Speakers Added to Aviation Adventure Series

History of Gunships, First Woman F-16 pilot, 9/11 Fighter pilot and others add to 2022 EAA Aviation Museum speaker series

EAA AVIATION CENTER, OSHKOSH, Wisconsin — (May 24, 2022)
The history of gunships, the first woman to fly an F-16, a Strategic Air Command pilot for the Convair B-58’ and others are among the list of additional speakers for the 2022 Aviation Adventure speaker series at the EAA Aviation museum in Oshkosh.

The monthly speaker series is open to the public, with presentations beginning at 7 p.m. Admission is free for EAA members and just $5 for nonmembers.

The schedule for these additional speakers include:

• Thursday, June 16 – “The History of Gunships”: Veterans John Bonner and Junior Skinner with the AC-47, Terry Sarul with the AC-119, and Ryan Wichman with the AC-130 will present their experiences with flying combat USAF airplanes from Vietnam to present day.
• Thursday, August 18 – “Betty”: Sharon Preszler is the first woman to fly an F-16 and will describe her experience as a fighter pilot for the USAF. Preszler was also the first woman to instruct in the F-16. She flew combat missions in Iraq and helped create a homeland defense plan after 9/11 which is still in effect today.
• Sunday, September 11 – 9/11 Hero: Heather Penney is a retired member of the 121st Fighter Squadron of the Air National Guard. She will talk about her experience on 9/11 and how she was involved by flying an F-16 fighter jet that day to help protect the Washington D.C. and the Pentagon.
• Thursday, October 20 – B-58 Hustler – The Legend of Strategic Air Command: Charlie Hooker will speak about what it is like to take the Convair B-58 Hustler aloft firsthand as a SAC pilot.
• Thursday, November 17 – Adventures in Hot Air Ballooning: Mike Beck will speak about how he started his aviation journey with hot air balloons and is excited to share his passion about aviation with those who fly with him.

About EAA Aviation Museum

The EAA Aviation Museum is located just off Interstate 41 at the Highway 44 exit in Oshkosh. The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. EAA members receive free museum admission year-round. For more information, call the EAA Aviation Museum at (920) 426-4818 or visit www.EAA.org/museum.