ROCKING YOUR WINGS, and landing on the dot. Powered parachutes drifting gently overhead. The taut fabric of a biplane’s wings glistening with dew at dawn. The proud lines of an airplane born not in a factory but in a family garage. Afterburners shattering the sky with the thunder of modern military might. Classic fighters weaving a symphony of Merlin music and radial rumbles in honor of those giants on whose shoulders we all stand. A century of airships celebrated, and lost friends
fondly remembered. Corkscrews of smoke oil, and black sky turned brilliant with fire. Souvenirs bought, and swag collected. Tireless volunteers appreciated, grounds picked clean of trash, storms respected and weathered. Morning doughnuts, soft serve ice cream, burgers, brats, and cheese curd tacos, popcorn and a movie under the stars. Perhaps most importantly, finding or refreshing friendships in the world’s most consistently reliable sea of serendipity.
As we close out the week, it’s impossible not to reflect on what seven days and 1,400 acres of Wisconsin have brought,
and meant. This particular slice of time and geography is known by a litany of names — AirVenture, convention, the flyin, aviation’s family reunion, the World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration, or, to most of the world, simply Oshkosh. Some people wax a bit more literary, naming it after some fictional paradise like Brigadoon, Shangri-La, Galt’s Gulch, or maybe the land of Oz. None of these are incorrect, but none of them completely capture it, either. And that’s okay, because it can’t be captured; it can only be experienced. Trying to describe Oshkosh to someone
who’s never been is like trying to explain happiness to a ham sandwich, or Bach to a brick. Today, the shimmering vision of whatever all of this is to you recedes into memory, and the population of this city of great myth gently scatters back to their other homes. As you emigrate, across the state or across an ocean, try to take a bit of that feeling with you, like a shiny shard of a broken mirror that can always and only be reassembled in Wisconsin in late July. If someone asks what it was like, you can try to describe it — but the only truly right answer is “see for yourself.”
EAA.ORG
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANDREW ZABACK
TOP STORY
NEWS & INFO
2025 AirVenture Lindy Awards Announced
HUNDREDS OF GORGEOUS, striking airplanes arrive at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh each and every year in hopes of winning a Lindy Award. Few aircraft, in comparison to how many arrive, come away with any sort of award. Fewer still come away with a Lindy.
Awards are given out across six categories: Homebuilts, Warbirds, Vintage, Rotorcraft, Ultralights, and Seaplanes. Entrants can be considered for only one category in a given year, and are not eligible for the
HOMEBUILTS
Kit Outstanding Workmanship
Plans Outstanding Workmanship
Kit Champions
same or any lower-tier awards if they have won in the past.
Looks are considered in award judging, but the quality of craftsmanship inherent in the aircraft is a crucial factor as well. Careful construction and/or restoration, as well as tireless maintenance, is essential in winning a Lindy.
With all of that said, congratulations to all the 2025 award winners!
Joe Lehrer Prior Lake, Minnesota Kitfox Series 7 N636TT
Dan Ruehl Fort Myers, Florida Van’s RV-14 N390DR
Ryan Pfister Spring, Texas Glasair Sportsman 2+2 N613VC
David Conrad Wausau, Wisconsin Wittman Legacy N454WL
Michael Karaszewski Pensacola,
Correction: The photograph of the Travel Air D-4000 on the cover of yesterday’s newspaper was taken by Brittany Elise, not Jim Roberts. We regret the error. – Ed.
PUBLISHER: Jack J. Pelton, EAA CEO & Chairman of the Board
VICE PRESIDENT OF PUBLICATIONS, MEMBERSHIP SERVICES, RETAIL, SAFETY AND SECURITY, AND EDITOR IN CHIEF: Jim Busha
MANAGING EDITOR: Hal Bryan
SENIOR EDITOR: Sam Oleson
EDITORIAL STAFF: Robbie Culver, Emme Hornung, Jim Roberts, Barbara A. Schmitz
SENIOR COPY EDITOR: Colleen Walsh
COPY EDITOR: Kyiah Nelson
PHOTOGRAPHER: Kaitlin Piette
PUBLICATIONS INTERN: Angela Satterlee
PRINT PRODUCTION TEAM LEAD/GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Marie Rayome-Gill
Grand Champion Gold Wrench: Fighter Air Legends Foundation San Antonio, TexasLockheed C-121A ConstellationN422NA Rebuilders and Aerometal International
Grand ChampionGold Wrench: Midwest Steuart Walton Bentonville, ArkansasNorth American P-51D MustangN151JT Aero Restorations
Grand Champion Gold Wrench: Ezell Aviation Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum
WashingtonLockheed P-38J LightningN988J Reserve Grand ChampionGold Wrench: Mark & Missy TimkenGainesville, FloridaNorth American P-51D MustangNL551WR Midwest Aero Restorations
OSHKOSH MOMENTS
From Argentina to AirVenture and Back
Father and son fly to Oshkosh in Sling 2
BY BARBARA A. SCHMITZ AIRVENTURE TODAY STAFF
AS SOON AS EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2024 was over, Daniel Giuliani and his son Valentino decided they would come back in 2025. But for the first time, they would fly in their own aircraft from Rafaela, Argentina, to the United States.
The two did just that, arriving in Oshkosh on July 19 and camping under their airplane’s wing. Valentino said the trip was so much fun that they have already decided to do it again next year.
Planning for the trip started almost as soon as they returned home in 2024, he said. They had to figure out their route, determine fuel stops and which countries were safe to fly in, come up with emergency plans, and more. They made no changes to their airplane, which has a Rotax 912 ULS 100-hp engine and Garmin avionics. But they did bring a life raft and flotation devices since they flew over water for 18 hours with three stops in between, he said.
They departed their home in Argentina on June 30, flying about five hours a day and arriving in Florida in eight days. The two then spent about two weeks flying around the United States. They flew to Minnesota for a wedding and to New York to fly the Hudson River and over the Statue of Liberty.
“My dad has been to AirVenture about 10 times, and this is my fifth trip,” Valentino said. “I love the air show and Oshkosh. Flying here in our own plane has been a dream since I was a kid. It was my dad’s dream, too.”
Daniel, 54, is a CFI who has been flying about 30 years and has logged about 2,150 hours in the air, while Valentino, 21, is a private pilot who has been flying for about three years and logged 500 hours.
They flew over the Amazon in Brazil. “There were four hours with no radio communication, and no roads or cities,” he said.
They ran into some storms and heavy winds, and their longest leg of the flight was 6.2 hours from St. Martin to the Bahamas.
Yet they didn’t have any mechanical issues. The hardest thing about the trip was the paperwork in Brazil, Valentino said, as well as the storms they encountered.
“The trip was an amazing experience,” Valentino said. “We met new friends in every country we stopped. People were friendly and wanted to help us with everything we needed. In many places people even gave us gifts, such as a T-shirt or mug.”
By the time they get back home, they will have flown approximately 14,000 nm and used about 635 gallons of fuel, Valentino said.
One thing Valentino said he learned from this trip is to be more meticulous about the weather and thus, be better prepared for it. “We had to deviate our route, but we were never grounded due to the weather,” he said.
They plan to depart Wittman Regional Airport today and should arrive back home about August 15.
“Flying here in our own plane has been a dream since I was a kid. It was my dad’s dream, too.”
— Valentino Giuliani
“The trip was an amazing experience. We met new friends in every country we stopped. People were friendly and wanted to help us with everything we needed. In many places people even gave us gifts, such as a T-shirt or mug.”
— Valentino Giuliani
Father and son duo Daniel and Valentino Giuliani arrived in Oshkosh on July 19, flying from their home in Argentina in their Sling 2. PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF VALENTINO GIULIANI
The Giulianis fly around the Statue of Liberty in New York before arriving in Oshkosh.
The Giulianis fly over the Bahamas on their way to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh.
NEW ADVENTURES. NEW HEIGHTS.
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Teen Cousins Grant and Abby Fly Their Grandfather’s Stearman to Oshkosh
BY ANGELA SATTERLEE AIRVENTURE TODAY STAFF
AT JUST 18 years old, cousins Grant, EAA
Lifetime 1507620, and Abby Keller are two of the youngest members of EAA Chapter 384, and they’ve already made their mark by flying a rebuilt PT-17 Stearman biplane to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh from their home in Brighton, Michigan, a more than 250-mile trip. Last year marked their first arrival in Oshkosh by plane, and this year, Grant and Abby returned once again as a team.
This year’s trip to Oshkosh was smoother than their first. “Last year we stopped like five times in a couple days per the weather,” Abby said. “But here we got a very nice tailwind [and we made] over a hundred knots. We were freezing over Chicago this time … but it definitely took less time.”
Their shared love for aviation began with their grandfather, who introduced them both to flying at a young age. In 2001 their grandfather bought the airplane and worked with some hired help in Missouri to put it back together, painting it in a bright blue and yellow color scheme with an iconic red and white striped tail.
For Grant, the spark was immediate. “I was 8 years old when my grandpa first took me up in this PT-17 Stearman,” he said. “And ever since then I loved it. [I loved] the thrill of it, open cockpit, everything. I just wanted to go up again.” Week after week, Grant begged for flights with his grandfather until he was finally old enough to solo at 16 and earn his pilot certificate at 17.
Abby’s introduction to flying came through the same family influence. “When we were both younger, we’d fly to our cabin or go to a water park with our little Piper Cherokee,” she said. “So that definitely is what drove it forward.”
Both Grant and Abby say flying gives them a sense of freedom and purpose. “I love being up in the air. It just feels so free,” Grant said.
Abby finds joy in the peaceful parts of flying, and she said she prefers to keep her flights smooth. “I like the crosscountries and looking at all the nature and everything underneath,” she said. “I do not like any maneuvers, any spins, anything like that.”
While Grant earned his certificate quickly, Abby’s journey was more challenging. “I struggled with confidence,” she explained. “I soloed about six months in, and then a year and a half later I tried to get my license. … I did not pass. That definitely took a hit in my confidence.”
But she didn’t give up. “I kind of took that challenge the next day, and three months later I passed in December,” she said proudly. Now she’s working on tailwheel training after earning her high-performance endorsement earlier this year.
Being young pilots in a field often dominated by older generations makes
them stand out, especially when they climb out of a biplane. People will stop and stare and ask, “Who’s flying that?” And then they hop out.
But for Grant and Abby, flying isn’t just a hobby — it’s family, freedom, and the thrill of doing something not many 18-year-olds can say they’ve done.
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF RON STONEWALL
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANGELA SATTERLEE
HOMEBUILTS
SONEX HIGHWING
BY ROBBIE CULVER AIRVENTURE TODAY STAFF
SONEX AIRCRAFT SUCCESSFULLY flew its new high-wing aircraft just before EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2025 and is taking orders for kits. Prices are $39,000 for the complete airframe kit and $55,000 for the quick-build kit, with a tri-gear option for $1,250. Subkits are also available.
Sonex is starting construction on the tricycle-gear version in late August or September, and it will have direct nosewheel steering.
Company owner Mark Schaible said, “We didn’t set out to build a bushplane. It’s meant to be aerobatic and fast, just like a Sonex. People compared it to a Wittman Tailwind, which I think is a compliment.
“A big part of it for us is the accessibility,” he said. “It’s low to the ground like a Sonex. It’s like getting in and out of your car. Especially if you have the stick in the middle of the fuselage. And of course, with the removable sticks you can get in the airplane and then put the stick in.”
That’s good news for people with any kind of mobility issues. “I had a guy here [at AirVenture] in a wheelchair, and he wants a taildragger you can do aerobatics in,” Mark said, “so I’ve already started emailing him about what hand controls would he want
and how would it work best for him. Obviously, this is not a quick thing to figure out.”
After three test flights, some of the performance data has been posted on the company’s website. Stall speeds are 53.9 mph with no flaps and 46.26 mph at 30 degrees of flaps. Climb rate solo with aerobatic tips — the short wingspan configuration — has been 1,475 fpm at 95 mph and 2745 rpm. According to Sonex, the Sensenich propeller currently installed on the aircraft “could use a couple more inches of pitch.” The wide-open throttle (WOT) static rpm range with the aircraft tied down is 2700-2750, and the current data shows 2790 rpm. Sonex is working with Sensenich and ULPower Aero Engines to get this dialed in, and it expects level flight speeds to increase with a repitched propeller.
It cruises at 150 mph indicated airspeed (IAS) at 2,500 feet and 2800 rpm and has a top speed of 160 mph IAS at 2,700 feet and 3000 rpm.
The earliest quick-build kits will ship in spring or early summer of 2026, and later serial numbers will likely ship in 2027.
See SonexAircraft.com for additional information.
“We didn’t set out to build a bushplane. It’s meant to be aerobatic and fast, just like a Sonex. People compared it to a Wittman Tailwind, which I think is a compliment.”
— Mark Schaible
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF SONEX
HERE SINCE DAY ONE
EAA member No. 15
BY EMME HORNUNG AIRVENTURE TODAY STAFF
BEFORE EAA BECAME EAA in 1953, it was just founder Paul Poberezny and a small group of homebuilding enthusiasts who would informally get together, often at the local auto garage owned by Carl Schultz, EAA 2. (Naturally, that auto garage also served as an airplane workshop for Carl.) One of Carl’s young employees, Ron Vandenboom, would help with the aircraft build every now and then. Ron was even there the night the EAA bylaws were written in Carl’s kitchen — the night Ron became EAA 15. Ron enjoyed a close relationship with the Pobereznys and other founding members. He helped the new organization by picking up issues of The Experimenter,
EAA’s first publication, from the house of Bob Nolinksi, EAA 3, and dropping them o at the post o ce. Paul even gave him a good deal on Audrey’s 1941 Chevy Coupe. When Ron turned 18, Paul recruited him into the 128th Fighter Squadron in the Air National Guard. The two stayed in touch over the years, especially through their shared love of polka music — Ron would send Paul cassettes and CDs of his latest polka tracks he recorded.
EAA is well past the days of writing bylaws and publications in the personal homes of its founders, yet Ron has been there since day one watching it grow into the international community it is now. He’s even become somewhat of an EAA
when he’s at AirVenture with his baseball cap proudly announcing his two-digit member number. (The admissions gate volunteers go wild when he arrives.) He spends his time here soaking it all in with his family and enjoying the sounds and sights of the aircraft, especially the P-51s.
While a lot has changed since 1953, Ron’s enthusiasm for aviation and EAA has remained the same. And whether you’ve been here since day one like Ron or you only just became a member today, you are part of the EAA family. To Ron and the rest of our family, we hope you enjoyed this year’s family reunion.
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PHOTOGRAPHY BY KAITLIN PIETTE
OSHKOSH MOMENTS
PHOTOGRAPHY BY KAITLIN PIETTE
HOMEBUILTS
CubCrafters Introduces XCub and NXCub E-AB Kits
BY EAA/CUBCRAFTERS
CUBCRAFTERS ANNOUNCED THIS week that the XCub and the NXCub (the nosewheel version of the XCub) are now available as experimental amateur-built (E-AB) kits for the first time. The new kits bring the same features and performance found in the FAA-certified versions of the XCub and NXCub.
“O ering the XCub and NXCub in kit form is a milestone for both our company and the homebuilding community,” said Patrick Horgan, president of CubCrafters. “These kits represent more than just a set of parts; they are 15 years of refinement, field experience, evolution built in from the start.”
The introduction of the XCub and NXCub to CubCrafters’s experimental kit lineup reflects the growing demand from experienced builders who want more than just a project — they want an aircraft that can go the distance, reach the most remote airstrips, and perform with confidence in rugged environments. Highlights of the new kits include:
• Tailwheel (XCub) or tricycle (NXCub) gear — interchangeable
• Gross weight of 2,300 pounds, with useful loads exceeding 1,000 pounds
• Panel configurations from basic VFR to IFR-capable full-glass cockpit
• Comprehensive builder support, including a brand-new digital manual with video guidance providing a whole new kind of build experience
“We’ve had builders asking for an XCub kit for years, and we’re proud to finally make it happen,” said Brad Damm,
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Our global network includes more than 700 flight training and service partners around the globe to keep you and your Cirrus aircraft flying with confidence throughout a lifetime of ownership.
For more on the original XCub, see “XCub Exposed” in the September 2016 issue of EAA Sport Aviation magazine.
vice president of CubCrafters. “This is a big moment, not just for us, but for every homebuilder who’s dreamed of building a truly modern, high-performance backcountry airplane.”
EAA AirVenture attendees have had the opportunity this week to get the first look at the new XCub kit on display at Booth No. 273/274, alongside the debut of the first completed kit-built NXCub, finished in CubCrafters’ new livery.
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF CUBCRAFTERS
ADVOCACY & SAFETY
Reps. Sam Graves and Troy Nehls Headline Congressional Town Hall
STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY RAUL CISNEROS
EAA HOSTED U.S. Rep. Sam Graves (R-Missouri) and U.S. Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Texas) during a Congressional Town Hall and wide-ranging panel discussion on Saturday morning during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2025 at Forum Stage 4. Graves chairs the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and Nehls chairs the Aviation Subcommittee.
Joining Graves and Nehls on the stage were EAA CEO & Chairman of the Board Jack J. Pelton; President and CEO Darren Pleasance of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA); Cade Clark, chief government a airs o cer of Vertical Aviation International (VAI); Paul Feldman, vice president of government affairs for the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA); and Kristie Greco Johnson, senior vice president for government affairs for the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA).
In his opening remarks, Graves spoke about the $12.5 billion Congress down payment for air traffic control
modernization, with changes from copper to fiber lines and other improvements. Regarding the FAA reauthorization bill, which Congress passed last year, he said, “Some of the big wins were GA’s; [it was the] first time we ever had a GA title, which is a section of the bill and included all the GA provisions in there.”
In his initial comment, Nehls talked about the importance of modernizing the national airspace system (NAS). “We are bringing in the different stakeholders and industry to hold monthly meetings,” he said, adding that he seeks to learn what modernization means and looks like to them.
Pelton reflected on Graves’s work on behalf of general aviation, and his understanding of issues important to the GA community. “[He is] one of us,” he said. “He’s done a lot for us in the House.”
Association representatives were invited to provide their perspectives during the panel discussion. Pleasance addressed the concern about using ADS-B for nonsafety purposes, such as for
landing fee collection. Clark was concerned about airspace access being shut down for helicopters. Feldman addressed the importance of enhancing innovation and safety from a manufacturing perspective. Greco Johnson spoke about the importance of strengthening flight security in the age of flight tracking.
The panelists spoke positively of the MOSAIC (Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification) rule announced on Tuesday. “I think it’s the most signification regulatory bill in general aviation over the last 75 years,” Pelton said.
During the town hall, attendees were given the opportunity to pose questions to the panelists.
Graves mentioned that he’s attended AirVenture for the past three decades, and he continues to serve on the board of directors of EAA Warbirds of America, which is dedicated to the preservation of historic military aircraft. Nehls has also attended AirVenture in the past.
FORUM SCHEDULE
SUPERIOR ENGINE FORUMS
Superior Air Parts AirVenture 2025 Forum Presentation Schedule
MONDAY
10:00am Basic Engine Inspections & Trend Monitoring That Owners Can Perform
TUESDAY
10:00am Engine Leaning Made Simple
8:00am Setting Piston Ring Gap & Cylinder Life
WEDNESDAY
10:00am Communicating Effectively with your Aircraft Mechanic
THURSDAY
10:00am Aircraft Engine Compression Testing
FRIDAY
10:00am Engine at or Beyond TBO, What should you do?
SATURDAY
10:00am Basic Engine Inspections & Trend Monitoring That Owners Can Perform
Five Make-A-Wish children had the opportunity to take a flight with their families in EAA’s Ford Tri-Motor during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2025. PHOTOGRAPHY
THE DYNAMIC DYER
Civil rights protégé recalls his career
supplies last.
STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY
BY BARBARA A. SCHMITZ AIRVENTURE TODAY STAFF
JOHN DYER SAID he is a protégé of the Civil Rights Movement. Born in Atlanta in 1949, he remembers Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. Even though he was just 11 then, he also had a dream — to fly airplanes.
“I was told all I had to do is stay in school because in America you can be what you want to be,” said John, now 76, of Spring, Texas.
So he finished high school, went to college for music education, and joined the ROTC program. After graduating he was commissioned in the U.S. Air Force and started flight school in 1971.
top of his class, becoming the first Black T-38 instructor at Reese Air Force Base near Lubbock, Texas, John said. And in the three years he was there, he’s proud to add that he didn’t lose a student.
However, the Air Force’s recruiting service learned about him when he was working as a pilot instructor in San Antonio.
“They said we need minorities, and all of a sudden, I was their poster guy,” John said. In 1973, his picture was on TV, in print, and on billboards.
About that time, the Vietnam War was winding down, and John said he had a commander who wasn’t happy about the recruitment work. So they announced a RIF, or reduction in force, and John became the only one to lose his job.
After that, John decided to leave the military. He joked that he is an “ex-Con” as he worked for Continental Airlines for six years before it shut down, and then he moved to FedEx, where he stayed until retiring in 2009.
His most recent achievement is earning the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award from the FAA in November 2022. The award recognizes pilots who have practiced safe flight operations continuously for 50 or more years during the course of their aviation careers.
John has logged about 21,000 hours in the air, and today he flies three airplanes: a 1969 Ted Smith Aerostar, a 1980 Piper Aerostar, and a 1966 Cessna 172. He flew the Piper into AirVenture and is parked and is camping in the North 40.
“I called the people in recruiting, told them to stop the campaign, and I was reinstated two weeks later,” he said.
“The Tuskegee Airmen are famous for proving that Black people could fly,” he said, “but I was the only Black person in my class of ’76. It was the hardest program I’ve ever been through, but I was pretty motivated to fly.”
After he finished flight school, he went to flight instructor school and graduated
Next, he worked with the 89th Airlift Wing, which provides global Special Air Mission (SAM) airlift, logistics, aerial transport, and communications for the president, vice president, combatant commanders, senior leaders, and others.
The key to being a safe pilot is all about having the right mindset, he said. “You need a low tolerance for errors. You can’t become complacent and must always be looking for a place to land when in the air. The key is being diligent and not being tolerant of imperfection.”
Many days during AirVenture you’ll find John volunteering with EAA’s Lost and Found. A Lifetime EAA member, he has played jazz all over the world, as well as with the Flying Musicians Association, Inc. in Oshkosh. In addition, he has played taps during EAA’s Sunday memorial service for years.
He said he comes to AirVenture for the people as much as the planes. And while he has rented homes and stayed in hotels and dormitories, John said the best way to get the Oshkosh experience is to camp under the wing of your airplane.
“You just miss so much otherwise,” he said. “When you’re sleeping under the plane you can go to the late-evening events without worrying how to get out. AirVenture is really a good name [for the fly-in convention]. It’s just an adventure.”
OSHKOSH MOMENTS
John Dyer flew into Oshkosh with his 1980 Piper Aerostar, parked in the North 40.
Longtime EAA member and aviation legend Clay Lacy with five University of North Dakota students who work as counselors at EAA’s Air Academy through Clay Lacy Foundation scholarships. PHOTOGRAPHY
Santa Makes AirVenture ‘The Most Wonderful Time of the Year’
STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY
BY BARBARA A. SCHMITZ AIRVENTURE TODAY STAFF
FOR KEITH MILLER, it’s the most wonderful time of the year. And the people who see him are likely thinking that, too.
After all, what could be better than seeing Santa Claus in July during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh?
You’ll find Keith, known better as Santa Claus, volunteering on the EAA trams as a driver or moderator every day of AirVenture. And if he’s there, you’ll hear people shouting “Merry
Santa has been volunteering with trams since 2017 and usually wears a Santa hat and name tag that simply reads “S. Claus.”
Christmas!” or “It’s Santa Claus!” You’ll also see little ones smiling or pointing in excitement, like they can’t believe what they are seeing.
Santa has been volunteering with trams since 2017 and usually wears a Santa hat and name tag that simply reads “S. Claus.”
“If I’m going to look like this,” he said, pointing to his beard, “why not?”
“The last time I shaved was September 8, 1984, two days before I got out of the Army,” he said. “My wife has only seen my chin in pictures.”
Back home in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Keith is also known as Santa. It started when a young girl, now 21, told him he was Santa. “I told her I wasn’t,” he recalled. “But she said, ‘The beard, the belly … yes, you’re Santa.’”
So he decided to play the part. Dressed in his Santa suit, he hands out
gift bags for employees’ children at a local bar and restaurant they frequent. Last year, he also helped out a doggie rescue fundraiser in his suit. While he doesn’t bring his Santa suit to Oshkosh, the beard makes it clear that he is, indeed, the real thing.
He seldom tells Santa stories on board the EAA trams. “One is definitely a pilot joke, but it’s a little dark,” he said. Sometimes children will tell him what they want for Christmas. One man said he’d like a P-51 Mustang, but Santa explained to him that no one is that good.
A pilot who flies a Piper Aero, Keith said he plays Santa because he likes to make people smile. “You can tell when someone notices. Even if it’s the end of the day and they’re tired from a day in the field, they see me driving along and they start smiling and laughing.”
Keith Miller is used to the smiles, cheers, and comments when he wears his Santa hat while driving or moderating on EAA’s trams.
AROUND THE GROUNDS
Have a Seat!
STORY AND
PHOTOGRAPHY
BY BARBARA A. SCHMITZ AIRVENTURE TODAY STAFF
IT STARTED IN about 2018 with a simple concept: Have EAA chapters build chairs for EAA AirVenture Oshkosh that give chapter members and others a place to sit down, relax, meet. and exchange ideas.
EAA Young Eagles Chairman Ted Kirkpatrick, EAA 142682, of Marquette, Michigan, who is celebrating his 40th year as an AirVenture volunteer, created the first chair as a prototype that year, and three other chapter chairs soon arrived. But the e ort grew exponentially from there as more chapters joined the e ort. This year there are 51 chairs — some child-sized, lots of mediums, and one that is extra large. They come as just chairs, or with tables and footrests in many colors and designs.
Ted’s chair has an interesting history. “We have a tree farm and a little bit of a cedar swamp,” he says. “So I went back into the swamp and cut down a tree.” He made the log into cedar boards, which were then made into the chair.
“We really wanted to receive chapter involvement,” Ted said, “and thought there was no better way to do that than
have the chapters create something that they could come back and see every year.”
Ted says they give chapters basic plans to build their chair, but not every chapter follows the plan. Instead, they come up with things that are specific to their geographic region. The Keene, New Hampshire, chapter chair, for example, is made from skis as it is a skiing community.
There are no plans to stop having chapters build the chairs, Ted says. If they get too many for the Blue Barn location, there are many places on the AirVenture grounds that chairs could be distributed to, such as the Chapters Pavilion in Camp Scholler.
Ted jokes that he’s become the “chair man.” That means he’s the one people contact when they drive in with a chair and need help getting it to the Blue Barn. “If they bring them in their car, we take a golf cart to pick them up. If they bring them in parts in their airplane, we bring the tools to help them assemble the chairs on the ground.”
About the same time they started the chapter chair program, they also started chapter M*A*S*H signs that indicate chapter number, direction, and distance to Oshkosh, Ted said. Already 169 chapters have contributed to the eight-sided poles. The directional signs have become
so popular that Ted says he’s become a frequent user of the Oshkosh carpenter shop as he makes more poles.
For chapters that haven’t yet contributed, there’s no time like the present.
“We encourage chapters to make a chair or a M*A*S*H sign for Oshkosh,” he said.
“These programs say a lot about the strength of our chapters because of what it takes to get them here.”
The chapter chairs vary from simple to creative. They also vary in design, color, size, and materials.
Time for a family break! Ceci, 13, John, 7, and Jim and Teresa Kleiss, of Champaign, Illinois, from EAA Chapter 29, take a break in the chairs in front of the Blue Barn. This is their fifth trip to AirVenture.
Parachutes and Power Moves
Mother and daughter duo take to the sky at AirVenture
BY ANGELA SATTERLEE AIRVENTURE TODAY STAFF
AT EAA AIRVENTURE Oshkosh, the Tuesday and Thursday air shows featured the Golden Knights, and the air shows Monday and Wednesday featured the Misty Blues parachuting teams. But across all four days, one family was at the heart of the action.
Mother and daughter duo Kim Kanat of the Misty Blues and Sloan Kanat of the U.S. Army Golden Knights have found not just a sport, but a passion and a career that they share together.
Kim didn’t grow up dreaming of skydiving. In fact, it began on a whim during a vacation with her husband, Steve Kanat. He wanted to try a tandem skydive. Kim, hesitant at first, went along mostly so she wouldn’t be left behind. “Why would you jump out of a perfectly good airplane?” she asked. But that single jump sparked something in both of them. They soon dove headfirst into the world of skydiving, with Steve eventually becoming a certified accelerated freefall instructor.
Since 2014, Kim has been an experienced demonstrator for the Misty Blues — an all-women skydiving demonstration team that’s been promoting female empowerment and inspiring crowds since the 1980s. With more than 1,300 jumps
under her belt, she juggled motherhood and skydiving, passing her passion down to her daughters. Her youngest, Keller Kanat, is now a licensed guide diver. And her oldest, Sloan, grew up thinking of drop zones as a second home.
“It was a goal of mine to start skydiving once I was old enough, which was when I turned 18,” Sloan said. “Growing up in that lifestyle, it was always something that I had aspirations of and wanted to be a part of.” So, it was a rite of passage that Sloan went on her first tandem jump for her 18th birthday surrounded by her family.
After earning her license in 2018, Sloan began helping out with the Misty Blues alongside her mom. Eventually, the team leader asked if she wanted to train and potentially perform. Her first show with the team was at the Selfridge Air Show in Michigan. “They’re some of the most talented and amazing women I’ve ever met, and we get to do this dream together and just meet everybody,” she said. “And there’s not very many skydiving women teams … so to be a part of that, I mean, it’s an honor, truly.”
But Sloan’s ambitions didn’t stop there. After earning both a bachelor’s and SKYDIVING DUO / PAGE 25
OSHKOSH MOMENTS
Sloan’s first tandem skydive, July 2017, with Steve and Kim. PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF SLOAN KANAT
24 / SKYDIVING DUO
master’s degree in mechanical engineering, she kept encountering the Golden Knights at air shows. Their discipline and elite status appealed to her. They encouraged her to consider enlisting.
By November 2023, Sloan knew it was time. She enlisted in the Army, completed basic training and advanced individual training, and became a paralegal. But the real goal was always the Golden Knights. In the fall of 2024, she went through their rigorous assessment and selection process. Today, she’s a full-time demonstrator on the Black demonstration team, performing around the country as part of one of the most prestigious parachute teams in the world.
Training for skydiving at their level takes relentless e ort, technical mastery, and the mental toughness to leap into the sky with confidence. Both Kim and Sloan have had to put in countless hours, push past fear, and carve out their space in a male-dominated sport.
For Sloan, the opportunity to return to Oshkosh as a Golden Knight held special meaning. During the opening air show, she had the honor of flying the Wisconsin state flag high above the crowd. Below her, thousands of spectators watched as she brought it safely to the ground. That same week, Kim also entered the sky above Oshkosh, jumping as part of the Misty Blues’ team in the
Monday and Wednesday air shows in her debut at AirVenture.
Moments like these highlight how much the Kanats have accomplished, and how skydiving has brought their family closer. The trust it takes to jump out of an airplane is massive. The trust it takes to keep doing it, together, over and over again, is even greater.
The whole Kanat family jumping together at their home drop zone, Skydive Tecumseh in Michigan. Left to right: Sloan, Keller, Steve, Kim. PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF SLOAN KANAT
Kim giving her daughter Sloan a hug after her first jump at Oshkosh 2025. PHOTOGRAPHY BY MEGAN HACKETT
Sitting Down With Airbus North America CEO Robin Hayes
BY SAM OLESON AIRVENTURE TODAY STAFF
ROBIN HAYES IS the chairman and CEO of Airbus in North America, leading the company’s commercial aircraft, helicopter, and space operations across the United States and the Americas. A former CEO of JetBlue and veteran of British Airways, Robin brings more than three decades of aviation experience to Airbus — where he now champions American manufacturing, innovation, and workforce development from Mobile, Alabama, to Silicon Valley. A U.S. citizen since 2012, he’s passionate about building the next generation of aerospace talent and helping shape the future of flight in America. Robin sat down with AirVenture Today this week at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2025 to chat about Airbus’ presence at the event, as well as his thoughts on a number of other topics.
Q: You’ve just completed your first year leading Airbus in the United States What’s been most eyeopening or energizing about leading Airbus’ work across the country?
A: “Honestly, from a personal perspective, I’ve spent a lot of time just getting to know and understand
the parts of Airbus that I didn’t know before. So whilst as a customer I had had quite a lot of exposure with the commercial aircraft, commercial folks, the services guys, the team in Mobile, there was helicopters, space and defense, other parts of the Airbus team in the U.S. So really being focused on getting to know that, being really pleasantly surprised how much footprint Airbus has in the U.S. It’s growing. Obviously I was quite familiar with Mobile, but the helicopter manufacturing in Mississippi, the satellite [arm of the company, I wasn’t]. So really, kind of the scale there was really quite impressive. So I wouldn’t use the word ‘surprise,’ but that’s been the work, really, of the first year. And then when you join Airbus, everyone says it takes you a year just to understand the general structure of it and everything that you do.”
Q: Airbus has a strong footprint here in the United States, but it’s not always fully recognized. What do you think people might be surprised to learn about your presence and impact across the country?
A: “Well, I think Airbus has, for quite a while now, taken the view that yes, we are a company that’s headquartered in Europe, but we have a true commitment to a global footprint, and obviously the U.S. is a huge market, is a big part of that footprint. So really, just obviously the manufacturing that we do, but we have hundreds of engineers that support the global Airbus engineering footprint, in particular the areas of aerostructures and cabin interiors. We’ve got an innovation business out in California. We have a ventures business here, out in California. There are companies like Aeroval, which were acquired by Airbus Helicopters. So just the breadth of that, really.”
Q: You recently hit the 500-aircraft mark out of Mobile. What does that milestone mean for Airbus and for the region?
A: “So Mobile will be 10 years old in September. So [we] opened with one 320 line, then we added the 220 line, and now we’re getting ready to open the second 320 line, and our U.S. airline customers really appreciate the ability to take delivery of aircraft out of Mobile. Plus, we’ve been exporting a small number of airplanes into South America, Latin America out of Mobile as well. So, I think just continuing to grow. ... Aviation
doubles every 20 years, so that clearly needs more aircraft, and it also means aircraft that we’re flying today need to be replaced, so there’s a huge demand. So Mobile is really part of our commitment to the global footprint, and when the third line opens in Mobile, it’ll make Mobile the fourth-largest commercial aircraft manufacturing facility in the world.”
Q: Where else are you seeing significant growth or innovation in the United States beyond commercial aviation?
A: “Obviously, helicopters are another important part of our business, and the di erence to the commercial aircraft space is the breadth of di erent customers. It’s a much broader customer set, because you’ve got every state, you’ve got EMS, you’ve got the state, you’ve got law enforcement, you’ve got tourism. You’ve got many di erent use cases, so there’s a much larger number of customers, so I think continuing to make sure that we’re serving our customers and we’re meeting their needs of growth and replacement. And then also understanding on the space and defense side, given the commitment both to the U.S. in terms of what we spend, but also the commitment out of the EU to spend more on defense, making sure that Airbus is positioned to meet that increased need.”
Q: We heard that the Airbus’ SAF (sustainable aviation fuel) lead and Delta’s sustainability team spoke with EAA earlier this week regarding partnerships with U.S. agriculture to develop future fuels. From your perspective, what excites you most about where this is headed?
A: “Well, of course sustainable aviation fuel is part of the bigger focus on a more sustainable world, and by the way, it’s always been the case in that industry. Fuel is the largest input cost most operators have, and so if you go back generations of new aircraft design, their number one goal has been around more fuel eciency, and so that’s always been in the DNA. And so, if you think about ... as the industry is growing, aircraft are getting more e cient, they’re being more fuel ecient, they’re reducing their carbon emissions. So there’s the commitment to the new design, and our own commitment to the next generation of single-aisle airplane in the second half of the next decade. … Our commitment to looking at future fuels like hydrogen
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF AIRBUS
as a future source of aircraft, and then back to sustainable aviation fuel, because that’s another part of that family of products. And so I think we’d all like to see it grow at a quicker rate, but I think it’s really a great opportunity for agricultural communities to look at developing this as a feedstock that can grow staff over time.
Q: You hosted a forum event on Thursday about careers: “Lifting Futures in Aviation.” How is Airbus helping build the next generation of talent?
A: “So we as an industry have a massive challenge of making sure we have enough skilled and motivated workers or employees to come into the sector, not just Airbus, by the way. We can focus on the things we should be doing and are doing. There’s a broader industry question. This is the industry that’s going to double globally. We lost a lot of expertise with COVID, and still there’s more ... More of the employee base will retire, so we have a massive challenge as an industry, whether you work in manufacturing, services, operations.
“So, how do we make sure that in the U.S. we capture that need and opportunity? And the type of
manufacturing that aerospace needs is the high-value, added-value manufacturing that absolutely makes sense for a bigger U.S. footprint. So we have to work as an industry, and individually as companies to think about what we are doing, but also collectively. ... Universities is one, but also the opportunities for apprenticeships and other ways of getting into this industry.”
Q: How does Airbus see its role in supporting communities and responding to urgent needs beyond the hangar?
A: “Yeah, I think that when you have a presence somewhere, you have a responsibility to support that community, and I think Mobile, Alabama, is probably our best example but not our only example. But if you look at what we’ve done in terms of building programs there that go into schools and create educational awareness of what we’re doing, partnering with local charitable events on causes that are important to our people, because that gives you a reach beyond the immediate. Because you want people, as they drive past the factory or facility, even if they don’t work in it ... You want them to feel, ‘Yeah, Airbus is a great member of this community,’ and so I think that’s extremely important to us.”
Q: For those here at the show this week, what should they check out at the Airbus booth?
A: “So people love swag, and they love Airbus swag, and we’re like, ‘Let’s raise money for a good cause.’ [All proceeds from Airbus merchandise sold at AirVenture benefit three charities: Airlink, EAA GirlVenture, and Homes for Our Heroes.] So yeah, that’s new this year. Also, we have one of our H130 helicopters here, so that’s great to showcase one of our products. We have our AQ, which is our innovation arm, with their flight test airplanes, and we do di erent types of flight tests in there. It’s actually interesting. If you go in it, it’s full of computers and machines. And then we have that little model of the Racer, which is a high-speed helicopter demonstrator. We don’t have the real one here, so it’ll never be a product, but it’s testing the demonstration and what we can take for high-speed flying for medical, search and rescue, good things like that.”
OSHKOSH MOMENTS
Scan the QR codes below to see the Ford Tri-Motor and B-25 Berlin Express tour stop schedules.
Four Women, Four Cubs, One Destination
Four women pilots fly from Washington to Oshkosh
BY ANGELA SATTERLEE
AIRVENTURE TODAY STAFF
FIVE YEARS AGO, Jackie Burch was terrified of flying. Now, she’s flown many di erent aircraft types, including a CubCrafters NXCub out of its base in Yakima, Washington, all the way to Oshkosh, Wisconsin — over a 1,500-mile trip — for EAA AirVenture Oshkosh alongside three other fearless women pilots. Megan Palmer, a test pilot, flew the trip in another NXCub, Tyler Peters flew in a Carbon Cub EX-2, and Gracie Main, a commercial pilot, flew in a Carbon Cub UL.
For Jackie, this trip was more than a PR mission or a scenic cross-country trip. It was a celebration of
“Literally, I am the person that never thought I could do it, and I never thought I would do it. Someone pinch me — is this my real life?”
— Jackie Burch
resilience, self-discovery, and community. “I had always wanted to fly with these women,” she said. “It’s still really cool to see female pilots getting together like that … especially in backcountry aviation airplanes.”
Jackie had never flown a CubCrafters aircraft solo before. In fact, she had only done a checkout flight the day before the trip. “I’m not a professional pilot. I have a Cessna 150 I plunk around in,” she said.
The path to becoming a pilot wasn’t smooth. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Jackie experienced a whirlwind week: she lost her job, was diagnosed with cancer, and got married, all in seven days. Her then-husband Tobias Burch, EAA 1210089, a pilot, encouraged her to take flight lessons. Though she had a deep fear of flying, Jackie pushed through the panic. “My first 250 hours, my palms were just super sweaty,” she said. “I’m an engineer, and I have an unreasonable fear of flying … that if I take the controls the wing falls o .”
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF JACKIE BURCH
PAGE 28 / FOUR WOMEN
Even after earning her pilot certificate, adversity didn’t stop, as her cancer came back. Surgeries left her unable to move her shoulder, which was critical for controlling the yoke. But once she healed, Jackie didn’t ease back in. She soared. She bought her own airplane, trained daily with a new flight instructor, and declared she would earn her certificate in three weeks, and she did. “Literally, I am the person that never thought I could do it, and I never thought I would do it,” she said. “Someone pinch me — is this my real life?”
The chance to ferry an NXCub to Oshkosh came through her PR and freelance marketing work. Despite never having flown an aircraft like this solo before, she took the leap. “I had just gotten a checkout flight the day before,” Jackie recalled. “And the next day, I was o . I didn’t even know how to use autopilot!”
The trip had its share of white-knuckle moments. Narrowly avoiding IFR conditions, navigating around weather, and making tight decisions on fuel and routes provided challenges, but it also had moments of magic. “I mean, it was like a dream come true, was so incredibly fun,” she said. “My favorite part was just having that sense of community with other capable pilots who are up for a sense of adventure.”
They stayed together in Airbnbs and hotels along the way, shared meals, laughed, recorded interviews with
each other on GoPros, and flew in loose formation across the country. Jackie said it was so fun being on the radio together, figuring out landings at new airports, and finding the good feeling of a sense of community.
Now thriving as a solo pilot, engineer, and adventurer, Jackie reflects on where she’s come from and where she’s going. “Is this my calling?” she sometimes asks herself, unsure if piloting was Tobias’ dream or hers. But now every time she’s in the air, Jackie knows she’s where she’s meant to be.
Proceeds support the youth education activities of EAA, including EAA’s Young Eagles Program, which has provided more than 2.5 million youths with a free first flight since 1992.
The 2024 Ford Bronco Big Bend is provided with the support of Kocourek Ford, Wausau, Wisconsin.
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF JACKIE BURCH
WHAT AIRVENTURE OSHKOSH MEANS TO ME
BY ROBBIE CULVER AIRVENTURE TODAY STAFF
ANY ONE OF you reading these words could have written them. I know I am just lucky enough to be the one doing so. EAA AirVenture Oshkosh represents something different to each of us and profoundly impacts our lives far beyond the week we attend. Like many of you, my friends, I arrange my summer around Oshkosh. Work schedules are divided by before and after Oshkosh, and family members know to expect that I will disappear into an oasis of aviation for about 10 days every July.
As I grow older, one thing I love seeing is the increasing number of young aviators in attendance. Without them, aviation cannot continue to grow and flourish, and it is our duty to pass on some of the wisdom and best practices that we received from those who went before. I hope they listen and pass it on again.
We meet old friends and new — a smile, a slight nod, a handshake and “Where are you from?” spark many ongoing friendships. We share the bond of flight and the ability to focus on aviation for a week to tune out the
for ages 18 and under supported in part by OSHKOSH MOMENTS
noise in the world around us. For one precious week in Wisconsin, we are all one big family.
This is why we come back. Come for the airplanes, for the people. A high five as we pass in the crowd. A hug in the AeroEducate Center. Some laughter and stories in Camp Scholler. Laughter in the UW Oshkosh dorms. And all the while making memories to bring home and take us through the rest of the long year without Oshkosh. But it’s always inside us. Always.
Our world can seem divided. Our nation may seem at odds. But not so much as we are told. Not here. I sit with people from many walks of life as I write this, and I treasure their companionship. The friendships I have made in aviation cannot be described, yet each year I try and hope those who read this smile and nod their heads in agreement.
Fixed-wing or rotary, certified or experimental, light-sport or warbird, ultralight or jet — all of it resonates inside us. And as we watch from the flightline or show grounds, we revel at the magic of the moment. Few places, if any, on Earth can give us experiences like this. And experience we do.
We fly in. We drive in. We ride in. But we are here, together.
What Oshkosh means to me is freedom. It means friendship. It means flight.
But most of all, it means my annual family reunion and seeing old friends while making new ones along the way.
See you on the flightline!
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROBBIE CULVER
50th Anniversary Celebrated at AirVenture
BY ANGELA SATTERLEE AIRVENTURE TODAY STAFF
FIFTY YEARS AGO, Jack, EAA Lifetime 69122, and Anne McCombs, EAA Lifetime 78375, honeymooned in the most fitting place imaginable for two aviation lovers: the EAA Oshkosh fly-in. In 1975 they attended their first EAA convention and started a lifelong adventure, and they made sure to come back to celebrate their 50th anniversary.
Jack soloed in 1969 after years of waiting. His love for aviation began as a toddler, sparked by his father, a pilot, who took him flying in his 1930s Alexander Eaglerock biplane. But when his dad gave up flying, young Jack was left building model airplanes, dreaming of the sky until he had the time and money to return to it after serving in the military.
Anne was already a pilot when they met in 1973. A glider club notice in her college newspaper had drawn her in. She learned to fly in a Schweizer 2-33 and a 1-26 glider. “I may be one of the last people to literally solo out of a hayfield,” she said. That same passion led her to
a job with EAA’s buildings and grounds team, eventually moving into the museum.
Jack built his aviation career teaching others to fly, becoming chief instructor at Basler Flight Service in 1978 before taking to the sky in DC-3s. Anne enjoyed working with EAA, but in 1988 she began a career for the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. “That is like a baseball player being called up to the majors. You don’t say no,” she said.
Her work at the Smithsonian was remarkable. “I’ve had my hands on the Spirit of St. Louis and the Wright Flyer,” she said. “I’ve walked on an SR-71 wing and spent hours and hours and hours of time in space shuttle Enterprise.” But her favorite she worked on was Charles and Anne Lindbergh’s personal seaplane, a Lockheed Sirius named Tingmissartoq
Together, Jack and Anne have cared for their homebuilt Pazmany PL-2 and continue to immerse themselves in aviation, trying to come to as many AirVentures as
the Next Generation Inspire Young Eagles
possible. Jack is also currently building a gyroplane, always chasing the next project.
Fifty years after their AirVenture honeymoon, the McCombs are still soaring side by side.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY KAITLIN PIETTE
Set in Stone
How a community of campers remembered one of their own
BY LARRY ROGIEN
ALL OF US have crossed paths with people who influenced us. Over the years at Oshkosh, I have had opportunities to meet and converse with people like Bob Hoover, Chuck Yeager, Dick and Burt Rutan, Jeana Yeager, Paul and Tom Poberezny, and Dick Matt, to name a few.
Some of those influences are lesserknown but have a higher level of influence to me. Brian and Sally Ryan are two. Years spent camping next to them in Oaken Alley — the strip of oak trees on the field west of Runway 36, between Vintage and the Fun Fly Zone — exposed some of their talents and wisdom.
Sally was a writer and had published articles on camping with their
Navion. Brian was quite nonchalant about his vocation — when asked what he did, he glibly replied that he was a rocket scientist. He worked for Honeywell designing the guidance systems for the Patriot missiles.
They camped next to another Navion pilot and his wife — Bob and Eunie Rogien. Bob and Eunie ran a construction company and built churches and Christian schools, among a range of other edifices. Bob also gave presentations at Oshkosh on Navion maintenance. Spending a week at Oshkosh listening to and engaging in conversations with these four left a lasting impression on me.
Meet with multiple companies face-toface in their exhibit booths during the week of AirVenture®, July 21-27. No appointment required.
The influences remain, but the influencers have passed on. Brian passed away in an airplane crash in Europe during a work assignment. Bob died in the crash of his twin Navion. Sally had a rock engraved in memorial of Bob. The engraving was simply “In memory of our friend Bob Rogien.”
That rock was planted in Oaken Alley circa 1992, where it remained until AirVenture 2023. By then, Sally had passed on, and the memory of the Navion campers had dimmed. The children of Bob and Eunie thought it would be appropriate that the rock should be transplanted to Eunie’s home, since she was the last survivor of the group.
While digging up the rock, two Oaken Alley campers came by rather annoyed that the rock was being moved. The campers had relied on the rock as a landmark to lead them back to their tent in Oaken Alley. But they agreed that the rock’s rightful place was back with Bob’s
The influence of these two couples continued long after three of the four had Gone West.
widow, and that is where the rock is today.
But that shows the influence of these two couples continued long after three of the four had Gone West. Bob’s widow, Eunie, enjoys the rock 30-plus years after the premature separation from her spouse.
We never know how far our influence will go. We are surrounded by people who influence us and are acting as influences ourselves (think Young Eagles and KidVenture). Allow yourself to become aware of your and others’ influences so that you can appreciate and enjoy the various influences all around us during the week of AirVenture.
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF LARRY ROGIEN
AROUND THE GROUNDS
What About These Other Airplanes?
A spotter’s guide to the EAA Aviation Museum aircraft around the grounds
EVERY YEAR, MORE than 10,000 aircraft fly to Wisconsin for EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. Of those, nearly 3,000 are showplanes — vintage aircraft, warbirds, homebuilts, aerobatic airplanes, etc. — that are displayed around the grounds. But some visitors may notice other airplanes parked here and there that didn’t fly in at all, because they’re part of the EAA Aviation Museum collection. Because our museum exhibits rotate, many of these aircraft are only viewable by the public during AirVenture, spending the rest of the year in long-term storage on the convention grounds. Each day, we’ll highlight one of these airplanes that you’ll see as you wander the neighborhoods of AirVenture.
Aircraft: Rutan Model 72 Grizzly
The Grizzly is a one-of-a-kind aircraft designed by Burt Rutan. First flown in 1982, Rutan used the four-seat Grizzly for short takeo and landing research. Sporting a large canard — which, like the main wing, has large Fowler flaps — and slender spring gear, this distinctive airplane is unmistakably Rutan.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY CRYSTAL PEREZ
PROFICIENCY
A skill-building and training facility for those with a desire to increase their knowledge and hone their abilities. Redbird LD Advanced Aviation Training Devices are available for solo flight training or with an EAA instructor pilot throughout the year.
WARBIRDS
EMERGENCY WEATHER SAFETY Into a New Age
A spotter’s guide to 1945-1950 aircraft at AirVenture Oshkosh 2025
BY SAM OLESON AIRVENTURE TODAY STAFF
EIGHTY YEARS AGO, the greatest conflict the world had ever known was, mercifully, coming to an end. The conclusion of World War II signaled the beginning of a new era of military aviation. Jet engine technology began to take shape in the latter half of the war, with Germany introducing the Messerschmitt Me 262, followed a few months later by the British Gloster Meteor.
Although jets didn’t play a large role in WWII, the years following were crucial for the development of the technology. But while the future was clearly in jets, many piston-powered airplanes of WWII were still useful and served critical roles well into the 1950s and 1960s, and in some cases even longer.
Here’s a look at some of the aircraft that were either designed or operated during that transitionary period in aerospace development, 1945 into the Korean War, that have made an appearance at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh in recent years or may be here this week.
North American P-51 Mustang
One of the many heroes of WWII, the P-51 continued to serve with the U.S. Air Force even with the development of jet fighters. Designated the F-51 beginning in 1948, Mustangs were sent to Korea at the beginning of the conflict, where they were outfitted with rockets and bombs and served primarily in a ground attack role.
Vought F4U Corsair
While more famous for its contributions to U.S. Navy air superiority during WWII, the F4U Corsair remained a key part of the U.S. carrier-borne arsenal into the 1950s. During the Korean War, the Corsair served in a close air support role. The Navy retired the Corsair in 1953, but the type continued to serve with the French Aéronavale into the early 1960s.
WARBIRDS / PAGE 37
PHOTOGRAPHY BY GARY DANIELS
Aeronca L-16
The militarized version of the Aeronca Champion, the L-16 saw extensive action in the Korean War in a liaison/observation role. Many L-16s were transferred to the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) beginning in 1955.
Lockheed P2V Neptune
A patrol and antisubmarine warfare aircraft introduced shortly after WWII, the twin-engine P2V Neptune served in the U.S. Navy as well as a number of other foreign militaries. Redesignated the P-2 in 1962, the Neptune was eventually replaced by the P-3 Orion beginning in the mid-1960s, though it would be used in the Vietnam War as a gunship, reconnaissance and sensor deployment aircraft, and maritime patroller. The final P-2 was retired from the Naval Reserve in 1978.
North American T-6 Texan
While the North American-built T-6 is best known as the advanced trainer that taught thousands of fighter pilots to fly during WWII, it was used after the war as well. In Korea, a number of T-6s operated as forward air control (FAC) aircraft with a smaller number doing the same more than a decade later in Vietnam.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY NICK MOORE
PHOTOGRAPHY BY AL SAUER
PHOTOGRAPHY BY BENJAMIN MILLER
EAA ARCHIVE PHOTO
AROUND THE GROUNDS
Elen, João, and Valdirene
BY KAITLIN PIETTE AIRVENTURE TODAY STAFF
Elen Magalhães from Blairsville, Georgia, and João Vitor Nardelli and Valdirene Rossetto from Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil, are ready for EAA AirVenture 2025! This is João and Valdirene’s first time attending and the third year for Elen, who has been a member since 2006. None of them are pilots, but João hopes to be one someday and to fly an Airbus when that happens. In the three years Elen has been attending, she always loves watching the fireworks during the night air shows — especially the Wall of Fire! João will be visiting the military airplanes when he can, and Valdirene can’t wait to see everything EAA AirVenture has to o er this year.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY KAITLIN PIETTE
AOPA Events You Don’t Want to Miss
NOW THRU NOV. 2025
AOPA PRESIDENT’S TOUR
Coming to a Region Near
You
Thirteen Pilot Town Halls Across the U.S.
Join AOPA and new President Darren Pleasance as he shares his vision for general aviation, AOPA’s priorities, key challenges, and support for pilots, airports, and future aviators. Visit: aopa.org/presidentstour
AUG. 16-17, 2025
AOPA FLY-IN AT PROPS AND PISTONS FESTIVAL
Akron Fulton Airport (AKR) Akron, OH
Join AOPA at the Props and Pistons Festival in Akron, OH! Enjoy air shows, exhibits, classic cars, and top-notch aviation seminars, all at the historic Akron Fulton Airport.
NOV. 16-18, 2025
AOPA FOUNDATION HIGH SCHOOL AVIATION
STEM SYMPOSIUM
Hyatt Regency Indianapolis | Indianapolis, IN
Join us for a two-and-a-half day High School
Aviation STEM Symposium, where educators and industry leaders share insights and strategies to build aviation STEM programs.
AOPA.ORG/COMMUNITY
AVIATION GATEWAY PARK
AROUND THE GROUNDS
PHOTOGRAPHY BY BEN MILLER
PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRIS MILLER
PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRIS MILLER
PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHELSEA ROUSE
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JACK FLEETWOOD
PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRIS MILLER
PHOTOGRAPHY BY LEWIS BERGHOFF
PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRETT BROCK
PHOTOGRAPHY BY MIKE KUTZ
PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRIS MILLER
PHOTOGRAPHY
PHOTOGRAPHY
PHOTOGRAPHY BY LAURIE GOOSSENS
PHOTOGRAPHY BY LEWIS BERGHOFF
PHOTOGRAPHY BY LEWIS BERGHOFF
PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRISTOPHER LOHFF
PHOTOGRAPHY BY CAMDEN THRASHER
PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVE SWARTZ
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAIME CORDOVA
PHOTOGRAPHY BY CRAIG VANDER KOLK
How well do you know EAA history?
Try your hand at these trivia questions and find out.
Q: Maj. Melanie Kluesner is the commander and pilot of the F-35A Lightning II Demonstration Team, which performed a number of times this week at AirVenture 2025. What is Maj. Kluesner’s call sign?
A. Cordless Drill
B. Bloomin’ Onion
C. Mach
D. Fish ‘n’ Chips
E. Hammer
SUNDAY, JULY 27, ANSWER
C. MACH
Today’s CROSSWORD
Fly By Night by Rush
Look for these songs on your favorite streaming service and build a personal soundtrack for your trip to the World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration.
The Zephyr Song by Red Hot Chili Peppers
Spaceman by The Killers
Iron Eagle (Never Say Die) by King Kobra
Magic Carpet Ride by Steppenwolf Your daily AirVenture playlist
ACROSS
2. A vertical turnaround maneuver and also a pretty cool shark.
4. After the Finch or the Moth and before the Harvard, early WWII RCAF pilots might have flown the ____.
6. When building an airplane with fabric covering, you’ll learn the art of rib-________.
9. The recent expansion to our headquarters building houses the Youth Education Center and the ___ ____ __(three words.)
10. Chuck Slusarczyk designed the CGS ____ high-wing pusher ultralight.
12. Before the Martin Mars, the biggest flying boat we’d seen in Oshkosh was Kermit’s Short __________.
13. A rare four-seat Tiger Moth conversion, the ________ Jackaroo.
14. It’s a gentle, climbing 180-degree turn.
DOWN
1. Zenith Aircraft is owned by Sebastien ______; Zenair was founded by his father, Chris.
2. He took off the fedora, dropped the whip, and holstered his blaster to be our Young Eagles Chairman from 2004-2009 (two words.)
3. Kenneth Arnold was flying one in 1947 when he saw flying saucers near Mt. Rainier.
5. USAF Fighter pilots called the area in northwest Korea where the Yalu meets the Yellow Sea MiG _____.
7. The Composite FX ___ is a Part-103 legal ultralight helicopter.
8. The fighter variant of the German Me 262 was the ________, or, in English, swallow.
11. AeroCreepers are heavy _________ and will last for years to come.
OSHKOSH MOMENTS
@ adam.c28
Tried to hold her hand, but kept pointing at airplanes. Jk I had an amazing time. #eaaairventure
@ kubickaviation
Guess who popped the question at @eaa Airventure?! Our very own Cole Kubick! (Asked her to marry him right in front of the war birds) Help us congratulate the two love birds, Cole & Keylyn!
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