PUBLICATIONS
Vol.50 | No.9
$ 9.00
MATT THURBER
SEPTEMBER 2021 | a i n o n l i n e .c o m
AirVenture hosts eVTOL flyers by Matt Thurber
ROB OLEWINSKI
EAA AirVenture Oshkosh roared back to life after last year’s pandemic-induced cancellation, bringing hundreds of thousands of visitors and thousands of aircraft to Wisconsin’s Wittman Regional Airport in late July. More than 10,000 aircraft flew to Oshkosh and nearby airports and attendance of about 608,000 was within 5 percent of the 2019 show’s record, according to the Experimental Aircraft Association. Although travel from outside the U.S.
The Volocopter’s capabilities being demoed during a four-minute flight at Oshkosh.
remained severely constrained, international attendees came from 66 countries. During 10 days surrounding the show, from July 22 to 31, Wittman Airport saw 16,378 aircraft operations, an average of 116 takeoffs/landings per hour when the airport was open. While in many respects AirVenture 2021 felt like a normal Oshkosh, it was overwhelmingly positive, with visitors happily welcoming each other back and a profound sense of warmth and friendliness from one end of the show grounds to the other. The show went on, and while only a few people wore masks, the overhanging pandemic did little to curb anybody’s enthusiasm. As usual, there was plenty of new technology to see interspersed with the many beautiful aircraft on display. Two unique aircraft were on hand and even flew demonstration flights that showed what the future of electric flight might look like. Opener’s Blackfly personal air vehicle and the Volocopter eVTOL made brief aerial jaunts during the Tuesday afternoon air show, and
judging from the crowds at their exhibits, generated high levels of interest. Perhaps the biggest news of this year’s AirVenture was the FAA’s approval of an STC for a new high-octane unleaded aviation gasoline, developed by General Aviation Modifications, Inc. The first STC is just the start, and more piston engine/aircraft models will be covered shortly until the entire general aviation fleet is able to dispense with leaded avgas. See more Oshkosh news on page 38. n
Read Our SPECIAL REPORT
Completions Business aviation completions and refurbishment specialists and OEMs are busier than ever, meeting the desires of a demanding set of customers.
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Safety Rules of the sea help pilots, too page 14
Anniversary The 9/11 attacks, 20 years later page 6
Product Support AIN readers rate avionics OEMs page 20
Charter Lack of FAA oversight in Alaska crashes page 27
High Speed Hermeus hypersonic progresses page 10