EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2018 Program

JULY 23-29

EAA.org/AirVenture

Spitfire photo by Scott Slocum | Sean D. Tucker photo by Christopher Mezzavilla

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CONTENTS

JULY 23-29, 2018

F EATURES

34

EAA’s Extended Family Five thousand volunteers make AirVenture possible

By Ti Windisch

44

The Year of the Tanker The history behind AirVenture 2018’s big guests

By Ti Windisch

54

Per Ardua Ad Astra Twenty airplanes from 100 years of the RAF

By Hal Bryan

64

Into the Jet Age The development of jet fighters

By Sam Oleson

74

First to Fly Pioneering Packers provide aerial milestone for NFL

By Sam Oleson

2 EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2018

EAA / P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086 / Phone: 920-426-4800

A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E E X P E R I M E N TA L A I R C R A F T A S S O C I AT I O N

Welcome Letter

04

AirVenture by the Numbers

08

65 Years of EAA

12

AirVenture Neighborhoods

18

Showcasing Innovation

24

Runway Dots

82

Aircraft Anniversaries

86

More to Do

96

Performers 102

Advertiser Index

131

Until Next Year

132

PUBLISHER Jack J. Pelton, CEO and Chairman of the Board VICE PRESIDENT OF COMMUNITIES AND MEMBER PROGRAMS Rick Larsen DIRECTOR OF PUBLICATIONS Jim Busha EXECUTIVE EDITOR Kelly Nelson SENIOR EDITOR Hal Bryan ASSISTANT EDITOR Megan Esau STAFF WRITER Ti Windisch SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR Sam Oleson SENIOR COPY EDITOR Colleen Walsh ASSISTANT COPY EDITOR Katie Holliday-Greenley SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER Brandon Jacobs STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Connor Madison ADVERTISING MANAGER Sue Anderson

Fax: 920-426-4828 / www.EAA.org / www.EAA.org/airventure

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CONNOR MADISON

www.eaa.org 

3

WELCOME LETTER JACK J. PELTON

TO ALL EAA MEMBERS AND VISITORS: WELCOME TO EAA AIRVENTURE OSHKOSH,

the World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration!

A simple phrase — Experience Oshkosh — highlights our 66th annual fly-in convention.

Those two words, beyond any lengthy definition, describe what happens here in a single week.

One thing that never ceases to amaze me is the countless ways people experience Oshkosh.

For some, it is the latest technology and new products; for others, it’s the excitement of the daily air show or the knowledge gained at a workshop or forum. Often, the greatest moment is unexpectedly connecting with an old friend — and sometimes that old friend is an airplane.

AirVenture is a name, but the experience is personal and memorable. It happens tens of thousands of times each day on this flightline.

While you’re here, please remember the Oshkosh rules created by EAA’s late founder Paul Poberezny: Treat everyone with kindness, be respectful around all aircraft, and pick up that stray piece of trash you might see on the grounds.

Our gathering and convention is one of the most remarkable aviation events in the world.

Even more, it is the Oshkosh experience. Thanks for being a part of it and for being a part of the EAA family.

Best regards,

JACK J. PELTON CEO and Chairman of the Board Experimental Aircraft Association

4 EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2018

EAA would like to thank its partners for their support in making your convention special ★

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P L A T I N U M

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L E V E L

S P O N S O R S

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★ ★ ★ ★ G O L D L E V E L S P O N S O R S ★ ★ ★ ★ Airbus ★ BendixKing ★ Epic Aircraft ★ Honda Aircraft Company ★ Lycoming ★ Mars Wrigley Confectionery Phillips 66 ★ Redbird Flight Simulations ★ ★ ★ ★ S I L V E R L E V E L S P O N S O R S ★ ★ ★ ★ AeroLEDs★ AeroShell ★ Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) ★ Aspen Avionics ★ Dynon ★ Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Honda Generators ★ Honda Marine ★ Icom America ★ John Deere ★ ModTruss ★ Mooney International Corporation Motorola Solutions/Northway Communications ★ NATCA ★ Nikon Inc. ★ Piper Aircraft, Inc. ★ Poly Fiber Aircraft Coatings Pratt & Whitney Canada ★ Quest Aircraft Company ★

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B R O N Z E

L E V E L

S P O N S O R S

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Aircraft Specialties Services ★ Appareo ★ ASA (Aviation Supplies & Academics, Inc) ★ Aviat Aircraft, Inc. ★ Bose Cirrus Aircraft ★ Cleveland Wheels & Brakes/Stratoflex/Parker ★ Continental Motors ★ Covington Aircraft ★ Embraer ★ ForeFlight GE Aviation ★ GoPro, Inc. ★ Great Lakes Drone Company ★ Hartzell Engine Technologies ★ Hartzell Propeller ★ ICON Aircraft ★ JP Instruments Lancair International LLC ★ Lightspeed Aviation ★ Lincoln Electric ★ Multicopter Warehouse ★ Oshkosh Corporation ★ Pepsi Pilatus Business Aircraft ★ Priceless Aviation Products ★ Rotax Independent Service and Training Centres ★ Stemme USA ★ Superior Air Parts, Inc. Tempest ★ Thrustmaster Gaming ★ TruTrak ★ Van’s Aircraft ★ Williams International ★ Wipaire Inc ★ Women in Aviation International

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P A T R O N

L E V E L

S P O N S O R S

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Air Wisconsin Airlines ★ AkzoNobel Aerospace Coatings ★ Alpina Watches ★ American Airlines ★ American Honda/Powersports B & C Specialty Products Inc. ★ Best Tugs ★ Cruiser Aircraft, Inc. ★ David Clark Company ★ Flite Test ★ Franklin Equipment, LLC ★ Gill Aircraft Batteries Glasair Aviation ★ L3 Aviation Products ★ Mid-Continent Instruments & Avionics ★ Riesterer & Schnell ★ Shell Aviation ★ Softie Parachutes ★ Starr Aviation SteinAir, Inc. ★ Swift Fuels, LLC ★ uAvionix

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S U P P O R T E R

L E V E L

S P O N S O R S

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4imprint ★ Arena Americas ★ Carrier Corporation ★ EarthX Lithium Batteries ★ Empire ATM Group ★ Endeavor Air ★ Etched Memory ★ Flightline Interiors, LLC Fly Girl, LLC ★ General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) ★ GES ★ Greater Oshkosh EDC ★ Lowe’s Home Improvement ★ MATCO mfg ★ MCPGSE Meijer ★ Scheme Designers, Inc ★ Sensenich Propellers Mfg. Co., Inc. ★ Sherwin-Williams Aerospace ★ The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company The Outlet Shoppes at Oshkosh ★ Univair Aircraft Corporation ★ VFW-Veterans of Foreign Wars ★ Wisconsin Imaging, LLC

WORLD’S GREATEST AVIATION CELEBRATION

®

We Salute the Insurers of EAA and EAA AirVenture Oshkosh THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT ®

®

®

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Global Aerospace ★ Old Republic Aerospace ★ Swiss Re ★ Brit AIG Aerospace ★ XL Catlin ★ Starr Aviation ★ StarStone ★ Amlin ★ Chaucer Marsh Aviation – our insurance broker

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WELCOME TO THE ENTIRELY NEW EXPEDITION. 2018 Expedition shown.

BY THE NUMBERS AIRVENTURE 2017

80

Countries from which people traveled to AirVenture

1

590,000

People in attendance

2,527

Guests who registered at International Visitors Tent

TOP 3:

CANADA (583) AUSTRALIA (346) SOUTH AFRICA (204)

3 Visitors Per Country

251+

5,500 Volunteers

906

Media representatives from 6 continents

64

Air traffic controllers

40,000

People camping

16,500

Visitors to the EAA Seaplane Base

35,800

Visitors to the EAA Aviation Museum 8 EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2018

151-250

51-150

1-50

FLIGHT EXPERIENCES

2,029

2,448

610

3,877.8

2,288

7,020

Ford Tri-Motor passengers

B-17 passengers

Bell 47 passengers

Miles flown by the Ford Tri-Motors during the week of AirVenture

Miles flown by EAA’s B-17 during the week of AirVenture

Miles flown by Bell 47 helicopters over the AirVenture grounds during the week of AirVenture

139,000

10,000+

Copies of AirVenture Today newspaper printed

Aircraft

2,991

Showplanes

4,000

Fireworks and effects used in each night air show

17,223

Aircraft movements July 21-30 (123 takeoffs/landings per hour)

DIGITAL

881

Exhibitors

2

1,943

AirVenture mugs sold

1,050

Forums and workshops (attended by 75,000-plus people)

AirVenture 2017 by the Numbers

BY MEGAN ESAU

18.7 M

People reached by EAA social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram)

1,639,010

Page views of the AirVenture website

38,048

EAA AirVenture App users

2.1 M

AirVenture video views

FUN FLY ZONE

8

Hot air balloons launched for Saturday morning flight

33

Powered paragliders that flew in for the first mass arrival

KIDVENTURE

21,000

Kids and guardians at KidVenture

2,000

Tool sets earned by completing KidVenture A&P booths

1,910

AirVenture photos uploaded to Flickr

116,720

LIVE

Hours watched of live streaming of AirVenture webcams from 192 countries

197,000

Listeners who tuned in to EAA Radio from 50 countries www.eaa.org 

9

I AT I O N T H E S P I R IT O F AV John Q. Smith

EA A 123456 MEMBER SINCE 1/1/2 016

®

Join more than 200,000 of your peers who are as passionate about airplanes as you.

EAA member benefits include: > Monthly subscription to EAA Sport Aviation magazine. > FREE access to more than 400 museums worldwide, including ours. > Build relationships with members at nearly 900 local EAA chapters. > Get reimbursed for passes bought at the non-member rate.

Visit us at the EAA Member Center or at EAA.org/Join.

New EAA Members get this Bluetooth® speaker! (or current members who sign up for automatic renewal)

Live the Oshkosh spirit, all year long.

Visit your local EAA chapter.

Through an EAA chapter, you can:

• Enjoy the fun and camaraderie of aviation with like-minded people in your area • Share and learn aviation-related knowledge • Participate in aviation activities, such as fly-ins, building seminars, Young Eagles rallies, and more • Help build a stronger bond between aviation and your community

Visit EAA.org/Chapters to get involved today.

10 EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2018

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HISTORY

Sharing the Spirit Memories from 65 years of EAA

BY MEGAN ESAU

WHEN EAA FOUNDER Paul Poberezny formed the Experimental Aircraft Association in January of 1953, he had no way to predict the fixture of general aviation that EAA would become, nor the explosive growth in membership it would see over the years. What started as a small club of homebuilders and restorers evolved into a worldwide organization representing not only homebuilts, but warbird, vintage, aerobatic, and ultralight aircraft as well.

Paul’s influential voice became an advocate for general aviation before the U.S. government — a voice that EAA has continued to make heard in recent years to bring wins for GA including aeromedical reform and halting a dangerous proposal for the privatization of air traffic control.

And over the years, what started as EAA’s small fly-in convention became what is known today as the World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration: EAA AirVenture Oshkosh.

Paul called the first EAA meeting at Curtiss-Wright (now Timmerman) Field in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1953, and from there, Paul and his wife, Audrey, grew their humble organization from the basement of their Oak Creek home into an aviation family of more than 200,000 members.

TIMELINE

1953 In January 1953, Paul called the first Experimental Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association meeting with a simple idea in mind: to have a place for people to share their passions for building and flying experimental aircraft. The next month, the organization’s first official newsletter, The Experimenter, was published from the basement of the Poberezny home.

Later that year, the organization changed its name to the

12 EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2018

Experimental Aircraft Association — EAA. In September, 21 experimental aircraft attended EAA’s first fly-in at CurtissWright Field. After Paul’s friend Ray Stits requested to form an EAA charter in California, EAA members voted at the November meeting to approve the formation of EAA chapters across the country — a decision that spurred the creation of the more than 900 EAA chapters existing today.

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF EAA ARCHIVES

EAA published the first issue of its flagship magazine, EAA Sport Aviation. One of its introductory columns stated that EAA hoped the magazine would encourage widespread participation in aviation and would serve as the “voice of the sport flyer.”

Not only was the fly-in convention beginning to outgrow its resources at Rockford, but also the city gave EAA an ultimatum: the fly-in could host campers or it could hold an evening aerobatics program, but not both. In November 1969, EAA’s board of directors voted to relocate the convention to a small city in Wisconsin, whose name has now become synonymous with the fly-in itself: Oshkosh. The convention was permanently moved to Oshkosh beginning in August of 1970.

1958

1969

1955

1959

1971

1981

A series of articles Paul wrote about constructing a Baby Ace were published in Mechanix Illustrated magazine in 1955. The article was well-received and launched increased interest in EAA.

Outgrowing its home field at Curtiss-Wright, EAA held its fly-in at an airport in Rockford, Illinois, in 1959. Rockford extended an invitation to EAA to hold its event there again in 1960, and the convention continued to be held there for the next decade.

With an ever-expanding membership base, there was bound to be groups of individuals with specific aviation interests. To cater to this, EAA established three divisions in 1971: the Antique/Classic Division (since renamed as the Vintage Aircraft Association), the International Aerobatic Club, and Warbirds of America.

Each division has its own board of directors and publishes a short magazine for its membership.

EAA added a fourth division to the organization with the formation of the EAA Ultralight Association.

In June of 1983, EAA successfully petitioned the FAA for an exemption to Part 103 of the Federal Aviation Regulations that would allow flight training in two-place ultralights, adding a needed layer of safety in the community. Though the EAA Ultralight Association was later integrated into the general framework of EAA, EAA continues to advocate for the ultralight community to this day.

www.eaa.org

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HISTORY Though EAA’s fly-in convention had already moved from Milwaukee to Rockford to Oshkosh, until the early 1980s the organization itself continued to be headquartered in the Milwaukee area. Then, in August 1981, Paul made an announcement in EAA Sport Aviation magazine: The organization would build an EAA Aviation Center in Oshkosh, which, once complete, would serve as EAA’s new home base. Paul wrote, “From the basement office in my home and 11 years later in our first office and air museum, an organization rapidly grew that was dedicated to aviation and bringing together people and aviation activities throughout the world. ...

We now have an even greater challenge — to create a focal point on this earth where aviation can challenge, can serve; where education and inspiration can be disseminated. ... A facility dedicated to men and women’s desire for personal flight.” Construction began in August 1980, and in August 1983 the new EAA Aviation Center, made up of EAA headquarters and the world-class EAA Aviation Museum, was dedicated in Oshkosh.

Under Tom’s leadership, EAA announced an initiative to get more youth involved in aviation.

The goal of this new program named Young Eagles was to give a complimentary flight to 1 million young people by the centennial of the Wright brothers’ first successful powered flight.

EAA’s membership would be instrumental in reaching this goal as the pilots who would fly these youth. The first 142 Young Eagles flights took place at the EAA fly-in convention in 1992, and EAA reached its target of 1 million youths flown on November 13, 2003, more than a month before the deadline.

1981-83

1992

1984

1989

1998

2004

The first EAA Air Academy for youth was held in the summer of 1984.

Initially, the camp was for teens ages 15-17, but the academy has since expanded to include three levels of camp for young people ages 12-18. All camps include hands-on aviation activities, and older students in the advanced camp receive ground instruction and an introductory flight experience. 2018 marks the 35th season of the EAA Air Academy.

Paul announced his retirement as EAA’s president in April 1989, and the organization’s membership elected his son, Tom Poberezny, as the new leader of EAA.

EAA’s fly-in convention operated under its new official event name, EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, for the first time in 1998.

The FAA’s sport pilot/lightsport aircraft (LSA) rule went into effect in 2004.

EAA was instrumental in the creation of this rule, which provides a lowercost and less restrictive way to fly, and was created as a certification avenue devoted to recreational aviation. EAA paved the way for the sport pilot rule beginning as far back as 1984, when it petitioned the FAA to create a recreational pilot certificate category.

EAA WILL ALWAYS BE A HOME FOR ALL THOSE WHO LOVE AND SHARE THE SPIRIT OF AVIATION. 14 EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2018

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF EAA ARCHIVES

LYCOMING PISTON ENGINE SERVICE SCHOOL Join our FREE training sessions to learn more about Lycoming engines and to hone your service skills. Registration starts 30 minutes before each event at Lycoming’s Training Tent located in Booth #277-282.

DAY MONDAY TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY SATURDAY

TIME

CLASS SUBJECT

9:30-11:30 AM

DISASSEMBLY OF A LYCOMING ENGINE

1:00-3:00 PM

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REASSEMBLY OF A LYCOMING ENGINE

9:30-11:30 AM 1:00-3:00 PM

SMOOTH VALVE OPERATION LUBRICATION SYSTEM

In addition to attending our classes, visit the Lycoming booth to view our display engines and genuine Lycoming parts, learn the latest Lycoming news, meet members of the Lycoming team, and more.

Find us on social media to follow Lycoming’s activities during #OSH18. @LycomingEngines

@LycomingEngines

Lycoming_Engines

LycomingEngines

VISIT US AT BOOTH #277-282 277-282

© 2018 Avco Corporation

HISTORY

In 2008, approximately 800 women in pink T-shirts gathered for a photo on the EAA grounds in celebration of the first annual WomenVenture. Nowadays, more than 1,000 women congregate for the photo, and WomenVenture has regular programming at AirVenture to inspire women and girls to pursue their dreams of flight.

Paul died on August 22, 2013, after a nearly lifelong career in aviation and helping to share the thrill of flight with hundreds of thousands of people around the world.

EAA’s inaugural Founder’s Innovation Prize competition was held in 2016. The prize was developed to motivate the general aviation community to come up with its best solutions for lowering the loss-of-control accident rate in general aviation. The winner is selected annually in a Shark Tank-style contest at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh.

2008

2013

2016

Continuing the success of the Young Eagles program, 16-year-old Jodie Gawthrop became the 2 millionth Young Eagle during a special celebratory flight at AirVenture 2016. Her flight was given by actor and former Young Eagles Chairman Harrison Ford.

The two flights leading up to the 2 millionth Young Eagle were given by former Young Eagles Co-Chairman Jeff Skiles and current Chairman Sean D. Tucker.

2010

2012

2015 2017

Tom stepped down from his role leading EAA and introduced Rod Hightower as EAA’s new president and CEO. Tom continued to serve as EAA chairman and AirVenture chairman until July 2011, when he announced his retirement from the organization.

Rod resigned as president and CEO, and Jack J. Pelton, retired chairman, president, and CEO of Cessna Aircraft Company, was elected to be the organization’s new chairman.

In November, Jack was hired

by EAA’s board of directors to become EAA’s full-time CEO.

After years of input from EAA regarding a more reasonable and less restrictive alternative to third-class aeromedical certification, the FAA launched its BasicMed program in January 2017.

After just one year, more than 25,000 pilots were enrolled and flying under the BasicMed program.

There’s no telling what achievements lie in EAA’s future, but one sure fact is that EAA has always been a forward-looking organization. EAA continues to foster creative thinking in aviation with its Founder’s Innovation Prize, its Innovation Showcase, and its support for companies like Scaled Composites during AirVenture. Yearround, the government advocacy team stands ready to fight against any program or proposal that would be harmful to recreational aviation, 16 EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2018

2018 In February 2018, EAA and the general aviation community celebrated the end of a long battle against ATC privatization. The privatized system proposed in the House of Representatives Bill H.R. 2997 would have moved ATC oversight from the FAA to a private board dominated by airline interests. EAA’s government advocacy team was heavily involved in fighting the proposal on Capitol Hill, and EAA members across the country also made their voices heard to their congressional representatives.

and EAA members continue to help inspire the next generation of pilots, aeronautical engineers, aerial history buffs, and more. First and foremost, though, EAA will always be a home for all those who love and share The Spirit of Aviation.

Megan Esau, EAA 1171719, is EAA’s assistant editor and regularly contributes to both print and digital publications. She’s an aspiring pilot, a passionate aviation enthusiast, and an avid learner of just about everything.

E-mail Megan at mesau@eaa.org.

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF EAA ARCHIVES

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NEIGHBORHOODS

WARBIRDS

AirVenture Neighborhoods Walking the flightline through EAA’s special interest communities ONE OF THE THINGS that makes EAA AirVenture Oshkosh so great is the diversity of aircraft in the air and on the ground throughout the week. Visitors can explore a variety of noteworthy aircraft displayed on Boeing Plaza, and then head north or south along the flightline to take a deeper dive into several different areas of aircraft interest. Whether you know your niche or just want to explore all that general aviation has to offer, walking the AirVenture flightline will provide you with a wealth of opportunities to experience the unique culture and expertise of the EAA community. No matter where your interests take you on the grounds, you’re sure to have an experience that is uniquely Oshkosh.

WARBIRDS

EAA’s Warbirds of America division calls the northeast part of the AirVenture grounds home. A wide array of military aviation history is on display in this area, complete with a mock World War II forward air base created by the Warbirds Living History Group.

Take the time for a guided tram tour and check the schedule so you’re back for the daily Warbirds in Review programming to hear veterans share their stories and learn more about some of these historic aircraft’s restorations and operation.

HOMEBUILTS

HOMEBUILTS 18 EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2018

For those who love to get hands-on, the Homebuilts area just south of Warbirds offers the opportunity to walk through rows of aircraft built both from scratch and from kits, customized to the builders’ tastes.

Get ideas for your own project or spend some time with the builders learning what makes each aircraft unique. If skill building is your thing, this area is also home to EAA’s workshops and forums. There are hundreds of sessions each day to help you acquire basic skills for working with sheet metal, fabric, composites, wood, and welding techniques, or deepen your knowledge and understanding of the most important tips and techniques for builders.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ED HICKS, SCOTT PELKOWSKI

THE SPORTY’S FOUNDATION Ensuring a Strong General Aviation Community for the Next Generation The Sporty’s Foundation helps to attract, encourage, and support young people pursuit of aviation as a career and/or as a lifestyle.

The foundation supports organizations and program that share this vision.

These organizations have received support from The Sporty’s Foundation: EAA Young Eagles, Smithsonian Air & Space Museum, Women in Aviation, International, Aviation Exploring, AOPA Air Safety Foundation, Aircraft Electronics Association, and more....

DONATE NOW: www.SportysFoundation.org Your donation to The Sporty’s Foundation may qualify as a charitable deduction for federal income tax purposes.

Unlike other charitable organizations, your donation is applied 100 percent to programs. Sporty’s Pilot Shop covers all administrative expenses of The Sporty’s Foundation including postage, printing, salaries, legal and accounting, counsel, and all incidental expenses. That is your guarantee your donation to The Sporty’s Foundation will be wisely invested in the future of general aviation.

NEIGHBORHOODS

AEROBATICS

At nearly show center, you’ll find members of the International Aerobatic Club (IAC) rolling with their sleek aircraft and sharing their unique perspective of the sky.

A great place to immerse yourself in all things aerobatic, forums are hosted in the Vicki Cruse Educational Pavilion each day, and IAC representatives are always on hand to answer questions about this thrilling way to expand your flying skills.

AEROBATICS

YOU’RE SURE TO HAVE AN EXPERIENCE THAT IS UNIQUELY OSHKOSH. VINTAGE

Take a walk down memory lane with the Vintage Aircraft Association just a little farther south on the flightline and discover the joys of flying and maintaining vintage aircraft. Pilot interviews are hosted daily at the Vintage Interview Circle, and rows of aircraft that have been loved for generations are on display to help transport you back to the good ol’ days for a bit.

VINTAGE FUN FLY ZONE

FUN FLY ZONE

The south end of the flightline is what has been dubbed the Fun Fly Zone. Home to the lighter side of recreational aircraft, homebuilt helicopters, and ultralights, this area also features forums and programming to expand your knowledge, and plays host to the Twilight Flight Fest, which includes a STOL competition, powered paragliding, and 3D RC flying, on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday evenings.

20 EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2018

PHOTOGRAPHY BY DENNIS BIELA, JACK FLEETWOOD, LAURIE GOOSSENS

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Official Utility Vehicle Provider of EAA AirVenture 2018 Visit us in booths 190-192, Outside Hangar C Before operating or riding, always refer to the safety and operating information on the vehicle and in the operator’s manual.

John Deere, the leaping deer symbol, and green and yellow trade dress are trademarks of Deere & Company. 18-73815

Download the App! Maps, schedules, menus, and more!

The new EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2018 app is now available!

EAA.org/App The EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2018 app is sponsored by

Share your favorite memories using #OSH18 to be part of the social feed.

Follow EAA on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, to get all the latest highlights.

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INNOVATIONS

YAK-110

Showcasing Innovation A look into the future of aviation

BY SAM OLESON

WHILE MANY ASPECTS of EAA AirVenture Oshkosh are all

about honoring the past — such as 2018’s celebration of early jets, the anniversary of the founding of the Royal Air Force, and the commemoration of the conclusion of World War I — looking to the future is also a big part of what EAA does.

As you explore the AirVenture grounds this year, expect to come across unique and innovative airplanes and technology that could help shape the future of aviation.

24 EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2018

HEAD TURNER

An airplane that will certainly catch some attention on the AirVenture flightline this year is the Yak-110, which is a one-off aerobatic plane that was created by attaching two Yakovlev Yak-55s together and adding a General Electric CJ610-6 turbojet engine in addition to the two Vedeneyev M14P

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JIM RAEDER

INNOVATION IS HAPPENING ALL THE TIME, EVEN IF IT ISN’T INTENTIONAL. nine-cylinder radial engines. Each cockpit has a full set of flight controls, though things like the starter and the smoke controls are found only in the left cockpit.

The primary builder of the Yak-110, Dell Coller, EAA 683852, said he believes Oshkosh is the perfect place to bring his new experimental airplane.

“I can’t think of a better place to bring this airplane in its first year,” Dell said. “I think everybody who attends the show is really into experimental airplanes, obviously with it being the Experimental Aircraft Association. I think they’ll really enjoy seeing this airplane do its thing.”

NEW DESIGNS

In the world of ultralights, Just Aircraft will be bringing its first Part 103-compliant design to Oshkosh this year. The prototype is a mid-boom, high-wing, strut-braced tractor monoplane that is powered by a 38-hp, liquid-cooled Polini Thor 250 engine.

Designer Troy Woodland, EAA 638040, was the mastermind behind this new ultralight and is looking forward to showcasing it at AirVenture.

“It’s not for everybody, but it’s for the guy that wants to let the wind blow through his hair and go out and have a good time for an hour in the evening,” Troy said.

Meanwhile, Belite Aircraft and its experimental two-seat light-sport aircraft, the Chipper, will also be at AirVenture this year.

Designed by James Wiebe, EAA 859932, the Chipper is a high-wing taildragger, though tricycle gear, amphibious floats, and folding wings are planned options. It’s built with mostly traditional materials, using aluminum tubes, spars, and fuselage skins, but also makes extensive use of extremely lightweight honeycomb aluminum.

Powered by either a Hirth 3203 or a Rotax 912 UL with a DUC Hélices carbon fiber three-blade propeller, the Chipper has a cruise speed of 106 mph and a fuel consumption rate of 4.5 gallons per hour. Kit build times are anticipated to be about 1,000 hours.

“Stable, smooth, incredible takeoff performance, incredible landing performance,” James said about the Chipper.

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INNOVATIONS EAA FOUNDER’S INNOVATION PRIZE

BELITE CHIPPER

“IT’S BEEN A LOT OF FUN TO COME IN AND CHANGE PEOPLE’S EXPECTATIONS AS TO WHAT AN INEXPENSIVE AIRPLANE KIT SHOULD BE CAPABLE OF DOING.” - JAMES WIEBE “It’s been a lot of fun to come in and change people’s expectations as to what an inexpensive airplane kit should be capable of doing. … It is designed to be a utility airplane that is useful for going into short and tight locations. It’s also designed to be a cross-country cruiser.”

Vashon Aircraft, created by Dynon Avionics founder John Q. Torode, EAA 1213461, will be bringing its first aircraft, the Ranger 7, for its public debut at AirVenture 2018.

An S-LSA, the Ranger is powered by a 100-hp Teledyne Continental Motors O-200D engine with a Catto 70-by-48, two-bladed, 70-inch 26 EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2018

fixed-pitch propeller. The high cantilever wing design offers great visibility and easy access to the cabin for the pilot. Vashon manufactures many of the materials for the Ranger in-house, which has helped to keep the production cost down.

“I firmly believe that cost is the biggest inhibitor in aviation today,” John said. “Our goal when we started out this airplane project was, naively, to build a $75,000 airplane. We can’t quite do that, but it’s going to be under $100,000 for a very capable airplane with autopilot, glass cockpit, radio, navigation capabilities, and the things that today’s customers really want.”

EAA’s Founder’s Innovation Prize, presented by Airbus, was introduced in 2016 as a Shark Tank-style competition to encourage individuals and groups to develop new solutions for reducing fatal loss-of-control accidents in general aviation.

The winner of the 2017 competition, Remora Systems, has spent the past year further developing its winning idea and plans to showcase the product at AirVenture 2018 at the Innovation Showcase within Aviation Gateway Park.

Remora Systems co-founders Thomas Baron, EAA 1234483; Justin Zhou, EAA 1240872; and Max Lord, EAA 1243563 — who were all high school students when they won the Founder’s Innovation Prize at AirVenture 2017 — began developing their product in 2016 as part of a class project. The result is a head-mounted display that projects airspeed and angle of attack information on a small eyeglass attachment, allowing the pilot to continuously monitor those values while looking outside the cockpit. The information is gathered via a pod mounted under the aircraft’s wing.

Thomas, a flight student and son of a former Navy pilot, was looking for a way to meet his father’s standards in the cockpit when the idea came to mind.

“Every Saturday we would do pattern work; we didn’t do a lot of cross-country,” Thomas said following the 2017 competition. “[Dad] thinks that a really good pilot can replicate a pattern perfectly. That’s just from his Navy roots, I think. Basically, being on airspeed all the time was super important to my upbringing.”

The Remora 1 is the company’s first product, set to be released in summer 2018.

Because of the company’s win at the Founder’s Innovation Prize competition, it has pursued mentorship from Airbus, A^3, and EAA executives, and has had meetings and presentations with aviation influencers such as the FAA, the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, and others — which has expedited development.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JT MEIDL

INNOVATIONS The Founder’s Innovation Prize will continue in 2018, with $25,000 going to the winner, $10,000 going to second place, and $5,000 going to third place. This year’s Founder’s Innovation Prize competition will be held on Tuesday, July 24, at Theater in the Woods.

INNOVATION SHOWCASE

There are a variety of companies bringing new concepts and technology to Oshkosh this summer, many of which can be found at the Aviation Gateway Park Innovation Showcase, presented by the National Air Traffic Controllers Association. The many solutions featured in the showcase are a good representation of some of the experimentation that is happening in the aviation industry.

Irish company Gillespie Avionics Limited is developing an intelligent fuel monitoring system that applies machine learning, “internet of things,” and sensor technology to enhance flight safety and efficiency. The intelligent fuel monitor is composed of a cockpit display unit and bespoke fuel tank sensors that will provide meaningful information to the pilot using real-time

VASHON RANGER 7

28 EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2018

data analysis, including the reporting of accurate fuel endurance and intelligence alerts of abnormal fuel usage, which can be preventive (slow degradation in performance over time) or diagnostic (issues that require immediate attention), and can warn the pilot about incorrect fuel usage (detect fuel color changes). It can be retrofitted into general aviation aircraft.

Albuquerque, New Mexico-based AeroVonics LLC is introducing a new multifunction angle of attack indicator with no external probes required, a color screen, and 11 other built-in functions including a thumbnail attitude indicator, as well as a 3-inch retrofit electronic flight instrument system for Part 23 and experimental aircraft. These products will be geared toward light general aviation, with the goal of lowering installation costs of enhanced safety equipment.

Straight & Level Technologies out of DeLand, Florida, will be exhibiting its WingBug, which is a Wi-Fi-enabled air data, attitude, and heading reference system (ADAHRS) that is portable and lightweight, with recording capabilities. The product can be carried in the palm of a pilot’s hand, and WingBug’s

interactive tablet application independently displays information such as airspeed, altitude, climb rate, heading, and turn and bank. The recordable backup pitot static systems would provide the pilot with the ability to review flight data at any time and analyze the data for training or evaluation.

In an effort to reduce the cost of flight training, Australian company SynFlyt Pty Ltd. has introduced the Innovation 21 Simulator to develop a training environment that reproduces as closely as possible a real-world cockpit experience while providing an effective solution to remove barriers such as lack of space, facilities, and financial resources. Compact in size, SynFlyt simulators can be located indoors or outside and are provided to flight schools using a zero-cost placement model, where the flight schools would receive a commission based on the number of hours used, with a minimum usage of 65 hours per month.

An expanding trend in the aviation industry is the experimentation and development of vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft, many of them for the urban setting. VTOL will be well represented at AirVenture exhibits this year.

We’d tell you more about Gemutlichkeit but we’re too busy living it.

Welcome to a state of gemutlichkeit.

INNOVATIONS

FOUNDER’S INNOVATION PRIZE VerdeGo Aero in Daytona Beach, Florida, co-founded by Erik Lindbergh, EAA 672161 and the grandson of Charles Lindbergh, is in the process of developing the world’s first hybrid-electric, quiet VTOL aircraft with fully redundant safety systems and advanced control technologies to be used for efficiently transporting passengers or cargo less than 50 miles in urban environments. VerdeGo’s vehicle will employ a hybrid-electric system and rotor-based control and will have two seats and a 500-pound maximum payload.

While VerdeGo is developing a VTOL aircraft that would primarily be used by businesses, Assen Andonov out of Miami, Florida, is creating a personal VTOL aircraft.

Essentially a flying bike, Assen’s single-place, hybrid, ducted fan, open-frame, fly-by-wire, garage storable personal vehicle is Part 103-compliant and is designed for rides of up to an hour in length.

Electric-powered aviation will also have a place at AirVenture with Israeli company Eviation, which is developing a 30 EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2018

nine-passenger, electric-powered aircraft designed to fly up to 650 miles at approximately 240 knots. Dubbed the Alice Commuter, the plane is designed to be self-flying and has three electric motors, two at the wingtips and one in the rear.

With the Alice, Eviation hopes to enable cheap, high-speed, sustainable, and convenient regional commuting.

In the realm of experimental ultralight aviation, Eric Dufour, EAA 1267251, has created the Skykart, which is a powered paraglider built like a go-kart. It uses an optional foot throttle and can be flown using traditional PPG hand brakes or with a steering bar, with

RC assistance control from an instructor. The goal of the Skykart is to have students solo with about five hours of instruction.

The Cupertino Aviation Club is trying to keep teens engaged in aviation during the years after a Young Eagles flight but before they are of age to solo a glider or powered aircraft. The group is developing a cage-enclosed glider that can be trailered and used either as a balance beam experience trainer or with a ground launch system to allow basic flight experience below a 10-foot altitude.

Canadian company Vigurus Technologies will be showcasing its aviation seat cushions that integrate its globally patented Sp1ke structural science with proprietary flame-resistant polymers for lightweight biomechanically effective comfort, safety, and added biomechanical and biological health benefits.

Airwolf 3D, a 3D printer designer and manufacturer based in California, will be showcasing its newest printer, the EVO, which prints metal and 40-plus engineering grade materials.

As you walk the grounds, you’ll likely stumble on innovations not covered in this story. This is just a starting point. Innovation is happening all the time, even if it isn’t intentional. Keep your eyes peeled and your mind open.

Sam Oleson, EAA 1244731, is EAA’s social media coordinator, contributing primarily to EAA’s digital publications and social media platforms. A former sports reporter, he’s thrilled to dive into the world of aviation and add that to the list of his many passions.

AS YOU EXPLORE THE AIRVENTURE GROUNDS THIS YEAR, EXPECT TO COME ACROSS UNIQUE AND INNOVATIVE AIRPLANES AND TECHNOLOGY THAT COULD HELP SHAPE THE FUTURE OF AVIATION. PHOTOGRAPHY BY SARA NISLER

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EXTENDED FAMILY

34 EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2018

FIVE THOUSAND VOLUNTEERS MAKE AIRVENTURE POSSIBLE

BY TI WINDISCH

IT TAKES A HUGE, SKILLED CREW to make an event like EAA AirVenture Oshkosh happen every year. It takes months to make sure the grounds are prepared, the buildings are staffed, and the arriving airplanes end up where they’re supposed to — all 10,000-plus of them — without a scratch.

Most organizations would rely heavily on hired help to accomplish such a large undertaking — in the case of AirVenture, an undertaking so momentous that it makes Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh the busiest airport in the world for a week.

But EAA is not most organizations. AirVenture and so much else that goes into EAA’s mission of growing participation in aviation happen thanks to the dedication of more than 5,000 volunteers.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MAX HERMANS

www.eaa.org

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EXTENDED FAMILY t’s easy to listen as volunteers talk about where they’ve been before and the massive amount of work they do, and get lost in the stories you hear.

One question worth asking volunteers is simple: “Why do you do it?” Asking that type of question to a varied group tends to give varied answers, but this one doesn’t. It gives a simple one, many times over. Because volunteers love getting to do what they do with a group of like-minded people who, over their years spent together, become a family.

“EAA is something that I believe in very much,” Sandy Marsh, EAA 274927, said. “I think it’s a great organization. I can see that it runs very well because of the help from volunteers. Basically, we come back every year because of the friends we have made over the years here, and we volunteer here every year.”

Sandy has been volunteering at EAA conventions for more than 40 years. Certain moments she’s experienced in that time stand out, such as the time a volunteer who happened to be an artist presented her with his best painting, mounted and framed. One story happens to stick out just a bit more, though, because of how truly touching it was.

“When my mother died about seven [or] eight years ago, a volunteer drove from her home, probably 150 miles … down to my mother’s funeral,” Sandy said. “They had never met my mother. But the friendship we made over the years is like that. They drove on New Year’s Day, 150 miles one way, to come to my mother’s funeral. That really got to me.

That just shows me the depth of the friendship and family connection we make.”

A KidVenture volunteer teaches the basics of working with sheet metal.

36 EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2018

A volunteer directs airplanes during the STOL competition at Twilight Flight Fest in the Ultralights area.

Although he may not have decades of experience yet, Sean Sellers, EAA 1117347, is another great example of the charitable spirit found in so many EAA volunteers. Now a member of the organization’s Collegiate Volunteer Program, Sean’s volunteering started when he was in high school, as he saw being able to give back and get into AirVenture for free as a win-win.

“I just started coming every year,” Sean said. “I’m from Appleton, and I just started showing up. My parents brought me, then I was old enough to come by myself and figured, hey, why not give back to an organization that does something so cool? My high school had volunteer hours, so a buddy who was also interested and I started camping together.”

Sean, like many EAA volunteers, has served in many different functions over his five years spent with the organization. He’s currently on the Volunteer Advisory Council, which he said he likes because he gets to talk to so many volunteers, but he has enjoyed the other places he spent time as well.

Sandy Marsh

“I worked at Operation Thirst,” he said, speaking of the volunteer team that delivers water and soda to other teams around the grounds to keep everyone hydrated. “For a couple of years I’ve been helping them. That was really fun, being able to see the convention grounds and seeing the look on other volunteers’ faces when you see them. Doing camper registration is exciting because you’re the first people they see when they’re coming to camp.

They’ve been driving or flying hundreds of miles, and you’re the one who gets to say, ‘Hey, you’re here!’”

While he said he enjoys the work he does and getting to see the unique attractions that show up only in Oshkosh, it’s his fellow volunteers who motivate Sean to return to AirVenture every year.

“Getting to catch up with old friends, being friends with the people you work with — it’s still work, but it feels like a vacation,” he said. “It’s the EAA family.

Like one of my fellow volunteers said, he invited three groups to his wedding: his wife’s friends and family, his friends and family, and his EAA family.”

“YOU DON’T KNOW A PERSON’S ROLE IN LIFE BECAUSE EVERYONE HAS A COMMON GOAL: TO MAKE EAA BETTER.” - SANDY MARSH Another five-year veteran, Jon McKenzie, EAA 1110671, said he looks forward to the next year’s AirVenture constantly. Jon’s introduction to EAA was unique, as he began volunteering after a chance encounter led him to find out more about the convention.

“When they did the highway construction a few years ago, they just started it, and they had all the walls going along it,” Jon said. “During the night show … I was driving through rush-hour traffic. I can’t look. I’m white-knuckling through there, and my wife is going, ‘Look at the fireworks and the planes! How are they doing that?

Look at that!’ And I couldn’t look. I talked to my buddy here, and he said if you volunteer here, you can get in here and watch it. I called [EAA] right up, and because I was a printer in my full-time [career], they sent me to print and mail.”

The fast-paced environment of AirVenture makes it easy to jump in, and veteran volunteers quickly welcome newcomers into the fold.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ART EICHMANN, JACK FLEETWOOD, SCOTT PELKOWSKI

“First year, you don’t know anybody; everybody says hi, but you sort of sit by yourself,” Jon said. “Second year, you start to recognize some faces.

Third year, you’re family. Everybody sits next to each other in the volunteer kitchen. When you need things, somebody is always there to help you. It’s family — the good kind of family!”

Jon’s neighbor in the campground, Dave Juckem, EAA Lifetime 135899, has a bit more AirVenture experience.

Dave has been coming to Oshkosh for around 40 years and has been a homebuilt judge for 25.

Jon says he enjoys camping around Dave and some of the other homebuilt judges because of how much he learns from them about the practice, and because they know where all the best aircraft on the grounds can be found all week.

Dave said he sees plenty of incredibly built airplanes in his role as a judge, but it’s the interactions with people, not planes, that have stuck out to him over his years spent in Oshkosh. www.eaa.org

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“DOING CAMPER REGISTRATION IS EXCITING BECAUSE YOU’RE THE FIRST PEOPLE THEY SEE WHEN THEY’RE COMING TO CAMP. THEY’VE BEEN DRIVING OR FLYING HUNDREDS OF MILES, AND YOU’RE THE ONE WHO GETS TO SAY, ‘HEY, YOU’RE HERE!’” - SEAN SELLERS

38 EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2018

“As Paul always used to say, it’s the airplanes that bring us together and the people who bring us back,” he said.

“You can just pick up a conversation you had 51 weeks ago like you had it five minutes ago.”

Some volunteers don’t have to wait quite that long to come back together as a group. At the behest of Charlie Becker, EAA director of chapters and communities & homebuilt community manager, Chapter 237 President Kirk Fjetland, EAA 867374, began organizing multichapter work parties. Even before those efforts, chapter members would make long weekend trips to EAA to do whatever needed to be done leading up to the convention.

The chapter has focused on working at the Kermit Weeks Hangar: EAA Flight Research Center most recently, and for the past four years a group of Chapter 237 members have come out to Oshkosh a week early to get everything set up. The bevy of airplanes displayed around the EAA Aviation Museum during AirVenture 2017 was put in place by Chapter 237 volunteers.

In addition to those preparations, Kirk and other Chapter 237 volunteers have been working on a larger project as well: the restoration of EAA’s B-25, Berlin Express. While moving it as part of typical Weeks Hangar duties, Kirk asked if the B-25 was going to be restored.

VOLUNTEERING OPPORTUNITIES Are you interested in becoming a volunteer at EAA, or increasing your contributions to the organization? Volunteering at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh is a great start, but there are opportunities to come together with a great group and volunteer during the other 51 weeks of the year, as well.

The EAA Aviation Museum is currently looking for museum docents to educate and inspire visitors year-round. Training is provided, so there’s no need to be an aviation expert to apply.

The Print and Mail Center is another place where folks can volunteer throughout the calendar year. Flexible hours are available from Monday through Friday to help EAA publications get to members.

EAA’s Kermit Weeks Hangar is also accepting more volunteers.

Skill levels can vary from no experience to tons of it, as there is a wide range of tasks available. Involvement with historic aircraft is all but guaranteed.

From May through October, Pioneer Airport behind the EAA Aviation Museum has openings for volunteers as well. The 1930s grassroots airfield needs tram drivers, office volunteers, flightline volunteers, and more. As with most volunteer positions at EAA, there’s no need to be an aviation expert to help out at Pioneer.

Weekend work parties are another great way to get out and volunteer at EAA. In the months leading up to AirVenture, several weekend work parties are hosted by EAA, with volunteers receiving admission tickets for the event, overnight accommodations, meals, training and necessary equipment, and special programing.

Those who wish to volunteer for AirVenture can do so before, during, and after the big week. College students can volunteer as part of the Collegiate Volunteer Program, with flexible hours and days, and access to the grounds before and after their shifts. Collegiate volunteers who log 30 hours total get complimentary camping, weekly admission wristbands, exclusive benefits and activities, a one-time, free six-month EAA membership, and meals during their shifts.

Available roles for collegiate volunteers are wide-ranging.

Other new or experienced volunteers can head to EAA’s Volunteer Center, a small building located in Camp Scholler by the Volunteer Kitchen, as the perfect place to look for volunteer opportunities during AirVenture. The center is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily during AirVenture. More information on the various ways you can volunteer at EAA can be found at www.EAA.org/volunteer.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JACK FLEETWOOD, CONNOR MADISON, SCOTT PELKOWSKI

When he heard it would take dedicated volunteers to get it flying again, his response was simple: “We’ll do it.” Initially, Chapter 237 members took on the effort by themselves, but the establishment of multichapter work parties has made things easier for the restorers.

“That’s really taken off,” Kirk said. “The thing with the B-25 is you can’t get parts for it. Everything has to be fabricated, from the tail gunner canopy to everything. Our guys can do it; it doesn’t matter what it is.”

As word of Chapter 237’s restoration activities has spread, the Minnesota chapter has grown to include members in Wisconsin, other states, and even other countries.

Being a member of one chapter doesn’t exclude you from joining others, and many EAA members want a chance to get involved with the work that Chapter 237 gets to do.

“If their chapter isn’t doing anything, they’ll say, ‘Can we join you guys?’” said Mark Heule, Chapter 237 treasurer and EAA Lifetime 337995. “And we’re like, ‘Sure, come on over!’”

Restoring a B-25 is an incredible undertaking, but there are hundreds of other tasks that get accomplished by volunteers that are just as important to making EAA and AirVenture run smoothly. Jon and other volunteers at the Print and Mail Center distribute thousands of copies of the AirVenture Today newspaper each day during the convention. The West Ramp Rats volunteer group at Boeing Plaza ensures that visiting aircraft, both on the plaza itself and around the grounds, get delivered, refueled, and returned safe and sound every single day during the convention.

Volunteers drive the trams and buses that shuttle attendees across the grounds, and they all have some sort of role in making whatever you’re going to see happen. There’s no room to acknowledge each volunteer accomplishment individually in one article, unfortunately, because there are just too many of them. Luckily, this is not a group that is involved for the purpose of recognition.

A pair of volunteers work on EAA’s B-25, Berlin Express, from below.

www.eaa.org

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Marshalling aircraft in Oshkosh is vital to AirVenture running as smooth as it does, and volunteers like this one in Warbirds make it happen.

“WHEN YOU NEED THINGS, SOMEBODY IS ALWAYS THERE TO HELP YOU. IT’S FAMILY — THE GOOD KIND OF FAMILY!” - JON MCKENZIE The reason EAA’s volunteers have done so much is that each person has such varied skills. The 5,000 volunteers are all united by aviation, but many of them had or have other careers outside of their passion for aviation. Some of them work in aviation, either as pilots, aeronautical engineers, mechanics, or in any of the other myriad positions available in the industry.

Many work in other fields, ranging from doctors to lawyers to just about any job someone could think of having. The volunteers are so effective because they’re put in positions based on what they know how to do and what they like to do.

“Whatever your talent is, or whatever your interest is, there’s something to do,” Mark said.

Volunteers believe their status outside of Oshkosh doesn’t matter during AirVenture. Some volunteers are chairmen of their areas and some are recognized with awards, but those people are usually the first to say they’re certainly no better than everybody else donating their time to accomplish one thing above all else.

“You don’t know a person’s role in life because everyone has a common goal: to make EAA better,” Sandy said.

40 EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2018

There can be no doubt that volunteers do that, and so much more. In the words of EAA CEO and Chairman of the Board Jack J. Pelton, saying that AirVenture, the World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration, an event that brings hundreds of thousands of people to Oshkosh every year, would be impossible without volunteers is “a world-class understatement.” So, next time you see a volunteer at AirVenture, however they are pitching in to make EAA better, be sure to thank them for it. It’s the least we can do.

Ti Windisch is a staff writer at EAA and enjoys learning about various types of aircraft. Outside of aviation, he can often be found watching, writing, and podcasting about the NBA. E-mail Ti at twindisch@eaa.org.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ART EICHMANN, DAVE WITTY

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PROUDLY KEEPING THE WORLD IN FLIGHT

THE YEAR OF

THE TANKER A KC-135 Stratotanker from the 100th Air Refueling Wing based at Royal Air Force Mildenhall, England, prepares to transfer fuel to a B-2 Spirit from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri.

44 EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2018

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF U.S. AIR FORCE

THE HISTORY BEHIND AIRVENTURE 2018’S BIG GUESTS

BY TI WINDISCH

MILITARY AVIATION CHANGED FOREVER in early 1949. Lucky Lady II, a Boeing B-50 Superfortress, took off from Carswell Air Force Base near Fort Worth, Texas, and flew for a little more than 94 consecutive hours before landing back at Carswell after successfully circumnavigating the globe.

It was the first time any airplane had circled the world without stopping, and it served as a tremendous show of force for the U.S. Air Force. Sen. Millard Tydings, who was present for the B-50’s landing, said the historic trip proved the “increasing importance of air power in national defense.”

Lt. Gen. Curtis E. LeMay, then the commanding general of the Strategic Air Command, was more direct in stating that the United States could now fly from its own soil to “any place in the world that required the atomic bomb.” www.eaa.org

45

THE YEAR OF

THE TANKER he big bomber got all of the headlines, but its flight could never have happened without the support of tankers. Lucky Lady II was refueled four times by Boeing KB-29s, converted B-29 Superfortresses developed for air refueling purposes, on its global flight.

These KB-29s were the first designated tankers in the U.S. armed forces, which acquired looped hose refueling technology from Flight Refuelling Ltd. (FRL), a British company that worked to develop the technology for World War II but finished it after the war’s end.

Founded in 1934 by aviation pioneer Alan Cobham, FRL intended aerial refueling to be used for commercial flight. The tanker airplane would grapple a steel cable that was trailing behind the receiver, followed by the tanker pulling in the line to attach a hose to it. The receiver then pulled the hose back to itself, connected it, and simply waited while the tanker flew above it and let gravity do the rest.

Examples of limited, small-scale aerial refueling date back to the 1920s at least, when simple hoses were used to add fuel to an airplane in flight. Alan himself had been a part of earlier examples of the practice, although the method his company introduced was the first to really catch on and become widespread.

The looped-hose method worked — it got Lucky Lady II around the world, after all — but it was clumsy.

Rarely does the first example of a new technology last long before it is updated. Two new methods were soon introduced: the probe-and-drogue system and the flying boom. Both of them are in use today, but not on KB-29s. The converted Superfortresses were soon replaced by KC-97s, which were developed from the C-97 Stratofreighter.

46 EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2018

Tech. Sgt. Charles Dalton II, an Air Force reservist assigned to the 465th Air Refueling Squadron, controls the boom aboard a KC-135 Stratotanker as an F-16 Fighting Falcon approaches for refueling.

While KB-29s were modified B-29s meant for aerial refueling, KC-97s were dedicated to the task from the start and featured heated, pressurized tanks to ensure fuel and cargo would arrive in the proper condition.

KC-97s helped to pull Boeing out of the post-WWII slump that affected nearly every aviation company. They also made it possible for further worldwide flights to be carried out by the Strategic Air Command.

As tanker technology improved, so did the airplanes it supported. The Boeing B-47 Stratojet first flew in 1947 and began service in 1951. The B-47’s swept wings and engine nacelles revolutionized large jet technology, and the type set speed records and flew extensive, sometimes global, missions. Those Stratojets could not have completed their global flights without KC-97s refueling them along the way.

More than just bombers benefit from aerial refueling.

The Republic F-84 Thunderjet was the first fighter to be refueled in the air in combat, a common occurrence while F-84s were flying missions during the Korean War. The B-52 Stratofortress was introduced in 1955, and it was quickly apparent that while the KC-97s could refuel the B-52s, the piston-powered tankers were not ideally suited to the task of keeping up with jet-powered bombers. The jet bombers were simply too fast, plus KC-97s were forced to carry jet fuel for the B-52s plus avgas for their own engines.

The time was right for a jet tanker to be introduced.

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF U.S. AIR FORCE

“I THINK ABOUT HOW MANY THOUSANDS OF BOOM OPERATORS HAVE HAD THEIR CHIN IN THAT CHIN REST BEFORE ME. ALL OF OUR JETS THAT ARE OPERATIONAL CAME FROM ’57-’65. THE BOOM SYSTEM IS THE SAME; EVERYTHING IS THE SAME BACK THERE.” The B-50 Lucky Lady II using the looped-hose system to refuel from a KB-29M during training for the around-the-world nonstop flight.

Enter the KC-135, the first Boeing design adapted from the Dash 80, which Boeing designed in semisecret as to not tip off other aircraft manufacturers. The prototype for both the 707 passenger jet and the KC-135, the Dash 80 was officially known as the Model 367-80, and cost Boeing $16 million.

Since there were no buyers for the prototype before it was built, development was financed by Boeing’s own money — approximately two-thirds of

all profits the company made since WWII. That was a gamble, and it’s one that paid off, as the new sweptwing jet airplane design became a hit both on the commercial side and in the military sphere.

The Air Force initially ordered 29 KC-135s. The first one flew in August 1956, and KC-135s remain in service today, some 62 years later. Although a replacement, the KC-46 Pegasus, is in the works now, the KC-135 could stay airborne until 2040.

- TECH. SGT. JORDAN JUNGWIRTH Some of the KC-135’s first receivers were the B-52 and some fighter-bombers, like the Republic F-105 Thunderchief and McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II. Since then, KC-135s have refueled close to everything the American military has flown.

Tech. Sgt. Jordan Jungwirth, an in-flight air refueling specialist with the U.S. Air Force, has refueled a lot of different types himself. Jordan is a boom operator, meaning he controls the boom the receiving airplane uses to refuel. www.eaa.org

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THE YEAR OF

THE TANKER “ONCE THEY GET WITHIN 2-3 FEET IT’S BASICALLY JUST HAND-EYE COORDINATION. MANUALLY, YOU EXTEND THE BOOM, TRY TO GET IN THE RECEPTACLE, AND START PASSING GAS.”

“How that works is, once I go back there and get the jet in sight, I take over on the radios and talk to the receiver pilot of the jet that’s coming in for fuel,” Jordan said. “We get them into position, which is about 50 feet from the rear of the jet. I’m laying down, looking out the back window. We have lights underneath the jet that I operate, and those guide them in. Once they get within 2-3 feet it’s basically just hand-eye coordination.

Manually, you extend the boom, try to get in the receptacle, and start passing gas.”

Jordan’s KC-135 is capable of adapting to the probe-and-drogue method of refueling as well, which is required for refueling Navy jets. That process puts the impetus on the receiving airplane to line up to start the refueling process.

- TECH. SGT. JORDAN JUNGWIRTH

A KC-10 Extender assigned to the 305th Air Mobility Wing based at McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey refuels an F-22 Raptor from Langley Air Force Base in Virginia.

48 EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2018

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF U.S. AIR FORCE

“With the Navy guys we put that basket on. Then we just hold the boom steady,” Jordan said. “They get like 5 feet from the basket, then, when they call their stable ready, they’ll come in contact and basically be aiming for the basket.”

The history of the KC-135 is something Jordan said he thinks about all the time, especially considering the current fleet is made up of the same airplanes that have been flying since the late 1950s and early 1960s.

“I think about how many thousands of boom operators have had their chin in that chin rest before me,” Jordan said. “All of our jets that are operational came from ’57-’65. The boom system is the same; everything is the same back there. Nothing has changed on that. The engines, obviously they keep changing those every decade or so, the avionics keeps getting upgraded, but it’s still the same platform it was back in 1956 when they started testing.”

Jordan said he thinks about both the places the airplanes have been and the people who have been inside them over the years before it was his turn.

PARASITE AIRCRAFT: A FAILED ALTERNATIVE TO AERIAL REFUELING Before the kinks of aerial refueling were figured out, aviation pioneers had other ideas of how to extend the range of their airplanes. One that’s particularly interesting is the idea of parasite aircraft — fighters that launch from other, bigger aircraft once they’re within battle range.

The first example of a parasite aircraft flew all the way back in 1916. A British Felixstowe Porte Baby flying boat launched a Bristol Scout successfully, but the Porte Baby’s slow speeds soon rendered it obsolete as faster airplanes came into service.

The British, Germans, and Americans experimented with dropping airplanes from airships, with mixed success rates. As airships in general lost popularity, so did this facet of parasite aircraft, although it did show that the concept was possible.

As ever larger bombers were introduced in the 1930s, they too were used to carry parasite aircraft. The Soviet Union was the first to use this idea, as Tupolev TB-1 and TB-3 bombers were proven able to carry fighters as part of the Zveno project meant to test the concept of parasite fighters.

This Soviet project led to the only time parasite fighters have been used in combat successfully, as they attacked bridges and docks in Romania with parasite dive bombers carried by TB-3s. The Germans tried to emulate the Soviet parasite aircraft idea during WWII, experimenting with exotic designs like the Messerschmitt Me 328 twin pulsejet fighter that never went into service. The most notable German parasite project was the Mistel, which paired a manned fighter like a Focke-Wulf Fw 190 with an unmanned bomber, a Junkers Ju 88, for example. The pilot of the fighter controlled both aircraft until the explosives-laden bomber was released over the target. A number of different Mistel combinations were built and saw combat, but only to a very limited degree.

The Japanese also tried parasite aircraft, carrying kamikaze aircraft into combat aboard Mitsubishi G4M bombers, Allied codename Betty. The Allied aircraft found these bombers easy targets because of their heavy weight while carrying the fighters, severely limiting their effectiveness.

Finally, in the 1950s the Americans circled back to the idea as the Cold War got started. The XF-85 Goblin was developed as a dedicated parasite fighter, and projects were started to test the concept of carrying an F-84 Thunderjet either in a Convair B-36’s bomb bay or even attached to its wingtips.

By this point aerial refueling had emerged as a much safer and more practical alternative, so the projects were scrapped, and the Goblin never moved past the experimental phase, with only two examples built. So ended parasite aircraft, one of the more interesting military aviation what-ifs.

www.eaa.org

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THE YEAR OF

THE TANKER A C-17 Globemaster III based in Hungary flies behind a KC-135 Stratotanker during an aerial-refueling training exercise over Germany.

“These jets have been around the world,” he said. “They’ve been to Vietnam. You name it they’ve been there. … It’s just amazing to think how many different jets that thing has touched, and then how many different people have sat in the pilot seats, the boom operator seats up front, and then in the back there doing the aerial refueling. I think about the history of that thing all the time. It’s pretty interesting.”

Despite being such a prolific tanker, the KC-135 isn’t alone in refueling American aircraft. The Lockheed Martin KC-130 Hercules, introduced in the early 1960s, primarily refuels U.S. Marine Corps aircraft. The McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender, based on the DC-10 airliner, was introduced in the early 1980s to supplement the KC-135, and the 60-plus KC-10s built are themselves expected to serve into 2043.

Naval carrier-based aircraft such as the Douglas A-3 Skywarrior, the Lockheed S-3 Viking, and the Boeing F/A-18 Hornet have been used in aerial refueling roles as well.

Every airplane type gets retired at some point. Someday, even the KC-135 will transition into exhibition warbird status. Its eventual successor, the KC-46 Pegasus, is on track to be introduced in 2018 and may even make an appearance at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2018.

Even though the big bombers and fast fighters are often the aircraft that get the most attention, it’s tankers that make it possible for those airplanes to get to wherever it is they need to be, all across the world.

Ti Windisch is a staff writer at EAA and enjoys learning about various types of aircraft. Outside of aviation, he can often be found watching, writing, and podcasting about the NBA. E-mail Ti at twindisch@eaa.org.

“IT’S JUST AMAZING TO THINK HOW MANY DIFFERENT JETS THAT THING HAS TOUCHED.” - TECH. SGT. JORDAN JUNGWIRTH 50 EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2018

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF U.S. AIR FORCE

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY SCOTT SLOCUM

TWENTY AIRPLANES FROM 100 YEARS OF THE RAF

BY HAL BRYAN

THE UNITED KINGDOM’S ROYAL AIR FORCE was born in the smoldering final act of World War I, the “war to end all wars.” Military aviation had existed in the United Kingdom since 1888, when a group of British Army officers experimented with balloons, and then introduced fixed-wing airplanes and formed an air battalion in 1911. The following year, the Royal Flying Corps was born, encompassing all of the United Kingdom’s military aircraft, adopting the motto that endures to this day, Per Ardua Ad Astra — through adversity to the stars. www.eaa.org

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n July of 1914, a month before the start of WWI, the Royal Naval Air Service was split off as a separate organization. The RFC and RNAS remained separate for the bulk of the war, but were re-formed as the Royal Air Force in April of 1918.

At the start of the war, the RFC had a total of 179 airplanes, and by the armistice in November of 1918, the Royal Air Force fleet had grown to a staggering 22,647 airplanes.

As we celebrate the centennial in honor of one of our nation’s closest allies, here’s a chronological look back at 20 key aircraft from the first 100 years of the RAF, from its wood-andfabric beginnings to the 21st century.

AIRCO DH.4

ROYAL AIRCRAFT FACTORY S.E.5

SOPWITH F.1 CAMEL

The Aircraft Manufacturing Company Limited (Airco) DH.4 was a two-seat, single-engine light bomber named for its designer, Geoffrey de Havilland. First flown in 1916, the DH.4 was brought into the RAF by six RFC and four RNAS squadrons. The airplane was strong, sturdy, and fast. Later models, powered by 375-hp Rolls-Royce Eagle engines, were capable of speeds greater than 140 mph at sea level, which was 20 mph faster than Germany’s esteemed Fokker D.VII, and could operate at up to 22,000 feet. DH.4s were armed with a synchronized Vickers machine gun facing forward and a Lewis gun operated by the observer, and could carry up to 460 pounds of bombs. Large numbers of DH.4s were also built under license in the United States.

The Royal Aircraft Factory, which was previously known as the Army Balloon Factory, built the first S.E.5 in late 1916. Unlike the DH.4, the S.E.5 was named for its role — scout experimental — as opposed to its designer. The S.E.5 and its variants were single-seat fighters that are challenged only by the legendary Sopwith Camel in armchair debates about the best British fighters of WWI. It was fast and stable, and once some early issues were resolved by switching to a 200-hp Hispano-Suiza 8b engine, it was considered reliable. That watercooled engine is what gives the airplane its unique appearance with the flat-front nose housing the radiator. The S.E.5 was armed with one forwardfacing Vickers and one swivel-mount Lewis machine gun, and it could carry a modest bomb load as well.

As hard as it seems to believe now, the Sopwith Camel was already famous before Snoopy came along. Introduced in mid-1917, the Camel, so-named for its slight hump caused by the turtledeck behind the cockpit, was a single-seat fighter known for its unrivaled maneuverability. Armed with twin Vickers machine guns and powered by a 130-hp Clerget rotary engine, the Camel was responsible for more victories than any other Allied fighter during WWI. Canadian Capt. Arthur Roy Brown was flying a Camel when he was credited — in hindsight, debatably — with downing the infamous Red Baron, Manfred von Richthofen, just a few weeks after the formation of the RAF. The Camel was also flown by U.S. Army Air Service pilots and remained in RAF service until 1920.

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN DIBBS, JIM KOEPNICK, ALAN WILSON

VICKERS F.B.27 VIMY

HAWKER FURY

DE HAVILLAND DH.82 TIGER MOTH

The idea of strategic bombing came into its own during WWI, but the RAF bomber that was arguably the best known of the era, the Vickers Vimy, arrived too late to see combat. The Vimy, a massive biplane powered by a pair of 360-hp Rolls-Royce Eagle engines, had a wingspan of nearly 70 feet and could carry nearly 2,500 pounds of bombs in addition to its three-person crew. The bomber also boasted a 900-mile range, and John Alcock and Arthur Brown flew a modified Vimy more than twice that distance from Newfoundland to Ireland, making history’s first trans-Atlantic flight in 1919. The Vimy was the backbone of the RAF’s bomber force through the 1920s and served in training and target roles until its final retirement in the early 1930s.

After WWI, the famed Sopwith Aviation & Engineering Company went bankrupt. Founder Thomas Sopwith joined with Harry Hawker and two other partners and bought the remaining assets from the company, forming what would later become Hawker Aircraft Limited. In 1931, with several designs under its belt, the company introduced the Hawker Fury. The Fury was a fast and agile biplane that, thanks to its 640-hp Rolls-Royce Kestrel V-12 engine, was the first RAF fighter to exceed 200 mph.

The single-seat fighter was armed with a pair of Vickers machine guns, while its cousin, the Hawker Hart, was a light bomber that could carry up to 500 pounds of ordnance. The Fury led directly to the development of the superlative Hawker Hurricane, which largely replaced it by 1939.

When Airco was dissolved in 1920, designer Geoffrey de Havilland formed his own company, the de Havilland Aircraft Company Ltd. In 1931, the company introduced the pinnacle of its popular Moth series, the DH.82 Tiger Moth biplane.

Eventually, nearly 9,000 would be built and would serve the RAF and other Allied air forces in a wide variety of roles, though it was best known as a primary trainer, essentially the U.K.’s counterpart to the American Stearman. Tiger Moths played an especially vital role in the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, which trained more than 130,000 aircrew, more than half of those in Canada. Tiger Moths remained in active military service for nearly 30 years, and restored examples are still popular worldwide.

HAWKER HURRICANE

SUPERMARINE SPITFIRE

WESTLAND LYSANDER

In 1935, Hawker Aircraft flew the prototype of its new interceptor, the Hurricane. A descendant of Hawker’s earlier fighters like the Fury, the Hurricane was the company’s first monoplane fighter. With its metal interior structure and wood and fabric exterior and, initially, largely fabric-covered wings, the Hurricane represented the peak of the previous generation, rather than the beginnings of a new one.

The use of proven construction techniques was a factor in the company producing more than 14,000 of them by 1944. Initially armed with eight 7.7 mm Browning machine guns and powered by a 1,030-hp Rolls-Royce Merlin III engine, the airplane served capably throughout World War II and was responsible for a majority of the RAF’s aerial victories during the Battle of Britain.

Arguably one of the best piston fighters of WWII, and inarguably one of the most beautiful, the Supermarine Spitfire, first flown in 1936, was the brainchild of designer R.J. Mitchell. Supermarine Aviation Works made its name building racing seaplanes for the Schneider Trophy races, and the Spitfire’s sleek streamlining shows it. With its graceful elliptical wing, and the power of its Rolls-Royce Merlin III engine, the Mk.I was the first of more than 20,000 Spitfires to go into production, spawning more than two dozen variants.

The Mk.I boasted a top speed of more than 350 mph, while the final Mk.XXIV topped out at more than 450. Armaments over the years included Browning machine guns, Hispano cannons, and light bomb loads.

Built in response to a bid for an army “cooperation aircraft” — meaning mainly photo-reconnaissance and artillery spotting — the Westland Lysander was a burly, high-wing taildragger that first flew in 1936 and entered service in 1938. The Lysander was known for its short takeoff and landing (STOL) capabilities, thanks to advanced features like automatic wing slots and a variable incidence stabilizer. Its ability to operate out of short, rough fields made it a go-to airplane for clandestine missions behind enemy lines, dropping supplies and transporting spies and wounded combatants. The airplane could be lightly armed with a total of four machine guns, and could carry a small bomb load if needed.

Lysanders were flown by several Allied air forces, the last seeing active service with Egypt in 1948.

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE U.S. AIR FORCE

www.eaa.org

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DE HAVILLAND DH.98 MOSQUITO

At a time when gleaming metal airplanes were rolling off production lines everywhere, de Havilland’s choice to build the twin-engine Mosquito fighter-bomber largely out of wood seemed like a step backward. But wood, if a tad old-fashioned, was also cheap and made the airplane quick and easy to build. The “Mossie” first flew in 1941 and ultimately spawned a dizzying array of variants, including night fighters, unarmed photo-reconnaissance platforms, anti-ship strike aircraft, and trainers. Powered by two Rolls-Royce Merlins producing more than 1,600 hp each, later models had top speeds well in excess of 400 mph.

More than 7,700 of the versatile Mosquitos were built, more than 1,100 of those in Canada, and the RAF retired its last DH.98 in 1963.

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN DIBBS

AVRO LANCASTER

GLOSTER METEOR

DE HAVILLAND DH.115 VAMPIRE

The RAF’s Bomber Command had an impressive fleet of heavy bombers, including the Handley Page Halifax, the Short Stirling, and the Avro Lancaster, which first flew in 1939. The Lancaster, powered by four Rolls-Royce Merlin engines, had a maximum speed of more than 280 mph and a service ceiling in excess of 21,000 feet. It could carry a conventional bomb load of more than 14,000 pounds or a single, massive 22,000-pound bomb known as the “Grand Slam.” The Lancaster is perhaps most famous for its use of the skipping “Upkeep” bomb, used in the celebrated “Dambusters” raids in 1943.

The RAF, as well as the air forces of Canada and Australia, used the airplane to great success throughout WWII, and it remained in service in Canada as late as 1963.

The RAF entered the jet age with the introduction of the Gloster Meteor fighter in mid-1944.

The Meteor first flew in 1943 and was developed from the E.28/39, a test aircraft that first flew in 1941. The Meteor, the only Allied jet aircraft to see combat in WWII, was powered by two RollsRoyce Welland or Derwent turbojets, and a late variant set a world speed record of 606 mph in 1945. The Meteor was armed with four Hispano 20 mm cannons and could carry as many as 16 unguided rockets or two 1,000-pound bombs. In all, nearly 4,000 were produced, and the last RAF Meteors were retired in the 1980s, though two still fly regularly as test beds for MartinBaker, an aerospace company best known for its ejection seats.

After the Meteor, the RAF’s second jet fighter was the single-engine de Havilland Vampire. While, like the Meteor, the Vampire first flew in 1943, it didn’t enter service until after the war in 1946.

The Vampire was powered by the de Havilland Goblin engine, with each subsequent variant seeing improvements in power. The originally single-seat fighter was fast, with a top speed of nearly 550 mph at 20,000 feet. The Vampire was typically armed with four 20 mm cannons but could also be fitted with unguided rockets or a modest bomb load. Used by the air forces of more than 30 nations, more than 3,200 were built, with the last operational Vampire retiring from the Rhodesian Air Force (which had just become the Air Force of Zimbabwe) in 1982.

ENGLISH ELECTRIC CANBERRA

AVRO VULCAN

VICKERS VC10

The English Electric Canberra, first flown in 1949, became the RAF’s first jet bomber when it entered service in 1951. The Canberra carried a crew of three and a conventional or nuclear bomb load of up to 8,000 pounds. Powered by a pair of RollsRoyce Avon turbojets, the Canberra had a top speed of nearly 600 mph. With the help of a Napier rocket engine, a Canberra set the world altitude record in 1957, climbing to more than 70,000 feet. With the advent of larger strategic bombers, Canberras transitioned easily into the ground attack and reconnaissance roles. The bomber had a long career, finally retiring from the RAF in 2006, though three modified U.S.-built versions, designated WB-57, are still actively used

by NASA for weather research.

As the U.K. became a nuclear power in 1952, the airplane that would become its foremost nuclear bomber, the Avro Vulcan, made its first flight. The Vulcan made up one-third of the RAF’s V-bomber force, along with the Vickers Valiant and the Handley Page Victor. Capable of carrying more than 20,000 pounds of conventional or nuclear bombs and missiles, the big delta-wing jet bomber could cruise at more than 600 mph at altitudes exceeding 50,000 feet. The Vulcan might be best known to those in the U.S. for its starring role in the 1965 James Bond film, Thunderball, but to those in the United Kingdom, it is beloved for its nearly 30 years of service, including the type’s only use in combat during the Falklands War in 1982.

Originally built as an airliner in 1962, the Vickers VC10 was pressed into RAF service first as a transport and then as a tanker. The VC10 was powered by four Rolls-Royce Conway turbofans all mounted at the rear, an uncommon configuration for a fourengine aircraft. The airplane had a ceiling of about 43,000 feet, and with a maximum speed of nearly 600 mph, it at one time held the trans-Atlantic speed record for an airliner. The first VC10s were converted to tankers in the late 1970s, and the type was instrumental in supporting RAF action in the Falklands. In addition, VC10 tankers supported U.S. and other allied forces in both Gulf wars, the war in Afghanistan, and the NATO mission in Yugoslavia.

The RAF retired its last VC10 in 2013.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JIM KOEPNICK, PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF RAF, U.S. AIR FORCE

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HAWKER SIDDELEY NIMROD

HAWKER SIDDELEY HARRIER

Like the VC10, the Nimrod was developed from an airliner, in this case the de Havilland DH.106 Comet.

The Comet was the world’s first commercial jetliner, but early structural issues saw it eclipsed by Boeing’s 707. The design issues were worked out, however, and in 1967, the bulbous-nosed Nimrod was born. Built to be a maritime patrol aircraft, the Nimrod became the RAF’s primary anti-submarine warfare platform when it was introduced in 1969. In addition, Nimrods also saw service as electronic intelligence gatherers. Nimrods carrying crews as large as 25 were deployed to the Falklands, the Persian Gulf, and Afghanistan, in addition to flying search and rescue missions and general patrol duties closer to home. The last Nimrod squadron was disbanded in 2011.

Near the end of 1967, a remarkable jet fighter, the Hawker Siddeley Harrier, made its first flight.

Capable of vertical and short takeoffs and landings, the Harrier was the first operational V/STOL combat jet. Powered by a Rolls-Royce Pegasus turbofan, the Harrier can not only take off and land vertically, requiring only an area about the size of a helipad to operate, but also hover, rotate on its own axis, and even fly backward with the agility of a helicopter. Harriers filled multiple roles in the RAF, including close air support and reconnaissance, as well as that of the traditional jet fighter. While the RAF retired its Harriers after nearly 40 years in 2006, the U.S. Marine Corps still operates its own variant, the McDonnellDouglas AV-8, to this day.

THE TYPHOON CAN CARRY A WIDE VARIETY OF ORDNANCE, INCLUDING AIR-TO-AIR AND AIR-TO-SURFACE MISSILES, A 27 MM CANNON,AND/OR NEARLY 20,000 POUNDS OF BOMBS.

PANAVIA TORNADO

EUROFIGHTER TYPHOON

The Panavia Tornado was designed and built by a multinational coalition consisting of representatives from the United Kingdom, Italy, and Germany. The Tornado is a twin-engine, swing-wing, multirole airplane that first flew in 1974 and has been in RAF service since 1979. Capable of speeds in excess of Mach 2, variants of the versatile Tornado serve as fighter-bombers, electronic warfare and reconnaissance platforms, and interceptors. In the fighter-bomber role, the Tornado can carry nearly 20,000 pounds of ordnance including conventional and tactical nuclear bombs and missiles, as well as an underwing 27 mm cannon. RAF Tornados have seen extensive action in the Middle East and Eastern Europe. The type remains in active RAF service today, and is also flown by the Italian, German, and Royal Saudi air forces.

As its name implies, the Eurofighter Typhoon, first flown in 1994, is the product of a multinational consortium, much like the Tornado. Built with the cooperation of companies in the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, and Germany, the Typhoon is an advanced twin-engine, delta-wing, canard-equipped fighter. Exceptionally maneuverable, and with a top speed of around Mach 2, the Typhoon was originally meant for the air superiority role but has been steadily upgraded to perform air-to-ground strike missions. The Typhoon can carry a wide variety of ordnance, including air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles, a 27 mm cannon, and/or nearly 20,000 pounds of bombs. The Typhoon is currently the pre-eminent fighter not only of the RAF, but also of the air forces of Germany, Spain, Italy, and several other nations.

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Hal Bryan, EAA Lifetime 638979, is senior editor for EAA digital and print content and publications, co-author of two books, and a lifelong pilot and aviation geek. Find him on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at halbryan or e-mail him at hbryan@eaa.org.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANDY MARKS, PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF U.K. MINISTRY OF DEFENCE, U.S. AIR FORCE

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INTO THE

JET AGE

64 EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2018

THE DEVELOPMENT OF JET FIGHTERS

BY SAM OLESON

ALTHOUGH IT WOULDN’T PLAY a significant role in the final outcome of World War II, when the German Luftwaffe introduced the Messerschmitt Me 262 for active service in April of 1944 it signaled the start of a major shift in military aviation.

Up until then, piston-powered fighters, bombers, and transport aircraft were the standard. Stalwart fighters and ground attack aircraft such as the North American P-51 Mustang, Supermarine Spitfire, Messerschmitt Bf 109, and the Ilyushin Il-2 were the heavy lifters of WWII. Those airplanes and their piston-powered brethren influenced the course of the war enormously. But jets were on the way.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CONNOR MADISON

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INTO THE

JET AGE he technology that would lead to the turbine engine was being experimented with and developed long before the Messerschmitt Me 262 — the first operational jet fighter — entered the WWII fray in 1944. In the early 1500s, Leonardo da Vinci reportedly made a sketch of a chimney jack that used hot gases flowing up a chimney to drive fanlike blades to rotate a spit. In 1872, German engineer Franz Stolze designed the first true gas-turbine engine.

First flown in September of 1943, the Vampire holds the distinction of being the second jet fighter operated by the RAF and was introduced to service shortly after the end of WWII in 1946.

VAMPIRE By 1918, only 15 years after the Wright brothers made the first controlled flight of a powered, heavier-than-air aircraft, U.S. engineer Sanford A. Moss, who worked for the General Electric Company, invented the turbosupercharger.

This was a big step toward the jet engine and a crucial innovation for American aircraft during WWII. The invention of the first operational jet engine was unique in the fact that two engineers — one British and one German — were working on its development with no knowledge of the other’s proceedings. Frank Whittle, a Royal Air Force officer, invented the gas-turbine engine that powered the first experimental British jet prototype, the Gloster E.28/39, which first flew on May 15, 1941. Meanwhile in Nazi Germany, Hans Joachim Pabst von Ohain also worked on gas-turbine engines 66 EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2018

and found a supporter in Ernst Heinkel, who wanted engine manufacturing capability to complement his aircraft company. On August 27, 1939, less than a week before the start of WWII, the Heinkel He 178 made the first successful turbojet-powered flight in history with von Ohain’s HeS 3B engine.

Although propeller-driven aircraft technology had come a long way over the previous four decades, the speed at which airplanes of that type could fly was limited by the loss in propeller efficiency as the tip speed approached Mach 1. Not only are jet engines not affected by this limitation, but an enormous amount of power can be packed into a single unit.

Germany initially showed little interest in pursuing further development of jet technology for its aircraft, and it would be nearly five years after the He 178’s first turbojet flight before a jet-powered airplane would see action in WWII. However, all the major powers of the war were hard at work to develop them. Shortly after the Me 262 entered WWII at Lechfeld Air Base, just south of Augsburg, Germany, the Royal Air Force’s Gloster Meteor entered service, primarily to defend the United Kingdom against Germany’s V-1 flying bomb. The Meteor was the Allies’ only jet aircraft to enter WWII combat.

The first jet produced by the United States was the Bell XP-59, which used the American version of the Whittle engine built by General Electric. The XP-59 first flew in October of 1942, but it never saw combat and the U.S. Army Air Forces were unimpressed with its performance, canceling the contract with fewer than half of the aircraft ordered having actually been built.

WWII was the impetus that helped to push the development of jet aircraft technology forward, and it only intensified with the onset of the Cold War between the USSR and the United States. Between the end of WWII and the beginning of large-scale U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, a span of 15 years, many new jet-powered fighters came on to the scene, though many never went beyond the prototype stage.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CONNOR MADISON

The straight-wing Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star, introduced toward the end of 1945, became the first U.S. jet fighter used in active combat. It saw extensive action in the Korean War as the F-80 after it was redesignated by the newly formed U.S. Air Force. Although generally outclassed by the Soviet-built Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15, an F-80 shot down two MiG-15s in 1950 during the first jet-to-jet dogfight in history.

As jet propulsion systems developed, their high-speed potential soon outgrew traditional straight-wing aircraft designs. With speeds beginning to reach the speed of sound, shockwaves formed on the wings, and straight wings were not ideal in maintaining controlled flight past Mach 1.

This led to the swept-back wing design, which significantly increased the efficiency of supersonic flight.

The first U.S. Air Force swept-wing transonic jet fighter to serve was the iconic North American F-86 Sabre, which first flew in October of 1947. The Sabre served extensively during the Korean War and by the end of its service life had been produced in 20 different variants.

These early jets are grouped into what’s called the first generation of jet fighters. It spans the initial straight-wing aircraft seen in WWII designs to the later swept-wing jets that were controllable at transonic speeds. Other notable first generation fighters include the Northrop F-89 Scorpion, Grumman F9F Panther and F-9 Cougar, Republic F-84 Thunderjet, de Havilland DH.100/115 Vampire and DH.112 Venom, Hawker Hunter, and Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17.

While this first generation of jet fighters was superior to prop-driven WWII fighters, they largely operated in the same way with similar armament and limited use of other technologies like radar.

As jet fighters started to routinely exceed the speed of sound in level flight, use radar systems, and employ air-to-air missiles instead of guns as the primary armament, it ushered in the second generation of jet fighters.

Lessons learned from the Korean War, technological breakthroughs, and a

PHOTOGRAPHY BY SCOTT SLOCUM

focus on nuclear warfare guided aircraft development during this period, which lasted from the mid-1950s until the early 1960s. Swept and delta wings became the standard, and the use of afterburners allowed supersonic flight to be accomplished with ease. Agility and dogfighting capability were de-emphasized in favor of large missile payloads, powerful radar, and high speed, altitude ceiling, and rate of climb advantages.

The North American F-100 Super Sabre became the world’s first jet fighter capable of sustained supersonic flight, first flying in May of 1953.

ground-attack capability became more of a focus. Improved avionics were introduced and enhancements to flight control surfaces such as canards, powered slats, and blown flaps were experimented with. STOL and VTOL technology was also an emphasis.

Among the notable aircraft produced during this era were the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II, Ling-Temco-Vought A-7 Corsair II, Hawker Siddeley Harrier, General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark (the first variable-geometry wing aircraft to go into production), and the MikoyanGurevich MiG-23.

F-86A SABRE

The first U.S. Air Force swept-wing transonic jet fighter to serve was the iconic North American F-86 Sabre, which first flew in October of 1947.

Other notable types to emerge during this period were the Vought F-8 Crusader, Convair F-102 Delta Dagger, Lockheed F-104 Starfighter, Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighter, Republic F-105 Thunderchief, and the MikoyanGurevich MiG-19 and MiG-21.

In the early 1960s after the start of the Vietnam War, the third generation of jet fighters began and would last until 1970. Fighters produced in this era continued to build on some of the concepts used in second generation jets, but maneuverability and

Beginning around 1970 and continuing until about 1990, the fourth generation of jet fighters emerged. These jets were characterized by multirole configurations and increasingly advanced avionics and weapons. Designs were influenced by the energy-maneuverability theory developed by Col. John Boyd and mathematician Thomas Christie, while other significant technology advances included pulse-Doppler fire-control radar, head-up displays, hands-on throttle-and-stick (HOTAS) controls, and multifunction controls. www.eaa.org

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JET AGE The Grumman F-14 Tomcat, McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) F-15 Eagle, General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon, McDonnell Douglas (also now Boeing) F/A-18 Hornet, Mikoyan MiG-29, and Sukhoi Su-27 were all produced during this era.

Some characterize a fourth-and-a-half generation of jet fighters lasting through the 1990s, which for the most part have the same characteristics of fourth generation fighters.

They have enhanced capabilities in avionics and other technologies, but not enough to be considered fifth generation fighters. The Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, Sukhoi Su-30 and Su-33, Eurofighter Typhoon, and Dassault Rafale are often grouped into this classification.

WHAT TO EXPECT AT AIRVENTURE 2018

First flown in January of 1950, the MiG-17 was introduced in 1952 by the USSR but was operated by numerous air forces in different variants.

MiG-17 The fifth generation of jet fighters was ushered in by the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor, which first flew in 1997 and entered service with the U.S. Air Force in 2005. Although the characteristics of fifth generation aircraft are generally vague, Lockheed Martin defines them as having all-aspect stealth, low-probability-of-intercept radar, high-performance airframes, advanced avionics features, and integrated computer systems capable of networking with other elements within a battlespace.

Apart from the F-22, the only other active fifth-generation jet fighters are the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II and, speculatively, the Chinese Chengdu J-20. The Sukhoi Su-57 is expected to enter the Russian Air Force arsenal in 2019.

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While only in the conceptual stage at the moment, the sixth generation of jet fighters will likely be entering the scene between 2025 and 2030. The U.S. Air Force will use this generation of fighters to complement its active jets and replace fighters such as the F-15, while the Navy would replace the F/A-18.

The use of a generation system to classify jet fighters isn’t without debate and there are certainly a number of aircraft that could fall into multiple generations based on upgrades to different variants.

One of the focal points of EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2018 will be an unprecedented gathering of early jets, with the stars of the show coming from that first generation of jet fighters developed in the 1940s.

One of the biggest highlights among the early jets expected at AirVenture is an ultra-rare Gloster Meteor, currently the oldest flying original jet in existence, which will be brought by the World Heritage Air Museum (WHAM) of Detroit, Michigan.

Introduced in 1944, the Meteor was a collaboration between the Gloster Aircraft Company and Frank Whittle’s firm, Power Jets Ltd. Employing a straight-wing design, the F.Mk 1 Meteor was powered by two Rolls-Royce W2B/23 Welland turbojet engines with a maximum speed of 410 mph, a range of 1,000 miles, and a service ceiling of 40,000 feet.

More than 3,500 Meteors were built and were initially used to counter the V-1 flying bomb threat. In 1945, the Meteor was used for ground attack purposes, and it then went on to serve in the Korean War. The Meteor was phased out in the early 1950s, though two serve to this day as test beds for Martin-Baker, a manufacturer of ejection seats.

WHAM’s Gloster Meteor T7 WA591 is coming to Oshkosh from the United Kingdom, having first flown in 1949. Nicknamed Queenie, WA591 served as a pilot trainer at various

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CONNOR MADISON

“TO BRING THESE RARE JETS TO THE AIRVENTURE FLIGHTLINE IS AMONG THE HIGHLIGHTS OF OUR ODYSSEY TO SAVE, RESTORE, AND FLY THESE MAGNIFICENT AIRPLANES.” - MARTY TIBBITS, WHAM PRESIDENT bases in the United Kingdom before ending its military service as gate guardian of RAF Woodvale. Meteor Flight took possession of WA591 in 1995 and spent many years restoring it before it joined the Classic Air Force fleet at Coventry in 2011. It was purchased by WHAM in 2017.

Along with the Meteor, WHAM is bringing two additional British early jets — a de Havilland DH.115 Vampire and a de Havilland DH.112 Venom.

First flown in September of 1943, the Vampire holds the distinction of being the second jet fighter operated by the RAF and was introduced to service shortly after the end of WWII in 1946.

Like the Meteor, the Vampire had a straight-wing design, but was powered by a single de Havilland Goblin 1 turbojet engine and had a twin-boom configuration. It has a maximum speed of 539 mph, a range of 730 miles, and a service ceiling of 41,000 feet.

More than 3,200 Vampires were produced, as it proved to be an effective aircraft, and it was soon adopted as a replacement for many pistonpowered wartime fighter airplanes and became the first jet-powered aircraft to cross the Atlantic Ocean. It would remain in front-line service for the RAF until 1953, when it was assigned to secondary roles before being retired in 1966. The Royal Navy adopted a version of the Vampire called the Sea Vampire that was the service’s first jet aircraft.

The Vampire was used by a number of other countries, and about a quarter of the total number manufactured were built under license outside of the United Kingdom.

WHAM’s Vampire, N115DH, was imported from Switzerland in the

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS

1990s. Warbird pilot David VanLiere initially sold 115DH to Pierre Wildman, who restored it to pristine condition and raced it in the Reno Championship Air Races in 2009 and 2010. WHAM acquired it in

The Venom served as interim fighter between the first generation of British jet fighters such as the Meteor and Vampire and the later swept-wing combat aircraft. Although it had a relatively short service life, being withdrawn from

GLOSTER METEOR

The Royal Air Force’s Gloster Meteor entered service primarily to defend the United Kingdom against Germany’s V-1 flying bomb.

The Meteor was the Allies’ only jet aircraft to enter WWII combat.

December of 2012 and christened it Elvira.

The de Havilland DH.112 Venom first flew in September of 1949 and was introduced in 1952. With much of its design derived from the Vampire, the Venom featured a similar twin-boom configuration, straight wings, and a single de Havilland Ghost 103 turbojet engine.

It has a maximum speed of 640 mph, a range of 1,075 miles, and a service ceiling of 39,400 feet.

RAF front-line operations in 1962, the Venom saw combat action during the Suez Crisis, the Malayan Emergency, and the Aden Emergency.

“Oshkosh is known as the place where everything that flies is welcome and is appreciated by attendees,” said Marty Tibbits, president of the World Heritage Air Museum. “To bring these rare jets to the AirVenture flightline is among the highlights of our odyssey to save, restore, and fly these magnificent airplanes.” www.eaa.org

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JET AGE Among the American designs that will be featured in the celebration of early jets at AirVenture are the Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star and North American F-86 Sabre.

A subsonic jet trainer, the T-33 was developed from the P-80, the first American jet fighter to be used in combat. It first flew in 1948 and had a long service life with the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy well into the 1980s as a utility aircraft and proficiency trainer, with more than 6,500 produced. With a straight-wing design, the A is powered by a single Allison J33-A-35 turbojet engine. It has a maximum speed of 600 mph, a range of 1,275 miles, and a service ceiling of 48,000 feet.

The T-33 first flew in 1948 and had a long service life with the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy well into the 1980s as a utility aircraft and proficiency trainer, with more than 6,500 produced.

T-33, MiG-15, F-86F As the United States’ first swept-wing fighter that could counter the Soviet MiG-15 in combat, the F-86 is often regarded as one of the most notable and important early jets in history. It was the first American jet to take advantage of German flight research data seized at the end of WWII that showcased the advantages of swept wings. First flown in October of 1947, the Sabre was introduced in 1949 with the U.S. Air Force.

With nearly 10,000 built, the F-86 was produced in 20 different variants including the pointy-nosed F-86D Sabre Dog, which had only a 25 percent commonality with other Sabre variants. Powered by a single General Electric J47-GE-27 turbojet engine, a typical F-86D has a maximum speed of 687 mph, a range of 1,525 miles, and a service ceiling of 49,600 feet.

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When the F-86 entered the Korean War, it quickly became America’s primary air-to-air fighter against the MiG-15, replacing the F-80 and F-84. Although early variants of the F-86 were inferior to the MiG-15 in many aspects, the introduction of the F-86F in 1953 put the two aircraft on a similar level. The mostproduced Western jet fighter in history, the Sabre served for a variety of air forces, even though it was considered outdated by the end of the 1950s. The Bolivian Air Force was the last to retire it, doing so in 1994.

Representing the Soviet-era jets at the celebration of the early jets this summer will be a Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17. First flown in January of 1950, the MiG17 was introduced in 1952 by the USSR but was operated by numerous air forces in different variants.

An advanced development of the MiG-15, the swept-wing MiG-17 first saw combat in the Second Taiwan Strait Crisis and proved to be an effective fighter for the North Vietnamese during the Vietnam War. More than 10,000 MiG-17s were produced. Powered by a single Klimov VK-1F afterburning turbojet engine, the MiG-17F has a maximum speed of 711 mph, a range of 1,230 miles, and a service ceiling of 54,462 feet.

As we celebrate these early jets at AirVenture this summer, we hope it provides a glimpse into the major technological advances that occurred just after WWII and how far — from supersonic flight to high-tech avionics and advanced stealth capabilities — military aviation has come since then.

Sam Oleson, EAA 1244731, is EAA’s social media coordinator, contributing primarily to the digital publication and social media platforms, and loves learning the history behind different types of aircraft. A former newspaper reporter, Sam is a University of Wisconsin-Madison grad and huge fan of all Badgers athletics. Email Sam at soleson@eaa.org.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CONNOR MADISON

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74 EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2018

PIONEERING PACKERS PROVIDE AERIAL MILESTONE FOR NFL

BY SAM OLESON

THE STORY OF THE GREEN BAY PACKERS is one known throughout not only the National Football League but also the world of professional sports.

Founded in 1919, the Packers quickly became one of the premier teams in the NFL during the league’s formative years. Helping the league rise in popularity, the Packers’ historic importance to the NFL can’t be overstated. A century after its founding, the team’s status as an icon in American professional sports — because of its success on the field, its popularity among fans, and its influence on the game and business of football — is unquestioned.

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF GREEN BAY PRESS GAZETTE

www.eaa.org

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ioneering Packers founder, coach, and player Earl “Curly” Lambeau, in addition to winning six NFL championships with the Packers between 1929 and 1944, was influential in many other ways. He helped institute the forward pass, an inextricable part of today’s game. He created the first self-contained training facility in pro football, which is now standard for every NFL team. And, interestingly enough, in 1940 he was involved in arranging the first airplane flight to a game by an NFL team.

Nearing the end of their schedule, Lambeau and the Packers capped the 1940 campaign with a grueling stretch in which they played five straight games on the road. Right in the middle of that was a November 17 game against the New York Giants in upper Manhattan. While the outcome of the game, a 7-3 Giants victory, was of little consequence in a 6-4-1 season for Green Bay, the Packers made history prior to the contest.

On Thursday, November 14, the Packers left Green Bay on the 7 a.m. Milwaukee Road train and headed for Chicago, where they were transported via limousine from the train depot to the airport. Waiting for them were two United Airlines Douglas DC-3s.

The 1940 Packers, small in stature compared to today’s NFL players, still had a pretty tight fit in the DC-3s the team took to New York.

76 EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2018

The DC-3, introduced just four years prior in 1936, revolutionized air transport during the 1930s and 1940s.

It was reliable and easy to maintain, had good range, and could operate from short runways. Prior to the United States getting involved in World War II, the model pioneered many air travel routes. It’s only fitting that it was the airplane that made history in yet another fashion.

That afternoon, the Packers became the first NFL team to fly to a road game.

But it didn’t go exactly as planned.

Set to depart Chicago at 12:30 p.m. local time and arrive at the New York Municipal Airport (now LaGuardia) at 4:25 p.m., the Packers were slightly delayed when a group of photographers showed up on the ramp. The team posed for photos, including a pose in which quarterback Cecil Isbell lifted stewardess Roberta Schilbach off the ground and pretended to throw her to star wide receiver Don Hutson. United Airlines even added a bit of flare to the event, painting its airplanes with the words “Green Bay Packer Football Special” and serving a special menu with the printed greeting “United Air Lines Welcomes the Packers and Enjoys This Privilege of Giving Them a Flying Start.” Once the airplanes got into the air and climbed above the clouds to 9,000 feet, things went smoothly.

When the pair of airplanes landed in Cleveland to refuel, the Packers’ historic flight was cut short. With New York City sitting under a heavy fog at the time, United Airlines officials conferred with Lambeau, and the decision was made to cancel the rest of the flight. The team took taxis into downtown Cleveland, had dinner, and waited in a hotel lobby until a New York Central train arrived.

Lambeau and company finally made it to New York at about 8:30 a.m. on Friday morning, November 15, and headed to Central Park for practice.

After the game on Sunday, the Packers returned to Wisconsin without incident, taking off from New York Municipal Airport early Monday morning and landing in Chicago later in the day.

“TO THINK THAT THE GREEN BAY PACKERS HELPED LAY THE GROUNDWORK FOR FLIGHT IS ANOTHER MILESTONE.“ - LARRY MCCARREN Former Packers center and current Packers radio broadcaster Larry McCarren has been involved with the organization since he was drafted in the 12th round by the green and gold in 1973.

While he wasn’t around in 1940 when the Packers’ historic flight occurred, if there’s someone associated with the Packers who can speak to the significance of the organization within the NFL and the development of the league, it’s Larry.

“The Packers are part of the NFL getting established,” Larry said. “We’re like the Original Six in hockey. We’re one of the bedrock, foundation franchises, and … this conglomerate today, it relies on air travel and teams being where they’re supposed to be and when they’re supposed to be there. To think that the Green Bay Packers … helped lay the groundwork for flight is another milestone. Not a lot of people would realize that, but it’s part of the Green Bay Packers story of being one of the founders, one of the foundations that the NFL was built on.”

FROM BROADCAST BOOTH TO COCKPIT

In addition to his role as one of the primary public voices of the Packers, Larry is also an active general aviation pilot. He’s attended EAA AirVenture Oshkosh numerous times, despite it occurring in the midst of NFL training camp, and as a radio commentator he would occasionally fly himself to road Packers games in his personal airplane rather than traveling on the team airplane for free.

After his wife bought him an introductory flying lesson a few years after his retirement from the NFL, Larry earned his pilot certificate in 1988, and has since picked up instrument, multiengine, and commercial ratings. He

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF GREEN BAY PRESS GAZETTE

Packers quarterback Cecil Isbell “throws” stewardess Roberta Schilbach to wide receiver Don Hutson prior to the team leaving Chicago.

currently flies a Beechcraft King Air and previously owned a Piper Navajo Chieftain. Although it wasn’t until after his football playing career was over that he got seriously involved in aviation, Larry had an interest in becoming a pilot even as a high school student.

“I actually got recruited by the Air Force Academy in 1969,” Larry said. “I thought about [flying]. But I told the guy, Maj. Moses — I can still remember the guy’s name — he said at least come for the visit and take the physical, see if you’re qualified for flight training. I took the physical and took their test, and everything was cool, but I told the guy, I said, ‘This may sound really stupid, but I want to play pro football.’ Back then, the rules were pretty rigid. They’re very flexible now, the military academies. Back then, when you graduated, before you went off and did whatever, you owed them five years. I told him I wanted to play professional football. I said, ‘You may think that will never work out, but that’s why I’m not coming.’ Then it kind of got put on the backburner, but I had an interest in it.” www.eaa.org

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Larry said it took time and effort to develop into the professional football player he was. In the 30 years since he became a pilot, he said he’s started to see some similarities between what he did on the football field and what he now does in the cockpit, including the ability to multitask and the practice needed to hone skills.

“There is some comparison there,” he said. “Like balancing some balls. How many balls can you balance? VFR flying, add the clouds, add the traffic, and add ATC. The biggest thing I can relate to is if you want to do this well, spend some time on it. Be engaged in it. … Just your attitude about learning a new skill is that you’ve got to be engaged, you’ve got to commit, and you’ve got to spend some time on it. It takes effort to do this well. That’s what I’ve learned.”

“YOU DON’T KNOW WHERE IT’S GOING TO GO. IF YOU HAVE A LITTLE PART OF YOU THAT SAYS,‘I’VE ALWAYS THOUGHT ABOUT IT,’ GIVE IT A TRY.” - LARRY MCCARREN Because of Larry’s football career, he wasn’t able to take flying lessons until he was well into his 30s. With that in mind, he said he knows that it’s never too late to start a new hobby. His advice: If you have an interest in flying, try it out.

“Kids, grown-ups, I always tell them, if you have the hankering, if there’s something about it, give it a try,” Larry said. “Go take the introductory lesson. Give it a try. It’s not for everybody. If it’s not for you, fine, no problem. If it is for you, you discovered a great hobby, and you’re going to have experiences of a lifetime. You’re going to meet some terrific people. You don’t know where it’s going to go. If you have a little part of you that says, ‘I’ve always thought about it,’ give it a try.”

78 EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2018

PACKERS CELEBRATING 100TH ANNIVERSARY AT AIRVENTURE

As part of the Green Bay Packers’ 100 Seasons celebration beginning this year and lasting through August 2019, the team is hitting the road in Wisconsin with a traveling exhibit and will be making a stop at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2018.

The exhibit, Lambeau Field Live, presented by Associated Bank, will include a number of attractions for visitors and fans. NFL Play 60 activities, alumni meet-and-greets, a satellite Packers Pro Shop and Packers Hall of Fame, a Lambeau Leap wall, and a oneof-a-kind virtual-reality display presented by Patrick Cudahy will be among the attractions. Visitors will also have the chance to win great prizes, including tickets and autographed merchandise, by registering for Packers Pass at www.Packers.com/passregister or through the Packers app.

“We’re excited to be bringing the Lambeau Field experience to fans all over Wisconsin with Lambeau Field Live this summer,” said Packers President and CEO Mark Murphy. “Our historic home is a special place, and we’re looking forward to sharing it, as well as the history of the Green Bay Packers, with fans throughout the state as part of our 100 Seasons celebration.”

Sam Oleson, EAA 1244731, is EAA’s social media coordinator, contributing primarily to the digital publication and social media platforms, and loves learning the history behind different types of aircraft. A former newspaper reporter, Sam is a University of Wisconsin-Madison grad and huge fan of all Badgers athletics.

Email Sam at soleson@eaa.org.

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RUNWAY DOTS

Cleared to Land The story behind KOSH’s colorful runways

BY MEGAN ESAU

AVIATION’S FAMILY REUNION at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh every summer makes the normally quiet Wittman Regional Airport (KOSH) a hub of flying activity.

Twenty-seven percent of Wittman’s annual tower operations take place in the 10 days that the AirVenture notice to airmen (NOTAM) is in effect. Even more impressive is that AirVenture boosts KOSH to become the busiest airport in the world during the seven days of the event. By 2017’s numbers, Wittman saw an average of 20 more tower operations per hour than its nearest competitor, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

This massive influx of traffic needs to be managed somehow, and Oshkosh does it with approximately 35 gallons of fluorescent Sherwin-Williams paint.

“THE COLORED DOTS ARE FOR HIGH VISIBILITY AND FOR US TO SPACE OUR SEPARATION THAT WE NEED TO SAFELY DO THE EVENT” - DAVID KAUPP, AIRVENTURE ATC

RUNWAYS OF A DIFFERENT COLOR

As part of the annual preparations for AirVenture, during every July since the late 1990s Wittman airport’s maintenance crew has hauled its paint gear out onto the runways to touch up the growing number of large, colorful dots that have become a quintessential part of the experience of flying into EAA’s annual convention.

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The first runway markings appeared in 1998, with two designated touchdown points painted on Runway 27.

“In 1999, the original two markings became the orange dot and the green dot,” said longtime EAA volunteer Fred Stadler, EAA 37882, who helps coordinate NOTAM preparations with the FAA every year. “A white dot was also added on Runway 9.”

The blue dot became the first to grace Runway 18 Right in 2004. Then in 2005, at the behest of the FAA tower chief, a pink dot was added to that same runway, raising the total count to five.

“In 2008, the purple dot and yellow dot were added to Runway 36 Left, bringing the count of dots to seven and prompting wags to comment about a Wisconsin polka-dot airport,” Fred said.

There are 5 gallons of each color — white, green, and orange for Runway 9/27 and blue, pink, yellow, and purple for Runway 18/36.

Painting the dots is only a one-person job, but it is no quick-and-easy task.

Each dot takes approximately 45 minutes to paint, with 15 minutes of cleanup and transition time between each color.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ERIN BRUEGGEN, MEGAN ESAU, BRADY LANE

Originally, the dots were painted to be 35 feet wide, but to increase their visibility, the dots are now a whopping 50 feet in diameter, almost double the wingspan of many GA airplanes.

The most recent markings to be added were not dots, but rather a red square and green square on Runway 36 Right, which will stay in use at least through 2018.

Repainting the runways is not the only task busying Wittman’s maintenance crew before AirVenture, though.

Pete Rausch, the airport’s operations manager, said the first phase of preparing the grounds to host more than 10,000 airplanes starts in May, with regularly cutting more than 1,000 acres of grass to make sure it stays cropped short.

Many of the larger changes take place when time is down to the wire.

“The airport has to stay functioning as long as it can prior to convention without making the changes, so we really get down a lot of times to the last couple weeks before we start making the changes that occur for the convention,” Pete said.

As AirVenture approaches, Taxiway Alpha becomes Runway 36 Right and 18 Left. Then, all of the signage on the south end of the airport must be switched out to reflect this change.

The FAA’s rules for standard separation between single-engine aircraft is 3,000 feet, and a single-engine followed by a twin requires 4,500 feet of separation. Wittman’s runway dots are spaced 1,500 feet apart, a distance that was decided upon after careful testing and consideration by the FAA. “That way, when [the aircraft] are touching down, it’s a visual cue that shows us where our separation is, so we’re not guessing,” said David Kaupp, who for seven years has worked as one of the 64 air traffic controllers it takes to run AirVenture smoothly.

David explained that because of the spacing of the dots, if controllers are landing one single-engine aircraft on the third dot on a runway, they can simultaneously put down a second on the first dot.

On especially traffic-heavy days when both runways are in use, the dots serve as easy-to-spot reference points for pilots in the pattern, providing additional separation between airplanes landing on perpendicular runways such as 36 and 27, for example.

“It actually adds a little notoriety to the event, because you’re landing on colored dots and it makes it kind of fun,” David said. “But it’s basically, the colored dots are for high visibility and for us to space our separation that we need to safely do the event.”

THE GREEN DOT PODCAST The speckled runways at Oshkosh are so renowned that they have inspired the name of EAA’s biweekly podcast. The Green Dot is a podcast recorded by those who love aviation, for those who love aviation. EAA staffers Hal Bryan, Tom Charpentier, and Chris Henry host the show with a mix of news, general aviation subjects, history, and personal experiences.

To date, The Green Dot has welcomed such notable guests as homebuilding legend Richard VanGrunsven, aerobatic performer Sean D. Tucker, and X-15 test pilot and astronaut Joe Engle, and it has covered topics spanning flight training, historic aircraft restorations, favorite aviation films, and more.

Listeners can land on The Green Dot whenever they like on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, and on EAA’s blog at inspire.EAA.org.

DOUBLE THE FUN

Rather than waiting for each incoming aircraft to land and exit the runway one at a time, the dots allow AirVenture traffic controllers to usher in multiple aircraft at once.

DESTINATION: OSHKOSH

Landing on the dots at Oshkosh is a rite of passage for many EAA members. The challenge of making a spot landing is not one that many pilots

need to perform on an everyday basis.

Wittman Regional Airport was the first to paint dots on its runways, and though other airports have adopted the practice for their own large events, landing on the colors is chiefly recognized as part of the Oshkosh experience — an experience that, for some pilots who travel from afar, may be once in a lifetime. It is the ultimate, thrilling signal that you have arrived at the World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration.

Welcome to Oshkosh!

Megan Esau, EAA 1171719, is EAA’s assistant editor and regularly contributes to both print and digital publications. She’s an aspiring pilot, a passionate aviation enthusiast, and an avid learner of just about everything.

E-mail Megan at mesau@eaa.org.

www.eaa.org

83

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AIRCRAFT ANNIVERSARIES

T-6

Happy Birthday!

A variety of aircraft are celebrating milestones at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2018

BY HAL BRYAN

EVERY YEAR, EAA AirVenture Oshkosh becomes home to thou-

sands of aircraft. Some of them are here for display or to perform in one of the air shows, while others form the centerpieces of thousands of campsites. In some cases, though, there’s another reason — one that’s cause for celebration — the anniversary of an aircraft type’s first flight. At the time of this writing, we know of several types that are here to celebrate this year. So, as you walk the convention grounds, when you see one of these airplanes be sure to stop and wish it a happy birthday.

NORTH AMERICAN T-6/SNJ/HARVARD — 80 YEARS

The venerable North American T-6 Texan, one of the backbones of Allied pilot training in World War II, is celebrating its 80th at AirVenture this year. The airplane grew out of a design called the BC-1, which made its first flight in 1938. The U.S. Army Air Corps quickly redesignated the airplane the AT-6, AT for advanced trainer (the A was dropped after the war), while the Navy called its version the SNJ, and Great Britain, Canada, and other Commonwealth countries named it the Harvard.

86 EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2018

In all, nearly 15,500 were built, and the airplane served the air forces and navies of more than 60 countries as a trainer, light attack aircraft, forward air controller, and test bed. The type’s last official military service ended when the South African Air Force retired its Texans in 1998. The airplane is much loved by air racers and air show pilots, and is extremely popular with warbird owners — both in its original role as a trainer to prep pilots to fly heavier and faster types like the P-51 Mustang, and as a display airplane in its own right.

More than 600 of these aircraft survive on the FAA registry in the United States alone.

CESSNA 170 CESSNA 170 — 70 YEARS

The Cessna 170 was a four-seat personal and business touring airplane that first flew in 1948, and was billed in marketing literature as “the low-cost four-placer to complete Cessna’s full line.” Developed as an upgrade to the popular two-seat Cessna 120/140, the

170 was first developed with fabric-covered wings, but later models, the 170A and 170B, were built with metal wings. Powered by a 145-hp Continental engine, the 170 is an able performer, cruising at nearly 120 mph while burning about 8 gph, offering a total endurance of more than five hours, without reserve. Thanks to a gross weight of 2,200 pounds, a typical 170 can carry two full-size adults and two children, along with up to 100 pounds of baggage.

A variant of the 170, known as the Model 305, became the basis for the L-19/O-1 Bird Dog, a type that was used by the U.S. Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps as a forward air control, reconnaissance, and general liaison aircraft. Cessna produced more than 5,000 170s — thousands of which survive today — until 1956, when the type was retired in favor of the venerable tricycle-gear 172.

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AIRCRAFT ANNIVERSARIES

BEDE BD-4

HATZ BIPLANE HATZ BIPLANE — 50 YEARS

John Hatz, EAA 3990, designed and built the Hatz CB-1 biplane over a several-year period in the 1960s. The airplane made its first flight in 1968.

John was a vintage aircraft pilot, restorer, and enthusiast, and he was well-known for his stringently original, Curtiss OX-5-powered 1928 Waco 10. It’s no surprise, then, that when it came time to design his own airplane, it looked, flew, and felt like a classic. Like similar designs, the Hatz is a mix of steel tube and wood construction covered with fabric.

John’s original prototype was powered by an 85-hp Continental engine and was upgraded a few years later to a 150-hp Lycoming.

After seeing the prototype, Dudley Kelly, EAA 6173, was quite taken with it and convinced John to create and sell plans for the biplane that did such a nice job of blending the old and the new. Dudley spent about a year and a half drawing up plans, and the first plansbuilt Hatz made its Oshkosh debut in 1975. Since that time, it’s estimated that about 150 have been built, and the type has spawned multiple variants, some available as kits, while others must be built from plans.

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BEDE BD-4 — 50 YEARS

The BD-4 was designed by Jim Bede, EAA Lifetime 3758. Jim’s first design, the BD-1, eventually evolved into the Grumman American AA-1. When designing and building the BD-4, Jim wanted an airplane that combined comfort, range, and speed with affordability. The best way to do this was to sell the all-metal airplane as a homebuilt, one of the first to be sold as a kit.

Jim also wanted to produce the kit so it could be built by a person of average ability faster than the typical 2,000-hour build times of other homebuilts. Using bolt-together construction and other techniques, Bede Aircraft boasted build times of less than 1,000 hours. The BD-4, first flown in 1968, could be built as either a two- or four-place airplane, with tricycle or conventional gear.

Builders’ choices also extended to the engine, ranging from a 108-hp Lycoming O-235 for a two-place model, all the way up to engines of 200-220 hp. There was no major structural difference between the two configurations, and builders were encouraged to start with a twoseater and upgrade it to a four-seater later. Several hundred BD-4s were built and flown, and the design is popular to this day.

VOLKSPLANE EVANS VP-1 VOLKSPLANE — 50 YEARS

Back in the late ’60s, William Evans, EAA 18974, was a design specialist at Convair, the company behind the giant B-36, the sleek B-58, and the 880 and 990 series of airliners. As he told it, he was getting bored in the evenings and decided to do something he’d always wanted to do — design his own airplane. By working in his spare time, he had a design in two years and a flying airplane one year after that. Christened the Volksplane, after his decision to use a modified Volkswagen engine, the prototype first flew in 1968.

The Volksplane got a lot of attention when William took it to fly-ins, and he was soon persuaded to form a company and start selling plans. The all-wood construction, including the use of simple marine-grade plywood wherever possible, meant the VP-1 was a quick and easy build. The airplane is docile and doesn’t go very fast, as it wasn’t meant to. The Volksplane was meant for those who wanted simple construction and affordable flying; it’s not really meant to go anywhere other than up. William’s son Peter took over the family business when his father died and continues to sell plans and support Volksplane builders. It’s estimated that more than 1,000 VP-1s have been built and flown.

ACRO SPORT — 45 YEARS

Like John Hatz, EAA founder Paul Poberezny had a soft spot for biplanes and the good old days of open-cockpit flying. In January of 1971, he announced the development of an upgraded aerobatic version of the EAA Biplane that was to be called the EAA Acro Sport. Paul’s vision for the design was to capture the nostalgia and fun of the biplane era in an airplane that could be built from plans, primarily by school groups. The first version made its maiden flight in 1972, while the “official” prototype, built at EAA headquarters to verify and refine the plans before they were made available to homebuilders, made its first flight the following year.

The first airplane was powered by a 180-hp engine to test the airframe at peak performance, while the plansbuilt prototype used a more modest 100-hp Continental O-200, which was

ACRO SPORT recommended for the average sport pilot. The single-seat Acro Sport and the two-seat Acro Sport II that followed five years later are both built with steel tube fuselages and wood wings, with fabric

covering over the whole airplane. A number of schools built Acro Sports as part of their industrial arts programs over the years, and the airplane proved popular with individual builders as well.

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AIRCRAFT ANNIVERSARIES RUTAN DEFIANT — 40 YEARS

QUICKSILVER QUICKSILVER — 40 YEARS

In the late 1970s, a man named Dick Eipper started a company called Eipper Formance to build and sell a hang glider with a rigid wing and a tail section consisting of a horizontal stabilizer and a rudder. Then, in 1978, he modified one of his designs into what was known as a “self-launching” hang glider at the time. Simply put, he added a seat of sorts, wheels, and an engine, and what we now know as the Quicksilver family of ultralights was born.

Early Quicksilvers were weight-shift models. The pilot sat in a hang glider-style sling and controlled pitch by swinging his or her body fore and aft, using the aluminum tubes around the “cockpit” for leverage. By swinging left and right, the shifting pilot’s weight, combined with cables RUTAN DEFIANT that led from the harness back to the rudder, enabled turns. The design proved so popular that, when EAA and the FAA worked to create Part 103, the portion of the Federal Aviation Regulations that defines ultralights, they used a Quicksilver as the basis for the new rules. The company has changed hands over the years, but Quicksilver ultralights and their light-sport cousins are still going strong.

90 EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2018

Defiant is a strong name for an airplane (having been used at least once before, by British company BoultonPaul in World War II), but it’s an even better descriptor of the philosophy of its designer, Burt Rutan, EAA Lifetime 26033. The Defiant, which first flew in 1978, was first built as a proof-of-concept light twin that Burt’s Rutan Aircraft Factory hoped would be certified and go into production. That idea didn’t work out, so the Defiant followed in the footsteps of illustrious predecessors like the VariEze and the Long-EZ, and nearly 200 sets of plans were sold to homebuilders in the mid-1980s.

The airplane continued the Rutan tradition of composite construction, as well as the now-familiar (but still somehow futuristic-looking) canard configuration. The Defiant was designed with simplicity and safety in mind. The engines are both mounted on the centerline, much like the Cessna 337 Skymaster, so an engine failure doesn’t cause control issues as it does with a conventional twin. The airplane has no flaps and minimal systems, including a fixed main landing gear (though the nose gear retracts like other canards) to simplify maintenance and operation. There are roughly three dozen of them on the current FAA registry.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JIM KOEPNICK

AIRCRAFT ANNIVERSARIES

DR-107 ONE DESIGN

LEGAL EAGLE — 20 YEARS

QUAD CITY CHALLENGER

QUAD CITY CHALLENGER — 35 YEARS

The first Challenger ultralight was designed in 1982 and made its first flight in 1983. At that time, the Quad City Ultralight Corporation was founded by Chuck Hamilton, David Goulet, EAA 167786, and William Ehlers, EAA 279908. The factory was built in Moline, Illinois, and the popular ultralight and its light-sport follow-on, the Challenger II, have been built in that same factory ever since.

The Challenger series are high-wing aircraft with optional partially or fully enclosed cockpits and are sold as kits.

The first versions were powered by 50-hp Rotax 503 engines while current models use the newer 65-hp Rotax 582.

Challengers are known for their customization options. In addition to the cockpit choices, builders can choose wing lengths optimized for float flying and soaring or faster cruising. Speaking of floats, Challengers can be fitted with straight or amphibious floats as well as tundra wheels and penetration or retractable wheel and ski combinations. As of 2017, more than 4,000 Challengers and Challenger IIs have been built and sold around the world.

92 EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2018

RIHN DR-107 ONE DESIGN — 25 YEARS

Dan Rihn, EAA Lifetime 16462, designed the DR-107 as an affordable way for pilots to get involved in recreational and competition aerobatics.

The airplane also formed the basis of a new competition class within the International Aerobatic Club, where every pilot flies the same design — hence the name. The One Design, which first flew in 1993, is a low-wing monoplane taildragger that is stressed to a remarkable 10g, both positive and negative.

The One Design is constructed with wood and fabric wings and a steel truss fuselage that is partially fabriccovered, with the rest using aluminum skin. The airplane is generally powered by a 180-hp Lycoming O-360, modified with fuel injection, high-compression cylinders, and an inverted oil system, or a 150-hp Lycoming O-320. The wing is fairly short, and that, coupled with nearly full-span ailerons, gives the airplane a reported roll rate of up to 420 degrees per second. The One Design is built from plans, along with an optional materials kit, both of which are sold through Aircraft Spruce & Specialty.

The Legal Eagle, which first flew in 1998, is an ultralight meant for nothing but simple, honest fun. The Legal Eagle is a high-wing taildragger that was specifically designed by Leonard Milholland, EAA 72307, to meet all the qualifications of the FAA’s Part 103 regulations that define ultralights. When built according to the plans drawn from Leonard’s prototype, the empty weight of 244 pounds is a solid 10 pounds less than the legal limit.

The Legal Eagle’s fuselage is built from welded steel tubing and is usually left largely uncovered.

The wings are built from spruce, and all the flying surfaces are covered with fabric. Power comes from a 30-hp two-cylinder, horizontally opposed, air-cooled engine created by cutting a Volkswagen engine in half. The Legal Eagle has spawned multiple variants, including the Legal Eagle XL, for larger pilots, the Double Eagle, which is a two-seat LSA, not an ultralight, and the Cabin Eagle, which is a version of the Double Eagle with an enclosed cabin. Leonard has said a builder can put together a Legal Eagle for somewhere between $3,000 and $5,000, depending on his or her “scrounging ability.”

Hal Bryan, EAA Lifetime 638979, is senior editor for EAA digital and print content and publications, co-author of two books, and a lifelong pilot and aviation geek. Find him on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at halbryan or e-mail him at hbryan@eaa.org.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY IAN KIRK

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AIRCRAFT RIDES

And There’s Even More!

Additional attractions you don’t want to miss AIRCRAFT RIDES

Even if you don’t have your own airplane, there are tickets to ride available at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2018. The following three options are great ways to get up into the sky.

B-17 Aluminum Overcast: EAA’s B-17G Flying Fortress Aluminum Overcast is a classic example of a bomber that was used by American airmen during World War II. Flights on the B-17 leave from Appleton International Airport (ATW), approximately 25 miles north of Oshkosh, and shuttles are available from the AirVenture grounds to the check-in point. Tickets are available both in advance and at the walk-up booth on the AirVenture grounds.

Ford Tri-Motor: The Ford Tri-Motor was America’s first mass-produced airliner back in the 1920s, and this beauty from the golden age of aviation flies proudly to this day. Flights are available both on EAA’s 1929 Ford 4-AT-E Tri-Motor and on the Liberty Aviation Museum’s 1928 Ford 5-AT-B Tri-Motor and leave from the AirVenture grounds Monday through Sunday. Tickets can be purchased in advance or at the Tri-Motor building.

Bell 47 Helicopter: The first helicopter ever certified for civilian use, the Bell 47, with its full bubble canopy, offers unmatched visibility, making it perfect for sightseeing. From the Sunday before AirVenture until the last day of the event, tickets can be purchased at the Pitcairn Hangar at Pioneer Airport to take an aerial tour of the Oshkosh grounds.

96 EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2018

KIDVENTURE

AirVenture features a special area called KidVenture meant to help introduce young people to aviation.

Located at Pioneer Airport, this highly interactive area is celebrating its 20th anniversary at AirVenture 2018 and contains hands-on building and piloting activities that young people are sure to enjoy.

There’s more than just fun available at KidVenture, though. Those in attendance can earn FAA credit through hands-on building projects that count toward A&P certificates, learn how to fly an RC airplane, explore a new space-themed building, and more.

KIDVENTURE

EAA SEAPLANE BASE

For a relaxing getaway from the busy atmosphere of AirVenture, visitors can take a shuttle to the EAA Seaplane Base, presented by Wipaire Inc. and supported by Honda Marine. The seaplane base is a calm cove along the Lake Winnebago shore and is a perfect place to sit down and watch planes arrive and depart from the waters.

Never been to the seaplane base?

AirVenture 2018 is the perfect time to make the trip, as changes to improve the visitor experience were made leading up to the fly-in.

EAA AVIATION MUSEUM

Included with admission to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2018 is admission to the EAA Aviation Museum, where imagination takes flight. From the warbirds in the Eagle Hangar to the nuggets of EAA history in the Founders’ Wing, there is a lot to take in and learn at the museum.

More than 200 different aircraft are displayed throughout the various galleries. Although there’s a lot going on around the AirVenture grounds, don’t forget to take a trip through the museum and learn about the history of the airplanes that are buzzing around.

EAA FLY-IN THEATER

The fun at AirVenture does not stop when the sun goes down. The EAA Fly-In Theater, presented by Airbus, is the evolved form of the old drive-in movie theaters, and each night a different film is played for AirVenture attendees for free with an admission wristband. The screenings are preceded by brief, informative, and entertaining introductions featuring a variety of presenters including pilots, historians, and filmmakers.

Found next to Camp Scholler, the Fly-In Theater shows movies at 8:30 p.m. on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday,

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Sunday — Nothing by Chance, 8:30 p.m.

Monday — Spitfire, 8:30 p.m.

Tuesday — Dunkirk, 8:30 p.m.

Wednesday — Catch-22, 9:30 p.m.

Thursday — Toward the Unknown, 8:30 p.m.

Friday — Escadrille (preview), The Great Waldo Pepper, 8:30 p.m.

Saturday — Air America, 9:30 p.m.

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Thank you

to all the sponsors of EAA’s One Week Wonder project The One Week Wonder project is located on Celebration Way across from the EAA AirVenture Welcome Center.

Stop by, pull a rivet, and be part of the experience!

Presented by:

Supported by:

AV I AT I O N

MORE TO DO THEATER IN THE WOODS

Theater in the Woods is home to relaxed, informative, and entertaining live programming that provides the perfect conclusion to a busy day spent on the grounds.

From fighter pilots, to innovators, to aircraft designers, presenters at Theater in the Woods offer something for everybody.

Sponsored by M&M’s, the open-air pavilion has seating for 3,500 people under its spacious roof, though many more visitors bring lawn chairs and blankets to enjoy the evenings’ programs from spots adjacent to the seating area.

AVIATION GATEWAY PARK

The Aviation Gateway Park, presented by Piper Aircraft, is the AirVenture headquarters for the latest and greatest in aerospace science and education. For those looking to get started in aviation, the Aviation Gateway Park is designed as a space where interested visitors can interact and engage.

Attendees can discover both heavyweights and startups in the aviation industry in the Innovation Showcase, presented by the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA), where companies highlight breakthrough concepts. The Education and Career Center, supported by Air Wisconsin Airlines, offers a chance to meet with representatives from the many colleges, universities, and technical schools that offer programs in aviation and related fields. The UAV Showcase, supported by Multicopter Warehouse, provides a look at the latest in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology, while the Drone Cage, presented by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, offers an opportunity for visitors to actually pilot small UAVs. Finally, the Forums Center, presented by NATCA, is a place where attendees can learn firsthand from aviation experts and leaders.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANDREW ZABACK

TWILIGHT FLIGHT FEST

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday nights the Fun Fly Zone plays host to EAA’s Twilight Flight Fest — allowing attendees to get up close and personal with a variety of affordable and entertaining forms of flight.

Evening events kick off at 8 p.m. with the EAA STOL Invitational featuring incredible short takeoffs and landings. Come see how quickly these properly designed and equipped aircraft — and expert pilots — can get airborne, and how little grass runway is needed for a successful touchdown!

The Paradigm Aerobatic Team will perform a wide range of dynamic maneuvers in powered paragliders as part of the evening programming. In this pure form of lightweight aviation, the team uses their paramotors to create an engaging performance reminiscent of an aerial three-ring circus as the pilots showcase their incredible maneuverability and precision. In addition, the accomplished skydivers of the Patriot Parachute Team will demonstrate their skills to show what’s possible with a parachute. The popular 3D RC demonstrations will also return, featuring large-scale RC aircraft with light, laser, and smoke effects.

AEROMART

Those in search of specific or hard-tofind aircraft parts will be wise to check out the Aeromart. Located just southwest of Exhibit Hangar D, Aeromart is a great place to find that carburetor, cylinder, fitting, fuselage, instrument, magneto, oil pump, spinner, wiring, wheel, or whatever else you’ve been looking to pick up for your own airplane, or to sell that spare one you’ve had laying around for a while.

More than 5,000 items are available each year. The EAA Vintage Aircraft Association staffs the Aeromart and helps its visitors find exactly what they are looking for.

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Your aviation education awaits.

At the AirVenture Forums Plaza, the very best from the aviation world come together for one week to share their accumulated knowledge with you. Hundreds of innovators, authors, experts, and legends are on hand in the most comprehensive collection of aviation knowledge available anywhere, all at Destination Oshkosh.

AirVenture Forums are supported by:

Continue to grow your aviation knowledge. Register for any of our weekly EAA webinars. Visit EAA.org/webinars for the current schedule.

SHOWTIME 102 EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2018

PERFORMERS AT AIRVENTURE 2018

EACH AFTERNOON DURING EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, crowds gather along the flightline to watch a daily air show unlike any other. Featuring the most diverse lineup in AirVenture history, 2018 will not disappoint with its variety of aerobatic performers, the latest innovations, and rare and unique flying examples. Plus, on Wednesday and Saturday night the flightline will light up with incredible night air shows and a fireworks display you’ll never forget.

It’s all part of the Oshkosh experience!

MIKE GOULIAN Extra 330SC

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF GOULIAN AEROSPORTS

www.eaa.org

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AIRSHOW PERFORMERS

KIRBY CHAMBLISS Edge 540

AARON FITZGERALD MBB Bo 105 104 EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2018

RED BULL AIR FORCE Wingsuits

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ART EICHMANN, PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF RED BULL

AIRSHOW PERFORMERS

AIR FORCE HERITAGE FLIGHT FOUNDATION United States Air Force

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AEROSHELL AEROBATIC TEAM Four T-6s

Booth No.

106 EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2018

PHOTOGRAPHY BY DEKEVIN THORNTON

VICKY BENZING Extra 300S EAA AirVenture Program - 1/2 page (6.875 x 4.656") bleed ? DUE: JUN 8

LUCA BERTOSSIO Swift S-1 RBX

Past. Present. Future. The Evolution Continues.

Take your Aspen display to the MAX. The brand-new and affordable Evolution 1000 Pro MAX brings the latest generation of display technology and capabilities that bridge the avionics technology gap. For Aspen customers old and new, your investment retains its value, and will never be obsolete. Period.

New EFD1000 Pro MAX offers: • Degraded back-up mode to eliminate red “X” indications on pitot static failures • Dual unit installation will no longer require back-up indicators • New, vibrant colors with the latest aviation glass • Higher reliability and faster refresh rates with latest generation processors

• Chart and countdown timers • Height above ground level (AGL) on navigation and terrain maps • METAR Flags on navigation map • 350 nm zoom levels • Altitude intersect based on climb rate • Audio panel interface • Font and window enlargement

We also offer an affordable and simple, legacy EFD1000 Pro upgrade path to new Pro MAX features with a new two-year warranty!

Now, all Evolution displays will be MAX-based to enhance functionality and performance across our entire product line.

For Aspen customers old and new, get the most out of flying by taking your displays to the MAX.

EFD 1000 Pro Plus MAX PFD with Synthetic Vision and Angle of Attack

Evolution 1000 MAX MFD with Synthetic Vision

EFD 1000 Pro MAX PFD showing enlarged altitude preselect window

Visit us at

EAA AirVenture 2018 Hangar B – 2145-2148

Copyright 2018 Aspen Avionics Inc. “Aspen Avionics,” “Evolution Flight Display System,” and the Aspen Avionics aircraft logo are trademarks of Aspen Avionics Inc. All rights reserved. U.S. Patent No. 8,085,168, and additional patents pending.

ASP-31404_EFD1000 PRO MAX Prod_Ad_half_EAA.indd 1 PHOTOGRAPHY BY TYSON RININGER, PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF RED BULL

www.aspenavionics.com

6/19/18 2:13 PM

www.eaa.org

107

AIRSHOW PERFORMERS

JEFF BOERBOON Yak-110

IT’S GETTING SERIOUS. IT’S TIME YOU MET THE FAMILY.

C-17 DEMO TEAM United States Air Force

Seriously, we know you have history with your current aircraft. Maybe a lot of “firsts,” but you’ve outgrown that relationship. You deserve a cabin class pressurized aircraft with seating for six.

Greater range. Retractable gear. Garmin flight deck. Between the piston M350 and turboprop M500 and M600, you’ll find your perfect match in the Piper M-Class family.

Contact your Piper partner for a demo, or experience the Freedom of Flight™ at piper.com.

FREEDOM OF FLIGHT

M-CLASS: M350 | M500 | M600

PHOTOGRAPHY BY LAURIE GOOSSENS, JIM RAEDER

piper.com 1.772.299.2403

www.eaa.org

109

AIRSHOW PERFORMERS

CANADIAN HARVARD AEROBATIC TEAM North American Harvards

1

BOB CARLTON SubSonex Jet

3

5

2

EAA Young Eagles Presenting Sponsor

4

Young Eagles Flight

Sporty’s Learn to Fly Course EAA Student Membership

EAA Scholarships

First Flight Lesson

The Young Eagles Flight Plan

Your route from Young Eagle to licensed pilot

Visit EAA.org/FlightPlan for more information.

Find us on Facebook at Facebook.com/EAAYoungEagles 110 EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2018

EAA Young Eagles Flight Plan Partners

EAA Young Eagles Supporting Sponsors

MATT CHAPMAN Extra 330LX

PHOTOGRAPHY BY DEKEVIN THORNTON

KEVIN COLEMAN Extra 300 SHP

www.eaa.org 

111

Create special memories and spend time with friends and family at the AIRBUS Fly-In Theater.

This outdoor experience provides time to relax and unwind while watching blockbuster and classic aviation movies on a five-story high screen. Gather up your friends and family, pack your blanket or lawn chairs, bring some munchies, and settle in to an outdoor movie experience that is one-of-a-kind!

Now Showing Sunday, July 22 Nothing by Chance (8:30 p.m.)

Monday, July 23 Spitfire (8:30 p.m.)

Thursday, July 26 Toward the Unkown (8:30 p.m.)

Tuesday, July 24 Dunkirk (8:30 p.m.)

Friday, July 27 The Great Waldo Pepper (8:30 p.m.)

Wednesday, July 25 Catch 22 (9:30 p.m.)

Saturday, July 28 Air America (9:30 p.m.)

AIRSHOW PERFORMERS

A RC H

DTG PYROTECHNICS & SPECIAL FX Fireworks

BR O W N

FLY ABOVE THE REST

O N

TH E

FL IG H T

V

D

IS O IT U U LI N R S E, N AT #4 E 50 W O S N EX LO H K T TO C A OS A T O H PA IO A N IN N

JIM TOBUL/SCOTT YOAK (CLASS OF ’45) F4U-4 Corsair and P-51D Mustang

WIN AND LEARN WITH SHELL AVIATION n n n n

Fly virtually with the Aeroshell Aerobatic Team and meet them daily at 11 am Attend daily forums and learn from our gurus Take advantage of show specials on oil Earn rewards by signing up to Shell AeroClass Program

ENTER OUR SWEEPSTAKES TO WIN A $300 AIRCRAFT SPRUCE GIFT CARD*

www.shell.com/aviation

Oshkosh_advert_6.875x4.656.indd 1 PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRIS MILLER

@Shell_Aviation

*Official rules apply

28/06/2018 09:14

www.eaa.org

113

AIRSHOW PERFORMERS

F-16 VIPER DEMONSTRATION TEAM United States Air Force

$100 PER TICKET

ONLY 1,500 TICKETS AVAILABLE!

KYLE FOWLER Rutan Long-EZ

2018

RAFFLE

WIN THIS 2018

MUSTANG GT CONVERTIBLE Proceeds benefit the EAA® Young Eagles® program, which has provided more than 2 million youth with a free first flight since 1992.

*Purchase tickets at the EAA Aviation Museum or during EAA® AirVenture® Oshkosh™, July 23-29, 2018. All ticket sales end on Sunday, July 29, 2018 at 12:00 p.m. Drawing is at 3:00 p.m. Sunday, July 29, 2018, at EAA AirVenture Welcome Center, EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, 3000 Poberezny Rd., Oshkosh, WI. For more information and rules visit EAA.org/YERaffle or call 800-236-1025.

114 EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2018

The 2018 Ford Mustang GT Convertible is provided with the support of Ford Motor Company & Kocourek Ford, Wausau, Wisconsin.

KYLE FRANKLIN Demon-1 Dracula and Kitfox S7 Speedster

GEICO SKYTYPERS North American SNJ-2s

www.eaa.org 

115

AOPA

AirVenture!

CONNECT WITH

WHILE YOU’RE AT

AOPA pilot community meets at the AOPA campus.

R CUB E P U S A AOP EEPSTAKES SW

Enter for a chance to

WIN THIS PLANE!* PLUS One of 70 more great aviation prizes!

STOP BY THE AOPA CAMPUS

FOUR REASONS TO VISIT THE AOPA TENT

and learn how to take full advantage of your membership.

Meet your AOPA team and see what products and services are best suited to your aviation lifestyle. Learn what’s new, share what’s on your mind, and participate in the many learning opportunities hosted throughout the week.

• Stop by AOPA’s newest addition, the Desktop Simulator Experience sponsored by PilotWorkshops, and enter to win your own simulator worth more than $2,500. One new winner every day!* • Each day by 9:30am be one of the first five to show your NEW AOPA World Mastercard at the AOPA Tent and receive a gift pack full of AOPA merchandise • Join or Renew your AOPA Membership and get a hat or tee shirt • Stop by the AOPA Program Pavilion and choose from our line-up of free safety presentations and seminars

VISIT THE AOPA CAMPUS ON THE FLIGHT LINE - ACROSS FROM THE BROWN ARCH *No purchase necessary to enter or win. See official rules at aopa.org/officialrules/sweeps-sim

AIRSHOW PERFORMERS

NATHAN HAMMOND Sky Writer

PHOTOGRAPHY BY LAURIE GOOSSENS, STEVE SERDIKOFF

ROB HOLLAND MX2

www.eaa.org 

117

WITTMAN REGIONAL AIRPORT TERMINAL BUILDING

INTERNATIONAL SKYDIVING MUSEUM EAGLES Skydiving Team

WILD BLUE Van’s RV-8A

HOMEBUILDERS HQ

WARBIRD ALLEY

BROWN ARCH HOMEBUILT PARKING

FEDERAL PAVILION

WITTMAN RD

P-1 TAXIWAY

WARBIRDS HQ

TRI-MOTOR & B-17 OPERATIONS

HOMEBUILTS

WARBIRDS

RUNWAY

27

RUNWAY 18R

AEROPLANE WORKSHOP

SKY SHOPPE

EIDE ST

WAUKAU AVE

20TH AV

E

AIRSHOW PERFORMERS

HOMEBUILDERS HANGAR

IAC HQ & FORUMS

FAA AVIATION SAFETY CENTER

BOEING PLAZA

FORUMS PLAZA

EAA COR

See detai

WEARHOUSE

at AirVenture.

EAA AVIATION GATEWAY PARK

WARBIRD CAMPING

HOMEBUILT AIRCRAFT CAMPING

H LOT

PERMIT ONLY

NORTH 40

BONZO DR

ONLY

9

RUNWAY

• Learn about chapter tool cribs and see EAA Chapter 640’s Wittman Tailwind-style airplane project.

HILTON GARDEN

INN your chapter tool crib.

• Enter to win tools for

G LOT

PERMIT ONLY

NATURE CENTER PAVILION

N

C LOT

COMPASS HILL

EXHIB HANG

BUS PARK

PERMIT ONLY

YK GO

VE EA

BLUE LOT

FLY-IN THEA

KIDVENTURE

NORTH 40 AIRCRAFT CAMPING

M US EU M

MEMORIAL WALL

RD

CHAPEL

SUPER 8 & FRIAR TUCKS

RC FLYING AREA

EAA AVIATION MUSEUM

PI

HELICOPTER FLIGHT EXPERIENCES

NW AY

PIONEER AIRPORT

4

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WAUKAU AVE

Limited Hours

W

ON EE R

The EAA SBlue OU TH PA Barn tool crib is RK sponsored by AVE/H

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PERMIT ONLY

The EAA Blue Barn is presented by

EXHIB HANG

L LOT

PERMIT ONLY

G LOT

AIR ACADEMY LODGE

EXHIBIT HANGAR

RA YB LV D

A

PERMIT ONLY

WARBIRD LOT

KNAPP ST

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20TH AV

WITTMAN RD

• Represent your chapter and place your pin on the chapter map.

• Learn about chapter resources and best practices.

M ES

FOUNDATION RD

RED ONE MARKET NORTH

• Become a Young Eagles or Eagle Flights volunteer.

JA

WAUKAU AVE

WEEKS HANGAR

AIRCRAFT PERMIT CAMPINGyouth, • Attend a forum about growing your chapter, engaging and more.

ONLY

EXHIBIT HANGAR

The EAA Blue Barn is located on Knapp St., PERMIT directly across from the Fourms Plaza.

PEL TO

Stop by the EAA Blue Barn and:

GALLATIN AVE

Your go-to destination for

WORKSHOPS PLAZA

M

KNAPP ST

EAA BLUE BARN

CIVIL AIR PATROL

U.S. POST OFFICE

CELEBRATION WAY

KNAPP ST

118 EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2018 KOELLER ST

GRAY LOT POBEREZNY RD

CAMP SCHOL CAMPER REGISTRATI

GREG KOONTZ Super Decathlon

PHOTOGRAPHY BY DEKEVIN THORNTON, MACH POINT ONE AVIATION PHOTOGRAPHY

JUSTIN LEWIS FLS Microjet

www.eaa.org 

119

AIRSHOW PERFORMERS

DAVID MARTIN Beechcraft Baron

JESSY PANZER Pitts Special

TAKE FLIGHT

aboard one of EAA’s unique Flight Experiences B-17 Aluminum Overcast $435 per EAA member, $475 per nonmember B-17 Operations are located at the southeast corner of Warbird Alley

Ford Tri-Motor

$75 per person Ford Tri-Motor Operations are located at the southeast corner of Warbird Alley

Bell 47 Helicopter

$49 per person Helicopter Operations are located at Pioneer Airport behind the EAA Aviation Museum

Tri-Motor Early Bird Special! Get in line at the Tri-Motor Shack before 8:30 a.m. and SAVE $10 on a flight.

120 EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2018

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JIM FRONEBERGER, PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF SUN ’N FUN INTERNATIONAL FLY-IN & EXPO

PARADIGM AEROBATIC TEAM Powered Paragliders

PATRIOT PARACHUTE TEAM

A Better Look at Your World.

Exclusive

Air Show Specials For EAA Members & Air Show Attendees Prices starting at:

$ 49.95 NEW

BOOTH #

493 Southeast corner of Boeing Plaza

If you are a working photographer with media credentials, Nikon Professional Services is located in the Nikon Media Center on W. Waukau Ave. next to Press Headquarters.

Inquire about a pass to the Nikon Viewing Stand.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ART EICHMANN 16175_EAA-Airshow_Bino_Ad_6.875x4.656.indd 1

INTRODUCING 30mm BINOCULARS

www.eaa.org   121 6/11/18 11:09 AM

AIRSHOW PERFORMERS

JIM PEITZ Beechcraft F33C Bonanza

MANFRED RADIUS Salto Sailplane

Can’t get enough?

Join EAA Warbirds of America!

If you have a passion for ex-military aircraft, better known as warbirds, please join us in our efforts to “Keep ‘Em Flying!”

Call 1-800-564-6322 or visit Warbirds-EAA.org

122 EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2018

PHOTOGRAPHY BY DEKEVIN THORNTON

REDLINE AIRSHOWS Two Van’s RV-8s

PHOTOGRAPHY BY DEKEVIN THORNTON

GENE SOUCY & TERESA STOKES Grumman Showcat

www.eaa.org

123

I WANT

YOU YOUNG EAGLES!

The youth of today represent the pilots, builders, aviation enthusiasts, innovators, and dreamers of tomorrow.

The EAA Young Eagles program has flown more than 2 million kids over the past 25 years.

But it’s only possible with YOUR support, and the help of EAA’s network of volunteer pilots and ground volunteers.

Can I count on you?

Say, “Yep!” today.

Visit www.EAA.org/YEP to lend a hand.

EAA Young Eagles Presenting Sponsor

EAA Young Eagles Flight Plan Partners

EAA Young Eagles Supporting Sponsors

AIRSHOW PERFORMERS

BILL STEIN Zivko Edge 540

PHILIPP STEINBACH GameBird 1

COMMUNICATION WITHOUT BOUNDARIES

Any Network. Any Device. Any App.

www.MotorolaSolutions.com

www.Northwaycom.com

www.eaa.org 

125

AIRSHOW PERFORMERS

SKIP STEWART Prometheus 2

TORA! BOMB SQUAD Pyrotechnics

ROLL WITH US! TM

JOIN today www.iac.org/join

WOW!

Join VAA at AirVenture and get: • Two tickets for free breakfast at the Vintage Tall Pines Cafe • 10% discount on VAA merchandise at the Vintage Red Barn • A free participation plaque

To join VAA, go to the VAA membership booth near the northeast corner of the Red Barn at Vintage Village.

Pablo and Livia Branco IAC 435728 IAC Chapter 80

126 EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2018

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CONNOR MADISON

SEAN D. TUCKER Oracle Challenger III

TROJAN THUNDER Six T-28s

WE’RE 55 AND FASTER THAN EVER. Six air racing classes. Speeds up to 500 mph. It’s the only air race of its kind in the world. And it’s only in Reno.

55th Annual National Championship Air Races September 12-16 | Reno Stead Airfield

B U Y T I C K E T S AT A I R R A C E . O R G

PHOTOGRAPHY BY RON SELLERS, DEKEVIN THORNTON

www.eaa.org

127

AIRSHOW PERFORMERS

TWIN TIGERS Two Yak-55s

VERTICAL ELITE Skydiving Team

JOIN OR RENEW TODAY! AOPA World Mastercard® Reward your passion for aviation and save money on your AOPA membership and more!

Get a DISCOUNT and FREE GIFT of your choice!

THE AOPA PROGRAM PAVILION -WHERE LEARNING IS ALWAYS FUN TALK WITH PRESIDENT & CEO MARK BAKER OVER FREE COFFEE & DONUTS, OR AT THE FREE ICE CREAM SOCIAL.

128 EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2018

CHOOSE FROM OUR LINE-UP OF FREE SAFETY PRESENTATIONS & SEMINARS. GET BACK IN THE AIR WITH OUR RUSTY PILOTS SEMINAR.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CONNOR MADISON

PATTY WAGSTAFF Extra 300S

MATT YOUNKIN Beech 18

Honda Power. By Land, by Sea, and by Air. Across roadways, waterways, and airways, Honda vehicles and products are designed with cutting edge technology and built with the level of quality that adds up to a legendary reputation for performance and reliability. So wherever you roam, trust Honda, the name that powers the spirit of adventure.

EU2200i Generator Honda Miimo Robotic Mower

Visit the Main Aircraft HondaJet Display to see Honda’s all-new power equipment! www.eaa.org 

129

Preorder your official EAA® AirVenture® Oshkosh™ 2018 DVD or Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack and we’ll ship it for FREE!* Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack $15.99** or standard definition DVD for $14.99.

Digital download and streaming option coming this Fall! EAA.org/DigitalAV18.

CLICK EAA.org/Shop, CALL 1.800.564.6322, or VISIT an official EAA Merchandise location. *Free Shipping for domestic orders only. International orders will ship for $3 plus $1 for each additional DVD or Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack. **$15.99 is a member price. Nonmember price is $19.99. © 2018 EAA

EAA.ORG/SHOP • 800.564.6322

ALL PURCHASES SUPPORT EAA PROGRAMS AND PROMOTE THE SPIRIT OF AVIATION®

AD INDEX

ADVERTISERS IN THIS ISSUE

ADVERTISER........................................................................PAGE

ADVERTISER........................................................................PAGE

AeroLEDs...............................................................................89

Piper.....................................................................................109

AeroShell............................................................................. 113

Poly-Fiber............................................................................. 117

AirBus.................................................................................... 51

Pratt & Whitney....................................................................97

Aircraft Industries/SkyOx................................................... 119

Precision Flight Controls.......................................................91

Aircraft Specialties Services................................................27

Quest Aircraft........................................................................25

Aircraft Spruce & Specialty Co......................................23, 71

Redbird................................................................................. 105

Alpina.....................................................................................61

Reno Air Races.................................................................... 127

AOPA............................................................................ 116, 128

Sportys Pilot Shop........................................................... 19, 95

Aspen................................................................................... 107

Sun ‘n Fun..............................................................................93

Aviall................................................................................42, 43 Bendix-King............................................................................ 41 Boeing..............................................................................32, 33 Daher................................................................................52, 53 David Clark............................................................................IFC Dixie Wing/CAF................................................................... 115 Embry-Riddle.........................................................................87 Ford.........................................................................7, 11, 80, 81 Garmin.................................................................................OBC Honda Aircraft.................................................................84, 85 Honda Power Equipment..................................................... 129 Icom........................................................................................ 17 Jeppesen.........................................................................72, 73 John Deere............................................................................21 Lycoming................................................................................ 15

Tempest................................................................................... 1 Textron Aviation..............................................................62, 63 Valley Stamp & Scrap......................................................... 122 Wisconsin Dept of Tourism...................................................29 Yaesu.....................................................................................99 EAA Mobile App....................................................................22 EAA Blue Barn..................................................................... 118 EAA Chapters........................................................................ 10 EAA Concert........................................................................108 EAA Falcon Insurance...........................................................94 EAA Fly-in-Theater.............................................................. 112 EAA Flight Experiences....................................................... 120 EAA Forum/Workshops...................................................... 101 EAA IAC/Sport Aerobatics................................................. 126

Mars....................................................................................... 31

EAA Insurance Thank You....................................................... 6

Miller Clock............................................................................79

EAA Membership.................................................................. 10

Mister Car Wash...................................................................87

EAA Merchandise...............................................................100

ModTruss.............................................................................106

EAA One Week Wonder.......................................................98

Motorola.............................................................................. 125

EAA Sponsor Thank You......................................................... 5

NATCA................................................................................. 123

EAA Vintage........................................................................ 126

Nikon.................................................................................... 121

EAA Warbirds...................................................................... 122

Pepsi......................................................................................111

EAA Young Eagles........................................................110, 124

Phillips 66...............................................................................C3

EAA Young Eagles Raffle.................................................... 114 www.eaa.org

131

UNTIL NEXT YEAR AIRVENTURE 2019 / JULY 22-28

132 EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2018

PHOTOGRAPHY BY LAURIE GOOSSENS

HERE’S TO THE KIDS WITH THEIR HEADS IN THE CLOUDS.

Phillips 66® Aviation is committed to the future of aviation. And we’re proud to support the Young Eagles program, which inspires youth to pursue a career in aviation and helps the next generation’s dreams take flight.

STOP BY TENT #430 TO LEARN MORE OR VISIT PHILLIPS66AVIATION.COM.

phillips66aviation.com Phillips 66® and the Phillips 66 Wings Logo are registered trademarks owned by Phillips 66 Company or one of its subsidiaries. ©2018 Phillips 66 Company. All rights reserved.

GTX 345.

Finding an all-in-one ADS-B solution just got easier.

The Garmin GTX 345 series of transponders. ADS-B Out and optional WAAS position source and ADS-B In. Displays ADS-B weather and traffic on select Garmin avionics, portables and tablets using Garmin Pilot and ForeFlight Mobile. And the same footprint as most existing transponders.

Learn more at Garmin.com/ADSB or call 844-GET-ADSB

Š2018 Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries