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August
5, 2011 Volume 11,
Number 39 |
Larger panoramic view
- Photo by Marko Edwardo
NUMBERS
CONFIRM A SUCCESSFUL AIRVENTURE
 With
increases in attendance, airplanes, and mostly ideal weather, EAA
AirVenture Oshkosh 2011 was declared a tremendous success by EAA
President/CEO Rod Hightower. The final figures for the recently
concluded event showed attendance of 541,000 - a 1.3 percent increase
over 2010 - and more than 10,000 aircraft arriving at Wittman Regional
and other airports in east-central Wisconsin. Read
more |
DEAD GRASS AWARDS
 Each
year attendees at AirVenture vote with their feet and bestow on certain
airplanes what is unofficially known as the "Dead Grass
Award." It is obvious who the winners are based on the patterns in
the grass around certain airplanes. This year the voting was done
virtually by tabulating which aircraft garnered the most interests by
online readers. Read more |
TOP
AIRVENTURE PHOTO GALLERIES
 EAA
placed all of its AirVenture 2011 photo galleries on Facebook this year
and while you don't have to be a member of Facebook to view them, those
who are got a chance to "like" their favorite ones. After
tallying the very unscientific count of "likes" from Facebook
users, we have determined the most popular AirVenture 2011 photo
galleries. View
the galleries |
TIME-LAPSE
VIDEOS: EAA AIRVENTURE IN STOP-MOTION
 Photographers
had fun with time-lapse photography at AirVenture Oshkosh 2011. EAA
photographer Mariano Rosales created three time-lapse videos that in
their totality allow you to travel the entire AirVenture grounds in
about five minutes. We also found two videos that were done by
AirVenture attendee Jo Hunter. If you have any time-lapse videos to
share let us know. Watch
the videos
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TOP
AIRVENTURE VIDEOS
 EAA's
staff and volunteer video teams kept a steady stream of videos flowing
to the EAA's video portal during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2011. What were
the most-watched videos? Naturally, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and the
B-29 were popular, but viewers also liked videos about the latest
products on display around the grounds. View
the videos |
EYE
OF THE EXPERIMENTER: THE BEST AIRVENTURE
 As
I sit in at the airport in Phoenix, Arizona (my connecting airport from
Milwaukee Wisconsin to Bakersfield California), delayed while the
mechanics work out the issues with the plane's emergency oxygen system,
I do so with a smile on my face. I've been a fixture at AirVenture for
the past 10 years, and this year was by leaps and bounds the best I've
ever attended. Read
more |
OUR
FAVORITE AIRVENTURE PHOTOS
 Our
staff photographers and videographers spent all week in ditches,
airplanes, high above the ground in lifts, and other odd places to
capture the best angles of AirVenture 2011. In the following weeks we
will be featuring some of their favorite AirVenture photos. This week we
take a look at photos by EAA Multimedia Journalist Brady Lane, who also
has a gallery of photos from his ride on "FIFI", the
only B-29 still flying. View
the photos |
'I
KISSED THE BUMPER!'
Young Eagles Raffle winners take delivery of new Mustang GT
 Right
before the air show on Thursday, July 28, Carl Gjefle and Jodie
Streeter, of Englewood, Colorado, went 50-50 on an EAA Young Eagles
Raffle ticket; then Streeter went over by the gleaming new Mustang
convertible on display and kissed it for good luck. "Yeah, I kissed
the bumper after buying the ticket," Streeter said as she, Gjefle,
and Gjefle's son, Brady, arrived Monday afternoon to take delivery of
their grand prize, a 2011 Ford Mustang GT convertible provided courtesy
of Ford Motor Company and Kocourek Ford, of Wausau, Wisconsin. Read
more |
AIRVENTURE
LIVE - A VIRTUAL SEAT ON THE FLIGHTLINE
Online community delivers AirVenture Live worldwide
 The
AirVenture Live Web portal was the key intersection for many who could
not attend the convention. News, videos, photos, and archives of the
daily AirVenture edition of e-Hotline and AirVenture Today
were all available in one place. Yet the truly active area of AirVenture
Live was the live webcams, EAA Radio, and LiveATC.net. Read
more
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ICON
TESTS NEW SPIN RESISTANT WING ON A5 AMPHIBIAN
 Last
week while all eyes were on AirVenture Oshkosh, ICON Aircraft tested a
new spin-resistant wing design that does not include flaps or wing cuffs
for its A5 amphibian LSA. The flight occurred July 28 and is part of a
design enhancement that ICON says will reduce aircraft complexity and
improve safety. The new wing design will allow pilots to maintain
control even through an inadvertent stall, while the flaps were removed
because LSA speed restrictions mostly negated their benefit on the
aircraft. Read
more
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FAA
FUNDING MOVES FORWARD; WORKERS RETURN
The House and the Senate reached a compromise to end the partial
shutdown of the FAA, removing about 4,000 FAA employees off furlough and
allowing thousands of laid-off airport construction workers to return to
their jobs. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced the news of the
compromise. “This agreement does not resolve the important differences
that still remain. But I believe we should keep Americans working while
Congress settles its differences, and this agreement will do exactly
that,” Reid said in a written statement. Read
more
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THE ONE IN A BILLION RULE
 It
was great to visit with Jeff Skiles and Sully Sullenberger at
Oshkosh last week. The two heroes of the Hudson are doing a
terrific job of keeping thousands of pilots excited about the
EAA’s Young Eagles Program, and we all appreciate their hard
work.
Later I started thinking about
the way the FAA certification rules worked - or didn’t work -
in the case of the Airbus losing both engines after ingesting
large birds. Should the certification standards for an airline
jet have anticipated such an event and required that there be a
way to allow the jet to continue flying safely to a runway?
Continue
reading | Subscribe to Mac's Blog
| Recent posts |
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TWO
EAAERS LOST IN WRIGHT MODEL B ACCIDENT
 The
cause of a fatal accident involving a replica 1910
Wright Model "B" N453WB that claimed the lives of two EAA
members remains under investigation by the FAA and the NTSB. Killed on Saturday, July 31, were
Don Gum, 73, EAA 685485, of Beaver Creek, Ohio, and Mitchell Cary, 65,
EAA 704263, of Yellow Springs, Ohio, when the replica aircraft dubbed Silver
Bird went down shortly before 11 a.m. in a field near Springfield,
Ohio. It had taken off for a
test flight from Springfield Beckley Municipal Airport. Read
more |
JON
SHARP ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT
 Air
racing legend Jon Sharp, the winningest pilot in the history of air
racing, announced he's retiring after 32 years of pylon racing success.
The team leader of Nemesis Air Racing holds many air racing records,
including speed records on every race course flown in both the Formula 1
Nemesis, and more recently the Sport/Super Sport class NemesisNXT.
Nemesis Air Racing won a record 15 Reno Air Racing National
Championships. Read
more |
WIN ROY CLARK'S
TRI-PACER
 Humanitarian
charity organization Wings of Hope in St. Louis is raffling the 1953
Piper PA 22-135 Tri-Pacer owned by country music legend Roy Clark to
raise money to provide urgent medical transport and treatment in North
America. Clark donated the plane to the organization, and the lucky winner will also receive a full scholarship for a
private pilot certificate plus a Lightspeed Zulu headset. Only 2,000
tickets will be sold at $50 each. Read
more |
KANSAS
SENATOR INTRODUCES BILL TO PRESERVE BARR
EAA continues support for legislative and legal efforts
U.S. Senator Pat Roberts (R-Kansas), a member of the Senate's
General Aviation Caucus, has introduced a bill that would preserve the
Block Aircraft Registration Request (BARR) program, allowing private
aircraft owners to opt out of open public tracking of aviation movements
by anyone with an Internet connection. Read
more |
GET
READY FOR 32ND ANNUAL ROCKY MOUNTAIN AIRSHOW, FLY-IN
 With
three weeks to go before opening day, organizers are making final
preparation for the 32nd Annual Rocky Mountain Airshow and Rocky
Mountain Regional Fly-In at Front Range Airport just east of Denver,
Colorado, August 26-28. Included in this year's event are aerobatics,
afterburners and pyrotechnics, and flyovers by the B-2 stealth bomber
and other aircraft. Read
more
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WEBINARS: LEARN HOW TO SURVIVE A
FORCED LANDING
Engine failure! Aside from a fire, it's the airborne emergency pilots
fear most. Many pilots simply do not have enough recent practice in
emergency skills to allow them to safely execute an emergency landing.
Eric Basile touches on a number of seldom-discussed factors related to
successfully handling an engine failure, including proper pre-flight
planning, managing stress in emergencies, airspeed control, impact
management, and crash survivability. You'll review some basic procedures
you may have not thought about in a while, and you might learn a few new
tricks as well!
All webinars begin at 7 p.m. CDT unless
otherwise noted. To find
out more about upcoming EAA Webinars and to register, visit the webinars
page.
EAA gratefully acknowledges the
support of Aircraft Spruce and Specialty Co. for their generous
sponsorship of our webinar programs.
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ONLY
A FEW SPOTS REMAIN FOR THE EAA MILITARY TRAINER FANTASY FLIGHT CAMP
 Sign
up today for the Military Trainer Fantasy Flight Camp scheduled for
September 9-11, 2011, in Oshkosh. Participants have a rare opportunity
to fly in the only remaining airworthy PT-3, plus take a second flight
in the famed "pilot maker," the North American T-6. Flights
include a pre-flight briefing on the aircraft and its controls. EAA's
own pilots and instructors will perform the takeoff and demonstrate in
the air how the controls work - and then it's your turn! Click
here to sign up.
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ALUMINUM
OVERCAST HEADS EAST
 EAA's
B-17 Aluminum Overcast is heading toward the East Coast. EAA
Chapter 531 out of Youngstown, Ohio, will host the Flying Fortress from
August 5-7. From there, the World War II bomber will fly to Washington,
Pennsylvania, where Chapter 45 will host the B-17 August 9-10. After its
stop in Pennsylvania, Aluminum Overcast will fly to Connecticut.
For more information on bookings and a full tour schedule, click
here.
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TRI-MOTOR
WILL TOUR AT END OF MONTH
 EAA's
Ford Tri-Motor will kick off its tour on August 25 in Rockford, Illinois.
If you didn't get a chance to fly on the "Tin Goose" during
AirVenture, it may be coming to a town near you. Click
here to check out our fall tour schedule with dates and locations for
the next Tri-Motor tour stop in your area. |
DEAL
OF THE WEEK: EXTENDED THROUGH AUGUST 18
Pre-order
your AirVenture 2011 DVD today and shipping is on us (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: BURT
RUTAN'S RACE TO SPACE NOW AVAILABLE AT THE EAA ONLINE STORE
 Subtitled
"The Magician of Mojave and his Flying Innovations," this is the
definitive account of Rutan's X Prize triumph and subsequent spacecraft
designs. It also chronicles his progressive, step-by-step attempts to
break barriers with engineering know-how and a wondrous imagination, all
the while remaining on the forefront of the burgeoning private spaceflight
industry. Order
your copy online or call us toll-free at 800-564-6322. And remember,
when you shop at the EAA online store, you support EAA programs that help
grow participation in aviation.
AND THE AIRVENTURE BEAT GOES ON:
Visit our website for
great savings on the merchandise you missed. Save 50 percent on most
AirVenture merchandise.
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Our brand new forums, live at EAAForums.org,
are off and running! Check them out, and join the conversations!
Monthly Photo Contest
Poll
Can You Help?
Ongoing Discussions
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If you have suggestions or
submissions for EAA’s weekly AeroInnovations column, please send them to
AeroInnovations editor Bob Waldron.
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World’s First Flight of a 3-D Printed Aircraft |
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Human imagination has truly taken flight with the world’s first flying 3-D printed aircraft. The University of South Hampton engineers have show that small UAVs can be custom-designed and produced on a 3-D printer with the start-to-finish process taking only days. 3-D printing can make unusual aerodynamic designs less expensive to produce than it would be with traditional manufacturing. This plane was built with a plastic material, but 3-D printers can also make physical objects from metal or ceramics. |
Electric Lazair Translates R/C Tech Into Manned Flight |
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Dale Kramer’s electric Lazair drew a lot of attention at AirVenture 2011 and was one of the few aircraft at Oshkosh to be built almost exclusively with R/C technology. One exception to R/C tech is the electric motors, because in the world of model planes flight times are generally 6-10 minutes, so Dale used Joby inrunner motors. Combined with 100 pounds of Li-Po batteries, the Joby motors give his Lazair 75 minutes of flight. |
Lightweight Aerobatics a Snap With Pizzaz |
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Like most LSAs seen at AirVenture 2011, the Dallair FR-100 Snap is lightweight and economical. Unlike most LSAs, however, the Snap is not intended for the “low-time sport pilot” because it has aerobatics in its DNA. It will meet FAA Part 23 aerobatic standards and will have a 130-hp competition engine with electronic fuel injection, inverted oil system, and four-into-one exhaust. |
AutoGyro Side-by-Side Cavalon Makes US Debut |
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AirVenture 2011 was the U.S. debut for the AutoGyro Cavalon two-seater. This unique aircraft is impossible to stall and spin, can take off in 10-70 yards, and can land “almost like a helicopter.” One interesting possible use case for the autogyro is for economical law enforcement aircraft. The U.S. Department of Justice is currently field-testing German autogyros as an option to fixed-wing aircraft. |
Firestar 2 SS Blazes a New Path |
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One of the subtler aeroinnovations seen at AirVenture 2011 was the Kolb Firestar 2 SS, a two-seat side-by-side prototype. Kolb will be releasing a fuselage conversion kit for this tricycle landing gear configuration, which will allow several thousand tandem Firestars to upgrade with the most-requested features for around $5,000. |
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| AeroInnovations aims to highlight developments that have potential to impact the future of aviation. EAA does not necessarily endorse the ideas, products, services, or views contained therein. |
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HINTS FOR HOMEBUILDERS: FILE
MODIFICATION TIP
 Jack
Dueck shares a simple idea for modifying a file to prevent inadvertently
removing material. Jack is a Technical Counselor, a Sportair Workshop
Instructor and Chairman of the EAA Canadian Council. Watch
the video
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TIMELESS VOICES OF AVIATION: ROBERT
HAYS
 Robert
Hays is perhaps best known for his starring role as Captain Ted Striker
in the classic 1980 comedy film Airplane! His connection to
aviation runs deeper than that however - his father was a USMC pilot for
29 years, and Robert has been a private pilot for over 30 years. We were
fortunate enough to sit down with Robert for a short interview during
AirVenture. Watch
the video
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Where
Are You Flying This Weekend?
There are 113
fly-ins and events over
the next two weekends in the EAA
Events Calendar. Find one near you or add your event! |
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Q
& A: Recently
I have been advised that the EAA has plans available
for many older homebuilt designs no longer popular
with builders. I am interested in purchasing plans
for a Stits Playmate and am interested in learning
if they are available.
Answer: While
EAA has a great collection of plans, they are not
for sale, just for viewing here at the library in
our offices at Oshkosh.
To find a set of
Stits Playmate plans, we suggest that you place a
"wanted" ad in a number of places,
including our own Sport Aviation magazine (Call
920-426-6860), and ads on Barnstormers.com
and Trade-A-Plane.com.
Have a question?
To ask a question regarding government issues,
e-mail EAA Government Relations.
For questions about registration, airmen, aircraft
and medical certification, safety records,
performance, or any other matter, e-mail EAA
Member Services. |
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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 was 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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NEW ZEALAND’S
NEW HIGH-TECH HELICOPTER KIT
Composite Helicopter, a New Zealand-based company, introduced its new KC518 Adventourer helicopter kit at AirVenture Oshkosh 2011. The KC518 is a five to six place helicopter that features carbon fiber and Kevlar composite construction. The primary fuselage consists of 33 parts that the builder puts together using special glue and layers of carbon cloth and resin. All bulkheads, keel beams, floor panels, and sub-assembly parts are inserted into the fuselage shell through the cabin doors. All parts come pre-fabricated, requiring zero welding or riveting, allowing builders to complete the kit in approximately 900 hours.
The KC518 is designed for turbines up to 450-hp. The company says owners will have the option of Rolls-Royce T63 and M250-C18/-C20 engines, with more powerful options available in the future for higher end models.
Composite Helicopter predicts the KC518 will cruise at 135 knots, offer a 1,450-pound useful load, 3.6 hours endurance, and have a service ceiling of 14,000 feet. For more information, click here.
ASPEN AVIONICS AWARDS HUNDREDS OF MERIT BADGES IN AIRVENTURE’S NORTH 40
As a four-time corporate sponsor of the North 40 aircraft parking and camping area during EAA AirVenture, Aspen Avionics wanted to recognize the intrepid citizens of Oshkosh’s North 40 with Aspen’s first North 40 Camping Merit Badge. Campers were asked to enter into a book the reason why they deserve the badge, and campers of all ages were rewarded. One child wrote, “I camped in the rain and still smiled,” while at the other end of the age spectrum, one gentleman wrote, “I am 80 years old and have been to Oshkosh many times.” To see the entire press release, click here.
SWIFT, ELECTROAIR ANNOUNCE TESTING AGREEMENT
Swift Enterprises and Electroair signed a testing agreement last week that will place an Electroair Direct Fire Ignition System in Swift’s Cessna 150 “to further augment the increased fuel economy through use of Swift’s high-octane unleaded test fuel, 100SF.” Swift has been developing the fuel over the past five years as an unleaded replacement for 100LL. Swift flew its Continental O-200-A-powered Cessna 150 to AirVenture on 100 percent SwiftFuel, and displayed the aircraft outside the GE Innovations Center. Learn more about SwiftFuel and Electroair.
NEW PITOT TUBE BOOTIE FROM SPORTY’S
Sporty’s now offers a new pitot tube bootie that wraps securely around angled pitot tubes to keep insects from taking up residence. It’s designed to withstand the worst weather conditions, including wind and freezing temperatures. A Velcro strap attaches securely to all angled pitot tubes, while a bright red REMOVE BEFORE FLIGHT streamer provides added visibility. The pitot tube bootie is available for $9.95. To order, click here. |
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