA member and volunteer
AirVenture electrician, replaces the 175-watt halogen light bulbs in one
of the AirVenture Museum¹s exterior lights. Through the generosity of
AeroLeds, EAA will replace the halogen bulbs with LED lights in 14
lights around the museum, saving EAA approximately $1,200 per year in
energy costs. Improved lighting at a lower cost? Sounds like a good
deal. Learn more about AeroLEDS.
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DAVE
YEOMAN DOES YEOMAN'S WORK
 Volunteers
make EAA AirVenture Oshkosh happen every year, some for more than 40
years. Dave Yeoman, EAA Lifetime 20972 of Marion, Iowa, has been
recording nearly every forum presented at Oshkosh since 1972, and he
makes them available to members for a modest fee. Dave, retired from
Rockwell Collins, began recording using reel-to-reel tapes but today
uses digital recorders. Visit his
website to learn how to order copies. And a four-decades
"Thanks!" for your service, Dave.
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GRAND
PRIZES AT YOUNG EAGLES RAFFLE
 EAA
AirVenture Oshkosh 2011 draws to a close on Sunday, and people from all
corners of the globe will head home. But some will leave with great
prizes, won in the EAA Share the Spirit Sweepstakes and the EAA Young
Eagles Raffle. Drawings for these great prizes will take place Sunday
afternoon. Grand prize of the 2011 EAA Share the Spirit Sweepstakes is a
Cessna 162 Skycatcher, plus fuel for the year (up to $5,000) courtesy of
Shell Aviation. Read
more |
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DEAL
OF THE WEEK: RESERVE YOUR COPY OF THE OFFICIAL EAA AIRVENTURE 2011
DVD AND RECEIVE FREE SHIPPING
 Pre-order
your AirVenture 2011 DVD today and get free shipping (domestic orders
only). International shipping is $3 for the first DVD and $1 for each
additional DVD purchased. Offer good through August 18, 2011. Click
here to find out how you can save on shipping when you order your
AirVenture 2011 DVD.
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EAA MERCHANDISE:
THE EAA HERITAGE COLLECTION. MERCHANDISE THAT HONORS THE HISTORY OF EAA
AND OUR FOUNDER
 Check
out our selection of apparel and collectibles with the cool retro look
that's more popular than ever. And remember, when you shop at the EAA
online store, you support EAA programs that help grow participation in
aviation. Order
online or call us toll-free at 800-564-6322. Going to AirVenture? Stop
by the EAA Wearhouse to see our collection for yourself. And don't forget
to visit Authors' Corner, also at the EAA Wearhouse.
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EAA
Desktop Calendar
August
2011
This
Curtiss-Ely Pusher replica, built by Bob Coolbaugh
(EAA 307903/Vintage 15150) of New Market, Va., with
assistance from Andrew King (EAA 275985/Vintage
10739) of Vienna, Va., resembles the one that made
the first carrier landing on the deck of the U.S.
Navy’s USS Pennsylvania in the San Francisco Bay
on January 18, 1911 - beginning the era of naval
aviation. It will be on
display at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh.
Download
this wallpaper image from the EAA
website, where you can choose among several different
resolutions to suit
your screen - including three wide-screen
sizes ... or select an image from the archive.
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UNLIMITED
OXYGEN, WITHOUT A TANK
Dürr Technik, a German firm, introduced its OXYFLY oxygen generator at
AERO Friedrichshafen in April 2011 and is at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh this
year for the first time.
Available in both portable and installed
configurations, OXYFLY is a self-contained oxygen generating system,
needing only a 28-volt electrical supply to operate. When operating, its
oil-less compressor pumps out oxygen at a greater than 90 percent
concentration. Other than electricity, the only consumable is ambient
air. The maintenance-free unit's constant oxygen flow is independent
from its altitude and capable of supplying oxygen for up to eight
persons.
Instead of a bulky, expensive regulator,
a simple manifold can be used to distribute the low-pressure oxygen
flow. According to the company, OXYFLY is an ideal choice for passenger
operations, all-cargo crews, missionary and special operations, and even
sky diving flights.
To learn more about Dürr Technik's
OXYFLY, visit the company's website.
GOOGLE SIGNS ON TO SPONSOR GREEN
FLIGHT CHALLENGE
Google is sponsoring the NASA Centennial Challenge flight
competition known as the Green Flight Challenge (GFC) by donating a cool
$1.3 million for the first prize winner.
With a total of $1.65 million in prize
money at stake, the NASA-funded prize purse makes this the largest ever
prize for aviation. The Comparative Aircraft Flight Efficiency
Foundation we know as CAFÉ will conduct the event from September 25
through October 2, 2011, at Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County
Airport.
The aircraft in the GFC represent a
diverse mix of singular prototypes created expressly for the competition
by some of the world's top designers. Most will be propelled by
batteries and electric motors, some by bio-fuel or hybrid. The electric
aircraft in the competition will demonstrate for the first time that
practical, emission-free, cross-country flight is possible. Their
batteries will be recharged using clean geo-thermal based electricity
from The Geysers geo-thermal fields in the Mayacama Mountains North of
Santa Rosa.
The event is also geared to advance
personal mobility greenly, so in addition to the sleek aircraft of the
GFC, the Google Green Flight Challenge Exposition will include exhibits
of many technologies related to the future of green aviation. These will
range from vertical takeoff personal aircraft, autonomous vehicles, fast
prototyping equipment, advanced motors, propellers and more.
Advance ticketing and additional
information on the GFC can
be found here. |
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