EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2021 Program

THE WAIT IS OVER

OFFICIAL COMMEMORATIVE SOUVENIR PROGRAM

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CONTENTS FEATURES

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Our First Decade

The Experimental Aircraft Association

By Budd Davisson

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Winning Warbirds

An AirVenture Oshkosh spotters guide

By Hal Bryan

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Any Place. Any Time. Anywhere.

A look at the history and aircraft of Air Force Special Operations Command

By Sam Oleson

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Flying for Good

Highlighting humanitarian aircraft and organizations at AirVenture 2021

By Christina Basken

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Remembering Paul and Audrey Poberezny

2 2 EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2018

JULY 26-AUGUST 1, 2021

A P UB L I C AT I ON OF T HE E X P E R I ME N TAL AI R C R AF T AS S OC I AT I ON E AA / P. O. B OX 3 0 8 6 , OS HK OS H, W I 5 4 9 0 3 -3 0 8 6 / P HON E : 9 2 0 -4 2 6 -4 8 0 0 FAX : 9 2 0 -4 2 6 -4 8 2 8 / W W W. E AA. OR G / W W W. E AA. OR G/ AI R V E N T UR E

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Welcome Letter

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Aircraft Anniversaries

78

Volunteers

94

Ray Scholars

104

Fun Fly Guide

Around the Grounds

110

Performers 120

Advertiser Index

Until Next Year

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PUBLISHER Jack J. Pelton, CEO and Chairman of the Board VICE PRESIDENT OF PUBLICATIONS, MEMBERSHIP, AND MARKETING Jim Busha MANAGING EDITOR Hal Bryan ASSISTANT EDITOR Sam Oleson MULTI-MEDIA JOURNALIST Christina Basken PUBLICATIONS INTERN Erin Henze SENIOR COPY EDITOR Colleen Walsh PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Kayla Floyd GRAPHIC DESIGN MANAGER Brandon Jacobs GRAPHIC DESIGN INTERN Erica Horst STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Connor Madison ADVERTISING MANAGER Sue Anderson

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CAMDEN THRASHER

WWW.EAA.ORG www.eaa.org

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WELCOME LETTER

JACK J. PELTON

To all EAA members and visitors: Welcome to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2021, our annual convention that also just happens to be the World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration. This is our 68th annual fly-in, and it promises to be an incredible showcase as, once again, the world of flight comes to Oshkosh. What’s even more important this year is the fact that we are now back together having this celebration after the pandemic forced us to cancel the event in 2020.

Oshkosh is a very special place. Our founder, Paul Poberezny, often talked about the Oshkosh rules, and that’s where we treat everyone with kindness, are respectful around all the aircraft, and pick up any stray piece of trash we see on the grounds. This year, even as so much of the world has moved closer to getting back to normal, the Oshkosh rules include some sensitivity to those around us who have different “personal minimums” when it comes to basic health and safety. We have some protocols in place to help mitigate pandemic-related risks, but all of us must respect others’ independent rights as to how they want to ensure their own safety and good health. That kindness Paul spoke of, that civility, is one of the hallmarks of our event, one of the things that makes it special, and we don’t want to lose focus on that.

I’m frequently asked about what makes AirVenture unique, why it is special to me, and why I have been coming for all of these years. It’s hard to explain, but once you’ve experienced it, it’s easy to understand. Pilots, enthusiasts, family members, exhibitors, and business people all say the same thing — they come for the airplanes, but they come back for the people. When you’re surrounded by people who share your passion, it’s inevitable that strangers become friends, and friends become family.

This year is going to be extra special because we’ve waited two years since the last time we were gathered together. I think we knew that it would leave a void in our lives, but I don’t think many of us realized just how big that void would be. So, as you explore the AirVenture grounds, whether it’s your first time or your 50th, take your time, be careful, be safe, and soak up the world of aviation interests that you’ll find only in Oshkosh. Remember the Oshkosh rules, have fun, don’t forget to thank any of our 6,000-plus volunteers who you run into, and thanks to all of you for your support.

Most of all, welcome (back) to aviation’s family reunion!

Best regards,

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

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OUR FIRST DECADE THE EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION

BY BUDD DAVISSON

DOES ANYONE READING THIS REMEMBER a world without EAA? It seems as if it has always been there. But that’s not the case. It had a beginning, and the first decade was nothing short of amazing.

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PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF EAA ARCHIVES

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OUR FIRST DECADE

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he 68 years since EAA was founded is technically three generations. That’s a long time! It’s sobering for the keyboard jockey who is writing this to think that even though he has been to four Rockfords and 49 Oshkoshes, when he hitchhiked from college in Oklahoma to his first Rockford in 1966, the organization was already 13 years old! He isn’t even close to being one of the pioneers! Think about that! At least three generations of aviation enthusiasts have made the trek, first to Milwaukee, then Rockford, and finally, for the last half-century, Oshkosh.

IN THE BEGINNING

Where did we come from? It’s difficult to be an EAA member and to not have heard the tales of how EAA came about. How it was hatched in Paul Poberezny’s basement and grew from there.

However, there is much more to it than that.

Long before Paul and his buddies decided to launch EAA, there were homebuilding hot spots here and there across the nation that played host to close-knit members of the local airplane-building clans. The birds of a feather aspect of crafting airplanes in their garages drew local builders together. However, most of them didn’t realize that homebuilding was growing in many parts of the country. Sure, there were tales

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Original Outlaw In 1947, George Bogardus flew his homebuilt airplane, Little Gee Bee, from Oregon to Washington, D.C., to convince the government that the people had a right to build and fly their own airplanes. More than four decades later, George was one of the first three people, alongside EAA founder Paul Poberezny and Oshkosh legend Steve Wittman, inducted into EAA’s Homebuilders Hall of Fame.

of other airplane-infected folks who lived out “there” somewhere, but they seldom saw them in person.

During the very late 1940s and early ’50s, homebuilding aircraft was a very localized activity. However, each of the separate areas spawned individuals who would eventually contribute to the whole once EAA gave them a nationwide clubhouse in which to congregate.

The Pacific Northwest had more than its share of homebuilders, possibly because Boeing called the area home. However, Oregon was one of the few states where homebuilt airplanes could easily be licensed so the growth of DIY aircraft was natural. In the rest of the country, it was much more difficult or impossible. One of the local Oregon builders, George Bogardus from Troutdale, Oregon, took the homebuilt bit in his teeth and decided to convince the U.S. government, in the form of the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA), that it should develop a special licensing category for homebuilt airplanes. He flew his 90 mph DIY airplane, Little Gee Bee, to Washington, D.C., three times and finally accomplished his mission. Special recognition of homebuilt airplanes was written into the regulations. Every homebuilder in the United States owes George a huge debt of gratitude. This development was undoubtedly a factor in spawning some of Paul Poberezny’s early thoughts when forming EAA.

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF BOWERS COLLECTION

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A Modest Start Paul called the first meeting of what quickly became EAA on January 26, 1953. What started as an informal group of Milwaukee-area airplane builders has steadily blossomed into an international family with more than 220,000 members around the world.

There’s a tendency to think of people like Paul Poberezny in terms of the airplanes they flew and built, but that wasn’t Paul’s most important trait. His strongest point was the way he related to people, which was combined with his ability to organize those people. Especially airplane people. Paul’s daughter, Bonnie, and her husband, Chuck Parnall, wrote the definitive book on the subject, Poberezny: The Story Begins, and in it Paul explained that a small nucleus of friends began regularly showing up at his garage while he was working on his Taylorcraft project, Little Poop Deck. It was an informal group and, as Paul put it, “At the time it was only talk; there was no real structure.”

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A World War II pilot, Paul had stayed in the Air National Guard after the war and, while working on the Taylorcraft modification, was deployed to Korea. When he returned, he was dismayed by what he found. Paul noted in the book, “I told them I was disappointed in their not keeping the group active while I had gone to Korea.”

In response, his friends began pushing for him to do something formal about the group.

“I suppose the seed of leadership was already planted because Audrey and I could only come to the conclusion that I should get involved and that she would be willing to help me,” Paul wrote.

“It was December 1952 when Audrey sat at the kitchen table to type two or three dozen postcards setting forth a January 26, 1953, meeting for what we thought would be the formation of a Milwaukee airplane homebuilders club.”

That first formal meeting was held in a dope and fabric shop on Curtiss-Wright Airport (now called Timmerman Field) on the northwest corner of the Milwaukee metropolitan area. About 30 people showed up, and shortly afterward Paul and his wife, Audrey, started putting out a threepage newsletter that quickly grew into a magazine. It was initially named Experimenter but was renamed Sport Aviation starting in January 1958. Sound familiar? Paul was named president with Carl Schultz of Hales Corners as vice president and Robert Nolinske of Milwaukee as secretary-treasurer. They were charged by the group with coming up with a constitution and bylaws to be voted on at the next meeting.

The association was on its way, and only a few meetings later, it was decided there was enough interest to make it into a nonprofit corporation.

Even more ambitious, it was decided they’d have a fly-in, a gathering of the homebuilder faithful as part of the Milwaukee Air Pageant. About 150 people signed in, and a small handful of airplanes showed up. There was no possible way anyone involved, including Paul himself, could have envisioned what the future held for them.

At that first fly-in, it’s doubtful any spectators even knew they were there, but that changed quickly as word spread about the association they had just formed. Every fly-in after that charted significant growth.

First Fly-In (Right) In September of 1953, when the organization was just eight months old, EAA held its first fly-in convention as part of the Milwaukee Air Pageant. About 21 aircraft and somewhere around 150 people attended.

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF EAA ARCHIVES

THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF OTHERS

Another homebuilding hot spot was the Los Angeles area, which was populated by a number of major airframe manufacturers. It was also home to a concentrated number of individuals who had no problem rolling a clean sheet of paper onto their drafting tables and designing a new airplane. One of these was Ray Stits who initially took on a challenge to design and build the world’s smallest airplane. This was while he still lived in Michigan. Even though he had never designed an airplane, he did — twice! He did both a monoplane and a biplane with a 7-foot, 2-inch wingspan(!).

After Ray moved to California, the notoriety of those airplanes caused a number of folks to contact him about buying plans for them. He, however, wasn’t about to have people building an airplane that had the potential of hurting the average pilot, so Ray designed the SA-3 Playboy. A good-looking, single-place, strut-braced, low-wing airplane, the Playboy gave outstanding performance with a Continental C85. Sales of the plans took off immediately. This was quickly followed by the sales of pre-built parts. His business was on its way. Then in 1953, a letter showed up in his mailbox from a Paul Poberezny in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Paul had heard about Ray’s homebuilt activity, and inasmuch as he had just gotten together with some friends to form an experimental aircraft association, he invited Ray to join.

During the very late 1940s and early ’50s, homebuilding aircraft was a very localized activity. However, each of the separate areas spawned individuals who would eventually contribute to the whole once EAA gave them a nationwide clubhouse in which to congregate.

Ray’s business was growing rapidly, which led him to design and produce plans and parts for more than a dozen different designs. Along the way he developed an aircraft covering system we now know as Poly Fiber. He had a head for business and a mind for invention. And, like Paul, he knew how to organize things and liked what he saw in the miniscule group that was the Experimental Aircraft Association in the Midwest. However, EAA was in Milwaukee, and Ray had set up shop at what is now known as Flabob Airport in Riverside, California.

The distance was long, but he had a solution.

Ray was surrounded by dozens of likeminded pilot/builders, and he immediately seized on the EAA concept but wanted to add his own twist: He wanted to form a chapter of the parent organization right there at Flabob. Paul liked that idea. He got with the other officers in EAA (both of them) and at the next meeting had the membership vote on a bylaws change that would allow the development of chapters. So, Chapter 1 was, and still is, part of the Flabob Airport community and was the first of more than 900 (you read that right, 900) chapters to be formed worldwide. It was a major factor in building EAA into a national and then international association. This was 1953 going into 1954, and for the next half-century, Ray would be one of Paul’s good friends, and one of EAA’s strongest supporters.

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OUR FIRST DECADE

DEALING WITH THE GOVERNMENT

When George Bogardus talked the CAA into accepting the basic homebuilt airplane concept, it obliged by relaxing some of the existing certification rules. However, the changes only allowed single-place airplanes to be built. Right from the beginning, the fledgling EAA membership, limited though it may have been, felt that there had to be a way to allow the building and certificating of twoplace, or even bigger, amateur-built aircraft.

Getting the CAA (renamed FAA in 1958) to create a different certification category with different rules was going to require something far more difficult and intangible than building an airplane. It was going to require EAA, in the persons of Paul Poberezny and his supporters, to interface with the government in the hopes of getting it to see things EAA’s way. This had EAA entering into borderline political areas. This is where Paul’s experience as an Air National Guard officer (he retired as a lieutenant colonel) probably helped. He was used to dealing with a chain of command and convincing higher-ups that the ideas he was presenting would make everyone’s life easier. So, right from the first fly-in, he started interfacing with the local CAA office, slowly working up the organization chart in a way that formed productive, friendly relationships with those who were in the right

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governmental positions to make things happen.

Today, we all know EAA as the voice for reason in negotiating with, and assisting, figures of governmental authority. The recognition of the need for that process was founded in the first few months of the organization’s existence and has benefited EAA, and aviation in general, through the years.

In the early negotiations for the definition and limitations of certificating homebuilt aircraft, EAA’s approach paid off in getting the CAA to okay the building of two-place and larger aircraft. It recognized amateur-built aircraft as a viable, stand-alone entity.

One of Paul’s tightest personal relationships was with Steve Wittman, a legendary race pilot and airplane designer, who was located just up the road in Oshkosh. As the association was closing in on the certification of two-place homebuilts, Steve was putting the finishing touches on his Flying Carpet design, which we now know as the Tailwind. An iconic airplane if there ever was one. At the same time, Ray, who was enjoying success with his Playboy, widened it out to accept a passenger, which gave the homebuilding public the choice of two different two-place homebuilts: one high-wing, one low-wing. The Tailwind was the first two-place airplane to be certificated as an experimental amateur-built.

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF EAA ARCHIVES

THE EXPANSION WAS DIZZYING

It’s hard to imagine what the years 1953-1955 must have been like in the Poberezny household. For the first 11 years, EAA headquarters was the Poberezny basement. However, not only were they handling a wildly expanding membership base, but also Paul was building the association’s national reputation, and the homebuilt interest in general, via a series of important magazine articles.

The first was a 1954 article in Mechanix Illustrated authored by one of their staff writers, with Paul’s assistance, titled, “They Build ’Em and Fly ’Em.” Paul was quoted as saying that article was a major turning point. Suddenly, EAA became a national/international organization.

Then, a year later, things really got crazy because Paul published a three-part series in Mechanix Illustrated where he took the magazine’s readership along as he built a Baby Ace step by step.

The homebuilt floodgates were thrown wide open!

In California, Ray Stits and his burgeoning list of homebuilt plans were joined by others, including Frank Smith’s DSA-1 Miniplane and Lou Stolp’s Starduster. In fact, the last half of the ’50s was jammed with new designs and new members. Paul himself adapted 1930s Corben designs and, with engineering help, designed several biplanes (EAA Biplane, Acro Sport I & II). By the early ’60s, the 30 people who attended that first meeting had grown to more than 10,000 paying members. Plus, the handful of airplanes at the first fly-in on Timmerman Field had grown to the point that EAA had to move the fly-in to Rockford’s much larger airport, where it stayed until the move to Oshkosh in 1970.

National Attention In May 1955, Mechanix Illustrated magazine published the first of a three-part series written by Paul, proclaiming that anyone with basic hand tools could build a Baby Ace for less than $800. “The postman is getting an ‘aching back’ and I got writer’s cramp,” Paul wrote at the time, after the articles’ overwhelming response. By the end of the decade, EAA’s annual fly-in had outgrown Milwaukee and moved to Rockford, Illinois, where it would stay until moving to Oshkosh in 1970.

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OUR FIRST DECADE FUNDRAISING BECAME A NECESSARY ART

It’s unknown exactly how the whole fundraising apparatus of EAA began, but in all probability, it developed right along with EAA expansion. The association was gaining popularity so fast and developing so much legitimacy that, when it came time to move out of the basement and build a permanent facility, the association’s credit was solid and many of its members were willing to contribute. As a 501(c)(3) entity, it was a natural for fundraising. The enthusiasm engendered by

Belief in the Mission EAA’s mission of growing participation in aviation has seen unwavering support from members worldwide, including the occasional celebrity like legendary broadcaster Paul Harvey.

There’s a tendency to think of people like Paul Poberezny in terms of the airplanes they flew and built, but that wasn’t Paul’s most important trait.

His strongest point was the way he related to people, which was combined with his ability to organize those people.

Especially airplane people.

the aircraft, combined with Paul’s natural way with people, made fundraising easier for EAA than most associations.

The first EAA facility and museum opened in Franklin, Wisconsin, in 1967 and stayed there until 1983 even though the fly-in had already moved from Rockford to Oshkosh in 1970.

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PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF EAA ARCHIVES

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OUR FIRST DECADE

The Start of a Network In October 1953, EAA member Ray Stits requested permission to establish an EAA chapter in Riverside, California. EAA Chapter 1 is the first of nearly 1,000 worldwide chapters that provide local activities for aviation enthusiasts.

AMATEUR-BUILT WAS BECOMING MORE PROFESSIONAL

As this was happening, in the late ’50s, the concept of the homebuilt airplane, which still counted rag and tube designs as its main base, began to feature much more sophisticated designs. David Long’s all-aluminum 1948 Formula racer, the Midget Mustang, began to show up in numbers. Recognizing the need for new designs, EAA sponsored a design contest in which members submitted their designs that had to be easy to build and feature folding wings to ease storage. They had to fly them in to the fly-in to be evaluated.

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The original competition was to be in Rockford in 1959, but only two aircraft were completed and they hadn’t flown, so it was rescheduled twice and finally took place in 1962.

Pete Bowers’ all-wood Fly Baby won. A year later, professional aero engineer John Thorp’s T-18, which barely missed the ’62 competition, flew and showed what happens when a professional engineer designs an airplane to be built by amateurs: It set the standard for performance, handling, and construction simplicity. Both airplanes are still very much with us today.

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF EAA ARCHIVES

Inspiring Future Generations Encouraging young people to get involved in aviation has been part of EAA’s culture since the beginning. In 1957, students at Saint Rita’s High School in Chicago built the prototype of a new design known simply as the EAA Biplane.

A UNIQUELY AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION

There are two overriding characteristics of EAA and its membership that totally defy explanation and have to be seen to be appreciated. Both have been part of the organization from the beginning.

One is the family oriented aspect of EAA, and the other is hard to describe, but it’s seen in the general attitude of the crowds at AirVenture and the condition of the grounds.

It’s said birds of a feather flock together, and in this case, the head bird, Paul Poberezny, set the tone. And his tone may have been set by his upbringing in a dirt-poor family in the upper Midwest. Milwaukee to be exact.

His was a close-knit family that, although strapped for cash, totally supported his fanatical interest as a young child in aircraft. His dad was a Ukrainian immigrant, and his mother was described as a Southern belle.

His Midwestern upbringing was further honed by the discipline of being in the U.S. Army Air Forces during WWII as a pilot and flying for the ANG for a total of 30 years of military service. So, he had a well-directed but enthusiastic and compassionate way of looking at life. It appears those who followed him in the early days and formed the core of the association either adapted his outlook or already had it because they were brought up in similar environments with similar values.

When looking at AirVenture, it is doubtful that there is any on-site group of hundreds of thousands of people anywhere on the planet that has a more responsible outlook on life and how they should behave in public. It is an almost otherworldly experience for first-timers on the AirVenture grounds to be surrounded by so many people who all seem to know and like one another even though they’ve never met. It is even more remarkable not to see as much as a single gum wrapper on the ground at any time. This does not exist in any other gathering of this size anywhere. Not anywhere!

That first group of EAAers, under Paul’s leadership, somehow created an association that epitomizes traditional American values and attitudes and mixes them with every type of aviation there is, all while welcoming members from around the world. It is a rare thing and one that all of the members value. At the end of the first decade, the die was cast, and even though growing pains have been experienced, the only thing of significance that has changed is that we’ve outgrown Paul’s basement.

Budd Davisson, EAA 22483, is an aeronautical engineer, has flown more than 300 different types, and has published four books and more than 4,000 articles. He is also a flight instructor primarily in Pitts/tailwheel aircraft. Visit him on AirBum.com.

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WINNING WARBIRDS AN AIRVENTURE OSHKOSH SPOTTERS GUIDE

BY HAL BRYAN

ONE OF THE CENTRAL THEMES of EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2021 is a commemoration of the 75th (plus one) anniversary of the end of World War II. This is a time for us to pause and reflect on the valor and the sacrifice of those veterans who saved the free world more than three-quarters of a century ago. To that end, here, in order of the year of their introduction, are 20 aircraft that played vital roles in that conflict that you might see around the convention grounds this year.

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PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF EAA ARCHIVES

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WINNING WARBIRDS

DH.82 TIGER MOTH MANUFACTURER: de Havilland Aircraft Co. CATEGORY: Trainer YEAR INTRODUCED: 1932

Designer Geoffrey de Havilland built his first airplane in 1909 and started his professional aviation career the following year. A decade later, he founded his own company that produced a series of successful designs. The DH.82 Tiger Moth was developed from the popular DH.60 series and first flew in October 1931. The DH.82 was built in huge numbers from 1931 to 1944 and served as the primary trainer for the United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force. The type was built under license by multiple manufacturers. The Canadian variant, distinguished by its enclosed canopy, was the backbone of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, an extraordinary effort that produced more than 130,000 trained Allied air crew in Canada alone.

MODEL 75/PT-13/PT-17/ N2S STEARMAN MANUFACTURER: Stearman Aircraft/Boeing CATEGORY: Trainer YEAR INTRODUCED: 1934

The Stearman Aircraft Corp. was founded in 1927 by designer Lloyd Stearman after he left Travel Air, his partnership with fellow household aviation names Walter Beech and Clyde Cessna. The Model 75 Kaydet was used as a primary trainer for all branches of the U.S. armed forces before and during WWII. More than 10,000 of the sturdy radial-engine biplanes were built, largely

by Boeing after the company acquired Stearman in 1934. The airplane was known by many names but, to many people, it will always simply be a Stearman.

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY ERIN BRUEGGEN

HURRICANE MANUFACTURER: Hawker Aircraft Ltd. CATEGORY: Fighter YEAR INTRODUCED: 1937

Often overshadowed by its younger brother, the Supermarine Spitfire, the Hawker Hurricane was a British fighter that first flew in 1935. Hawker had built a series of successful biplane fighters in the interwar period, but the Hurricane was the company’s — and the RAF’s — first modern monoplane fighter (after the Bristol M.1 used in World War I). During the storied and pivotal Battle of Britain, the Hurricane made up the bulk of the RAF Fighter Command and accounted for a majority of the enemy aircraft shot down.

There were nearly 15,000 Hurricanes built from 1937 to 1944. Only a handful remain in flying condition.

T-6 TEXAN/SNJ/HARVARD MANUFACTURER: North American Aviation CATEGORY: Trainer YEAR INTRODUCED: 1938

If you were an Allied pilot during WWII, whether you started in a Tiger Moth or a Stearman or another primary trainer, the odds were that you did your advanced training in the T-6. Known to the U.S. Navy as the SNJ, and in Great Britain, Canada, and other Commonwealth countries as the Harvard, the prototype first flew in April 1935. Powered by a 650-hp Pratt & Whitney Wasp radial, the T-6 served to introduce pilots to increased speeds, improved maneuverability, and more complex aircraft systems like retractable landing gear. More than 15,000 were built. The type remains extremely popular with warbird enthusiasts and air show performers to this day.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN DIBBS, SCOTT SLOCUM

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WINNING WARBIRDS

B-17 FLYING FORTRESS MANUFACTURER: Boeing CATEGORY: Bomber YEAR INTRODUCED: 1938

The prototype for what would become the B-17, Boeing’s Model 299, first flew in July 1935. A reporter from the Seattle Times dubbed the bomber, which was massive for its time, a “Flying Fortress.” Boeing trademarked the name immediately. The 299 crashed and was destroyed on its second test flight, rendering the design ineligible for the Army Air Corps proposal it was competing for. Despite this setback, the Air Corps ordered 13 prototypes for testing, and it was impressed. Ultimately, more than 12,000 B-17s were produced and the type served with great distinction as a strategic bomber, particularly in the European theater.

SPITFIRE MANUFACTURER: Supermarine Aviation Works CATEGORY: Fighter YEAR INTRODUCED: 1938

Considered by many to be one of the most beautiful airplanes ever built, the Supermarine Spitfire is a British icon. Supermarine Aviation Works was a subsidiary of Vickers-Armstrongs when R.J. Mitchell began designing the Type 300, the airplane that would become the Spitfire.

Before that, the company, as is evident from the name, was best known for flying boats and race-winning seaplanes. The Spitfire was flown by the air forces of Great Britain, Canada, and the United States, among dozens of other friendly nations. It spawned multiple marks and variants, including the carrier-based Seafire. More than 20,000 of the sleek and capable fighters were built, and the design has come to symbolize the RAF.

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY CONNOR MADISON, SCOTT SLOCUM

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DAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

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DISASSEMBLY OF A LYCOMING ENGINE

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DISASSEMBLY OF A LYCOMING ENGINE

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REASSEMBLY OF A LYCOMING ENGINE

9:30-11:30 AM

SMOOTH VALVE OPERATION

1:00-3:00 PM

LUBRICATION SYSTEM

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WINNING WARBIRDS

P-40 WARHAWK MANUFACTURER: Curtiss-Wright CATEGORY: Fighter YEAR INTRODUCED: 1940

Perhaps best known as the iconic shark-mouthed mount of the American Volunteer Group, better known as the Flying Tigers, the Curtiss P-40 first flew in 1938. Early variants of the fighter used by Soviet and British Commonwealth forces were known as the Tomahawk. Later versions were dubbed Kittyhawk. P-40s were produced from 1939 to 1944 and used by Allied air forces in multiple theaters of the war. Even the Japanese army reportedly used as many as 10 captured Warhawks operationally in Burma. More than 13,000 were built, making the P-40 the thirdmost produced U.S. fighter after the P-51 and P-47.

SBD DAUNTLESS MANUFACTURER: Douglas Aircraft CATEGORY: Bomber YEAR INTRODUCED: 1940

The Dauntless naval dive bomber traces its roots to the Northrop BT-1, a project started in 1935 by an early incarnation of the Northrop Corp., which was dissolved and absorbed into Douglas Aircraft in 1937. While a version of the Dauntless, the A-24 Banshee, was built and used by the U.S. Army Air Forces, the type is best known for its service with the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps.

Dauntlesses served with distinction in the Battle of Midway, sinking or disabling all four aircraft carriers that the Japanese had brought to the fight. Of the nearly 6,000 Dauntlesses built, only about six are still flying.

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY CONNOR MADISON, JIM KOEPNICK

F4F WILDCAT MANUFACTURER: Grumman CATEGORY: Fighter YEAR INTRODUCED: 1940

Somewhat like the British Hawker Hurricane, Grumman’s F4F Wildcat was developed from a successful series of biplane fighters. The Grumman FF, which was followed by the F2F and F3F, was the first U.S. naval fighter with retractable landing gear, a distinctive handcranked mechanism whose design carried forward to the F4F. In addition to the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, Wildcats also served with the navies of Great Britain and Canada. While inferior to the Japanese Zero on paper, Wildcats were tough, and pilots quickly developed tactics that led to a solid combat record throughout the war. More than 7,800 were built, and more than a dozen remain airworthy.

P-38 LIGHTNING MANUFACTURER: Lockheed CATEGORY: Fighter YEAR INTRODUCED: 1941

Before his groundbreaking work on the U-2 and the SR-71 Blackbird, legendary Lockheed designer Kelly Johnson led the team that designed the P-38 Lightning. Powered by a pair of counter-rotating Allison V-12 engines, the Lightning was fast, as its name implied. P-38s served in multiple theaters of the war, but they are best known for their efforts in the Pacific.

America’s highest-scoring ace of the war, Richard Bong, scored his 40 victories flying a P-38. More than 10,000 Lightnings were built, and it’s the only American fighter that was in full production from Pearl Harbor to V-J Day. Several airworthy examples remain today, including the beloved Glacier Girl.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JIM KOEPNICK

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WINNING WARBIRDS

B-25 MITCHELL MANUFACTURER: North American Aviation CATEGORY: Bomber YEAR INTRODUCED: 1941

Named for the late Gen. Billy Mitchell, the man generally seen as the father of the U.S. Air Force, the North American B-25 medium bomber first flew in 1940. It was used in every theater of the war by the U.S. Army Air Forces and Marine Corps and multiple Allied air forces as well.

EAA’s example, Berlin Express, had a starring role in the 1970 film Catch-22, but the type is best remembered for the historic Doolittle Raid, in which 16 B-25s were flown off the deck of the USS Hornet and bombed Japan for the first time in April 1942. Nearly 10,000 B-25s were built.

More than 40 are believed to be flyable today.

B-24 LIBERATOR MANUFACTURER: Consolidated Aircraft CATEGORY: Bomber YEAR INTRODUCED: 1941

The sturdy B-24 Liberator served alongside the B-17 as the backbone of America’s strategic bombing campaigns in the European theater of the war. B-24s served in every major theater of the war and spawned variants like the C-87 Liberator Express transport and PB4Y-2 Privateer naval patrol bomber. The B-24 was known as a heavy lifter and could carry as much as 8,000 pounds of bombs on short-range missions. The B-24 is said to be the most produced military aircraft in United States history.

However, of the more than 18,000 built, just two airworthy examples remain.

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY CONNOR MADISON, CHRIS MILLER

O-59/L-4 GRASSHOPPER MANUFACTURER: Piper Aircraft CATEGORY: Liaison YEAR INTRODUCED: 1941

Based on the legendary J-3, Piper added a greenhouse cockpit and transformed the ubiquitous Cub into a versatile liaison aircraft that was used for VIP transport, artillery spotting, and other reconnaissance, light supply, and air ambulance work. Thanks to some ingenious field modifications, L-4s even saw duty as ground-attack aircraft, made famous by Maj. “Bazooka Charlie” Carpenter, who used his bazooka-equipped Grasshopper, Rosie the Rocketer, to destroy six enemy tanks and multiple other ground vehicles during the war. More than 5,000 L-4s were built.

Those that survive are popular and affordable warbirds.

DH.98 MOSQUITO MANUFACTURER: de Havilland Aircraft Co. CATEGORY: Fighter-Bomber YEAR INTRODUCED: 1941

Building on the success of its prewar Comet racer, de Havilland built the Mosquito as a highspeed unarmed bomber out of nonstrategic materials — in other words, wood. The RAF didn’t want the airplane at first, but Air Chief Marshal Sir Wilfrid Freeman liked the idea and lent his support. Powered by two Rolls-Royce Merlin engines, the Mosquito could fly high and fast, with a maximum speed exceeding 400 mph and a service ceiling of 37,000 feet. It is probably best known for its low-level strike missions against the Axis. More than 7,500 Mosquitos were built in the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia, with just a few airworthy examples remaining, though that number will increase as restorations continue.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CONNOR MADISON, JASON TONEY

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WINNING WARBIRDS

C-47 SKYTRAIN MANUFACTURER: Douglas Aircraft CATEGORY: Transport YEAR INTRODUCED: 1942

Developed from the iconic DC-3 airliner, Douglas built the C-47 with a cargo door and other modifications to make it suitable for use as a military transport. C-47s, and their subsequent variants, served the U.S. Army Air Forces and Navy and several Allied nations. C-47s hauled anything and everything, including more than 50,000 paratroopers in support of the D-Day landings. C-47s were used to tow gliders, and, unlike many other aircraft of the era, C-47s remained in service in the United States long after the war. More than 10,000 C-47s were built, many of which, along with their civilian cousins, are still flying — and even working — today.

P-51 MUSTANG MANUFACTURER: North American Aviation CATEGORY: Fighter YEAR INTRODUCED: 1942

Arguably the most iconic American fighter of the war, the P-51 Mustang went from contract to rollout of the prototype in just 102 days, and first flew about six weeks later. Early versions were powered by Allison engines, but the airplane really hit its stride once it was fitted with the more powerful Merlin. The Mustang’s impressive range enabled pilots to escort U.S. strategic bombers deep into German territory, providing far greater protection than was previously possible. P-51s were found in multiple theaters of the war, flown by U.S. and Allied forces as fighters and in the ground-attack role. More than 15,000 Mustangs were built, and the type is a mainstay of the warbird community today.

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY SCOTT SLOCUM

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WINNING WARBIRDS

P-47 THUNDERBOLT MANUFACTURER: Republic Aviation CATEGORY: Fighter-Bomber YEAR INTRODUCED: 1942

The rugged P-47 Thunderbolt was designed by Georgian immigrant Alexander Kartveli for Republic Aviation and first flew in May 1941.

Early models sported a “razorback” framed canopy, while later variants adopted a full bubble canopy for greater visibility, just as was done with the P-51. P-47s were fast and could carry a heavy and versatile armament load depending on the mission, but they were best known for the ability to continue flying after absorbing almost unbelievable amounts of damage. Like the Mustang, more than 15,000 were built, but fewer than 20 still fly.

F4U CORSAIR MANUFACTURER: Chance Vought CATEGORY: Fighter-Bomber YEAR INTRODUCED: 1942

Though it first flew in 1940, the Corsair didn’t enter service until late in 1942, about a year after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Designed and built by Chance Vought, the type was also manufactured under license by Goodyear and Brewster. The distinctive inverted gull wing came about to accommodate shorter landing gear while still providing ground clearance for the airplane’s massive propeller. Best known in popular culture as the type made famous by Pappy Boyington’s Black Sheep squadron, the Corsair served in the Pacific theater as a fighter-bomber, though it didn’t arrive in large numbers until later in the war. More than 12,000 Corsairs were built, and there are several airworthy examples around the world.

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY PHIL HIGH, JIM KOEPNICK

F6F HELLCAT MANUFACTURER: Grumman CATEGORY: Fighter YEAR INTRODUCED: 1943

Developed with lessons learned from the F4F Wildcat, Grumman’s Hellcat was considered by many to be the U.S. Navy’s preeminent fighter during the war. It was first flown in 1942 and entered service in June of the following year. The Hellcat was a sturdy and solid airplane powered by a massive 18-cylinder Pratt & Whitney radial engine. The Hellcat was faster and could outclimb its primary adversary, the Japanese Zero, at high altitudes. F6Fs were responsible for some 75 percent of all U.S. Navy aerial victories, including many at the famed “Great Marianas Turkey Shoot.” More than 12,000 Hellcats were built between 1942 and 1945, but only about six are still flyable. Several more are under active restoration.

B-29 SUPERFORTRESS MANUFACTURER: Boeing CATEGORY: Bomber YEAR INTRODUCED: 1944

Designed to supersede the B-17, Boeing’s B-29 represented the height of strategic bombing technology of the day. It was fast and boasted impressive range and endurance at high altitudes, all while carrying thousands of pounds of ordnance. B-29s arrived late in the war, entering service in May 1944 and were used exclusively in the Pacific theater. B-29s can be considered the airplanes that ended the war, as first Enola Gay and then Bockscar dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, leading directly to the Japanese surrender. Nearly 4,000 were built, but only two are in flyable condition today.

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

PHOTOGRAPHY BY SCOTT SLOCUM

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ANY PLACE. ANY TIME. ANYWHERE. A LOOK AT THE HISTORY AND AIRCRAFT OF AIR FORCE SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND

BY SAM OLESON

A LITTLE MORE THAN THREE decades ago, in 1990, Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) was established as a major command within the U.S. Air Force. Headquartered at Hurlburt Field just east of Pensacola in western Florida, AFSOC’s motto and mission is simple: “Any place. Any time. Anywhere.”

AFSOC’s missions encompass a wide spectrum of duties — from precise application of firepower, to infiltration and exfiltration, to aerial refueling of Special Operations aircraft.

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PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF USAF

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ANY PLACE. ANY TIME. ANYWHERE.

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hile AFSOC is relatively new as a major command within the Air Force, Air Forcebased special operations missions have been taking place since World War II. The earliest recorded missions involving what would be classified as special operations units within the Army Air Forces was in October 1943, when a small unit within the 12th Air Force’s 5th Bombardment Wing, under the direction of the Office of Strategic Services, operated highly modified B-17, B-24, and B-25 bombers in France and other parts of Nazioccupied Europe, later becoming known as the 885th Bombardment Squadron.

The 801st Bombardment Group, which operated out of England, is considered the largest Army Air Force Special Operations Forces effort during WWII. The “Carpetbaggers,” as they were nicknamed, flew primarily modified B-24 bombers that were painted black, along with medium bombers and transports, and dropped supplies and parachutists to guerilla units and allied partisan troops. In addition, the 801st would also land behind enemy lines in Europe to resupply units and recover air crew members that had been shot down. Prior to Operation Overlord in June 1944, the 801st BG dropped six teams in France behind enemy lines, where they gathered and relayed intelligence that proved useful during the invasion of Normandy days later.

Another notable special operations forces unit during WWII was the 1st Air Commando Group, which was organized in 1943 and entered combat in March 1944 in the China-Burma-India theater. The 1st Air Commando Group performed a variety of conventional and unconventional missions behind enemy lines using numerous aircraft, including transports, fighters, bombers, lightplanes, gliders, and helicopters. The 1st ACG flew hazardous missions in mountainous and jungle terrain, and its success led to the creation of two more Air Commando groups. These groups used a variety of aircraft, including C-47s, P-51s, P-47s, B-25s, UC-64s, CG-4A and TG-5 gliders, and YR-4 helicopters.

Following the end of WWII, all AFSOF units were disbanded.

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During the Korean War, which began in 1950, U.S. Army intelligence and the newly created Central Intelligence Agency deployed teams to gather intelligence in support of United Nations operations, using C-47s, C-119s, B-26s, and Air Rescue Service crash boats. In addition, three wings of the Air Resupply and Communication Service (580th, 581st, 582nd) were activated by the Air Force for unconventional warfare and counterinsurgency operations, using a variety of transports, bombers, seaplanes, and helicopters, including C-46, C-47, C-54, C-118, C-119, B-29, SA-16, and H-19 aircraft. Like during WWII, these units were deactivated following the end of hostilities in Korea. The Air National Guard took over the air resupply and communication mission during the 1950s, though Air Force active duty and reserves were used for top-secret missions in Tibet, Iran, the Soviet Union, French Indochina, and during the Bay of Pigs operation in Cuba.

In 1961, the 4400th Combat Crew Training Squadron was established at Hurlburt Field for the mission of counterinsurgency training and combat operations, using aircraft such as U-10s, C-46s, C-47s, B-26s, and AT-28s. In November 1961, the 4400th deployed a detachment to Biên Hòa, Vietnam. The 4400th CCTS evolved into a group by 1962, and became part of the Special Air Warfare Center based at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, shortly thereafter. O-1, O-2, A-26, A-37, A-1, C-123, and C-130 aircraft were obtained by SAWC. In 1964, Air Commandos deployed to Laos and Thailand to train Laotian and Thai pilots, and in the same year the first fixed-wing gunships, AC-47s, were introduced to combat. By 1966, 10,000 people, 550 aircraft, and 19 squadrons of special operations forces were sent to Vietnam.

Hurlburt Field

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF USAF

ANY PLACE. ANY TIME. ANYWHERE. The SAWC was redesignated as the USAF Special Operations Force in 1968, and during the height of the Vietnam War, almost all USAFSOF assets were in use. In 1974, the USAFSOF was redesignated as the 834th Tactical Composite Wing. The following year, the 834th TCW was redesignated as the 1st Special Operations Wing.

The 1st SOW possessed aircraft such as AC-130H Spectres, MC-130E Combat Talons, and CH-3E Jolly Green Giant and UH-1N Iroquois helicopters.

The failure of the Iranian hostage raid in 1980 led to the formation of permanent special operations units in the different branches of the U.S. military. In 1982, Air Force special operations responsibility was transferred from Tactical Air Command to Military Airlift Command. In 1983, the 23rd Air Force at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois was activated, with many special operations duties included in its responsibilities. The 23rd Air Force took part in Operation Urgent Fury in Grenada in 1983.

In 1986, the United States Special Operations Command was formed While AFSOC is via legislation, and in April 1987, the Department of Defense established relatively new as USSOCOM at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. The 23rd Air Force a major command would move to MacDill four months In late 1989 and early 1990, the within the Air Force, later.

23rd Air Force participated in Operation Just Cause in Panama, Air Force-based using AC-130 Spectres, EC-130 Volant Solos, HC-130P/N Combat special operations Shadows, MC-130E Combat Talons, missions have been MH-53J Pave Lows and MH-60G Pave Hawks in support of the reestaking place since tablishment of democracy.

On May 22, 1990, Air Force World War II. Special Operations Command was officially formed when the 23rd Air Force was elevated to major command status. The 352nd and 353rd wings were added overseas to supplement the 1st SOW. In addition, the 1720th Special Tactics Group, U.S. Air Force Special Operations School, and the Special Missions Operational Test and Evaluation Center were included under AFSOC command, though different reorganizations of AFSOC have reshaped the command a number of times in the past 30 years.

AFSOC would participate in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm in the Middle East in 1990-91, with AC-130s providing close air support while MC-130s dropped conventional bombs and leaflets. Sikorsky MH-53s led helicopter assaults, as well as deep rescues.

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Since Desert Storm, AFSOC has played critical roles in a number of U.S. operations around the world during the 1990s. Among the operations AFSOC took part in during the 1990s are: • 1992 — Operations Provide Promise and

Deny Flight: Balkans • 1992 — Operation Restore Hope: Somalia • 1993 — Operations Continue Hope and

United Shield: Somalia • 1994 — Operation Uphold Democracy: Haiti • 1994 — Operation Support Hope: Rwanda • 1995 — Operation Deliberate Force: Balkans • 1996 — Operation Assured Response: Liberia • 1997 — Operation Silver Wake: Albania • 1998 — Operation Allied Force: Kosovo (Serbia) Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, AFSOC once again played an enormous part in U.S. operations overseas. By the end of September 2001, AFSOC forces were in Afghanistan to support Operation Enduring Freedom, with the goal to remove the Taliban and the Al Qaeda terrorist organization from power. AFSOC personnel also deployed to the Philippines, multiple locations in Africa, and Caribbean and Central American countries to combat terrorism.

Just a couple of years after that, in March 2003, AFSOC once again deployed forces to southwest Asia, this time as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom, with the goal of removing Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein from power. By May, the Iraqi government was toppled. AFSOC would continue to have a presence in Iraq until 2011.

In the years since, AFSOC has supported operations throughout the world, including numerous relief efforts in India, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka (2004), Haiti (2010), Japan (2011), Philippines (2013), and at home in response to Hurricane Katrina (2005).

Currently the components of AFSOC include: • 1st Special Operations Wing (Hurlburt Field, Florida) • 24th Special Operations Wing (Hurlburt Field, Florida) • 27th Special Operations Wing (Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico) • 352nd Special Operations Wing (RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom) • 353rd Special Operations Group (Kadena Air Base, Japan) • 492nd Special Operations Wing (Hurlburt Field, Florida)

AIRCRAFT CURRENTLY OPERATED BY AFSOC MANNED AIRCRAFT

LOCKHEED AC-130

As the heavily-armed, ground-attack variant of the Lockheed C-130 Hercules, the AC-130 is used primarily by AFSOC for close air support, air interdiction, and force protection. The AC-130A initially entered service during the Vietnam War in 1966, replacing the Douglas AC-47 Spooky, and has been upgraded numerous times in the five decades since. In its long history, variants of the AC-130 have been used not only in Southeast Asia, but during Operation Urgent Fury in Grenada in 1983, Operation Just Cause in Panama in 1989, as well as Desert Storm in 1991, Bosnia-Herzegovina in the 1990s, and Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003. Currently AFSOC operates the AC-130J Ghostrider, AC-130U Spooky II, and AC-130W Stinger II. Powered by four Allison T56-A-15 turboprop engines, the AC-130 has a range of about 1,300 miles.

Lockeed AC-130

CV-22B OSPREY

A variant of the U.S. Marine Corps MV-22, the tilt-rotor Bell-Boeing CV-22B Osprey entered service with the U.S. Air Force in 2009 and is used primarily for transport and evacuation. With VTOL and STOL capabilities, the Osprey has similarities with a helicopter, but significantly larger capacity for troops, as well as the high-speed cruise, range, and fuel efficiency of a traditional turboprop aircraft. An Osprey takes off and lands vertically, much like a helicopter, but once airborne can rotate its engines and rotors forward.

It is equipped with advanced avionics, terrain-following radar, an infrared sensor, and other technology that allows it to operate safely at low altitudes and in poor weather while in sensitive environments. Powered by two RollsRoyce Allison AE1107C turboshaft engines, the Osprey has a combat range of 500 miles with one auxiliary fuel tank.

CV-22B Osprey

C-32

A modified variant of the Boeing 757-200, AFSOC operates a small number of C-32s for global airlift operations during U.S. government crisis response. C-32s have enlarged fuel tanks to extend their range to 5,500 miles, though the aircraft does have in-flight refueling capability. In many cases, C-32s are used by the U.S. State Department Foreign Emergency Support Teams and are deployed in response to terrorism incidents across the globe. Also operated by the 1st Airlift Squadron and 89th Airlift Wing at Joint Base Andrews, tthe C-32 is regularly used to transport the vice president, during which time it uses the call sign “Air Force Two,” as well as the first lady, and members of Cabinet and Congress. In some cases, it has been used as Air Force One when an airport cannot accommodate the VC-25A, or Boeing 747. The C-32 is powered by two Pratt & Whitney 2040 turbofan engines.

C-32 PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF USAF

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ANY PLACE. ANY TIME. ANYWHERE. EC-130J COMMANDO SOLO III

Another variant of the C-130 Hercules, the EC-130J is used to conduct psychological operations, as well as to complete civil affairs broadcast missions. Many modifications to the standard C-130 were made to the EC-130J, including enhanced navigation systems, self-protection equipment, air refueling, and the capability of broadcasting analog radio and analog color TV. The Command Solo III has been used during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, Operation Uphold Democracy in Haiti, Operation Allied Force in Kosovo, Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, and Operation Iraqi Freedom, among others. The EC-130J primarily operates at night to avoid detection in hostile territories. The EC-130J entered service in 2004.

EC-130J Commando Solo III

MC-130J Commando II

MC-130H COMBAT TALON II/MC-130J COMMANDO II

Yet another variant of the C-130, the MC-130H and MC-130J are used primarily for missions that involve infiltration, exfiltration, and resupply of special operations forces and equipment in hostile territory. Like the EC-130J, the MC-130H and MC-130J have in-flight refueling capability, as well as state-of-the-art navigation technology that allows the aircraft to either land or airdrop in small, unmarked areas with pinpoint accuracy day or night. Aerial refueling pods also allow the aircraft to refuel other AFSOC aircraft, as well as combat search and rescue helicopters and vertical lift aircraft. Powered by four turboprop engines, the Combat Talon II and Commando II have a range of 2,700 and 3,000 unrefueled miles, respectively. The MC-130H entered service in 1991 and has participated in operations in Liberia, the Republic of Congo, the Balkans, Afghanistan, and Iraq. The MC-130J entered service in 2011.

C-145A SKYTRUCK

The military variant of the Polish PZL M28 Skytruck, the C-145A’s primary mission is for air crew training as part of the U.S. Special Operation Command’s Aviation Foreign Internal Defense objectives of assisting foreign aviation forces in airpower employment, sustainment, and force integration. Although the C-145A is primarily used for training at this point in time, as a STOL aircraft it can be reconfigured to support cargo and personnel drops, casualty evacuation, combat search and rescue, humanitarian assistance, and disaster relief.

Powered by two Pratt & Whitney PT6A-65B turboprop engines, the Skytruck has a range of slightly more than 1,000 miles.

C-145A Skytruck 44

C-146A WOLFHOUND

The military version of the Dornier 328 turboprop airliner, the C-146A is primary used by AFSOC for intra-theater movement of small teams needed in support of Theater Special Operations Commands.

Powered by two Pratt & Whitney PW119C turboprop engines, the Wolfhound entered service in 2011 and is capable of carrying a maximum of 27 passengers or 6,000 pounds of cargo, and has a range of 1,500-2,000 miles.

C-146A Wolfhound

C-208B CARAVAN

Primarily a utility aircraft, the Cessna 208B Caravan is operated by Air Force Special Operations for airlifting up to 12 passengers or 4,000 pounds of cargo.

Powered by a single Pratt & Whitney PT6A-114A turboprop engine, the Caravan has a range of slightly over 1,100 miles.

U-28A

A modified Pilatus PC-12, the U-28A is used by AFSOC for improved tactical airborne intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance in support of humanitarian, search and rescue, conventional, and special operations missions. Modifications from the standard PC-12 include tactical communications capabilities, aircraft survivability equipment, electro-optical sensors, and advanced navigation systems. The U-28A is able to operate from short runways and semi-prepared surfaces. Entering service in 2006, the U-28A is powered by a single Pratt & Whitney PT6A-67B turboprop engine and has a range of approximately 1,500 miles.

C-208B Caravan

UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES

MQ-9 REAPER

An unmanned aerial vehicle capable of remotely controlled or autonomous flight, the General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper is a medium-altitude, long-endurance aircraft employed primarily for dynamic execution targets and secondarily for intelligence collection.

With significant loiter time, wide-range sensors, and precise weaponry, the Reaper is a valuable asset when it comes to striking or performing reconnaissance against high-value, time-sensitive targets. In addition, the MQ-9 is also able to perform missions such as intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, close air support, and combat search and rescue, among others.

Powered by a single turboprop engine, the Reaper has a range of around 1,150 miles and achieved initial operating capability in 2007.

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF USAF

U-28A MQ-9 Reaper

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ANY PLACE. ANY TIME. ANYWHERE. RQ-11 RAVEN

The AeroVironment RQ-11 Raven is a small unmanned aerial vehicle that is used primarily for gathering real-time intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance. Only 3 feet in length and weighing 4.8 pounds, the Raven falls into the “man-packable” class of unmanned aircraft systems. The RQ-11 is operated by two trained airmen, though it can autonomously navigate preplanned routes, and is hand-launched with an endurance of up to 90 minutes. It’s powered by an electric motor, can climb up to 1,000 feet, has a range of about 10 kilometers, and was first deployed in 2004.

SCANEAGLE RQ-11 Raven

Built by Boeing Insitu, the ScanEagle is also classified as a small unmanned aircraft system and provides real-time situational awareness and force protection information. The ScanEagle is controlled by two specially trained airmen, with two maintenance personnel in support. It is launched by catapult and retrieved by something called the “Skyhook system,” in which a hook at the end of the wingtip catches a rope hanging from a 30- to 50-foot pole. It is autonomously controlled and equipped with an electro-optical camera and infrared camera.

The ScanEagle entered service with the Air Force in 2006. Powered by a 3W two-stroke piston engine, it has an operating altitude of 16,000 feet and an endurance of over 20 hours.

WASP III ScanEagle

Produced by AeroVironment, the Wasp III is a small unmanned aircraft system that provides real-time direct situational awareness and target information. With a length of 10 inches, a wingspan of 28.5 inches, and a weight of 1 pound, it’s considered a micro UAS. The Wasp III is equipped with an internal GPS and navigation system, autopilot, and two cameras. It can operate autonomously or via remote control unit. The Wasp III’s development came out of a need for combat controllers and tactical air control airmen to obtain beyond-line-of-sight surveillance.

Entering service with the Air Force in 2007, the Wasp III is powered by an electrical motor with rechargeable lithium ion batteries and has a maximum altitude of about 1,000 feet.

Sam Oleson, EAA 1244731, is EAA’s assistant editor, contributing primarily to EAA’s digital publications and social media platforms, and loves learning the history behind different types of aircraft. Email Sam at soleson@eaa.org.

Wasp III 46

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF COAST GUARD, USAF

FLYING FOR GOOD HIGHLIGHTING HUMANITARIAN AIRCRAFT AND ORGANIZATIONS AT AIRVENTURE 2021

BY CHRISTINA BASKEN

NUMEROUS HUMANITARIAN ORGANIZATIONS around the world are working hard every day to deliver aid to those in need. Many of the missions served by these organizations would not be possible without the use of air transportation. These aircraft and the people who fly them serve a large number of people, many of whom live in remote areas of the world without access to daily needs such as clean water, food, shelter, and healthcare.

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PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF SAMARITAN AVIATION

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FLYING FOR GOOD

Orbis Flying Eye Hospital

A

few of these dedicated organizations and their lifesaving aircraft will be present throughout the week of AirVenture 2021. Learn about these organizations and where you can find them.

ORBIS FLYING EYE HOSPITAL, BOEING PLAZA

Orbis is an international nonprofit fighting to bring an end to blindness. Since 1982, Orbis has conducted training programs in over 92 countries and trained hundreds of thousands of medical professionals. In 2018 alone, Orbis conducted more than 3 million screenings and examinations. In 2019, Orbis prescribed more than 183,000 eyeglasses, conducted more than 66,000 trainings for eye care professionals, and completed more than 70 projects in 19 countries.

Of the many projects Orbis has created to bring an end to blindness, one of the largest and certainly more unique is the Flying Eye Hospital.

Located aboard an MD-10, it is a state-of-the-art traveling teaching facility, complete with operating room, classroom, and recovery room.

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PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF ORBIS

The Flying Eye Hospital program started in 1980 with a DC-8 donated by United Airlines. In 1992, the DC-10 replaced the DC-8 to keep up with the expanding scope of the Flying Eye Hospital’s operations. In 2016, FedEx donated an MD-10, which flies twice as far as its predecessor and only requires two pilots rather than three.

The Flying Eye Hospital allows staff and volunteers to travel the world, developing skills and sharing knowledge with communities that need it most.

Orbis and the MD-10 will be present on Boeing Plaza throughout the week of AirVenture.

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Other trademarks mentioned herein are trademarks of their respective owners. © 2021 Phillips 66 Company. All rights reserved.

FLYING FOR GOOD JAARS, BOOTH 23

Samaritan’s Purse

SAMARITAN’S PURSE, BOEING PLAZA

Samaritan’s Purse is a nondenominational, evangelical Christian organization providing spiritual and physical aid to those in need around the world. Since 1975, Samaritan’s Purse has been using aircraft to transport doctors and relief workers, along with food, medicine, shelter materials, blankets, and other items.

Samaritan’s Purse operates with a fleet of 19 aircraft, including two helicopters. One of those 19 aircraft is a DC-8, which joined the fleet in 2015. The DC-8 is able to carry up to 84,000 pounds of cargo and 32 passengers, making it instrumental to the operations the organization carries out.

As of April 2016, the DC-8 has carried more than 4.5 million pounds of cargo on 153 missions around the world. In 2020, the DC-8 carried more than 250 tons of cargo on 14 relief missions.

Samaritan’s Purse and the DC-8 will be present on Boeing Plaza throughout the week of AirVenture.

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PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF JAARS, SAMARITAN’S PURSE

From pilot training and mission aviation services, to remote technology and communications support, JAARS provides off-the-grid logistical solutions that help make Bible translation possible. JAARS operates in North and South America, Africa, Asia, and the Pacific. According to the organization’s website, the group provides “aircraft, equipment reserves, and trained pilots and mechanics, and partner operationally to help ensure safety and good stewardship of God’s resources. In the end, our translation partners can focus entirely on getting God’s Word to the many people groups still waiting — while we make it possible for them to travel and work safely and effectively in some of the most remote conditions on earth.”

JAARS will have a Helio Courier, Cessna 206, and Robinson R44 Raven II present at AirVenture.

Helio Courier — the backbone of the JAARS fleet for many years, with use in 15 different countries. At one time, JAARS had the largest active Helio fleet in the civilian world. Due to aging aircraft and avgas issues in developing countries, it has phased out the Helio overseas. However, JAARS still uses the Helio for initial STOL tailwheel training, at the JAARS Center in North Carolina, for new pilots going to fields where they will fly the Pilatus PC-6 Porter. For many years, JAARS pilots flew Helio Courier STOL demonstrations to open the air show at AirVenture.

Cessna 206 Stationair — another workhorse in the JAARS fleet and still in use in a couple of overseas fields. The 206 is used in locations where the unique capabilities of the Helio were not required.

Robinson R44 Raven II — JAARS has used helicopters in remote locations for more than 50 years, starting with the Bell 47 and Hiller UH-12.

The Robinson R44 has been used at the JAARS Center for initial pilot evaluation and pre-field training since 2004.

JAARS

These aircraft and the people who fly them serve a large number of people, many of whom live in remote areas of the world without access to daily needs such as clean water, food, shelter, and healthcare.

MISSION AVIATION FELLOWSHIP, BOOTH 22

Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) operates a fleet of 47 aircraft from 14 bases in eight countries to support more than 500 Christian humanitarian organizations. These flights create access to medical care, provide disaster relief, and make community development projects possible, like transporting children in remote areas to school.

On display is MAF’s Kodiak 100, tail number N120KQ, that was purchased in 2015. It provided disaster relief in Haiti in 2016 following destruction from Hurricane Matthew. It is currently used as a training airplane at MAF’s headquarters in Nampa, Idaho.

“The Kodiak 100 is a great airplane for Mission Aviation Fellowship’s (MAF) work in the most isolated regions of the world,” said Brad Hoaglun, MAF’s communication director. “The short takeoff and landing capability with its single-engine turboprop on unimproved airstrips is key to serving remote villages. The versatility of the Kodiak allows it to carry cargo, passengers, or conduct medical evacuations. Optional cargo pods add to the capacity of the airplane. MAF also uses amphibious floats on some of their Kodiaks in Indonesia.”

Samaritan Aviation Mission Aviation Fellowship

SAMARITAN AVIATION, EAA SEAPLANE BASE, BOOTH 9

Samaritan Aviation is a Christian nonprofit charity. The goal of the organization is to “be the hands and feet of Jesus and to love people without expecting anything in return,” by providing aviation and medical services to those in need living in the remote jungles of Papua New Guinea. Since 2010, Samaritan Aviation has flown more than 1,250 patients and delivered 180,000 pounds of medical supplies to 40 different aid posts.

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF MISSION AVIATION FELLOWSHIP, SAMARITAN AVIATION

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BIRDS OF A FEATHER What does the world’s fastest single engine turboprop and the most advanced 10-seat STOL have in common?

The TBM sets the standard for cruise and range performance while the Kodiak 100 is best in class for STOL and off-airport operations. Both aircraft share a high-level of safety as they share the most reliable turboprop, the most advanced avionics systems, and the most robust airframe construction.

Daher, where safety comes first.

Speak to a Daher aircraft expert: Kodiak worldwide (866) 230-7417 TBM (Americas) (954) 993-8477 TBM (International) +33 5 62 41 77 88 tbm.aero - kodiak.aero

FLYING FOR GOOD

Samaritan Aviation For more information on Samaritan Aviation, check out “Mission: Hope” featured in the July 2020 edition of EAA Sport Aviation magazine.

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On display at the Seaplane Base is Samaritan Aviation’s Cessna 206F, N8447Q, on Aerocet floats.

“Samaritan Aviation is excited to have on display this year our latest seaplane ambulance that will be serving the remote river communities of Papua New Guinea,” said Mark Palm, co-founder and CEO. “This is a special plane that will save lives and provide access and hope to the 250,000 people living along the Mighty Sepik River. In this region of the South Pacific, there is one hospital for 500,000 people, and those that live along the river are one to four days away from that one hospital by canoe and road. With our planes we can shorten that trip to 45 minutes! Our main focus areas are medevac, medicine delivery, disaster relief, and community education.”

Mark said this airplane has been modified extensively to serve in the remote hot and humid locations. “[Those modifications include] Western Skyways overhauled IO-550-F engine, Wipaire right-hand door, Robertson STOL kit, Flint tip tanks, and Aerocet composite amphibious floats,” Mark said. “We invite you to stop by our booth and see this airplane up close at the Seaplane Base.”

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF SAMARITAN AVIATION

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.

FLYING FOR GOOD ADVENTIST WORLD AVIATION, BOOTH 4082

Adventist World Aviation is a humanitarian aid organization and a supporting ministry of the General Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists that offers a variety of air support to the United States, Canada, Philippines, Nicaragua, Brazil, and Guyana.

With a fleet of 20 aircraft, AWA provides medical evacuations, medical outreach, dental outreach, and Christian ministries.

“The short takeoff and landing capability with its single-engine turboprop on unimproved airstrips is key to serving remote villages.” – Brad Hoaglun, MAF IAMA

IAMA, BOOTH 21

The International Association of Missionary Aviation was formed to bring together organizations like MAF and JAARS in the spirit of professional collaboration.

According to the IAMA website, the organization “fosters a community of Christian airmen whose hallmarks are safety and technical competence. Today, IAMA’s membership includes more than 70 mission agencies, training schools, and individuals. Members work together to bring the transforming message of Jesus Christ to people living in places that are remote and very difficult to access.”

PILOTS FOR CHRIST INTERNATIONAL, BOOTHS 4038 AND 4039

Pilots for Christ International is a member-based organization with numerous chapters in the United States offering compassion flights, hospice flights, missionary flights, chaplain flights, and Young Angel flights.

Adventist World Aviation

RAM AIRBORNE, BOOTH 3080

Remote Area Medical is a nonprofit organization that provides free pop-up clinics offering dental, vision, and medical services to uninsured individuals in need. In addition, RAM also provides a veterinary program and a disaster relief program operating in the United States, Guyana, Haiti, and the Philippines.

WINGS OF MERCY, BOOTH 2002

Founded in 1991, with over 8,000 missions flown, Wings of Mercy is a faith-based nonprofit organization that provides free air transportation for patients who can’t afford to travel to distant medical centers.

Christina Basken, EAA 1299943, is EAA’s multimedia journalist and an active sport pilot. When she is not taking photos or writing for various publications, you can find her outside enjoying nature.

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PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF ADVENTIST WORLD AVIATION, IAMA

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Remembering Paul Poberezny EAA founder Paul Poberezny often said there was not a day that went by that he didn’t say the word “airplane.” His flight experiences began as a high school student and continued through service in World War II and the Korean War. Between the wars, he began his hands-on approach to aircraft design and building that would inspire both his future and his legacy.

In January 1953, he organized about three dozen aircraft builders and restorers in a local Milwaukee, Wisconsin, club that was named the Experimental Aircraft Association. Later that year, the first EAA fly-in gathering formed the foundation of what has become EAA AirVenture Oshkosh.

Paul Poberezny’s life and career was a shining example of vision, self-reliance, and leadership. He is regarded as one of the individual giants of aviation’s first century, with an influence that reaches beyond a single flying accomplishment to affecting tens of thousands of people who have dreamed of flying. Paul was born on September 14, 1921, and died on August 22, 2013. As we celebrate the return of our annual fly-in and convention after the unprecedented events of last year, we all share fond memories of Paul leading up to what would have been his 100th birthday.

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Remembering Audrey Poberezny It is often said that behind every success, there are the unsung heroes that made it possible. For EAA, that was a role successfully executed by Audrey Ruesch Poberezny with grace, determination, and wisdom. EAA and all its members over nearly 70 years owe her an immeasurable debt of gratitude.

“Audrey was indeed EAA’s first lady and the quiet power behind the leader in EAA’s formation and development,” said Jack J. Pelton, EAA CEO and chairman of the board.

“She supported Paul from the very earliest days of EAA, from being the sounding board for ideas and balancing the books, to answering the phone and typing out membership cards. Audrey did whatever needed to be done, but never sought the spotlight for herself. Her understanding of people was also a gift that helped EAA grow and thrive into its unique place in aviation, and her warmth will be remembered by all who knew her.”

Audrey died on November 1, 2020, at the age of 95.

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AIRCRAFT ANNIVERSARIES

NOTABLE CELEBRATIONS

Happy Birthday!

A variety of aircraft are celebrating at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2021

BY HAL BRYAN

Every year, EAA AirVenture Oshkosh becomes home to thousands of aircraft. Some of them are here to be displayed or 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 specific celebration — the anniversary of an aircraft type’s first flight or introduction. At the time of this writing, we know of several types that are here to celebrate this year, including some holdovers from last year — the AirVenture that wasn’t.

So, as you walk the convention grounds, when you see one of these airplanes, be sure to stop and wish it a happy birthday. In addition, two of EAA’s divisions, the Vintage Aircraft Association and the International Aerobatic Club, are celebrating their 50th anniversaries this year, so take some time to help them celebrate as well.

STINSON AIRCRAFT CO.

The Stinson Aircraft Co. was founded in 1920 by Eddie Stinson and went on to produce a variety of popular civil aircraft, as well as liaison aircraft like the L-5.

(Pictured: a 1928 Stinson SM-2.)

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY MICHAEL STEINEKE

TAYLORCRAFT AVIATION

Formed in 1935 as the Taylor-Young Airplane Co. and renamed in 1939, Taylorcraft produced sport aircraft like the BC-12 series, as well as the forerunner to the venerable Piper Cub.

ERCO

The Engineering and Research Corp. (ERCO) was founded by Henry Berliner in 1930, and produced the first Ercoupe after designer Fred Weick joined the company in 1936.

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY PHIL HIGH, JIM KOEPNICK

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AIRCRAFT ANNIVERSARIES

NOTABLE CELEBRATIONS

AERONCA CHIEF

Production on the Aeronca Chief, a light, two-seat touring airplane, began in 1936, and, though it was eclipsed in numbers by the company’s Champ, it remains a popular vintage type to this day.

CESSNA 120 AND 140

The Cessna 140, followed almost immediately by the 120, was a practical, mostly metal, two-seat, side-byside touring airplane that first flew in 1945.

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GLOBE SWIFT

The sleek and sporty two-seat Globe GC-1 Swift was introduced in 1946 as a cross-country airplane meant to capitalize on the expected postwar general aviation aircraft sales boom that never materialized.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JONATHAN APFELBAUM, ED HICKS, JIM KOEPNICK

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AIRCRAFT ANNIVERSARIES

NOTABLE CELEBRATIONS

PIPER PA-22 TRI-PACER

The Vintage Aircraft Association is celebrating “22s in ’21,” marking the anniversary of the 1950 first flight of the popular Piper PA-22 Tri-Pacer, the tricycle-gear version of the PA-20 Pacer.

Rebecca Mu /// Palos Verdes, Calif.

Aeronautical Science (’20) College of Aviation

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YOUR CAREER IS CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN DIBBS

KOLB AIRCRAFT CO.

The Kolb Aircraft Co. was founded in 1980 by designer Homer Kolb, EAA 378, to produce a series of ultralight aircraft kits, beginning with the Kolb Flyer that he’d designed in 1970.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BONNIE KRATZ, CONNOR MADISON

PITTS SPECIAL

Legendary designer Curtis Pitts, EAA 15785, started working on the classic S-1 aerobatic biplane in 1943, and the popular design continues to be refined to this day.

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AIRCRAFT ANNIVERSARIES

NOTABLE CELEBRATIONS

SKYBOLT

The Steen Skybolt is a classic homebuilt biplane designed by schoolteacher Lamar Steen that first flew in 1970.

More than 400 have reportedly been built, all from plans.

BAKENG DUCE

The parasol-wing, open-cockpit Bakeng Duce, designed by Jerry Bakeng, first flew in 1970. The rights to the airplane changed hands in 1999, and the spelling of the name changed to Deuce.

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VAN’S RV-8 AND RV-7

Van’s Aircraft, led by Dick VanGrunsven, EAA Lifetime 3204, introduced the RV-8, a tandem two-seater, in 1995, followed by the side-by-side RV-7 (pictured) in 2001. More than 10,000 RVs have been built and flown.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CONNOR MADISON, SCOTT SLOCUM

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SEMINOLE

AIRCRAFT ANNIVERSARIES

NOTABLE CELEBRATIONS

SONERAI

John Monnett, EAA Lifetime 15941, designed and flew the Sonerai single-seat air racer back in 1971, more than 25 years before founding Sonex Aircraft here in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

LOCKWOOD AIRCAM

The AirCam, a twin-engine, open-cockpit taildragger, was originally built in 1995 by designer Phil Lockwood, EAA 211596, as an aerial photography and observation platform for the National Geographic Society, which used it in the Congo Basin.

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY PHIL HIGH

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VOLUNTEERS

OUR HEART AND SOUL

Helping the Cause A look at a few of our favorite Volunteer Spotlights over the past year

BY SAM OLESON

Volunteers make EAA AirVenture Oshkosh — and just about everything else EAA does — possible. Over the past year or so, we’ve highlighted numerous volunteers in EAA Sport Aviation as part of the Volunteer Spotlight feature within the Member Central portion of the magazine.

Sadly, this cannot capture all of the thousands of volunteers who give so much to the community

every year. So, next time you see a volunteer at AirVenture or elsewhere, however they are pitching in to make EAA better, be sure to thank them for it.

It’s the least we can do. If you know a volunteer you’d like to nominate for Volunteer Spotlight, please visit EAA.org/Submissions.

Here are a few of our favorite Volunteer Spotlight profiles over the past 12 months.

MIKE DOOLEY

Mike Dooley

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For the past decade, Mike Dooley, EAA 834638, has been a mainstay volunteer in the Homebuilts area of EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, working primarily in homebuilt registration. While Mike has enjoyed aviation for basically his whole life, it wasn’t until he retired from the Army that he was able to fully invest in the hobby, joining EAA Chapter 91 in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, and ordering an RV-8 kit. Attending AirVenture for the first time in 2007, Mike didn’t begin volunteering until 2010 but has been at it ever since.

As part of his volunteering duties, Mike arrives in Oshkosh in early July and stays until after the conclusion of AirVenture. Leading up to convention, Mike and a few other volunteers work together to get the Homebuilders Headquarters building ready after a year of disuse. Working with Charlie Becker, EAA director of chapters and homebuilding, Mike and a handful of others also assist with a variety of projects across the Homebuilts area of the AirVenture grounds. In addition, the team helps with the organization of golf carts just prior to the event.

On the Thursday prior to AirVenture, homebuilt registration opens, and Mike and his fellow volunteers are busy registering homebuilt aircraft as well as issuing wristbands and camping credentials to attendees, among numerous other tasks.

Following AirVenture, Mike helps put everything away for the offseason.

Volunteering for close to a month every July for the past 10 years, Mike gives up a significant portion of his summer because he enjoys what he’s doing.

“I have fun doing it, or I wouldn’t do it,” Mike said. “I really enjoy the people that I work with, the other volunteers. They come from all over the U.S. and Canada, and it’s just an amazing group of people. We have fun together. We have inside jokes, and we socialize together. It’s just a good time, and I look forward to that every year.”

As someone who attended AirVenture for a few years without volunteering, Mike has learned that he’s gotten more enjoyment out of the event since he began helping out. He encourages anyone who attends AirVenture on a yearly basis to consider volunteering going forward.

ALPHA B R AV O COLLINS D E LTA ECHO FOXTROT GOLF HOTEL INDIA JULIET

“I don’t know anyone who’s volunteered that has regretted it. Take a look at the volunteer opportunities that are out there and find something that sounds like fun.”

“I would just encourage every AirVenture attendee to consider volunteering,” he said. “We do have volunteers that only work for a couple of hours. And then you have the crazy guys like me that work 14- to 16-hour days sometimes, and then everything in between. I don’t know anyone who’s volunteered that has regretted it. Take a look at the volunteer opportunities that are out there and find something that sounds like fun.”

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VOLUNTEERS

OUR HEART AND SOUL

JAN STADT Jan Stadt’s tenure as an EAA volunteer began back in the 1990s when her husband, Dave, was in the process of earning his pilot certificate. Jan, EAA 757702, spent a couple years selling admission tickets before moving over to KidVenture, where she’s been ever since.

“We knew [EAA Director and KidVenture Chairman] Dan Majka because he lived just a couple of towns over from us [in Illinois], and we’d been to a few meetings with him,” Jan explained.

“When he started up KidVenture, I didn’t help the first year because I was selling admission tickets, but after that we started helping, and I just started getting more and more involved.”

A KidVenture co-chairman, Jan’s duties during the week of AirVenture include a number of administrative responsibilities such as checking volunteers in and out, handing out KidVenture shirts, caps, and pins, taking care of lunch and the daily drawing, and other miscellaneous tasks, along with about eight other women in the KidVenture office. Jan said that she enjoys volunteering at KidVenture because she knows it’s an important program to help influence kids to pursue aviation at a young age.

“It’s such a fun area to volunteer at because the kids are all excited, and I think it’s important for kids to get some hands-on experience and get exposed to aviation,” she said. “My husband never had that opportunity. There was no outlet for him to do that when he was younger. At KidVenture there’s the pilot’s side of the hangar and the A&P side, and there’s a hangar that focuses on spaceflight. It’s really exciting for me to see how happy the kids are to learn something.”

Jan has enjoyed volunteering for EAA so much that she, along with husband, Dave, has also volunteered during the winter months in numerous capacities, including at the print/mail center, convention headquarters, and the Kermit Weeks Hangar.

With over two decades of volunteer experience, Jan is still enthusiastic about giving up a portion of her free time for two primary reasons.

“First, I feel like it’s important to make sure that there’s an activity or area for kids to come and have hands-on experience pertaining to aviation [during AirVenture],” she said. “The second thing I would say is the people I encounter and have become friends with both at EAA and at KidVenture volunteering. It’s fun, so I keep coming back!”

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Jan Stadt

“It’s such a fun area to volunteer at because the kids are all excited, and I think it’s important for kids to get some hands-on experience and get exposed to aviation.”

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VOLUNTEERS

OUR HEART AND SOUL

MARK SPANG Mark Spang’s interest in aviation began at a young age. When he was just a kid, Mark, EAA 129553, would help his father, who was an Air Force mechanic in South Dakota, perform preflight inspections on DC-3s and DC-4s.

“On more than one occasion, he would take me into the cockpit and talk me through things,” Mark said. “I remember a lot of that. My first airplane ride was when I was 7 [years old], and it was in a Taylorcraft. When I was 13, I got a ride in a Republic Seabee seaplane. I was hooked. I didn’t know what I was going to do for a career, but I knew I wanted it to be something in aviation.”

Coming from a mechanically inclined family, Mark spent 20 years in the military, 12 as an aircraft maintenance instructor for the legendary Lockheed U-2 “Dragon Lady,” before moving on to civilian work as an A&P/IA mechanic. While aviation became his line of work for many years, Mark was also involved with EAA, attending his

first Oshkosh convention when he was 16.

Heading into EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2021, Mark will be making his 38th trip to Oshkosh and has spent 22 of them as a volunteer.

Starting out as a flightline volunteer in the Ultralights area, Mark eventually became the Ultralights flightline safety chairman after a few years.

“I started out on the flightline, and with my experience in the military, I knew all the international hand signals and I was able to help standardize the signals we use down there,” Mark said. “With people visiting the world’s biggest air show and coming from all parts of the United States and some from overseas, they had a basic understanding, but they didn’t have a common standard. … We also do the spotting and observing for the pilots to launch them safely from the runway because the pilots can’t see over the trees for other airplanes.

“I helped get some of the training and some of the organization into a smoother operation.

I’ve worked everything from inspecting the airplanes to launching the airplanes to helping the

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pilots get lined up and spaced properly so they’d be ready to go. There are times when it gets to become like an aircraft carrier. … After three or four years, they asked me to be the safety officer.

Part of that involves doing the morning and afternoon pilot briefings. The challenge we have is getting all of these pilots with different backgrounds and perceptions to the same level so we can operate safely. After that, I get to be the eyes and ears for the safety of the entire operation at the Ultralights field.”

Like many volunteers, Mark loves AirVenture and aviation in general, but it’s the people he meets in the Ultralights area and his fellow volunteers that keep him coming back to Oshkosh each and every summer.

“I love being involved with the people.

That’s part of what it is. I go because of the airplanes, but the people keep me coming back. That’s the fun part. I just love it,” he said. “We’ve got a nice little clique up there [in Ultralights], and the same people have been there for a lot of years. We get to know each other.”

Mark Spang

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VOLUNTEERS

OUR HEART AND SOUL

KATHY FREY

Kathy Frey

Starting in 1998, Kathy Frey, EAA 1069808, has been a mainstay in Camp Scholler, assisting campers in finding suitable camping sites and helping out with just about anything else that might come up during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh.

“I got involved [with EAA] through my husband [Larry],” Kathy explained. “He volunteered on the flightline and attended forums. We parked in the pets section, so volunteering was an easy step for me because I could be near the pets, my two dogs, and still be able to help and do something productive.”

At Camp Scholler, Kathy’s primary duty is to assist with any camper looking for a site, but it certainly doesn’t end there, with days usually lasting around 12 hours.

“Helping campers find a camping space that is a suitable site for themselves and everything else,” Kathy said with a laugh. “I do everything from providing information, locating services on-site and off-site, RV repairs,

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finding lost pets and lost people. We alert folks when there’s developing storms coming and help them batten down the hatches and all that sort of thing. We generally assist, but parking campers is the main emphasis.”

Although Kathy started her volunteer efforts due to her husband, the passion she’s developed for volunteering in the past two decades is all her own making.

“I just really enjoy meeting people and being of use, I guess you could say,” Kathy said.

“I know the campground, obviously, by now.

Helping people get around and giving them information, particularly newcomers, is fun.

Newcomers are fun because they have no clue what they’ve just driven into. When they see the huge campsite that is Camp Scholler, they’re just astounded. When they come back from the first day on the line, it’s amazing to see them overwhelmed. As strange as it may sound, the adrenaline rush of directing arrivals to safe overflow camping areas during occasional heavy rains is particularly challenging yet extremely satisfying.”

Between the volunteers she’s worked with and the regular campers she’s interacted with each year at AirVenture, Kathy has seen her circle of friends grow in a huge way since she first started helping out back in the late 1990s.

“I’ve met so many dedicated volunteers and wonderful campers, and I highly recommend that fellow EAA members consider volunteering for one of the many activities,” she said. “You’ll not only find volunteering rewarding, you will also make many lifelong friends along the way.”

“It’s such a fun area to volunteer at because the kids are all excited, and I think it’s important for kids to get some hands-on experience and get exposed to aviation.”

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VOLUNTEERS

OUR HEART AND SOUL

Mike Gallaway

MIKE GALLAWAY Mike Gallaway, EAA 530544, was a late bloomer when it came to his aviation journey. But ever since he dipped his toes into aviation when he was in his late 20s, he’s been totally committed. Inspired by an aerobatic flight, Mike earned his pilot certificate six months later and immediately dove headfirst into the aerobatic side of general aviation.

Eventually learning about the International Aerobatic Club through a gentleman who happened to be pumping gas at the airport at the same time as him, Mike attended his first IAC meeting that same day and has been involved ever since. Within a few months, Mike competed in his first aerobatic contest and has flown in contests, including the U.S. National Aerobatic Championships, for the past two-plus decades.

In addition to the actual flying portion of Mike’s involvement with the IAC, he’s also volunteered hours and hours of his time over the years.

“The whole sport is volunteer. Everything is volunteer,” Mike explained. “Even though we participate as competitors, when we’re not flying, we’re volunteering. We’re judges, assistant judges, boundary judges. We’re doing something to keep the contest moving. When I got involved in the IAC in the late 1990s and early 2000s, I had some very

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good mentors, and I was encouraged to become a judge, which I did. I was a regional judge and it takes a few years of experience, and that’s all volunteer. After that, I became a national judge, and you’re invited to judge at the U.S. Nationals. …

Based on many years of experience at the U.S. Nationals, I became a CIVA judge, which CIVA is the aerobatic arm of the FAI, which governs all air sports. I actually became the No. 1 judge in all the world, which is based on a mathematical formula.”

Since he began judging aerobatic competitions over 20 years ago, Mike has judged around 100 contests. Because he’s passionate about the sport of aerobatics, Mike has continued to donate extensive amounts of his time to the IAC. “Really it’s just a function about being passionate about the sport,” Mike said. “When you’re involved in this sport of aerobatics, you want to make it better. All of us as competitors want to make sure it’s a judged sport. You don’t want someone judging you that doesn’t know what they’re looking at. I’ve made it a point to study the sport, and I’ve spent a lot of time watching aerobatics.

Over the years, I’ve gained some acumen in being a judge. Quite frankly, it’s just been my passion to make the sport better.”

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VOLUNTEERS

OUR HEART AND SOUL

GORDON AND CATHY DAVIS For the past five years, the husband and wife team of Gordon and Cathy Davis have volunteered in the KidVenture area of EAA AirVenture Oshkosh — helping to inspire the next generation of aviators.

Gordon, EAA Lifetime 787156, has attended AirVenture since 2005, getting the inspiration he needed to become a pilot after his first visit to Oshkosh. After a few years attending, he decided to become further involved with EAA and joined his local EAA chapter, 1522 in Lexington, Kentucky, and is now the president and a member of EAA’s Chapter Advisory Council. Eight years ago, Gordon wandered into KidVenture and has been volunteering with the control line flying activities every year after that.

“Hearing the sound of control line engines, the high-pitched sound, really reminded me of my childhood,” he said. “I found a wonderful group over there with the control line airplane flying and put my name down to volunteer the next year. I’ve been there ever since.”

As a pilot, Gordon helps kids, and actually people of all ages, fly the control line aircraft during the week.

“The planes that we have are kind of indestructible, so we really allow the kids to fly,” he said. “We hold on to the handle. The kids will get dizzy going around and around if you’re not used to it, so we keep them steady. As they get better at it, we’ll lessen our grip on the handle and really let them fly the airplane. … I spend a lot of the day going around and around one flight after another. But it’s fun!”

Five years ago, Cathy, EAA Lifetime 438758, joined her husband in Oshkosh for the first time.

Although Cathy isn’t a pilot or even particularly interested in aviation, she’s become a regular volunteer in the control line flying registration. For years, Cathy has also volunteered in Kentucky with a camp for adults with disabilities, so giving up her free time to help others isn’t anything new to her. Her passion is people, plain and simple.

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“I found a wonderful group over there with the control line airplane flying and put my name down to volunteer the next year. I’ve been there ever since.”

“I am not passionate about aviation. Gordon always has been. I never really had that passion,” Cathy said. “I might not share his passion for aviation, but I do share his passion for people. The people that we work with have become family.

The folks we work with have become lifelong friends, but you only get to see them once a year, so you have to take the opportunity to do that. To see the joy on children’s faces [makes it worthwhile]. You can bring joy to a child’s life. To see them have the best day ever, that really makes your heart happy.”

Gordon and Cathy Davis

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VOLUNTEERS

OUR HEART AND SOUL

MARK KOLESAR

Mark Kolesar

With more than 875 Young Eagles flights under his belt, it’s safe to say that Mark Kolesar, EAA Lifetime 294238, is heavily invested in EAA’s success as an organization, particularly when it comes to getting youth interested in aviation.

“I got involved with the Young Eagles program early on when it was first starting,” Mark said. “I remember growing up, always having an interest in aviation, but never really having somebody that would give me a ride on an airplane. So, when the Young Eagles program started, I got involved at the local level with my chapter, and it continued to grow from there.”

As someone who’s flown Young Eagles for nearly three decades, it’s obvious Mark has a passion for what he’s doing. The reason he keeps volunteering his time and resources is simple.

“I do feel like I’m making a difference,” he said. “In some small way, I can give back to others the enjoyment I’ve received over the years and the great friendships that have developed,

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which have led me to volunteering and now being the co-chairman of the Blue Barn. It’s just a great aviation community, and I want to introduce them to EAA because EAA has such a family atmosphere. Sometimes aviation has a stigma that it’s an elite group and it’s closed — and it’s not. We’re a very welcoming community, and the EAA spirit really embodies that.”

As a volunteer co-chairman at the Blue Barn for the past three years, Mark works with EAA’s chapters and Young Eagles offices, as well as other Blue Barn volunteers, to make sure everything is ready to go and runs smoothly during the week of AirVenture — yet another way for him to support the Young Eagles program.

“Leading up to AirVenture, I’m working with the volunteers at the office in Oshkosh, getting things set, getting people in their places to get ready to meet our guests when they come,” he explained. “After that, it’s about making sure our members that are volunteering have the

resources they need from us, and I work with the chapters and Young Eagles teams to do that. …

With the staff being so busy [during AirVenture], I look at myself as an in between to provide a really great experience to people visiting [the Blue Barn], while still enabling the staff to do what they have to do with their multiple responsibilities when AirVenture is going on. I just keep things running as smoothly as possible.”

“I do feel like I’m making a difference. In some small way, I can give back to others the enjoyment I’ve received over the years and the great friendships that have developed.”

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VOLUNTEERS

OUR HEART AND SOUL

ERIC ROOD With a love of history and deep respect for veterans, Eric Rood, EAA Lifetime 192552, is a perfect fit to volunteer with EAA’s Timeless Voices of Aviation oral history project, which collects the stories of veterans and other aviation personalities, well-known or unheralded, to preserve for future generations. Eric first volunteered with Timeless Voices at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2006 and has been a mainstay with the program for more than a decade.

Eric’s father was in the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II and in the Air Force during the Korean War. After putting together a program for a reunion of his father’s Korean War unit in 2003, Eric began to interview some of the members of the unit for his own oral history project. By the time he finished researching and accumulating the equipment he’d need, it was 2006. Eric interviewed a few of the veterans that summer. Then he attended AirVenture and began to assist with Timeless Voices for the first time.

Since then, Eric has done more than 200 interviews. Of those 200, three have stood out: Robert “Bob” Shroats, a member of the 388th Bomb Group who flew shuttle bombing missions from England and Italy against Axis targets and then landed at friendly bases in the Soviet Union as part of Operation Frantic during World War II; Bob Arn, a C-46 pilot who flew missions over the Himalayas; and Walter Klarin, who worked on the electric propellers that would eventually be used on the B-29s that dropped the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

“You get to know stories that have never been told or written down,” Eric said. “The things you hear, you don’t know about it. It’s nowhere else. … It’s very rewarding. You’re just in awe of what they did.”

As someone who didn’t have much experience conducting an interview when he first got started with Timeless Voices, Eric made sure to credit his mentors Mike DiMiccelli and Mel Smith for helping him get to where he is now.

Currently, Eric is looking to pay it forward, as many EAA volunteers do.

“It’s been a great program,” he said. “I’m kind of looking for somebody to mentor, to carry it on.”

Editor’s Note: If you’d like to talk to Eric about his volunteer work, send a note to editorial@eaa. org and we’ll connect you. – Ed.

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Eric Rood

“You get to know stories that have never been told or written down.

The things you hear, you don’t know about it. It’s nowhere else. …

It’s very rewarding. You’re just in awe of what they did.”

RAY SCHOLARS

CREATING PILOTS

Ray Aviation Scholarship Success From Young Eagles to Young Pilots

BY KAYLA FLOYD

The Ray Aviation Scholarship Fund is a program supported by the Ray Foundation, managed by EAA, and administered through the EAA chapter network. Starting in 2019, through the generous support of the Ray Foundation, EAA was able to provide $10,000 to deserving youths for their flight training expenses, totaling $1.2 million in scholarships annually. Chapter support is a cornerstone of the Ray Aviation Scholarship program and a true testament to EAA’s commitment to growing participation in aviation.

David Leiting, EAA’s manager of membership development, was originally the main contact for the scholarship program and explained how it exceeded its goals in year one.

“Beginning in 2019 when we first unveiled the program, we had the $1 million given to us by the Ray Foundation,” David said. “So our goal was to be able to help 90 scholars in 90 chapters, but thanks to some chapters contributing their own funding or stretching the dollar a little bit, we were able to get 97 chapters and 105 scholars involved.”

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“When I look at EAA and the role that it plays as part of the program, it really comes down to what happens locally with the chapters,” David said. “Any time you wave $10,000 out in front of somebody it’s appealing, but when you wave it out in front of a group of passionate members like the chapters, that understand the opportunity that they have to take that $10,000 and give it to an aspiring pilot who is 17 years old, who has been a youth member of the chapter for a couple of years and received a couple of Young Eagles flights, that’s something that our chapter network is extremely passionate about.”

The program has seen immense growth since its start, both in the number of scholars and the number of chapters getting involved, which David said has been great to see.

After two years of the program, the response has been overwhelming, which David said has been a highlight for him so far. He remembered one story in particular that stuck out to him about an encounter at the SUN ’n FUN Aerospace Expo.

“When I was at SUN ’n FUN back in April 2019, I was standing by the One Week Wonder, and there was this young, at the time, boy walking around the airplane, looking at it, asking questions about the avionics and the engine, and some of the construction methods that were used,” David said. “I was really impressed that this teenage kid knew so much. So I asked him, I said, ‘You’re asking a lot of good questions. How do you know so much about the airplane? Does your family have one or what’s going on?’ And he said, ‘No, I’m actually a member of EAA Chapter 203 just up the road.’”

SUN ’n FUN that year happened soon after the first 90 chapters to participate in the Ray Aviation Scholarship program were announced, and Chapter 203 was one of those first chapters chosen to be a part of the program. David asked if his chapter had mentioned the option to him, and the teenager replied he had heard plenty — he’d actually already been selected as the chapter’s scholar and would begin flight training in a few weeks!

“About an hour later, he came back with his mother and this was their first time at any sort of aviation event. They’d never been to SUN ’n FUN; they’d never been to Oshkosh,” David said. “She introduced herself and thanked us profusely. She was in tears telling us about the opportunity for

James Ray and Tom Poberezny

her son [who has actually passed his checkride by now], that this opportunity was completely changing the trajectory of his opportunities, because they don’t come from a family of great finances and this gets him the jump-start he needs to pursue anything he wants to do in aviation.”

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RAY SCHOLARS

CREATING PILOTS

Success Stories

BY CHRISTINA BASKEN, SAM OLESON, KYRA BECKER AND MARY ANN ALVARADO

TABITHA YEOMANS EAA 1204058

EAA Chapter 976 Ray Aviation Scholarship recipient Tabitha Yeomans passed her private pilot checkride on January 12, 2020.

Tabitha said if it weren’t for the Ray Aviation Scholarship, it would have been very difficult to continue her lessons.

“It helped pay for a lot of my lessons right toward the end, because we had already paid for my school but we ran out of money, and so it really just helped me finish it out, where I otherwise probably could not have,” Tabitha said.

Tabitha never saw herself pursuing a future in aviation until she got a little push from up above.

Tabitha took her first ride with EAA Young Eagles and soon after fell in love with flight.

“I got started in aviation when I was 12, because I started praying and asking God what I should do with my life, and the word pilot just popped into my head,” Tabitha said. “It was weird because previously I had zero interest in it, but the more I looked into it, the more I wanted to do it, so last year I had the opportunity to get started in it.”

Tabitha said she loves being in the air, and looking out and seeing the sky.

“Once I saw that, there was nothing else that I could see myself doing; I just wanted to be up there,” Tabitha said.

Tabitha completed her checkride in a Cessna Skyhawk at Athens-Ben Epps Airport in Georgia.

“I did all my training at a nontowered airport, but my checkride was at a towered airport,” Tabitha said. “It was scary and I was nervous; there was a lot that I made little mistakes on, but

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“Being a private pilot means a lot; it means that I did all this work and it finally paid off. It means that I’m a step closer to doing what I want to do forever.” nothing big, so I was mostly just nervous. When I was first told that I passed, I was kind of happy, but also kind of chill, and then we got out of the plane and it hit me and I almost cried.”

Tabitha’s dream is to one day become an airline pilot.

“Being a private pilot means a lot; it means that I did all this work and it finally paid off. It means that I’m a step closer to doing what I want to do forever,” Tabitha said. “It also means that I can take my friends flying and show them how much I love it; even if they can’t get into it, they can still enjoy flying with me.”

Tabitha Yeomans

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RAY SCHOLARS

CREATING PILOTS

HAYDEN BROOKS EAA 1307927

From Brandon, Wisconsin, Hayden Brooks is a member of EAA Chapter 897 in Juneau, Wisconsin, and it was through his chapter that he learned about the EAA Ray Aviation Scholarship Fund, which provides up to $10,000 to deserving youths for their flight training expenses.

“I’d always wanted to be a pilot, but I never knew how to get started,” he said. “The money was a major restraint. Norm Alsum, I’d like to thank him. He was a major influence on me in applying for the scholarship. I came across the scholarship and I ended up getting it.”

Hayden was named a Ray Scholarship recipient in May 2019 and started flight training shortly thereafter. Hayden explained that being in a cockpit and flying an airplane came naturally to him once he began his training, though the ground school portion and studying required some determination.

“The flying part of it came to me fairly quickly,” Hayden said. “The ground part of things took me a little longer. It was just more studying than I thought. At first I was shy with the radio, but I got over that quickly.”

Hayden trained in a Cessna 152 and on December 5, 2019, his 17th birthday, he passed his private pilot checkride. With a financial boost from the Ray Aviation Scholarship Fund and a lot of hard work, Hayden not only joined the ranks of pilots across the world, but was inspired to pursue aviation as a career.

“The scholarship helped make my dreams a reality,” Hayden said. “I always wanted to fly, but I guess I really never knew where to even start.

After flying for about a month and a half, I made the decision that this is what I want to do the rest of my life. Now I’m going to be pursuing a career as an airline pilot.”

While he hopes to fly professionally one day, Hayden will continue to be actively involved in the general aviation community, through the EAA Young Eagles program and the simple pleasure of flying.

“I would love to fly Young Eagles,” he said.

“That would be great. I’d like to take a few family trips around as well.”

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Hayden Brooks

The program has seen immense growth since its start, both in the number of scholars and the number of chapters getting involved.

pick up your

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RAY SCHOLARS

CREATING PILOTS

KYRA BECKER EAA 1313802

The Ray Aviation Scholarship has helped me in ways I never imagined. This summer I worked long and hard to complete my private pilot certificate. It wasn’t easy and definitely was a lot to manage with a job and a social life. I am very grateful to have had the experiences I had and the people I met through my journey of being a Ray scholar.

I flew at least two to four times a week and studied many hours a week. I soloed on May 27, 2019. I did my solo cross-country on July 29. I passed my knowledge exam on August 1.

Finally, on August 20, I passed my private pilot checkride!

On August 24, I took up my first passenger, my twin sister, Kendra! A week after I passed my checkride, I started at Vermont Technical College, and I am majoring in professional pilot

LEAVE YOUR

Legacy E A A .ORG/ T R I BU T E

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Kyra Becker

“If it were easy, everyone would do it,” “Believe in yourself,” and, most importantly, “Trust yourself.” technology. I will continue my aviation journey with the next step of obtaining my instrument rating. Thanks to the Ray Aviation Scholarship, I will be a year ahead in flight training and will enter with the sophomore class, which saves me thousands of dollars.

I am very involved with EAA Chapter 613 and am excited to continue being involved with all that our chapter does. Some quotes that helped me along the way are: “If it were easy, everyone would do it,” “Believe in yourself,” and, most importantly, “Trust yourself.”

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Visit alpa.org/oshkosh for presentations and scheduled activities.

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RAY SCHOLARS

CREATING PILOTS

RAEGAN BUZZARD EAA 1295471

The pursuit of a private pilot certificate is a testament to perseverance. Raegan Buzzard’s taxi to flight began at the age of 12 when father and daughter walked past a Civil Air Patrol (CAP) recruiting table at Ramstein Air Base, in Ramstein, Germany. Lt. Col. James Noyes, wearing a pilot flight suit, introduced the idea of joining the Air Force Auxiliary, learning about aviation, leadership, and experiencing flight through their orientation flight (O-flight) program. The idea caught hold and opened new possibilities.

Returning stateside, Raegan, EAA 1295471, immersed herself in CAP leadership and flight programs. CAP volunteer pilots mentored her through five powered flights in Maryland, and she traveled to West Virginia for five glider flights. When asked what she wanted to fly, she responded with, “I just want to learn to fly everything!” By the age of 17, she attended CAP’s National Cadet Special Activities at the Hot Air Balloon Academy in Mattoon, Illinois; the Powered Flight Academy in Oshkosh, Wisconsin; and a mini-camp for gliders at the Eastern Soaring Center in Petersburg, West Virginia.

In 2019, EAA Chapter 524 in Frederick, Maryland, awarded Raegan a Ray Aviation Scholarship. This scholarship fueled her aviation enthusiasm. Performing volunteer hours with the chapter, she worked on the 1946 Piper Cub restoration project and is currently working on the follow-on RV-10 build. Under the tutelage of EAA Chapter 524 members, she gained exposure and training in the mechanical and theoretical aspects of flight. This mentoring has further fueled her desire to become an aeronautical engineer.

However, the flying aspect of her scholarship experience faced one setback after another.

Airplane maintenance, weather, and CFI scheduling issues plagued her instructional regimen.

The COVID-19 quarantine further impeded progress with more delay. Raegan’s regular trainer aircraft was a Cessna 150. Additionally, she flew a Cessna 172 and an RV-12 when both 150s were not available. The actual flying aspect came quickly once she added a “pillow” to elevate her view out of the airplane. She credits previous glider training for achieving a “feel for thermal lifts and proper rudder control.”

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Raegan Buzzard

“Never lose sight of your goal, adjust your course when necessary, adapt and overcome, and you will achieve your dreams!”

When asked what advice she gives aspiring pilots, she said, “Never give anyone your original documents. Please give them a copy because folders and documents tend to disappear.

Second, take your written FAA flight test early in your flight training. Knock it out ahead of time so you can focus on your flying, landing, or getting used to a new instructor. Third, concerning the oral exam; listening, reading, writing, what helps you learn the best. Find what works for you; I used an audiobook, scribbled notes, and found a few images that helped me to master difficult areas.”

In the end, it was hard work and the dedication of two CFIs from Bravo Flight Training that facilitated private pilot certification completion.

Raegan contends that it was “perseverance, my family’s support, and the local aviation community that made all the difference.” Raegan hopes to pay it forward and continues to encourage local youth and her peers to pursue their dreams of flight, stay the course, and dig deep for the willpower to achieve that goal.

“My father taught me that there are many avenues to success,” she said. “You must remain positive on your journey because nothing ever works out the way you planned. Never lose sight of your goal, adjust your course when necessary, adapt and overcome, and you will achieve your dreams!”

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FUN FLY GUIDE

EXPLORE THE LIGHTER SIDE

Powered Parachute

Your Guide to the Fun Fly Zone Everything you need to know and more

BY CHRISTINA BASKEN

The Fun Fly Zone is a designated area and runway on the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh grounds, just past the vintage area, dedicated to light-sport and ultralight aircraft. This area is home to Valdez STOL demonstrations, powered parachute operations, hot air balloon launches, and of course the Twilight Flight Fest, which includes exciting 3D RC demonstrations, as well as performances by paramotor teams.

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“If you want to see different sorts of flying machines, and be entertained or educated by how they fly differently than a regular airplane, it’s the place to go.”

— Timm Bogenhagen

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BERNIE KOSZEWA

WHAT IS AN ULTRALIGHT OR LIGHT-SPORT AIRCRAFT?

An ultralight is considered a vehicle defined by the Federal Aviation Regulation Part 103 that meets the following criteria: • Seats: 1 • Maximum empty weight (powered aircraft): 254 pounds • Maximum empty weight (unpowered aircraft): 155 pounds • Maximum fuel capacity: 5 gallons • Maximum speed at full power: 55 knots

Light-Sport

• Maximum stall speed (power off ): 24 knots Additionally, the pilot of an ultralight vehicle is not required to hold pilot or medical certificates.

The FAA defines light-sport aircraft as anything that meets the following performance criteria: • Unpressurized cabin, one- or two-person occupancy • Single, reciprocating engine • Fixed or ground-adjustable propeller

Ultralight

• Fixed landing gear • Maximum gross weight of 1,320 pounds, 1,430 pounds for seaplanes • Maximum stall speed of 45 knots A pilot holding a sport pilot certificate, under the FAA’s guidelines, may fly solo or with one passenger, fly during daytime using VFR rules, fly up to 10,000 feet above mean sea level, and is prohibited from operating in Class A airspace. Additionally, in most cases, a sport pilot is not required to hold a medical certificate.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BERNIE KOSZEWA, NICK MOORE

Rotorcraft

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FUN FLY GUIDE

EXPLORE THE LIGHTER SIDE

HISTORY OF THE FUN FLY ZONE

Ultralight Runway

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In 1976, John Moody, EAA 102032, demonstrated flying an ultralight to EAA’s founder, Paul Poberezny. John’s innovative yet simple design utilized a go-kart engine on a biplane hang glider; he called it Easy Riser.

Paul thought the design was clever and affordable, something EAA members would be interested in. Soon, other people saw John’s design and also chimed in with similar excitement. In response to the positive feedback, John came up with the idea of creating a permanent spot at AirVenture for ultralights like his. The following year, a 1,200-foot grass airstrip was established.

Timm Bogenhagen, EAA program specialist, said the name for this area had changed a few times before landing on the perfect and appropriate title that would encompass everything the area had to offer.

“We came up with the Fun Fly Zone, because the Fun Fly Zone speaks to the type of aircraft that operate there,” Timm said.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY LEONARDO CORREA LUNA

John Moody

“The type of aircraft that operate there are just operated for the fun of it. There’s no commercial activity done with them. It’s truly recreational type fun flying. It’s the Fun Fly Zone home for ultralight, lightplane, lightsport, homebuilt rotorcraft, hot air balloons, and Twilight Flight Fest.”

When the airstrip was first installed, it was a bit farther north and ran parallel to the runway.

In 1991, the airstrip was moved to its current location adjacent to the Ultralight Barn.

Easy Riser

Not only did John’s Easy Riser play a vital part in creating the Fun Fly Zone, it helped build Part 103 of the FARs and caused an explosion of interest in sport aviation. John’s Easy Riser was the only powered glider type shown at the 1977 convention, and people started purchasing kits left and right. John soon became known as the Father of Ultralights, and the Fun Fly Zone became known as the destination for the purest way to experience the joys of aviation.

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY DENNIS BIELA

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FUN FLY GUIDE

EXPLORE THE LIGHTER SIDE

WHY VISIT THE FUN FLY ZONE?

Because of the Fun Fly Zone at AirVenture, Mike Ostrander, EAA Lifetime 265473, was able to find his true calling in life. Mike credits his father for introducing him to Oshkosh when he was just 10 years old. Since 1972, Mike has only missed two AirVenture events. In fact, it was at AirVenture where Mike found his golden ticket into the world of being an aircraft owner and pilot.

“I was like, ‘Gosh, this looks like a lot of fun.’ I spent a lot of time checking out the vendors of different aircraft types, and I kind of promised myself that someday I would try to get into this,” Mike said. “Twenty years later, I thought I wanted a Challenger, but at the time we saw this Quicksilver on the flightline at Oshkosh for sale and thought, ‘Well, this must be the one.’”

One year later, Mike brought his Quicksilver MX back to Oshkosh with him, and right out of the gate it won Honorable Mention for Ultralights.

“The Fun Fly Zone I think plays a really important role for the nonpilot, the nonflyer,” Mike said. “This could be the potential gateway to get someone starting aviation, and then it’s up to them how far they carry it. I have to use myself as an example. Ultralights is all I can afford. But it still gets me in the air. So for me, the ultralights, that was my niche and I’m very happy with it.”

Years later, Mike had the chance to pay tribute to his father at the ultralight runway within the Fun Fly Zone.

“A couple of years ago, my dad had passed away and I had an opportunity that presented itself to allow me to take a small vial of his ashes and release them, doing a low pass down on the ultralight runway,” Mike said. “And that memory at the world’s largest air show, for a couple of minutes it was just me, my plane, some of Dad’s ashes, and God. … It was awesome. It was the best way I could honor my dad for introducing me to Oshkosh.”

Bret Kivell, EAA 776743, frequent Fun Fly Zone attendee and owner of Indy Aircraft Ltd., said the Fun Fly Zone is a great place for people to learn about an affordable way of flying.

“It’s a very cost-effective way to fly,” Bret said.

“It’s fun to come watch and observe, even if you don’t necessarily want to get involved. In fact, I’ve had many customers who were commercial pilots, military pilots, people who generally flew a lot of different aircraft, but every one of them would come back and say, ‘If you really want to experience flying, light-sport and ultralights is

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RC Demonstrations

really the true way of flight.’ I think there’s a lot of truth in that comment. If you really want to be able to get out there and just feel like you’re a bird, this is the way to go.”

Timm said his favorite part of the Fun Fly Zone is the RC demonstrations.

“It’s jaw-dropping,” Timm said. “The speed at which they flip-flop back and forth, and I don’t know how a person’s brain can keep up with that sort of movement, but it is truly something remarkable to see if you’ve never seen it before.

It’s a must-do at Oshkosh; stay to the very end of Twilight Flight Fest, and watch those RCs fly, because you’ll be amazed.”

Timm said what really makes this area different than any other area at AirVenture is the chance attendees have to get up close and personal with the machines.

“With the runway right there, the proximity that you can watch the aircraft taking off and landing … you could smell the engines, you can see the pilots’ facial expressions while they’re landing,” Timm said. “It just gives you a connected feeling to that sort of flying … it gives a person that closeness if you will.

“It’s a good place to come to get exposed to other types of flying machines,” Timm said.

“You’ve got all these different types of aircraft. If you want to see different sorts of flying machines, and be entertained or educated by how they fly differently than a regular airplane, it’s the place to go.”

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARIANO ROSALES

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AROUND THE GROUNDS

MORE TO DO

North 40

A Tour of the Grounds The neighborhoods of EAA AirVenture Oshkosh The sad reality of being an attendee at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2021 is that, despite having a whole week to do so, there’s really no way to see everything that happens around the grounds.

There’s just too much going on across too large of an area to take in everything. Trust us; we’ve tried.

What we can do is at least go through every neighborhood and try to take in each unique environment. Not all attendees will be able to do that either, unfortunately, as each one offers its own week’s worth of activity and excitement. But we’ve got you covered in case you miss any — just be sure to go see those you miss at the next opportunity!

THE NORTH 40

First up is the north end of Wittman Regional Airport, where you find an overwhelming sea of airplanes that makes up the North 40. Whether it’s your first time at Oshkosh or your 50th, it’s hard not to stare in awe at the 5,000 airplanes that, with their accompanying tents, seem to

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cover every little bit of the color spectrum, not to mention the grass. At first, you’ll struggle to make out individual types as the rows run together, seemingly endlessly. After an adjustment period, you’ll make sense of things and start to see some familiar airplane faces, and probably some unfamiliar ones, too.

After passing the approach end of Runway 9, we head east through the other half of the North 40. The scene looks similar at first — row after row after row of gleaming airplanes and tents alongside or underneath their wings. But then you notice patterns: There are 20 Cirruses, 60 Mooneys, 50 Piper Cherokees, 70 Cessnas, and more than 100 Beech Bonanzas, all parked together in tidily organized groups. These are the dedicated mass arrival groups, who practice and prepare for months so they can fly into Oshkosh and camp together.

Heading farther east, we come to a gate.

Despite already seeing thousands of airplanes and their pilots, we are just at the beginning of our journey, not the end of it.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JIM KOEPNICK

WARBIRDS

As we continue east, we come to the Warbirds area, home of our EAA Warbirds of America division. Always popular amongst newcomers to the aviation world, this is the home of former military aircraft that are now owned and operated by civilian pilots.

The warbirds are organized broadly by role and type, in typical structured military fashion, fittingly enough. First up are the L-birds, pristine examples of liaison aircraft dating back as far as World War II. No matter the era they’re from, these L-birds carried out vital strategic functions in their day.

Many of them function as centerpieces in life-sized dioramas, surrounded by period-appropriate tents and ground vehicles, as they share a border with our reenactor camp, home of dedicated history buffs who appear to be transplants from 1944.

As we progress through Warbirds, we’ll arrive at the home of the aircraft we call the “Red Stars.” These are foreign warbirds, mostly trainers, including many Chinese Nanchang CJ-6s, along with their distant cousins from the former USSR, the Yakovlev Yak-18s and Yak-52s.

Continuing on, we come to the Beech T-34s, along with the North American T-28s, of which there are many. Or at least it seems that way until we come to the next group, the many variants of the iconic T-6 Texan. The group of T-6 family members might not literally be too numerous to count, but good luck trying!

As we continue our journey, trainers give way to the big bodies: transports and bombers. Here you’ll find an eclectic mix of everything from Cessna UC-78s and Beech C-45s to A-26s, B-25s, and C-47s. Depending on the year, a Fairchild C-123 or maybe a flying boat, like a PBY or Grumman Albatross, will call this spot home for the week. At the east end of Warbirds, we enter the jet age. From the Lockheed T-33 and North American F-86, to Cold War spoils like the Soviet-era L-29 Delfin and L-39 Albatros trainers and MiG15 fighters, the variety is remarkable.

Moving on from the jets, as hard as that can be to do, you’ll find yourself immersed in naval aviation, walking among storied classics like F4F Wildcats, F4U Corsairs, TBM Avengers, and maybe a Dauntless or a Helldiver. At this point we’re heading back to the west and reaching an area known as Fightertown. This is where you can find a score or more of P-51 Mustangs, in addition to a Yak-9, a couple of P-40s, a P-38 or two, and potentially a Spitfire.

HOMEBUILTS

If we head south, we get to the airplanes that got EAA off the ground, so to speak: homebuilts. Starting on the west end of the area, there is a definite similarity to the North 40, with one key difference being that instead of being made by Cessna or Piper, they are airplanes built by EAA members themselves!

Across from homebuilt camping, you’ll see what you might think is an endless number of similar types: Van’s Aircraft RVs. Tucked in between the sea of RVs and homebuilt camping are the replica fighters. These folks are dedicated to building their

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRETT BROCK, CHRIS MILLER

Warbirds

Homebuilts

own slightly smaller versions of warbirds, from World War I stalwarts like the Nieuport 17 and Sopwith Pup, up through heavier iron like the P-51.

Zigzagging back to the east again takes us into homebuilt showplane parking, where hundreds of proud builders show off their prized projects. You’ll see a little bit or, in some cases, a lot of everything in this area. From early classics like Pietenpols and Baby Aces to high-end “fast glass” like Glasairs and Lancairs.

You’ll see Kitfoxes, Thorps, Stardusters, GlaStars, even a Dyke Delta or two. Then you’ll come to the canards, largely classic Burt Rutan designs like the VariEze and Long-EZ, but you’ll also spot some Cozys and Velocitys in there as well.

If a walk through Warbirds is a humbling history lesson, then a tour of the Homebuilts area is a monument to perseverance.

Anyone can build an airplane, but it takes a special blend of dedication, patience, support, and encouragement to see the project through to the finish.

We can help with the support piece; tucked in right next to Homebuilts is our forums and workshops area. If you want to learn to weld, rivet, work with fabric covering, or just about any other skill you might need to build your own aircraft, you can start learning right here.

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AROUND THE GROUNDS

MORE TO DO

BOEING PLAZA

Continuing south, we pass through the main exhibit area, home to most of the 800-plus exhibitors who travel from around the world to show off their latest aircraft, avionics, pilot supplies, you name it. Take a look at the control tower as we pass by, in particular the banner proclaiming it the world’s busiest. With as many as 3,000 aircraft movements per day, they’re not kidding. At the center of it all is the aptly named Celebration Way that runs from our Main Gate at the west to the area known as Boeing Plaza at the east end. This is where you’ll see C-5s and C-17s alongside an A320 or a 737, frontline jets like the F-22 and F-35, in addition to B-17s, a B-24, or B-29, among many others.

Boeing Plaza

Night Air Show AEROBATICS AND AIR SHOWS

Between the plaza and the flightline you’ll find Aerobatics, the home base of EAA’s International Aerobatic Club.

Wander through this area and you’ll see Pitts biplanes — from classic S-1s to the sturdy Model 12s with their 400-hp Russian-built radial engines. You’ll see those same big radials on Yak-54s and Yak-55s, alongside such other aerobatic mainstays as Extras, Decathlons, Christen Eagles, and more.

This general area also marks the main show center for the air shows that take place every afternoon — and on Wednesday and Saturday nights — at Oshkosh.

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+ Water-resistant Outer Shell with Hood

= Anti-pill Inner Fleece Layer

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BERNIE KOSZEWA, NICK MOORE

and of itself, with a staggering one-week population of more than 40,000 people. It’s a city that never sleeps, the kind of place where friendships are forged and rekindled year after year. If the fly-in itself is a family reunion, a stay in Camp Scholler is a trip back to your old hometown, even if you’ve never been here before.

THE EAA AVIATION MUSEUM

Camping CAMPING AND NIGHTLIFE

On the southern fringe of the plaza, you’ll come to the Theater in the Woods, home to hours of fascinating programming each evening, featuring notables and celebrities from all aspects of the aviation world. A bit farther west you’ll find the Fly-In Theater, a massive outdoor screen where we show a major motion picture every night. The Fly-In Theater, in turn, is adjacent to Camp Scholler, our on-site drive-in campground. Camp Scholler, like the fly-in itself, must be experienced to be understood. It officially opens about a month in advance, and quickly and steadily ramps up to become a city in

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARIANO ROSALES

If we were to double back to the northwest (nobody ever said this tour was going to be simple), we’d come to the EAA Aviation Museum and Pioneer Airport. This area is easy to miss, but don’t. The museum is home to more than 200 historic aircraft, including such rarities as the prototypes for the Taylor Aerocar, Van’s RV-1 and the Breezy, one of four XP-51s (the oldest P-51 in existence), and the remarkably sleek and retro-futuristic 1938 Bugatti 100P racer. Like AirVenture itself, the museum offers the chance to see a tremendous variety of aircraft, in addition to other supporting artifacts, interactive exhibits, and numerous forums and film presentations.

Facing the museum is Pioneer Airport, a grass airstrip with several period hangars that house another 40 of the museum’s display aircraft. We use this airstrip year-round to provide museum visitors with rides in vintage biplanes and to offer free rides to kids as part of the EAA Young Eagles program.

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AROUND THE GROUNDS

MORE TO DO

During the fly-in, part of Pioneer becomes a heliport, where we operate a fleet of vintage Bell 47 helicopters that take visitors on aerial tours of the grounds, and this is also where a number of visiting helicopters are parked.

The majority of Pioneer, however, is transformed into KidVenture, which, as the name makes clear, encourages children and teens to explore several areas of aviation, including flying and building aircraft, through hands-on activities, speakers, simulators, and demonstrations.

VINTAGE

Continuing south along our original track brings us to the next neighborhood: Vintage. This is a haven for those who love old airplanes, as the newest type you’ll see was built in 1970, and most of them are considerably older than that. Just as with Warbirds, Vintage is broadly grouped by type. As we head south, you’ll see the past grand champions on your left, toward the flightline.

These are airplanes that, after painstaking restorations, have been judged by meticulous experts to be the best in any given year. With past grand champions on your left, you’ll have Antiques on your right. By definition, these are the oldest of the old, constituting airplanes built

EAA Aviation Museum

before 1945. As you meander through these rows, you’ll see Staggerwings, Stinsons, Howards, and Cubs. There’ll be timelessly beautiful biplanes from companies like de Havilland, Travel Air, and Fleet, and gleaming examples of rarities like the Spartan Executive or a Harlow PJC-2.

Farther south, you’ll transition from Antiques to Classics — aircraft built between 1945 and 1955. This is where you’ll find the Aeronca Champs, Cessna 140s and 170s, Bellanca Cruisairs, and early Bonanzas. At this point, you’ll also see a number of twins, usually a stable of Beech 18s, oftentimes with a Lockheed Electra or two in the mix, and scores of Ercoupes all parked together,

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Enjoy the fun and camaraderie of aviation with like-minded people in your area

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Participate in aviation activities, such as fly-ins, building seminars, Young Eagles® rallies, and more

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Help build a stronger bond between aviation and your community

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Visit EAA.org/FindaChapter to get involved today.

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY CONNOR MADISON

Vintage

Ultralights

across from an especially (and justifiably) proud group of Cessna 195s in a well-marked area of their own.

Continuing south, there’s a loose and gradual transition from Classics to the newest of the old, the category known as Contemporary, for vintage aircraft built between 1956 and 1970. This area is home to a wide variety of types, including early Cessna 172s and 182s, some more Bonanzas, early Piper Cherokees, Mooneys, and more.

Like Warbirds, a trip through Vintage is a trip back in time; in this case, though, it’s one that celebrates the personal side of aviation history.

ULTRALIGHTS

The tour now finds us leaving Vintage and arriving in Ultralights, an area now known as the Fun Fly Zone. This area is an airport within an airport, with scores of aircraft operating off their own grass runway, essentially independent of the activity that is going on elsewhere. The area is an eclectic mix of types, displayed and flown by both private owners and commercial exhibitors. It’s home to Quicksilvers, Hummel Birds, Belites, Challengers, Mini-Maxes, and Legal Eagles, among many others. This area also hosts rotorcraft, including light helicopters like the Mosquito and Safari, as well as gyroplanes from companies like Magni and Calidus.

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY LYLE JANSMA, CONNOR MADISON

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AROUND THE GROUNDS

MORE TO DO

In the still hours shortly after sunrise and just before sunset, the runway is turned over to powered parachute and paraglider pilots. Watching these slowest of flying machines is a perfect example of the pure pleasures of flight, a gentle reminder that it doesn’t have to be complicated to be fun. In recent years, the grass runway has also hosted guests from the Valdez STOL competition in Alaska — a group of pilots flying modified Super Cubs and the like who measure their takeoff and landing distances in tens of feet, not hundreds.

THE SOUTH 40

Once we’ve left Ultralights, we continue south through an area of parking that’s set aside for amphibians — Seabees, Lakes, Caravans on floats, you name it. This is also where we’re going to catch a bus, but not yet.

Before we do that, we have to take a look through the South 40. As its name clearly suggests, this is the aircraft camping area that bookends the grounds at the opposite end from the North 40.

The airplanes you’ll see run the gamut of general aviation, so if you haven’t seen it elsewhere on the grounds, you’ll probably see it here. There’s a decidedly different feel to this area, however, and not just because the airplanes are older, or at least tend to be. It’s quieter, more peaceful, bordered not by a city street or lots of hangars and infrastructure, but by farmland and cornfields.

And speaking of peaceful, it’s time to double back and catch that bus for a trip to one of the best-kept secrets of the fly-in.

THE SEAPLANE BASE

South 40

We get off the bus after a short ride to the south and walk a few hundred yards along a grassy trail through a forest. Just about the time you start to wonder if this was a trick, you’ll step into a clearing that looks out across a well-sheltered lagoon that’s almost startlingly pretty. You can feel time slowing down as you walk the shoreline or take a boat tour of the lagoon, part of Lake Winnebago, that’s full of dozens of seaplanes, resting easily at anchor. You’ll see a wide range of types, from classic Piper Cubs to newer Cessna 206s, 1930s-era biplanes and burly de Havilland Beavers to homebuilt Coots and GlaStars. If it flies and floats, it’s welcome at the Seaplane Base, and so is anyone who wants to spend some time at this most serene corner of our annual fly-in and convention.

Our hypothetical tour would end with us getting back on the bus for the trip north to the main convention site, maybe to take in a movie or a forum presentation, visit with a new old friend in the campground, or just wander the rows some more, taking in as many more airplanes as we can while the light fades.

THE MAGIC OF OSHKOSH

Seaplane Base

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Many of us often have said that our annual fly-in, whether you know it as our convention, EAA AirVenture, or just plain Oshkosh, isn’t an event we create; it’s really just a party we host. The magic that is Oshkosh isn’t created here, but it is assembled here, by volunteers and attendees from around the world.

Because of this, the real story of EAA AirVenture Oshkosh is an entirely personal one — one that’s written during one week every year by hundreds of thousands of authors.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY WILL CAMPBELL, CONNOR MADISON

ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES DURING AIRVENTURE 2021 CATCH A RIDE

Even if you didn’t fly into EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, there are still ways to get up in the air while attending the World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration. Rides are available in EAA’s historic bomber and Tri-Motor, and you can see Oshkosh like you never have before from the seat of our Bell 47.

B-25: The B-25 Mitchell is a medium bomber that was used by American airmen to help win WWII. Flights on the B-25 leave from Appleton International Airport (ATW), which is roughly 25 miles north of Oshkosh. Shuttles are available from the AirVenture grounds to the check-in point. Tickets are available both in advance and at the walk-up booth in the Warbirds area, just north of Taxiway Papa 1. In addition, the Yankee Air Museum plans to offer rides on their B-17, Yankee Lady.

Tri-Motor: The Ford Tri-Motor was America’s first mass-produced airliner, and this gorgeous golden-age Ford flies proudly to this day. Flights leave from the AirVenture grounds Monday through Sunday, and tickets can be purchased in advance or at the Tri-Motor building, which is also located in the Warbirds area north of Taxiway Papa 1.

Bell 47: The Bell 47 is the first helicopter certified for civilian use and, with its full bubble canopy, offers unmatched visibility of all that happens around the grounds on a typical Oshkosh day. From the Sunday before AirVenture until the last day of the convention, tickets can be purchased at the Pitcairn Hangar at Pioneer Airport to take an unforgettable aerial tour of the Oshkosh grounds.

B-25 Ride

KIDVENTURE

EAA AirVenture Oshkosh is family friendly throughout the grounds, but AirVenture features a special area called KidVenture meant specifically to help introduce young people to aviation. This highly interactive area, located at Pioneer Airport, contains hands-on building and piloting activities that young people are sure to enjoy.

There’s more than just fun available at KidVenture, though.

It’s also a great learning opportunity. 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

FLY-IN THEATER

The AirVenture experience does not stop when the sun goes down. The Fly-In Theater, presented by Ford Motor Co., is the evolved form of the old drive-in movie theater.

Each night a different film is played for AirVenture attendees. The screenings are preceded by brief, informative, and entertaining introductions featuring a variety of presenters, including pilots, historians, and filmmakers.

Found in Camp Scholler just off Schaick Avenue, the Fly-In Theater shows movies at approximately 8:30 p.m. every night.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ART EICHMANN, CONNOR MADISON, CRAIG VANDER KOLK

Fly-In Theater

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AROUND THE GROUNDS

MORE TO DO

Theater in the Woods 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.

Presenters at Theater in the Woods offer something for everybody. Supported By Mars Wrigley, the open-air pavilion has seating for as many as 3,500 people (depending on social-distancing requirements that may be in place) 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

Aviation Gateway Park will look a little different this year than it has in previous years. It will be home to a number of companies that would normally exhibit in Hangars A-D in an effort to better enable social distancing in the indoor exhibit areas. The area will remain as your headquarters for aviation education as well as careers, offering you the ability to network with partners in the aviation community.

As part of the social distancing and coronavirus-prevention efforts at AirVenture this year, adjustments have been made to indoor Exhibit Hangars A, B, C, and D that allow for wider aisles and better ventilation in these areas. To accommodate companies affected by these changes and any new companies applying to exhibit, EAA has repurposed three of the air-conditioned tents in Aviation Gateway Park for additional indoor exhibit space for 2021 only.

Warbirds Tram Tour

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Aviation Gateway Park

Those tents will be known in descriptions and maps as Exhibit Hangars E, F, and G and will offer a variety of companies showcasing their products or services that they would have normally displayed in Hangars A, B, C, and D. WARBIRDS TRAM TOUR

The Warbirds Tram Tour is a daily guided tour that runs every half-hour from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Saturday during AirVenture. The tour provides riders with a narrated journey through the 12 zones contained in the Warbirds area.

The popularity of the tram tour has soared each year, so a third train will be added to accommodate more riders this year. As part of the tour, riders get a scavenger-hunt card that sends them through the area, looking for different warbirds and meeting some of their owners and operators.

AEROMART

Those in search of specific or hard-to-find aircraft parts should 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. It’s also a great place to sell that spare part you’ve had lying 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.

Aeromart

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ART EICHMANN, ANDREW ZABACK

Presented by

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! Relax and unwind while watching blockbuster and classic aviation movies on a five-story high screen.

SATURDAY JULY 24 Top Gun (8:30 p.m.)

WEDNESDAY JULY 28 Disney Planes (8:30 p.m.)

Now Showing SUNDAY JULY 25 Artistry in the Air:

The Story of the Younkin Family

Flying Boat Red Horizon (8:30 p.m.)

THURSDAY JULY 29 Return to the Big Skies: The Story of Miss Montana

Into Flight Once More (8:30 p.m.)

MONDAY JULY 26 Tora! Tora! Tora!

(8:30 p.m.)

TUESDAY JULY 27 30 Seconds Over Tokyo (8:30 p.m.)

FRIDAY JULY 30 Midway (2019) (8:30 p.m.)

SATURDAY JULY 31 Up (8:30 p.m.)

ON WITH THE SHOW CIVILIAN PERFORMERS AT AIRVENTURE 2021

EACH AFTERNOON DURING EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, crowds gather along the flightline to watch a daily air show unlike any other. This year’s lineup will not disappoint with its variety of aerobatic performers, the latest innovations, and flying examples of rare and unique types. 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!

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JEFF BOERBOON Yak-110

PHOTOGRAPHY BY SCOTT SLOCUM

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CIVILIAN AIR SHOW PERFORMERS

AIRVENTURE 2021

AIRYTHMIA Paramotors

AEROSHELL AEROBATIC TEAM North American AT-6 Texan

RED BULL AIR FORCE Parachute Team

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MÉLANIE ASTLES Extra 330SC

AARON FITZGERALD Red Bull Helicopter

PHOTOGRAPHY BY DEKEVIN THORNTON, PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF RED BULL

BOB CARLTON Super Salto Jet Sailplane and SubSonex Microjet

VICKY BENZING Boeing Stearman

KEVIN COLEMAN Extra 300 SHP

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ART EICHMANN, DEKEVIN THORNTON, PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF RAD AEROSPORTS

KIRBY CHAMBLISS Edge 540

DELL COLLER The Jet Waco

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CIVILIAN AIR SHOW PERFORMERS

AIRVENTURE 2021

KYLE FOWLER Rutan Long-EZ

ERIK EDGREN Clipped Wing Taylorcraft, T-Clips

CLASS OF ‘45 P-51 Mustang, F4U Corsair

Let your dreams take flight Take advantage of EAA’s Finance Solutions and make your aviation dreams a reality. > > >

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Learn more at EAA.org/Finance

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY MICHAEL STEINEKE, AL SAUER

MIKE GOULIAN Extra 330SC

GEICO SKYTYPERS North American SNJ-2

NATHAN HAMMOND Super Chipmunk

VISIT US AT BOOTH #463

You Could Win This Plane Join, Renew, or Donate for a chance to win the AOPA Grumman Tiger Sweepstakes Grand Prize or any one of the 99 additional prizes. aopa.org/sweeps

A PURCHASE OR CONTRIBUTION WILL NOT IMPROVE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. The “AOPA Sweepstakes” is open only to legal residents of the 50 United States & District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Canada (excluding residents of the Province of Quebec), age 19 years or older (or at least the age of majority as legally mandated by the entrant’s jurisdiction of residence) at date of entry. Grand Prize winner must be certificated by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration as a Student, Recreational, Sport, Private, Commercial or Airline Transport pilot as of 5/20/22.

A current medical is not required. Sweepstakes begins at 9:00 AM Eastern Time (“ET”) on 11/17/20 and ends at 11:59 PM ET on 5/20/22. To enter and view complete Official Rules, including alternate method(s) of entry, visit www.aopa.org/sweeps. Void outside of the aforementioned geographic areas and where prohibited by law. Sponsor: Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. NOTE: Contributions or gifts to AOPA are not deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes. Contributions to AOPA are not deductible as ordinary and necessary business expenses.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY SPENCER THORNTON, CAMDEN THRASHER

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CIVILIAN AIR SHOW PERFORMERS

AIRVENTURE 2021

JERRY KERBY North American T-28 Trojan

ROB HOLLAND MXS-RH

STEVE HINTON P-38 Lightning

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JUSTIN LEWIS FLS Microjet

JEFF SHETTERLY SNJ-6, Radial Rumble

PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEVE SERDIKOFF, JIM KOEPNICK

JIM PEITZ Beechcraft F33C Bonanza

DAVID MARTIN Beechcraft Baron

REDLINE AIR SHOWS Van’s RV-8 and Extra 330

Can't Get Enough?

Keep the history of yesterday’s aircraft alive.

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 Visit us at the VAA membership booth near the northeast corner of the Red Barn at Vintage Village.

EAAVINTAGE.ORG

PHOTOGRAPHY BY SPENCER THORNTON, PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF RED LINE AIRSHOWS

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!”

Join or renew at Warbirds-EAA.org or stop by the Warbirds HQ during AirVenture.

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CIVILIAN AIR SHOW PERFORMERS

AIRVENTURE 2021

BILL STEIN Zivko Edge 540

JOE SHETTERLY Van’s RV-8

PATTY WAGSTAFF Extra 330LX

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PHILIPP STEINBACH GameBird GB1

LEE LAUDERBACK P-51 Mustang

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ERIN BRUEGGEN, ART EICHMANN, CONNOR MADISON

SKIP STEWART Pitts S-2S, Prometheus

ERIC TUCKER Piper J-3 Cub

ROLL WITH US Join Today IAC.org/Join MATT YOUNKIN Twin Beech 18

PHOTOGRAPHY BY TYSON RININGER

SHOP OUR MERCHANDISE AT EAA.ORG/SHOPIAC

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AD INDEX

ADVERTISERS IN THIS ISSUE

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

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

Airbus................................................................................42,43

Sporty’s Pilot Shop..........................................................29, 57

Aircraft Spec Services..........................................................47

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

Aircraft Spruce1/far forward............................................ 1, 59

Textron Aviation...............................................................64,65

ALPA.................................................................................... 101

Wipaire..................................................................................95

AOPA............................................................................ 103, 125 Aspen Avionics......................................................................91

EAA AeroEducate.................................................................81

Boeing.............................................................................. 12, 13

EAA Aircraft Raffle...............................................................90

Collins Aerospace..................................................................79 Daher................................................................................54, 55 David Clark............................................................................IFC Dynon.....................................................................................67 Embry-Riddle.........................................................................70 Ford..........................................................................5, 9, 76, 77 Garmin.................................................................................OBC Honda Aircraft.......................................................................33 Icom........................................................................................69 John Deere.......................................................................... IBC Lightspeed............................................................................. 71 Lycoming................................................................................25 Mars.......................................................................................39 Miller Clock............................................................................75 Motorola................................................................................97

EAA Blue Barn.......................................................................88 EAA Chapters...................................................................... 114 EAA Falcon Insurance......................................................... 115 EAA Finance........................................................................ 124 EAA Flight Experiences.........................................................96 EAA Fly-In Theater.............................................................. 119 EAA Forums & Workshops.................................................109 EAA International Aerobatic Club...................................... 129 EAA Insurance Thank You.....................................................87 EAA Lifetime Membership................................................. 112 EAA Membership.................................................................. 74 EAA Merchandise.................................................................99 EAA Mobile App....................................................................28 EAA Sponsor Thank You....................................................... 17

NATCA...................................................................................89

EAA SportAir Online.............................................................84

Pepsi..................................................................................... 107

EAA Tribute Products..........................................................100

Phillips 66............................................................................... 51

EAA Vintage Aircraft Association...................................... 127

Piper Aircraft.........................................................................73

EAA Warbirds...................................................................... 127

Pratt & Whitney....................................................................85

EAA Young Eagles............................................................... 130

Redbird...................................................................................83

EAA Young Eagles Flight Plan..............................................82

SolidWorks.......................................................................... 113

EAA Young Eagles Raffle Car.............................................106

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UNTIL NEXT YEAR

JULY 25-31, 2022

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY CONNOR MADISON

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