AVIATION CELEBRATION WORLD’S GREATEST
JULY 25 - JULY 31, 2016
A PUBLICATION PRODUCED AND DISTRIBUTED BY THE OSHKOSH NORTHWESTERN
WELCOME EAA! 351 S. Washburn St. (inside Wal-Mart) 920-235-3493
2326 Oregon St. (next to Oshkosh Corp) 920-230-8822
1819 Witzel Ave. (next to Steins) 920-230-8855
2281 Westowne Ave. (next to Menards) 920-235-6738
1635 West 20th (across from Target) 920-233-8822
1500 Planeview Dr. (junction of Hwys 26 & 41) 920-230-2520
VISIT OUR 2 LOCATIONS ON THE GROUNDS AND 6 OTHER LOCATIONS IN OSHKOSH.
MoreSavings,MoreFun!
EAA Shuttle Bus Available Shop in name brand stores like:
Shoppes at Oshkosh www.TheOutletShoppesatOshkosh.com
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AirVenture 2016
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The Canadian Forces Snowbirds perform over British Columbia, in April 2015. Image: Snowbirds TankCam
2016 ADMISSION RATES & TRANSPORTATION
EAA will take place from July 25-31 at Oshkosh’s Wittman Regional Airport, with gates opening daily at 7 a.m. ADULT EAA MEMBER CAMPING NORTH 40 – Bus route along North Monday-Saturday: $32 (electric and water hookup) 40 perimeter road from Admission Sunday: $18 Weekly: $123 Monday-Saturday: $65 Gate located near Warbirds to Knapp Sunday: $65 St./20th Ave. ADULT NONMEMBER All electric and water campsites off ered Monday-Saturday: $47 SEAPLANE BASE – Departs south on a first-paid, first-served basis, and all Sunday: $23 of Ultralights Area for the Seaplane days must be purchased from the time of Two consecutive day pass Base, located in a picturesque cove purchase through Sunday, July 31. (available online only): $79 along Lake Winnebago. $3 per rider PARKING EAA MEMBER round-trip EAA MEMBER GUEST (LIMIT 1) Monday-Saturday: $10 Monday-Saturday: $32 TRAMS – Trams run 8 a.m. to 8 Sunday: $10 Weekly: $60 Sunday: $18 Weekly: $123 p.m. daily (unless noted). PARKING NONMEMBER STUDENTS AGE 6-18 EAA RED TRAM – Route along Knapp Monday-Saturday: $10 MEMBER St. and Vern Ave. through exhibit Sunday: $10 Monday-Saturday: $21 hangar area connects Vintage Area Sunday: $10 Weekly: $62 SHUTTLE BUSES – Shuttle buses and Warbirds Area, passing along run from 6:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Forums and Workshops Area. STUDENT NON-MEMBER daily. Monday-Saturday: $26 BLUE TRAM – Route along Sunday: $13 MUSEUM/KIDVENTURE – Bus Wittman Road connects Vintage Area CHILDREN (5 and younger) FREE departs Bus Park for KidVenture with Ultralights Area and Seaplane located at Pioneer Airport and Base shuttle bus stop. VETERANS/ACTIVE MILITARY swings over to EAA AirVenture Monday-Saturday: $35 GREEN TRAM (NOON TO Museum. Sunday: $23 8 P.M.) – Route from FAA Control Available only when purchased online. CAMPGROUND – Bus makes Tower to the Bus park serves as a several stops through its loop convenience for departing attendees. CAMPING (BASIC CAMPSITE) through Camp Scholler en route to Monday-Saturday: $27 the Bus Park. Sunday: $27 3 night minimum.
SUMMER HEAT
People can easily lose track of time with some many events and aircraft to see on days that might well get pretty hot. Take some precautions. Below is a list of advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on handling the summer heat. • Drink more liquid than you think you need and avoid alcohol • Wear loose, lightweight clothing and a hat • Replace salt lost from sweating by drinking fruit juice or sports drinks • Avoid spending time outdoors during the hottest part of the day, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. • Wear sunscreen; sunburn affects the body’s ability to cool itself • Pace yourself when you run or otherwise exert your body
Publish Date: July 24, 2016. World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration is published by The Oshkosh Northwestern. Contents of the section are for The Northwestern. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior consent of The Oshkosh Northwestern. For information, contact Jason Kramer at 920-450-3138 or email Jason.Kramer@gannettwisconsin.com ADVERTISING DIRECTOR | Jason Kramer EDITOR | Mark Barna LAYOUT & DESIGN | Marie Rayome-Gill Cover photos left to right: Soucy Stokes Around the Grounds, Tora! Tora! Tora!, Third Eye Blind, MH-60 Jayhauk Classic, Martin Mars.
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DAILY AIR SHOW SCHEDULE
Amazing Aerobatic Stars in the Lineup Many more of the world’s top aerobatic performers and air show acts have committed to perform at the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2016 fly-in as part of the afternoon and night air shows. The full daily schedule is as follows:
WEDNESDAY, JULY 27
MONDAY, JULY 25
DAY: National Anthem/Paul McCowen, Warbirds of America Showcase, Interstate Cadet 75th Anniversary Celebration, Kent Pietsch (Interstate Cadet), Vicky Benzing (Stearman), Patty Wagstaff (Extra 300LX), Gene Soucy and Teresa Stokes (Grumman Showcat), Canadian Snowbirds Arrival, Canadian Harvard Aerobatic Team, Coulson Flying Tankers (Martin Mars), Kirby Chambliss (Edge 540), Geico Skytypers, Jim Peitz (Beechcraft Bonanza), Mike Goulian (Extra 330SC), Texas Flying Legends, USAF Heritage Flight (F-16 and Vlado Lenoch P-51 Mustang), GoPro Bomb Squad
Opening Day
DAY: National Anthem/Paul McCowen, Paul Poberezny Tribute, Canadian Harvard Aerobatic Team, Matt Chapman (Extra 330LX), Warbird Arrival (Warbirds of America), Bill Stein (Edge 540), Vintage Review, Kent Pietsch (Interstate Cadet), Seaplane Base Showcase followed by Coulson Flying Tankers (Martin Mars), Jerry Kerby (RV-8A), Gene Soucy (Grumman Showcat), David Martin (Bucker Jungmeister), Hartzell Jump/Paul McCowan, Kevin Coleman (Extra 300SC), Luca Bertossio (Swift S-1 Glider), Class of ‘45 - Jim Tobul & Scott Yoak (Corsair and P-51 Mustang), Greg Shelton and Ashley Key (450 Super Stearman), Kyle Franklin (Dracula Demon-1), IAC “Grassroots to Top of the World” - The Shetterlys and Rob Holland (Two RV-8s and Edge 540), Aeroshell Aerobatic Team (T-6 Texans), GoPro Bomb Squad EVENING: World War I aircraft flying and giant scale RC airplanes (across from Vintage airplane parking at south end of flightline)
TUESDAY, JULY 26 Innovations Day
DAY: National Anthem/Paul McCowen, Warbirds of America Showcase, Sean D. Tucker (Oracle Challenger III), Various Electric Airplanes, GoPro Bomb Squad, Debby Rihn Harvey, Homebuilts Review, Greg Shelton & Ashley Key (450 Super Stearman), Jeff Boerboon (John Klatt Airshows – Screamin’ Sasquatch), Bill Barber Award Winners: Matt Younkin (Twin Beech 18), Skip Stewart (Pitts S2S Biplane, Prometheus), Greg Koontz (Xtreme Decathlon), Bob Carlton (Sub Sonex JSX-2) and the 2016 Bill Barber Award Winner, USAF Heritage Flight (F-16 and Vlado Lenoch P-51 Mustang) EVENING: Valdez STOL Demonstration (Ultralight area)
Pearl Harbor 75th Anniversary, WomenVenture
MORNING: World War I aircraft flying and giant scale RC airplanes (across from Vintage airplane parking at south end of flightline)
EVENING: The Pearl Interstate Cadet, Tora! Tora! Tora!, Final Countdown Pass, ParaMotors (Powered Paragliders), Luca Bertossio (Swift S-1 Glider), Aeroshell Aerobatic Team (T-6 Texans), Randy Ball (Mig 17), Team Redline, GoPro Bomb Squad, Bob Carlton (Sub Sonex JSX-2), Matt Younkin (Twin Beech 18), Gene Soucy (Firecat), Fireworks and Wall of Fire sponsored by Cirrus Aircraft
THURSDAY, JULY 28
U.S. Coast Guard 100th Anniversary, Young Eagles Day, RV-6 30th Anniversary
EVENING: World War I aircraft flying and giant scale RC airplanes (across from Vintage airplane parking at south end of flightline)
FRIDAY JULY 29
Salute to Veterans Day, Desert Storm 25th Anniversary
DAY: National Anthem/U-2 Flyover, Warbirds of America Showcase, Matt Chapman (Extra 330LX), Aeroshell Aerobatic Team (T-6 Texans), Jeff Boerboon (John Klatt Airshows – Screamin’ Sasquatch), Kirby Chambliss (Edge 540), David Martin (Bucker Jungmeister), Philipp Steinbach (GameBird 1), Coulson Flying Tankers (Martin Mars), Kyle Franklin (Dracula Demon-1), Mike Goulian (Extra 330SC), United States Air Force F-16 Viper Demo Team, USAF Heritage Flight (F-16 and Vlado Lenoch P-51 Mustang), Canadian Snowbirds Evening: Valdez STOL Demonstration (Ultralight area)
SATURDAY JULY 30
Boeing Aircraft’s 100th Anniversary, Salute to World War I Aviation
MORNING: World War I aircraft flying and giant scale RC airplanes (across from Vintage airplane parking at south end of flightline) DAY: National Anthem/Warbirds of America Showcase, Geico Skytypers, Vicky Benzing (Stearman), Mike Goulian (Extra 330SC), Tora! Tora! Tora!, Jim Peitz (Beechcraft Bonanza), Luca Bertossio (Swift S-1 Glider), Sean D. Tucker (Oracle
Challenger III), Cathay Pacific Boeing 747-8F, United States Air Force F-16 Viper Demo Team, USAF Heritage Flight (F-16 and Vlado Lenoch P-51 Mustang), Canadian Snowbirds EVENING: United States Navy Super Hornet, Coulson Flying Tankers (Martin Mars), ParaMotors (Powered Paragliders), Team Aerostar, Luca Bertossio (Swift S-1 Glider), Aeroshell Aerobatic Team (T-6 Texans), U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, Bob Carlton (Sub Sonex JSX-2), Team Redline, Patriot Parachute Demo Team, Steve Oliver (FireDancer), Gene Soucy (Firecat), Fireworks and Wall of Fire
SUNDAY JULY 31
Fox Valley Day/Closing Day
National Anthem/Patriot Parachute Demo Team, Departure Show (Various Aircraft), Debby Rihn-Harvey (Cap 232), US Customs and Border Patrol Demo, Greg Shelton and Ashley Key (450 Super Stearman), Matt Chapman (Extra 330LX), United States Navy Super Hornet Demo Team, Team Redline, Sammy Mason (Pitts S-1S), Jeff Boerboon (John Klatt Airshows –Screamin’ Sasquatch), Luca Bertossio (Swift S-1 Glider), Bill Stein (Edge 540), Team Aerostar, Patty Wagstaff (Extra 300LX), Scott Yoak Bob Hoover Tribute (P-51 Qucksilver), Patriot Parachute Demo Team, United States Air Force F-16 Viper Demo Team, USAF Heritage Flight (F-16 and Vlado Lenoch P-51 Mustang), Canadian Snowbirds.
MORNING: Valdez STOL Demonstration (Ultralight area) DAY: 2 millionth Young Eagle, National Anthem, Warbirds of America Showcase, USCG Aviation 100th Anniversary Celebration, Sean D. Tucker (Oracle Challenger III), Sammy Mason (Pitts S-1S), Jim Peitz (Beechcraft Bonanza), Bill Stein (Edge 540), Van’s RV 30th 30th Anniversary Celebration, Jerry Kerby (RV-8A), West Coast Ravens (Various RVs), Team Redline, IAC “Grassroots to Top of the World” - The Shetterlys and Rob Holland (Two RV-8s and Edge 540), Kirby Chambliss (Edge 540), Geico Skytypers, Skip Stewart (TinStix), Texas Flying Legends, United States Navy Super Hornet Demo Team
JIM KOEPNICK/USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN All eyes stay glued to the skies during airshow action July 25 at EAA AirVenture 2015.
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DAY-BY-DAY
EVENTS JIM KOEPNICK/USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN Action at EAA AirVenture 2015 included fireworks.
Bringing back old favorites, new faces and the best in aviation, while drawing flight enthusiasts from all across the country and world, EAA AirVenture returns this year for its 64th annual event. EAA will take place from July 2531 at Oshkosh’s Wittman Regional Airport, with gates opening daily at 7 a.m.
MONDAY, JULY 25
TODAY’S THEME: Opening Day AVIATION JOB FAIR: 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Aviation Gateway Park MONDAY AIR SHOW: 2:30-6 p.m. COLLEGIATE TAILGATE PARTY: 5-6:30 p.m., Aviation Gateway Park. This free tailgate party for all college-aged individuals, both students and non-students, is a great way to kick-start EAA. MONDAY NIGHT CONCERT: Third Eye Blind, 6:30 p.m., Boeing Centennial Plaza. Third Eye Blind, a popular American rock band based out of San Francisco, is headlining this year’s opening night concert.
TUESDAY, JULY 26
TODAY’S THEME: Innovations Day AVIATION JOB FAIR: 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Aviation Gateway Park TUESDAY AIR SHOW: 2:30-6 p.m., Flightline TUESDAY NIGHT CONCERT: Survivor
WEDNESDAY, JULY 27
TODAY’S THEME: Pearl Harbor and 75th Commemoration and WomenVenture Day AVIATION JOB FAIR: 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Aviation Gateway Park WOMENVENTURE: Wednesday morning. WomenVenture is a weeklong program for women with aviation aspirations to network, while learning from both each other and various keynote speakers. Special events for Wednesday include an 8 a.m. Women in Aviation breakfast, an 11 a.m. annual group photo (Boeing Plaza) and an 11:30 a.m. Power Lunch (Theater in the Woods). WEDNESDAY AIR SHOW: 2:30-6 p.m. (Renowned military aerial demonstration team the Canadian Forces Snowbirds’ arrival at 4 p.m.), Flightline WEDNESDAY NIGHT AIR SHOW: 8-10 p.m., Flightline WEDNESDAY NIGHT CONCERT: Ladies Must Swing
THURSDAY, JULY 28
TODAY’S THEME: Young Eagles Day and the Centennial of Coast Guard Aviation AVIATION JOB FAIR: 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Aviation Gateway Park THURSDAY AIR SHOW: 2:30-6 p.m., Flightline GATHERING OF EAGLES FUNDRAISER: 5:30 p.m., Eagle Hangar. EAA continues its support for young
peoples’ interest in aviation through a four-course dinner and silent auctions, with proceeds that will go to EAA’s youth programming. THURSDAY NIGHT CONCERT: TBA
FRIDAY, JULY 29
TODAY’S THEME: Salute to Veterans Day and the 25th Anniversary of Desert Storm Aviation AVIATION JOB FAIR: 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Aviation Gateway Park SALUTE TO VETERANS PARADE: 2 p.m., Flightline. This annual parade, part of EAA’s “Salute to Veterans,” gives all veterans in attendance the opportunity to assemble with their branches of service and participate. FRIDAY AIR SHOW: 2:30-6 p.m. (Snowbird performance at 5 p.m.), Flightline COLLEGE SOCIAL: 5-6:30 p.m., Aviation Gateway Park. This free social allows students and parents an opportunity to speak with college representatives, learn about campus visits and applying for scholarships, and explore different career opportunities. YELLOW RIBBON HONOR FLIGHT ARRIVAL: 6 p.m., Boeing Centennial Plaza. This fourth annual event allows Vietnam veterans to visit the war memorials in Washington, D.C. A welcome home reception will be held at 6 p.m. for the participating veterans. FRIDAY NIGHT CONCERT: Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
SATURDAY, JULY 30
TODAY’S THEME: Salute to World War I Aviation and Boeing Aircraft’s Centennial EAA AIR VENTURE RUNWAY 5K: 6 a.m., Ultralight Barn AVIATION JOB FAIR: 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Aviation Gateway Park SATURDAY AIR SHOW: 2:30-6 p.m. (Snowbird performance at 5 p.m.), Flightline SATURDAY NIGHT AIR SHOW: 8-10 p.m. SATURDAY NIGHT CONCERT: Journey Unauthorized
SUNDAY, JULY 31
TODAY’S THEME: Fox Valley Day/ Closing Day AVIATION JOB FAIR: 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Aviation Gateway Park SUNDAY AIR SHOW: 1-4:30 p.m. (Snowbirds performance at 3:30 p.m.), Flightline See EAA.org/AirVenture for the latest schedule of events.
Transportation (Oshkosh)
Trams will run daily from 8 a.m.8 p.m. along three different routes to transport individuals to and from the EAA grounds. These include the Red Tram, which runs along Knapp Street and Vern Avenue, the Blue Tram, along Wittman Road, and the Green Tram, which only operates from 12-8 p.m. from the FAA Control Tower to Bus Park, serving as a service for anyone departing EAA.
Shuttle buses are also available, running daily from 6:30 a.m.-11:30 p.m.
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AIRSHOW ADVENTURE
2016 AIR SHOW PERFORMERS *Performers subject to change, check airventure.org for the latest schedule
Some of the world’s top air show performers have made their commitments to fly at the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2016 fly-in – The World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration – as part of the afternoon and night air show lineups. Those performers include national aerobatic champions and longtime Oshkosh favorites. They will add to the one-of-a-kind aircraft and performances that are part of the popular daily flying programs. EAA AirVenture 2016 is July 25-31 at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh. “Over the past several years we’ve dedicated ourselves to create the best air show lineup for both our afternoon and night air shows at Oshkosh,” said Rick Larsen, EAA’s vice president of communities and member benefits who coordinates AirVenture features and attractions. “That means gathering using the feedback we collect each year to bring back favorite performers, while adding exciting new acts, unique highlights, and air show attractions connected with particular aircraft and anniversaries. Air show performers know that flying at Oshkosh establishes them as one of the best, performing for the most knowledgeable audiences in all of aviation.” Among the performers and aircraft already committed to Oshkosh in 2016 are: AEROSHELL AEROBATIC TEAM – The AeroShell Aerobatic Team brings its four North American T-6 Texans to Oshkosh again for both day and night air show performances. The AeroShell team has been performing for more than 25 years, amassing thousands of hours in front of air show fans
all across America. The team is made up of four highly skilled and qualified pilots. LUCA BERTOSSIO – Luca Bertossio is a sensational, young Italian aerobatic pilot who performs glider aerobatics. He is the first Italian to have won four gold and two silver FAI medals for the aerobatics discipline, to win the titles of Vice World Champion 2011 and Advanced Glider Aerobatics World Champion 2012, and to have obtained best ever placement in the Unlimited Category of the WGAC World Championship in 2015. Bertossio also became the youngest pilot to win the World Air Games in 2015. JEFF BOERBOON – Nicknamed Screamin’ Sasquatch, Boerboon takes his vintage biplane to new heights with a CJ 610 jet engine. THE CANADIAN FORCES SNOWBIRDS - They are one of the most popular military aerial demonstration teams in the world, and have announced EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2016 as part of its schedule, which would be the first time the team would be back at Oshkosh in more than 30 years. The Snowbirds, officially designated as 431 Air Demonstration Squadron, were created in 1971 and have a nearly 40-year connection to EAA, as they were the first military team to perform at Oshkosh when they flew over the EAA fly-in in the 1970s. The Snowbirds fly Canadair CT-114 Tutor jets in approximately 60 air shows each year. The nine aircraft used in the performances are piloted by experienced team members from the Royal Canadian Air Force. During the show, the pilots fly at speeds ranging from 110 to 465 mph (180 to 750 km/h) and in for-
mation with distances as close as 4 feet of wing overlap. Comprised of exciting loops, rolls, and solo passes as well as graceful nine-jet formations, the Snowbirds’ show includes more than 50 different formations and maneuvers over each 35-minute performance. BOB CARLTON – Flying the SubSonex jet, Bob Carlton displays the precise aerobatic capabilities he has become famous for in his jet-powered glider. KIRBY CHAMBLISS – Chambliss goes full throttle in his aggressive and explosive aerobatic routine in his Red Bull Edge 540. Chambliss and his airplane must sustain a radical span of 18g’s, so he follows a rigorous exercise regimen of skydiving and motocross to stay in shape. He is one of the best aerobatic pilots in the world – a fivetime winner of the U.S. National Aerobatic Championship and a former men’s freestyle world champion. He’s also world-class fast; Chambliss is one of only two American pilots ever to win the Red Bull Air Race World Championship. MATT CHAPMAN – Matt flies the Extra 330LX and counts the Hillard Trophy, the IAC Championship, and the Fond du Lac Cup among his long list of achievements. Chapman is recognized as an extraordinary aerobatic pilot who thrills millions of air show fans each summer. Chapman’s exciting competition aerobatics led him to air show performing. The Extra 330LX is a two-seat, tandem arrangement, low-wing aerobatic monoplane with conventional (tail dragger) landing gear, offering exceptional aerobatic performance. KEVIN COLEMAN – The extraor-
dinary airplane, Extra 300SC, has allowed Coleman to think outside the box to come up with many new and inventive maneuvers. Coleman is one of the youngest air show stars in the world, and is a second generation pilot and second generation air show performer. KYLE FRANKLIN – Kyle Franklin’s Dracula airplane is a one of a kind airplane with a classic theme, an appealing story, and a commitment to his fans that is rooted in creativity and passion. He has emerged from a storied, sometimes tragic past as a man who is a product of his unique upbringing, but who has also brought forth his own talents and ideas. GEICO SKYTYPERS – The World Famous GEICO Skytypers Airshow Team is a flight squadron of six vintage WWII aircraft performing precision flight maneuvers at select air shows across the US. The diverse flying expertise of the team members aligns perfectly with the unique components of their overall performance. MIKE GOULIAN – One of the top air show performers in the world and a Red Bull Air Race competitor, Goulian will thrill spectators with his Extra 330SC. He’s won the United States Unlimited Aerobatic Championship at only 27 years of age, and has represented the United States at the World Aerobatic Championship on three separate occasions. ROB HOLLAND – Holland is one of the most decorated, respected, and innovative aerobatic pilots and air show performers in the world today. He is a four-time defending U.S. National Aerobatic champion and two-time defending CONTINUED on PAGE 7
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World Freestyle Aerobatic Champion, and has 10,000 flight hours in more than 168 different aircraft types. Flying the MX-2, Holland thrills millions of spectators with his dynamic and breathtaking display. JERRY KERBY – A past Black Diamond Jet Team member, Jerry “Jive” Kerby demonstrates the capabilities of his RV-8 Wild Blue. JOHN KLATT – Lt. Col. John Klatt will thrill air show spectators with his own unique blend of precision, power and performance in the MX-S. He has served in the Air National Guard for more than 20 years - flying combat, air support, and humanitarian missions. GREG KOONTZ – One of the greatest stick and rudder pilots in the air show business today, Koontz will perform in the Xtreme Decathlon. Koontz flies this popular plane through a solo aerobatic routine that demonstrates its agility with a full set of outside loops, vertical rolls, snaps and tumbles, and inverted passes. The grand finale is a down low, in the dirt inverted ribbon cut! SAMMY MASON – The youngest member of the US national Aerobatic team, Mason is a third generation aerobatic pilot treating crowds to a special show with his Pitts S-1S. Mason’s effortless flying style comes from a life immersed in aviation, and has won multiple Sportsman and Intermediate contests. PAUL MCCOWAN – Skydiver with the American flag PATRIOT PARACHUTE TEAM – The Patriot Parachute Team is a team of professional parachutists who formerly served as active duty Navy SEALs. As SEALs, parachuting into different and challenging environments was their duty. They have performed in hundreds of cities and venues around the country, in thousands of demonstrations. All of the team members are United States Parachute Association PRO accelerated freefall instructor and tandem rating holders, the highest qualifications in the parachute demonstration field. JIM PEITZ – Peitz performs incredible low-level maneuvers in his aerobatic F33C Beechcraft Bonanza. REX & MELISSA PEMBERTON – Award-winning aerobatic pilot, free fly skydiver and champion
rock climber, Melissa Pemberton brings a high-energy, actionpacked display of unlimited aerobatics to audiences worldwide with her Edge 540 aircraft. With thousands of skydives and more than 300 base jumps, her husband Rex jumps out in his wingsuit and the two fly together in formation in this unique performance. KENT PIETSCH – Kent has performed his incredible aerobatic routines for millions of people at more than 400 shows that have taken him to quality venues throughout the United States. Kent is best known for a comedy act that features a detached aileron (wing flap) and a mesmerizing wingtipscraping pass down the runway that you must see to believe. GENE SOUCY & TERESA STOKES – Soucy flies his iconic Grumman Showcat biplane delivering a Hollywood-style smoke and noise solo routine, a wingwalking act with Stokes, and a night pyrotechnic performance called the Fireflight. Soucy is a former member of the recordsetting Eagles Aerobatic Flight Team, has been a member of two World Champion U.S. Aerobatic Teams, and has won more awards than any other active air show pilot. Stokes is an internationally acclaimed aviation and space artist as well as the top stuntwomanwing-walker in the world. She is also a pilot with multiengine, instrument, and commercial ratings, and enjoys flying aerobatics herself. Stokes has been wingwalking on Soucy’s Showcat since 1988. BILL STEIN – Stein flies the dazzling Zivko Edge 540, whose paint continuously changes color based on constantly varying angles between spectators, airplane, and lighting. Stein has logged more than 5,000 hours of aerobatic and formation flight. He began flying aerobatics when he was still a student pilot and has been dedicated to perfecting his skills ever since. Stein’s experience includes competitive aerobatics and years of flying in the world famous Red Baron Stearman Squadron. SKIP STEWART – As the recipient of the 2013 Bill Barber Award for Showmanship, Skip Stewart has proven to be one of the most entertaining air show pilots in the world today. Stewart has more than 10,000 hours of flying experience, holds an ATP certificate, and is a certified flight instructor.
Stewart delights his audience with a high-energy solo demonstration flight in his highly modified Pitts S2S biplane, Prometheus. TEAM AEROSTAR – The Aerostars are a precision aerobatic demo team whose aerial ballet captivates air show audiences large and small. They fascinate the crowd with a combination of graceful aerobatics flown in tight formation, spectacular breakaways followed by breathtaking opposing passes, and awe-inspiring inverted maneuvers. The team performs in the Yak 52TW, a former Soviet-designed, Romanian-built, WWII-type aerobatic trainer. The deep roar of their 400 hp, supercharged, nine cylinder radial engines singing in harmony is a true crowd pleaser. TEAM REDLINE – RedLine Airshows is a dynamic two-ship formation aerobatic performance team. The opposing, inverted, and formation maneuvers are very popular with air show crowds. Ken Rieder is an aerobatic and multi-engine flight instructor and serves as flight-lead for the Redline Team. Jon Thocker retired from a 25-year career as an airline captain flying heavy jets to pursue a lifelong passion for building and flying experimental aircraft. SEAN D. TUCKER – EAA’s very own Young Eagles Chairman Sean D. Tucker performs a high-energy aerobatic demonstration in the one-of-a-kind Oracle Challenger III biplane with a full-throttle attitude. He has flown more than 1,225 performances at nearly 500 air shows, in front of more than 125 million fans. Tucker is a National Aviation Hall of Fame inductee and International Aviation Air and Space Hall of Fame inductee, and was named one of the 25 Living Legends of Flight by the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. PATTY WAGSTAFF – Wagstaff, flying the Extra 330LX, is a sixtime member of the U.S. Aerobatic Team, a three-time U.S. National Aerobatic champion (first woman to win the title), and one of the most famous air show personalities of all time. She flies thrilling, low-level aerobatic demonstrations before millions of people each year. Her breathtaking performances give air show spectators a front-row seat view of the precision and complexity of modern, unlimited hard-core aerobatics.
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MATT YOUNKIN – Younkin, the first second-generation recipient of the Bill Barber Award for Showmanship, will fly his famous twin-engine Beech 18. This act is described by producers and fans alike as one of the most beautiful and graceful displays the industry has to offer. Younkin’s latest achievement is perfecting the world’s only night aerobatic display in a Beech 18. Equipped with more than 50 externally visible lights, the top of the airplane appears to glow in the dark while the bottom side twinkles violently. Younkin continues to amaze air show goers with his unique ability to capture the crowd in the moment, much the same way his father, Bobby, and sister, Amanda, did for so many years. Among Warbirds performers already confirmed are: TORA! TORA! TORA! – Tora! Tora! Tora! is the Commemorative Air Force’s recreation of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor that signaled the beginning of the American involvement in World War II. Designed as a living history lesson, Tora! Tora! Tora! is intended as a memorial to all the soldiers on both sides who gave their lives for their countries. These aircraft are modified to resemble the Zeros, Vals, and Kates of the Japanese attacking force, and participate each year in more than 15 air displays across the USA. TEXAS FLYING LEGENDS – The Texas Flying Legends Museum will be featured in the air show, and is dedicated to honoring past generations and inspiring the leaders of tomorrow through active display of WWII warbirds. CLASS OF 45 – “Jim Tobul“ dual routine is a stunning act with Jim Tobul in his Corsair Korean War Hero and Scott Yoak in his P-51 Mustang Quick Silver Along with these early confirmations, many more exciting performers are yet to be announced, including some not-seen-anywhere else performers and aircraft flying at Oshkosh. Exact days for each performer and complete daily air show lineups will be announced as they are finalized.
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Aviation Gateway Park returns to AirVenture NATE BECK USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN This summer, the Experimental Aircraft Association will expand its headquarters for drones, jobs and a host of educational classes that hinge on technology and the future of aviation. Aviation Gateway Park during EAA’s annual AirVenture convention expands into air-conditioned digs over permanent floors and asphalt walkways between exhibits here. The attraction kicked off last year in-part to spark interest in the horizon of experimental
aviation with seminars, career opportunities and a “drone cage,” a section for unmanned aerial vehicles, better-known as drones to fly. “Aviation Gateway Park’s inaugural year at AirVenture 2015 was a tremendous hit and gave us plenty to build upon this year,” said Dave Chaimson, EAA’s vice president of marketing and business development. “It’s a real draw at Oshkosh because you can see the newest technology and find out about aviation education and careers. It’s also a great loca-
tion to have fun with drone technology demonstrations.” The expanded site will move slightly in its second year, northwest across James Ray Boulevard to make way for more programs. While Aviation Gateway Park expands this year, so does a job fair at the site, which runs all week this year. More than a dozen university programs have signed on fo the College Social and Collegiate Tailgate party at Aviation Gateway park, and inside the area, exhibitors will showcase the latest in aviation.
Jack Pelton, EAA CEO, said these programs are aimed at sparking an interest in aviation among a younger generation. “We’ve committed to that being in our long-term future, year over year, so our Aviation Gateway Park, you’ll see, is going to be more established than it was last year, with permanent pavement and a kind of a more of an upscale drone cage tied to it,” Pelton said. “We’re really looking at ways on how do we connect with that next generation, what is of interest to them.”
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Wittman airport construction displaces camping sites this summer NATE BECK USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN With more than 100 campsites closed at Wittman Regional Airport due to construction this summer, the Experimental Aircraft Association and Wittman are working to clear land for visitors to this year’s AirVenture convention.
Wittman’s nearly $7 million reconstruction of Taxiway Bravo will close up to 130 fly-in sites in the North 40 camping area during the EAA convention July 25-31. Weather permitting, the airport hopes to found a new area, the South 40, in time for visitors to park planes and camp nearby. “The
airport’s
project
will
cause some changes for the North 40 this year, but our goal is to make these temporary situations as seamless as possible,” said Jack Pelton, EAA CEO and chairman. “Our volunteers have been great in helping us plan this transition and they are committed to make things as smooth as possible from their end.” Last November, Wittman secured $6.9 million in federal, state and county dollars to realign Taxiway Bravo and install a storm sewer system. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation expects the project to be finished this fall. This project to reconstruct Taxiway B will provide the airport with runways that don’t intersect, allowing multiple planes to take off and land at the same time. Wittman qualified for federal funds as one of 98 fa-
cilities included in the Wisconsin State Airport System Plan. Though AirVenture organizers will direct visitors to the South 40 after the North 40 fills up this year, the new tract of camping land will be a permanent addition to the airport with expected development on Wittman’s north side in future years. The South 40 will also feature “greatly enhanced” showers, restrooms, transportation and food services for campers, according to an EAA release. Further areas affected by the taxiway construction include the west end of the North 40 aircraft camping and an area between the Hilton Garden Inn and EAA’s Weeks Hangar. All North 40 parking spaces south of Runway 9/27 will stay open.
$198,900
EAA Shaded in red is part of the North 40 area that will be closed to campers and plane parking during the EAA AirVenture convention. The red-shaded section was completed in June.
284-8389
$149,900
284-8389
EAA This permanent parking area shaded in green is expected to be ready to accept overflow EAA plane parking from a section of the Wittman Regional Airport grounds closed due to a reconstruction project.
WI-5002019686
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10 Q&A FOR JACK with EAA CEO JACK PELTON
Jack Pelton, CEO of the Experimental Aircraft Association, talks about the future of EAA.
NATHANIEL SHUDA USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN QUESTION: There have been a lot of changes during the past year, both within the industry and the association. What is the state of the association? ANSWER: From an association standpoint, the last year’s been a very, very good year for us in the sense of we’ve had a lot of activity, getting close to flying our 2 millionth Young Eagle, which is a significant milestone for the association this year. From a headquarters perspective, we’ve spent much more time this year focused on our chapters, which are communities that are out across the country, so we’ve done a lot more outreach, a lot more engagement with those member communities across
the United States — far greater than we’ve ever done in the past. I think that’s kind of put a new level of invigorating the folks out in the field to let them know how important they are relative to aviation. At the same time, we’ve done some things here locally that have been interesting. We’ve really been focused on how do we bring different and features into the museum that will cause people who have been here one time before to come back and say now there’s a new reason to come back. Q: How have things been going membership-wise? A: Our membership is very, very strong. We haven’t seen any declines in membership, which is encouraging; actually, we’ve seen growth, with our largest growth around student mem-
Joe Sienkiewicz / USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin
berships and the youth memberships. Our average membership age is in the mid-50s, and you want to make sure we replenish that with new, younger members. Seeing student membership growth is a good proxy for saying we’ve got a chance of feeding the pipeline into the future. Q: What were some of the association’s biggest accomplishments in the past year? A: One has been around the safety focus. At EAA, we have (taken) a really strong leadership role in general aviation to respond to the FAA and the NTSB’s concern about the safety culture in experimental homebuilt community and the general aviation community, so we’ve really been keyed in on how can we help change the safety record in that area.
We’ve launched what’s called a Founder’s Innovation Prize this year, which we will award at AirVenture. It’s a $25,000 prize for the most innovative solution to help improve the accident record that’s due to loss of control. We’ll go through a process of down-selecting and during AirVenture, have a live panel of judges (to which) these folks will have to present their cases. We know innovation starts with somebody in their basement, who has an idea but doesn’t know how to get it surfaced and get it to make it commercially viable and we’re trying to help that. We also are very proud of the fact that we were a participant with some of the other associations in getting the Pilot’s Bill of Rights 2 passed CONTINUED on PAGE 11
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through the Senate, which part of that bill includes the aeromedical reform. That’s a big initial step in helping to keep people in aviation and minimize the hurdle and burden the medical requirements for recreational flying. The next step of that will be to get it through the House and into law and it looks like that may happen. And then a whole host of other advocacy items that we work on with work on getting the 100 Low-Lead replacement fuel program, continuing to make progress in defining ‘What is it going to take to find a fuel that will replace the leaded fuel? Q: I know you guys have been working on the FAA reauthorization bill, too. How is that going? A: We’ve also spent an incredible amount of time in Washington to make sure some of the legislative needs that support our members are included in that bill. One of them is the definition of aviation use for hangars. We have legislation in the FAA bill that will clearly define that so people are not being thrown out of hangars inappropriately. It also allows for use of hangars for aviation events, like EAA chapter meetings and Young Eagles gatherings and education. We also have the incredibly punitive activity that took place three years ago when we got told we would have to fund the FAA to come operate the tower here — even though it’s already funded through the fuel tax that we pay day in and day out. There’s now legislation that specifically says the FAA can’t charge us for our tower or any other aviation event in the United States, so in the typical EAA style, we’re not doing it just to protect ourselves; we’re protecting the aviation industry as a whole. Q: This year’s convention will be your first as CEO of the association. Does that change your perspective at all? A: From a leadership standpoint, it doesn’t in the sense that I was fully committed three years ago (upon becoming chairman) that everything went well and took responsibility for it. The only thing back then was the concern of ‘How do we transition? If I don’t continue to stay in that role, how do we ensure that EAA continues on and the conventions remain as vibrant as they have the last three years?’ That worry now is off the table, so if anything, I think it adds a little bit of a calm to a stability standpoint. The first three years was to get the organization stable. Now’s it an assured, nothing’s going to change for any period of time in the foreseeable future.
I think from a both a membership and from a staff standpoint, it takes that big ‘What’s going to happen after Jack?’ piece of it away, I think is the best way to characterize it. Q: What are you excited about coming into this year’s convention? A: Whew, buckle in. It’s going to take a while to get through all that. First, we’re bringing back a jet team again, and I think one of the things we’ve always tried to figure out is when you go into the closing weekend of the show, do you have enough airshow content that will cause the local drive market to want to come out and see something new and different? Having the snowbirds here — the last time (was) in 1983 — they’re a tremendous jet demonstration team. It’s different than the Thunderbirds and Blue Angels in a good way. They are more airplanes in the air, and they’re a bit more, should we say, more elegant. So, very excited about being able to start getting jet routines on a morefrequent basis, and this is a good one to have, so we’re very, very excited about that. When they’ve been here before and in every other airshow that they go to, the people walk away with kind of a wow-factor of having that many jets in formation, doing loops and rolls and smoke and all that. The one that’s come up here recently is this Martin Mars water bomber, and the more you learn about that particular airplane and the logistics of getting here it’s quite an undertaking. I mean, it is a massive airplane; it can only position in Lake Winnebago; it doesn’t have any wheels so it can’t land here. It has a 200-foot wingspan, so it’s 747-size. And, actually, prior to the 747 being certified it was the airplane that carried the largest number of people; I think it was around 250 people, so to give you an idea of how massive that is. So that will be a really, truly unique feature to have here. It will be parked at Lake Winnebago but will fly every day. The intent is to have it demonstrate its ability to drop 7,000 gallons of water on Wittman airport, which will be kind of clean the runway every day, if you will. There’s going to be a few fish, you know, that have got to get swooped up because they’re going to swoop the water out of Winnebago and drop it on the runway. It will take people out to the seaplane base, which you get so wrapped up in what goes on here, sometimes you forget to go out there. Q: I understand there are going to be quite a few aircraft anniversaries, too? A: Lots of anniversaries of unique
airplanes. First time we’ve been able to get a group of World War I airplanes, which, you know, when you hear that — whether you’re in the aviation community or not — you think, OK, well it’s just an airplane’s an airplane, but these are getting to be so rare and so fragile, to have them here and be able to fly and have people get to see them up close and personal, given the fact there’s so few of them left, I think is going to be very, very special. And then each theme day that we have, with the anniversary of Pearl Harbor and the themed airplanes around that, with, again some unique airplanes and the actual general aviation airplane that was in the air over Pearl Harbor — Interstate Cadet — when the war broke out — that actual physical airplane will be here that’s been restored, which has a certain unique piece of history tied to it. We’ll also have the recognition of the 25th anniversary of Desert Storm and the airplanes that flew during that. One of the overarching things is we’re going to fly the 2 millionth Young Eagle during that week, so that’s going to be a significant milestone. Hopefully we’re going to have one of our former Young Eagle chairman, Mr. Harrison Ford, flying that Young Eagle, based on his movie-shooting schedule. He might be in and out, but he’s very committed to this program personally. He and Sully Sullenberger and Jeff Skiles and Sean Tucker will all be here, so it’s really going to be a fantastic day. Q: What can music enthusiasts expect at this year’s evening concerts? A: The (music) lineup is all in place. We tried to move to a band (Third Eye Blind) on Monday night for our opening-night concert that’s maybe a little more attractive to a younger group. My son points out that ‘It’s not that young a group, Dad, when you have a ’90s band,’ but I told him we’re trying. I said, ‘Hey, you’re listening to vinyl; maybe the retrogrades are still good.’ Kayne West, we couldn’t have gotten here. Q: What are some of the biggest challenges facing the association and the industry? A: The challenge is we’re competing with so many other interests and time available that people have and the fact that airports and aviation are just not as accessible as it used to be when I was a kid. We really are trying to work to eliminate the barriers that are not real. We’ve got to knock those down to make sure people realize they’re not as onerous as you may believe. We’ve got chapters at airports that are engaging and inviting and can get you
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into an airport and get you into flying, whether it be a Young Eagle ride or a flying club at a chapter or any of those things. And then (there are) the actual real barriers that are the cost hurdles, some of the regulatory environments and how do we start chipping away at those? There are ways that you can go engage in recreational flying and have fun and do it at an affordable level. We should all be hats off to Paul (Poberezny) for making that happen. Especially in the kit manufacturer world versus the scratch-built homebuilt, it’s keeping general aviation alive as we know it today. As we look at our AirVenture planning and we look at our designated communities — our vintage and our homebuilt and our warbird — the great problem we have is we’ve got to start to expand that homebuilt area because that’s where people are landing. Q: What are some of your goals for the coming year? A: Part of our brand new, five-year strategic plan is to be focused on our chapter network: How do we continue to grow youth participation beyond just flying them through the Young Eagles program? We’re actually trying to start our first flight academy, where in a threeweek period of time, somebody can get a sport pilot’s license. Three weeks, total immersion, you’re here at the academy, food, lodging, flying and then when you’re done, you’ll have a sport pilot’s license in your hand. We will be doing them in the fall and the spring, year-round. We want to grow that capability to say, not only will we fly you, but we also have a path for you to get your pilot’s license. While we really have done more this year in our outreach to our chapters than we’ve done in the last three years, we’re going to continue to double-down on that and make sure people understand what EAA is all about because we’re more than just experimental homebuilt aircraft. I’m still shocked at the number of aviation folks I meet who are EAA members who have yet to come to AirVenture. We’ve just got to do a better job of making sure we find ways to get them to come see what AirVenture is all about. There’s still a huge untapped market for that.
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Stein catches eyes with color-changing aerobatic plane TAIMA KERN USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN Bill Stein, 58, of Santa Cruz, Calif., was born and raised in Ann Arbor, Mich., one of the loci for aviation in the U.S. He was one of five sons, and one of four who became pilots. “My father tried to raise sailors, and ended up with pilots,” Stein joked. His mother, he added, was the influence that guided the boys toward the sky rather than the sea. “Mom used to take us down to the airport to watch the planes land and take off. She loved aviation.” With 30 years as a pilot under his belt, Stein said that he’s still a “pup” compared to others. He flies a 14-year-old Zivko Edge 540 purpose-built one-seat airplane designed for aerobatics and painted to be remembered. “Wouldn’t trade it for the world. When people ask me what type of plane I wish I could have, I say ‘mine.’ This is the one,” Stein said. “This is a business tool for me. My plane is my office, and I’m in it every day during the season. I’d probably do this job even if it didn’t pay, but I’m lucky to be able to work doing what I want to do.” Stein never expected to own a new plane, so he wasn’t sure, at first, what color to paint it. After seeing a color-shift paint at a car show, he fell in love with it, and had it applied to the aircraft. The paint job, which is primarily green and purple, appears as a different color from different angles. “There are a zillion colors that it can be,” said Stein. “If anyone says they don’t like the color, I tell them to take a step to the side and look again.” Stein’s entire performance takes place at no more than 1,500 feet off the ground, and he has logged more than 6,500 hours of flight time, in his estimation, all broken down to 18 to 20 minute flights. EAA AirVenture is his Mecca, his Carnegie Hall, he said. “It’s the most prestigious place you can fly.” Stein has flown at EAA in the past, as a member of various teams including the Red Baron Stearman Squadron. He has flown as a solo performer eight times since his first solo flight at EAA in 2006. For Stein, flying is his full-time job during the season. “Not many people do what they love, and not many people are able to fully apply themselves to what they do. It is great to see the effects of dedicated effort,” said Stein. “Believe in your abilities, make a plan and enjoy the journey, because it isn’t about the destination.”
Bill Stein’s aerobatic performances take place below 1,500 feet.
EAA
EAA
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AirVenture 2016
The show memorializes American and Japanese pilots.
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EAA
TORA! TORA! TORA!
Commemorates 75th anniversary of Pearl Harbor NOELL DICKMANN USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN A special Tora! Tora! Tora! performance will commemorate the 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor during an air show at AirVenture Oshkosh. Tora! is the Commemorative Air Force’s recreation of the events that took place Dec. 7,
Cornelia Fort’s original aircraft will be on display.
1941. The show memorializes American and Japanese military pilots who gave their lives for their countries, and aircraft is modified to resemble the Japanese Zeros, Vals and Kates. The intention is not to glorify war, but to provide a living history lesson, said Dennis Dunbar, director of airshow operations.
EAA
“Educating is a really big part of what this Tora! show is all about,” he said. “The story of what happened 75 years ago at Pearl Harbor is something we believe everyone should have a real understanding of.” This year The Pearl, the first plane to encounter the Japanese forces, will be part of the show, he said. The aircraft is the actual plane flown that day by Cornelia Fort, who a year later became the second pilot of the Women Airforce Service Pilots, the first women in history trained to fly military aircraft. In 1941, The Pearl was brand new, built on the mainland and had just arrived at Oahu. Fort, a civilian flight instructor at the time, took a student out for a lesson on the morning of Dec. 7. The aircraft was shot at by Japanese fighters, but Fort and the student landed safely and survived the attack.
Fort died in 1943 at age 23 while working as a ferry pilot. She was the first female pilot to die on active duty. There are 11 planes that fly in the Tora! show, which the crowd will see flying every which way simultaneously as the scene plays out in the sky. While it looks like chaos, every flight is choreographed, even down to exits if someone misses a cue or mark. The pilots must be extremely concentrated while flying with so many planes going in different directions and patterns and at various altitudes, said Mark Allen, who flies a Zero in the show. “It’s absolute concentration,” he said. “There’s no chance of you being able to let up your guard because there’s so much going on.” Allen, an accountant by trade with a passion for flying, has been a pilot for 20 years. He has been part of the show for 13 years.
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Wing-walking act returns to EAA AirVenture BRIANA REILLY USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN Flying over Oshkosh in what looks like a Snoopy biplane from the 1920s, Teresa Stokes and Gene Soucy will continue to wow crowds at this year’s EAA AirVenture with their wing-walking act. Stokes and Soucy started performing together at EAA in 1989, and they have been back every year since with their Grumman Showcat biplane, personally modified for wing-walking. Stokes, an aviation artist, pilot and wing-walker, always loved flying and was just seven years old when she flew a plane across two states. Stokes was in her 20s when she met renowned aerobatics flier Soucy, who had just finished modifications for the Showcat to make it suitable for wing-walking. Soucy too grew up flying, and he knew from an early age that he wanted to be a pilot. He began airshow flying as a professional in 1968, and in 1988 started modifying the Showcat. To create the Showcat, Soucy
took a crop duster and removed its huge chemical-holding tank in the front, replacing it with a seat. After making further modifications, Soucy also worked to make the crop duster aerobatics-ready, strengthening it to allow for upside-down flying. Stokes watched Soucy test-fly the Showcat in Dallas after he transformed the crop duster. The wing-walker who was part of the test flight loved the experience, calling it the best ride she ever had. It was upon seeing the smile on the wing-walker’s face after she landed that Stokes knew she had to try wing-walking. And she hasn’t stopped since. Stokes is one of perhaps 10 wing-walkers in the United States, she estimated. The act started fading in the 1930s and 1940s, and was revitalized around the 1970s, but Stokes said even with the comeback, there are never more than a few wing-walkers performing. Stokes attributed the low number of wing-walkers to the difficulty in finding the “right pilot.” It’s extremely rare, Stokes said,
Teresa Stokes performs a headstand at a recent show. COURTESY OF STOKES AND SOUCY
to find a pilot who can handle all the low-level aerobatics necessary to make wing-walking possible. When asked about the dangers of aerobatic flying and wingwalking, Soucy laughed. “It’s nowhere near as dangerous as texting and driving,” Soucy said. “When I go flying, I’m the only one up there, everything’s controlled, and we only go when the winds are just right.” Both Stokes and Soucy are looking forward to flying – and watching – EAA again. Calling Oshkosh a “fun place to fly,” Stokes added that watching performances from the ground was just as enticing to her as the promise of flying through the air. Stokes is excited to see the Canadian Forces Snowbirds, a military aerial demonstration team, which will be back at EAA for the first time in more than 30 years. Soucy offered high praise to his fellow airshow pilots who would be flying at EAA. “[The airshow pilots] in Oshkosh are the best of the best,” Soucy said. “They’ve got the gift,
COURTESY OF STOKES AND SOUCY
and they’ve got the talent.” Soucy and Stokes see many more EAA performances in the future, and they’re not looking to hang up their wing-walking act anytime soon. “Most people work all their lives to do something fun like we’re doing, to travel and do stuff. I’m not going to retire from this, it’s too much fun,” Soucy said.
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Wagstaff brings her best to Oshkosh ANN GOLDTHWAITE USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN Patty Wagstaff has fond memories of her first year flying at the EAA A i r Ve n ture fly-in convention. It was 1987 WAGSTAFF and she hadn’t been flying as an aerobatic pilot for too long. “Everyone remembers their first time,” she said with a laugh. “I had a big break to get into Oshkosh. Duane Cole recommended me, was so helpful and aided in making it happen.” Cole was a flight instructor, author, aerobatic instructor and air show performer. She was one of 12 men who gathered in Milwaukee in 1951 to form a new airplane builders club that, two years later, became the Experimental Aircraft Association. Wagstaff, known in flying circles around the world, has performed at AirVenture’s air show and appeared at the annual event several times throughout the years. The list is lengthy of her accolades, accomplishments, awards and achievements for this threetime national aerobatic champion and International Aerospace Hall of Fame inductee is lengthy. A partial list: She’s a 2007 inductee to the International
Aerospace Hall of Fame, a 2006 inductee to the Air Show Hall of Fame, a 2005 inductee to the International Aerobatic Club Hall of Fame, a 1997 inductee to the Women in Aviation International Hall of Fame and was a member of the U.S. Aerobatic Team from 1985 to 1996. From 1988 to 1994, she won the Betty Skelton First Lady of Aerobatics award six times in a row. In 1996 she was the top scoring U.S. pilot at the World Aerobatic Championships. She was the 1993 International Aerobatic Club champion and the U.S. National Aerobatic champion in 1991, 1992 and 1993. Wagstaff will show her aerobatic prowess during the afternoon air shows at this year’s AirVenture, which runs July 25 through 31. She is scheduled to fly Wednesday and Sunday, but she said she’d like to see more days added. “I’m flying a new plane for Southeast Aero, a really cool plane, the Extra 330LX”, she said when asked what people can expect from her at this year’s air show. She said the added energy in flying that plane will show off its capabilities. As a performer, she said, “you work at getting better all the time. You never get to the point where you peak out. If you still love it you can keep improving your skills and hope fans and spectators appreciate all the hard work. It’s an honor to fly in front of 100,000 of your best friends.” She said she’s been practicing every day, and since home base is St. Augustine, Fla., the “biggest center for aerobatics in the coun-
PHOTOS COURTESY OF PATTY WAGSTAFF.
try,” practicing comes naturally. She started the Patty Wagstaff Aerobatic School there in 2014 at Southeast Aero, the U.S. distributor for the Extra Aircraft. “I want to help pilots be better pilots, either aerobatic or otherwise, and help them learn safe steps to feel more confident,” she explained. “I love the people who come from all over. I’ve become friends with many of them and it’s a whole new energy.” Pilots are not known for resting on their laurels during the annual AirVenture event, and Wagstaff is no exception. During the convention, she’s out every day meeting with sponsors, spending time at booths such as Southeast Aero’s, signing autographs and checking in on KidVenture. When asked about her being a
role model to adventure seekers, women pilots and children, she switched gears to talk about her role models. “I have so many role models,” she said. “I just visited one the other day. Clint McHenry, he’s 90, really learned a lot from him in competition, so gracious. Bob Hoover, everybody’s role model, wonderful attitude, lovely person and a great pilot. Duane Cole was another awesome one.” She’s honored to fly for the Oshkosh crowd, she said. “They’re educated, so many in the crowd are pilots or in some flight-related field. It’s a different feeling, a little more pressure. You want to fly your best in front of these people.”
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The Patriot Parachute Team performs flying canopies during a 4-minute show in the sky. COURTESY OF THE PATRIOT PARACHUTE TEAM.
Parachute team wows onlookers by twirling and navigating thousands of feet in the air ETHAN SAFRAN USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN An elite group of ex-Navy Seal parachute jumpers aim to make a splash at this year’s EAA. The Patriot Parachute Team will perform during the second half of the annual gathering of aviation enthusiasts, participating in events. Isaiah Maring co-founded the team in 2013 with fellow Navy Seal Justin Gonzales as a means to continue to “demonstrate patriotism.” “The best way we could do that was to parachute into the stadiums and make a kind of spectacle.” Maring, 34, said.
were part of the Leap Frogs, the United States Navy Parachute Team, when he managed air shows throughout the country. He claims the team is “fantastic.” “They have the right to have the largest egos on the planet,” Dunbar said, “and they don’t.” Maring said his group of jumpers — or “aerial marketing team,” as he calls it — jump at a “vast array” of events, including air shows, weddings and football games. The team performs 40 to 60 events each year. “We just want to be good stewards of the United States and the military,” Gonzales, 33, said.
The team will be one of three parachute teams performing at EAA this year, according to EAA air show director Dennis Dunbar.
So far this year, Patriot Parachute Team has jumped at venues in San Diego, Los Angeles, Texas, Florida and Maryland. The eightman team is spread out across San Diego, Minnesota and Florida.
Dunbar said he first met the team’s members when they
Last year was the team’s first sojourn to EAA, and going for-
ward, Maring said he expects it to be an annual stop. “If there’s an open air venue and a small area where we can land, we’ll come into your venue and make it exciting,” Maring said. While a typical parachute jumper hurdles out of a plane at 13,000 feet with a 60-second free fall, Maring said the Patriot Parachute Team never jumps higher than 6,000 feet. That’s so the team can perform “canopy relative work,” or the art of flying canopies extremely close, if not touching, one another. Maring said it’s also difficult for spectators to see the jumpers if they’re above 3,000 feet. So a 3,000-foot jump equates to about a four-minute show, Maring noted, and it means the team can present its formation to a crowd for about 90 seconds — plenty of time to hearten a few younger
faces on the ground. “It’s always fun to be able to jump into an event and talk to the kids and be a role model that the kids can look up to,” Maring said. During many jumps, the team will sponsor charities and corporations. To date, the group has about 25 different parachutes with sponsors’ logos, according to Maring. But even when there’s no sponsors involved, onlookers can expect something predictably patriotic: a red, white and blue parachute. “They’re inspiring our young Americans,” said Dunbar, who’s hired the team for other air shows throughout the country. “They’re incredibly personable, approachable, humble.” Those wanting to request a Patriot Parachute Team demonstration can visit http://patriotparachuteteam.com/contact-us/.
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EAA The Martin Mars, shown being guided by a helicopter, has a wingspan of 200 feet.
Largest water bomber coming to convention MARK BARNA USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN Something very big and very red will be coming to a lake near you this summer. The Martin Mars aircraft, the world’s largest flying water bomber, will land on Lake Winnebago to participate in the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2016.
“There aren’t many airplanes that have never been to Oshkosh, but this is one of them, so this is both literally and figuratively a huge addition to this year’s lineup,” said Rick Larsen, EAA’s vice president of communities and member programs. “The legendary Spruce Goose is bigger, but the Martin Mars is the largest ever to be operational on a regular basis,” he said. The giant aircraft is 120 feet long and has a wingspan of 200 feet, about that of a Boeing 747, a news release said. Only six were ever built.
EAA
The model first flew in 1942 as a patrol bomber, but almost as soon as it was introduced, the U.S. Navy converted it into a cargo plane, mostly flying between Ha-
waii and the states. The bomber was converted again in 1960, this time to a water bomber to fight forest fires. The aircraft scrapes water from a lake as it taxis and can hold up to 7,200 gallons, a release said. Mars then takes to the air to drop a pond of water onto up to 4 acres of burning trees and scrub brush. Since 2007, Martin Mars has been owned by Coulson Flying Tankers in Port Alberni, B.C. “This is the last flying Mars in the world and the largest warbird ever built,” said Wayne Coulson, chief executive officer of Coulson Flying Tankers. “There isn’t a better aviators venue than EAA AirVenture,
so it’s an honor to be part of this world-class event,” he said. “We’re very excited to bring the Hawaii Mars to Oshkosh as we look for new opportunities and host potential clients, as well as showcase this magnificent airplane’s capabilities.” Martin Mars has mostly fought fires along the coast of British Columbia, most recently on July 29, 2010, when it battled the Mason Lake/Bonaparte Lake blaze. It was retired in 2012. Being more or less a flying boat (and water tank), Martin Mars cannot land at Wittman Regional Airport and will instead land like a duck on the lake.
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Attendees learn about aviation careers. EAA
Aviation job fair open all week MADELINE ZUKOWSKI USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN The job fair at EAA AirVenture, which brings together aircraft and aviation employers and job seekers, will now be open during the entirety of the World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration. The fair will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day at AirVenture’s Aviation Gateway Park, an area of the grounds that features education, innovation and technology. “EAA AirVenture has always been a place where the entire
flying community gathers, so informal networking occurs at all levels along the flight line,” said Dave Chaimson, EAA’s vice president of marketing and business development. “The more structured job fair at Oshkosh is a great opportunity for companies and potential employees to create career connections. It’s been so successful we’re expanding it from a one-day event to a weeklong feature at Aviation Gateway Park.” The fair will include companies ranging from airlines to avionics that are seeking candidates to fill
the growing number of jobs in the aviation industry. The aviation industry alone offers 62.7 million jobs worldwide.
licize the job fair throughout the
In a survey of over 400 aviation companies done by JSfirm. com, a fast-growing, comprehensive aviation career website that matches job opening with candidates, it was found that 85 percent of aviation companies will hire and 76 percent are projecting growth within the next year. Maintenance technicians, avionics and pilots are in high demand, and will be for the next few years.
tunities in the industry right now
JSfirm.com will assist and pub-
activities at AirVenture. “There are so many job opporand we are very pleased to support EAA’s efforts to match people and aviation jobs at AirVenture,” said Abbey Hutter, marketing coordinator for JSfirm.com. “We stand firmly behind EAA’s dedication and mission to growing participation in aviation, whether it’s through recreational flying or as a career.”
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KidVenture offers youth hands-on activities where they can learn about the inner workings of aviation and discover careers in the field.
EAA
KidVenture offers kids a birds-eye view of aviation and plenty of fun SHARON ROZNIK USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN
Dan Majka.
The field of aviation is in need of a new wave of young people to fill positions as mechanics and pilots, said KidVenture Chairman
ple visiting EAA’s AirVenture
KidVenture invites young peo2016
to
explore the world of aviation on their own terms and learn about careers that pay well and are always in demand. “Aviation is an excellent career path for those who like airplanes and know which end of a wrench to hold,” Majka said. “If we don’t have enough mechanics, no one will fly.” Youth visiting KidVenture c a n experience handson flight instruction, learn how to fly a radiocontrolled air-
KidVenture provides hours of entertainment for children of all ages in a fun, educational setting.
plane and even see what it’s like to land on Mars. Kids who delve into flight mechanics can get a card punched as they make their way through a series of activities, like riveting, making a rib wing and propeller, and building a wind-powered generator. They can earn a Future A&P pin, two hours of official FAA credit toward their A&P certificates, and, if they are among the first 800 kids to complete the skills, a tool kit. An aircraft maintenance technician holds an Airframe and/ or Powerplant (A&P) certificate which is issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). An A&P technician inspects aircraft as well as performs, superCONTINUED on PAGE 21
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AirVenture 2016 CONTINUED from PAGE 20
vises and conducts preventive maintenance. Majka has been a pilot all his life, beginning when his uncle gave him flying lessons as a Christmas gift. He was a chemistry teacher for more than three decades in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. “When I grew up we fixed things. These days we throw it away,” he said. “I want to show kids how to use tools and make things. Making the metal name badge at AirVenture is the hottest thing around.” A Young Eagles Flight area features a series of activities focused on what a young pilot should know. Topics include weather, navigation, air traffic control, aircraft design and a flight lesson. Kids receive a logbook and can get 20 minutes of loggable flight simulator instruction from a certificated flight instructor. Members of the Northern Aces
R/C Air Show Team will teach youngsters how to fly a real electric-powered model airplane un-
roles as pilot, co-pilot, navigator and bombardier as they fly a mission.
It’s worth it all to see the excitement and feel the enthusiasm from these kids, it seeps into all of us. ~KidVenture chairman Dan Majka der their guidance. Kids can also try their hand at control line airplane flying with the gas powered airplane models. Control line experts also perform daily demonstration air shows. Electric R/C and control line flying is geared to more mature children, but any age level is allowed to fly once they have mastered the basics. There’s even a full-sized B25 nose section, Majka said. Kids can go in four at a time, and fill
Other activities for kids include: • Redbird flight simulators. • Kiddie Hawk Air Academy Airplane and Helicopter Trainers, as well as forums with several of their “Living Legends of Aviation” • Through simulated Mars landings, the Dream Flight space bus/exhibit shows kids what flight outside the atmosphere is like.
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• In Area 51-1/2 kids build a balsa glider along with a wooden model of EAA’s B-17 Aluminum Overcast and the legendary P-51 Mustang of EAA Founder Paul Poberezny. • Replica of the Mercury 7 space ship for the kids to sit in along with video of its flight into space. Each year about 20,000 parents and children visit KidVenture, Majka said. KidVenture is run by a team of 450 volunteers who put in about 15,000 hours to make it happen. “It’s worth it all to see the excitement and feel the enthusiasm from these kids,” Majka said. “It seeps into all of us.” Located at Pioneer Airport, across from the AirVenture Museum, KidVenture is open 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday. Shuttles run throughout the day between the Bus Park and Museum.
WI-5002019962
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A rescuer leaps into the water from a Coast Guard helicopter.
Coast Guard, celebrating its centennial, to showcase planes and helicopters MARK BARNA USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN Be honest. When you think of the United States Coast Guard, you think watercraft. But the Coast Guard also has plenty of aircraft to help people stricken on lakes and oceans. The modern Coast Guard has been operating for some 100 years, having been established on Jan. 28, 1915, under the U.S. Department of the Treasury, according to the US Coast Guard website. But the Coast Guard was around way before that official designation. The guard has been involved in American wars since 1790, its website states. Several Coast Guard aircraft will be showcased at the 2016 AirVenture event to help commemorate the guard’s history. Helicopters and planes round
EAA
out the spectacle. Scheduled to be at the show are: • Eurocopter MH-65 Dolphin short-range recovery helicopter • Sikorsky MH-60 Jayhawk medium-range helicopter • Lockheed HC-130 Hercules long-range surveillance aircraft • EADS HC-144 Ocean Sentry, medium-range surveillance aircraft • Alenia C-27 Spartan, medium-range surveillance aircraft While the aircraft and events honoring the Coast Guard aviation centennial will take place throughout AirVenture week, many of the activities will be focused on July 28. That day’s events will include a large contingent of Coast Guard
A U.S. Coast Guard plane.
aircraft, both fixed-wing and rotorcraft, with plane-side interviews throughout the day from Coast Guard pilots and aircrews. Some of those aircraft will fly in that day’s afternoon air show, and a special evening program at
EAA
Theater in the Woods will highlight the Coast Guard’s illustrious aviation history. Some of the Coast Guard’s top officers are also expected to participate in the activities at Oshkosh.
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EAA An ICON A5 will be an auction highlight at EAA AirVenture’s Gathering of Eagles Thursday, July 28.
ICON aircraft auction brings excitement to the Gathering of Eagles Proceeds support EAA’s youth aviation education programs
FOR THE USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN ICON Aircraft is adding excitement to the annual EAA Gathering of Eagles and aiding the next generation of aviation, as ICON offers one of its new amphibious light-sport aircraft as an auction highlight Thursday, July 28. The July 28 Gathering of Eagles is part of EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, the 64th annual Experimental Aircraft Association fly-in convention, held July 25 through 31 at Wittman Regional Airport. The Gathering of Eagles annually unites the aviation community as more than 1,000 people attend to support EAA’s youth aviation education programs. The ICON A5 was first announced as a 2016 auction lot at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2015 by ICON officials as well as EAA CEO and Chairman Jack Pelton and Sean D. Tucker, legendary air show pilot and chairman of
EAA’s Young Eagles program. The airplane to be auctioned has the latest technology and innovations that are part of ICON’s regular aircraft production. “I had the opportunity to fly this airplane last year, and ICON has given us a flying machine that is superb for flying adventure and excitement,” Pelton said. “As EAA aims to grow participation in aviation, innovative aircraft such as the ICON A5 will inspire more people to be part of the world of flight. We’re very excited to have this airplane as part of the Gathering of Eagles auction on July 28.” According to iconaircraft.com, the plane features a high visibility canopy, folding wings, complete airplane parachute, planing wingtips, removable side windows, retractable landing gear and landing/taxi lights. The estimated price is $189,000. Bidding on the airplane will
take place live at the auction, as well as through telephone bids. It will be part of an auction lineup that in past years has included one-of-a-kind collector Ford Mustangs specially built by the Ford Motor Co., as well as flying experiences with aviation personalities. Tickets for this year’s Gathering of Eagles, presented by Textron Aviation, are in limited
supply. More information regarding the event and additional highlights are available at EAA. org/Gathering. The event also has drawn celebrity guests ranging from actors Harrison Ford and Morgan Freeman to golf legend Arnold Palmer, NASCAR team owner Jack Roush and 2016 Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Ken Griffey Jr.
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EAA The Women Soar You Soar participants from 2015 pose in front of an A350.
Events celebrating women happening all week NOELL DICKMANN USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN
in a variety of aviation-related fields.
The breakfast is $15 for attendees.
Women throughout the aviation industry will come together during WomenVenture at the Experimental Aircraft Association’s AirVenture 2016.
Wednesday, July 27 offers special events, including:
Two keynote speakers present at the Power Lunch.
The weeklong celebration of women features events and seminars designed to empower women to pursue their dreams in aviation, from young girls to those who have worked in the industry for years from engineers to pilots. WomenVenture also features participants of the Women Soar You Soar program, which invites high school girls to explore career opportunities in aerospace and provides them with mentors
•
8:00 a.m. Women in Aviation Breakfast
•
11:00 a.m. Annual Group Photo at Boeing Plaza
•
11:30 a.m. Power Lunch at Theater in the Woods.
Sherry Carbary, vice president of flight services for Boeing Commercial Airplanes, will present at the Women in Aviation Breakfast. Carbary oversees pilot, technician and cabin safety training, and simulator services across 19 training campuses in 11 countries, according to the Boeing website.
U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander Meagan Flannigan has accumulated more than 1,250 flight hours and 180 arrested landings. Her awards include the Strike/Flight Air Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation and Achievement medals. She is currently an instructor pilot at VFA-106 in Virginia Beach. Vanessa Christie, vice president of Strategic Development and Prevailence Aerospace, a U.S. Defense and NATO services firm, is a Navy combat veteran who spent the majority of her active duty time flying and in-
VANESSA CHRISTIE
MEAGAN FLANNIGAN
structing in the F-14 Tomcat. She has a leading role in the Prevailance business strategy, and has received awards like the Hampton Roads 2012 Women in Business. An optional boxed lunch is $5 to participants. Or, attendees can bring their own lunch at no cost.
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Drone Cage Obstacle Course Returns this year USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2016 will welcome back the popular Drone Cage Obstacle and Speed Course, presented by EmbryRiddle Aeronautical University. Experienced UAV pilots can test their skills in a fun, challenging competition. The challenge will run daily from 4 to 5 p.m. inside the Drone Cage at Aviation Gateway Park. Attendees can bring their own UAVs or use one of the quadcopters provided by Hobbico or Horizon Hobby, Inc. Not ready to test your droneflying skills against the world? Enjoy the excitement by watching the action from the 360-degree viewing platforms, as well as a live video feed provided by Multicopter Warehouse. Sign-up for the AirVenture Drone Cage Obstacle Course will be available onsite at the Embry Riddle Aeronautical University booth.
Pink was the chosen color for many participants last year in the Women Soar You Soar, which invites high school seniors to explore careers in aviation.
Winners of the daily-course challenge will receive awards donated by Etched Memory, LLC, as well as receiving the envy of their peers.
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An authentic 1909 Curtiss pusher aircraft was built from parts wrapped in 1915 Boston Globe newspapers discovered in an attic in Massachusetts.
STEVE KAMINOFF PHOTO
AirVenture to celebrate centennial of World War I aviation
SHARON ROZNIK USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN The 1900s took off with a fanatical craze for flying machines. In 1909, aviation pioneer Glenn Curtiss contributed his Curtiss Pusher to this growing industry. The elaborately constructed plane was among the first to be built in quantity, and it captured the imagination of people worldwide. This rare bi-plane will be among the historic aircraft seen in the air and on the ground at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2016, as it celebrates the centennial of World War I aviation. Airplanes participating in the centennial celebration will be arriving in Oshkosh from museums and collections throughout the United States, including the
Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome of Rhinebeck, New York, and Golden Age Air Museum in Bethel, Pennsylvania. Vintage aircraft and replicas from such legendary names as Sopwith, Fokker and Spad, from the 1914-18 era, will be on display throughout the week near the Vintage Aircraft Association “Red Barn” headquarters. Flying demonstrations will take place early in the morning on July 27 and July 30, and following the daily afternoon air show on July 25 and July 28. “Our goal is to create an event that will allow those at Oshkosh to see more than antique airplanes on the ground,” said Rick Larsen, EAA’s vice president of communities and member programs. “We want people to feel
and better understand the technology, dangers and romance of the era that brought us such legendary aviation figures as Eddie Rickenbacker and the Red Baron.” The Sopwith Pup was a British single-seater aircraft that entered service with the British Royal Flying Corps and Royal Naval Air Service in 1916. The Fokker Dr. l triplane is a German fighting plane from World War I, made famous as the aircraft German ace Baron Manfred von Richthofen was flying when he was killed. In Charles Schultz’s comic strip, “Peanuts,” Snoopy flew his Sopwith Camel doghouse against the Red Baron’s Fokker. The Curtiss Pusher, from the Collings Foundation of Stow,
Massachusetts, has just been completed from a two-year restoration by Century Aviation in East Wenatchee, Washington. Original Pusher parts and engines were thought lost to history until the Collings Foundation came across some remarkable treasures: 84 original Pusher air frame parts, ribs and spars in a Massachusetts attic and an OX-5 engine in a Pennsylvania basement. Along with the aircraft display, there will be giant-scale radio-controlled aircraft flights, a living history area with historical re-enactors, and forums and presentations throughout the week.
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GOLDEN AGE AIR MUSEUM PHOTO GOLDEN AGE AIR MUSEUM PHOTO GOLDEN AGE AIR MUSEUM PHOTO The Fokker Dr I flying over fall foliage. The airplane will participate in A Sopwith Pup biplane from the World War I era, which will appear at EAA AirVenture The Sopwith Scout Pup and Fokker Dr I flying in tandem. Both aircraft will the World War I aviation centennial ar EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2016. Oshkosh 2016. The Sopwith Scout Pup is in the colors of Canadian pilot Jimmy Glenn. be at EAA AirVenture 2016 as part of its World War I aviation centennial.
World War I aircraft featured tage aircraft and replicas that
events commemorating the centennial anniversary of the Great War, according to an EAA news release. Activities will include four flying demonstrations as well as ground displays throughout the week near the Vintage Aircraft Association “Red Barn” headquarters.
will be part of the convention’s
A newly restored 1909 Curtiss
NATHANIEL SHUDA USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN World War I-era military aircraft will attend the Experimental Aircraft Association’s AirVenture fly-in convention in July. The airplanes will include vin-
St. Mary Church 605 Merritt Avenue Sunday 7:30 & 10:45 AM
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EAA AirVenture 2016 is scheduled for July 25 through 31 at Wittman Regional Airport. Tickets are available online at www.eaa.org/airventure.
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Pusher aircraft from the Collings Foundation of Stow, Mass., also will be on display, along with a “living history” area with historical reenactors, as well as forums and presentations throughout the week.
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The Canadian Forces Snowbirds are expected to close out the week-long convention.
EAA
Snowbirds return to AirVenture after three decades NATHANIEL SHUDA USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN For the first time in more than three decades, a prestigious group of Canadian military demonstration aircraft will return to this year’s AirVenture fly-in. The Canadian Forces Snowbirds, formally known as the 431 Air Demonstration Squadron, are expected to close out the week-long convention, with full performances during the afternoon airshows on July 30 and 31,
according to the association. “Longtime EAA members and Oshkosh attendees speak fondly of the elegant precision aerobatics that the Snowbirds brought to the EAA fly-in and have often asked when they would return,” said Rick Larsen, vice president of communities and member services for EAA. “We were very happy to discover that EAA AirVenture 2016’s dates and the Snowbirds’ schedule availability aligned and
we could welcome them back to aviation’s family reunion at Oshkosh,” he said. The squadron was the first military team to perform at AirVenture in the 1970s but have not been to Oshkosh since 1983 because it gives scheduling priority to Canadian airshows, according to EAA. Based in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, the Snowbirds comprise 24 show team members, including 11 military pilots and
technicians, according to the squadron’s website. Skill and experience are the basis for selection, and pilots undergo “a rigorous series of try-outs” to test their formation-flying skills. The team flies Canadair CT-114 Tutor jets in about 60 airshows each year in 40 locations across North America from May to midOctober, according to the Snowbirds website. The squadron also trained Royal Canadian Air Force pilots during World War II.
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Third Eye Blind to play EAA AirVenture
SHANE NYMAN USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN
Third Eye Blind — the rock band behind turn-of-the-century hits like “Jumper” and “SemiCharmed Life” — will make a stop in Oshkosh for the opening night concert at EAA AirVenture this summer. The July 25 performance is free to those attending AirVen-
ture’s opening day and is held following the afternoon air show on the Boeing Centennial Plaza.
Third Eye Blind made a name for themselves with their selftitled debut album in 1997, which went six-times platinum and included hits “Semi-Charmed Life,” “How’s it Going to Be” and “Jumper.” They followed the hugely successful debut with “Blue” in 1999, which went plati-
num and included another of their best-known songs, “Never Let You Go.” They released their fifth studio album and first in six years, “Dopamine,” in 2015. The band has sold more than 12 million records in their twodecade run and tour dates this summer include stops at major festivals like Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza and Outside Lands. Past AirVenture performers
include Dierks Bentley, Chicago, the Steve Miller Band, Foreigner and the Beach Boys. The 64th annual EAA fly-in
convention runs July 25-31 at Wittman Regional Airport. For information on this year’s “world’s greatest aviation celebration,”
including
advance
ticket and camping options, visit eaa.org/airventure.
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EAA The Ford-Tri Motor is America’s first mass-produced airliner built in the 1920s. Passengers will be able to fly in the 1929 Ford Tri-Motor 4-AT-E and the 1928 Ford Tri-Motor 5-AT-B during EAA AirVenture.
Experience convention from the air MADELINE ZUKOWSKI USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN Three aircraft rides will allow aviation adventurers to see celebration in a unique way: from the air. Airplane enthusiasts can take a ride on the restored B-17G Flying Fortress Aluminum Overcast, an American heavy bomber that helped turn the tide of World War II. Flights depart from Outagamie County Regional Airport in Appleton. Passengers will be shuttled to the airport. Shuttles will leave the grounds one hour before scheduled flights.
noon to 3 p.m. Tickets for the B-17G Flying Fortress Aluminum Overcast can be bought in advance or during the festival. Advance tickets cost $409 for EAA members, $449 for non-members. Day-of tickets cost $435 for EAA members, $475 for non-members. Rides in the Ford Tri-Motors cost $75 per seat. A five-minute tour in the Bell 47 costs $49, and a
30-minute ride in helicopter costs $525 for two seats. Tickets for the B-17G Flying Fortress Aluminum Overcast and the Ford Tri-Motors can be purchased online at http://www. eaa.org/en/airventure/featuresand-attractions/aircraft-ridesat-airventure, by calling 800359-6217, in the Welcome Center Monday through Sunday, at the aircraft rides booth just inside
the main gate or at the planespecific trailer or building located in the Warbirds area north of taxiway P1. Tickets for the Bell 47 rides can be purchased at Pioneer Airport’s Pitcairn Hanger, located behind the EAA AirVenture Museum. There will be shuttles running to the museum from the bus park frequently at the festival.
Flights are also available in a 1929 Ford Tri-Motor 4-AT-E and the Liberty’s Museum 1928 Ford Tri-Motor 5-AT-B. The Ford TriMotor is America’s first massproduced airliner. Flights are available from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 7: 30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. A ride in a Bell 47 helicopter, or the helicopter model seen in the TV series M*A*S*H, will give you a birds-eye view of the festival grounds. Flights are available from Monday through Saturday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from
A B-17G Flying Fortress Aluminum Overcast, flying from Appleton during EAA AirVenture, will give passengers a feel of the World War II era.
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AirVenture 2016
NASA hosting future technology forum at AirVenture TAIMA KERN USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN NASA hopes to tackle some interesting questions about the future from 1 to 5 p.m. on Friday, July 27, during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2016. With topics including the possibility of self-flying aircraft and electric aircraft, The NASA Self-Flying Aircraft and Electric Propulsion Technology forum will explore how technology advancements will impact the future of flight. NASA hopes that these developing technologies will create “unprecedented access to highspeed, on-demand mobility for personal regional transportation needs,” a recent press release said. The organization will present on current research activities, simplified vehicle operations research and SCEPTOR, the first manned use of distributed elec-
trical propulsion. A roadmap will be presented across the technologies that can achieve the greatest impact in small aircraft capabilities, including sessions which each include opportunity for questions, discussions, and public participation. The session schedule is as follows: On-Demand Mobility Vision, Maximizing Personal Transportation Productivity at 1 p.m.; Simplified Vehicle Operations, The Path to Self-Flying Aircraft at 2 p.m.; Electric Propulsion, Transforming Existing Aircraft into Lean, Green, Cost Effective Machines at 3 p.m.; and Advanced Technologies for On-Demand Mobility, Open Discussion and Q&A at 4 p.m. The forum is open to all and is included with AirVenture admission.
A-20 Havoc on display NATHANIEL SHUDA USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN Visitors to this year’s Experimental Aircraft Association’s AirVenture fly-in convention could be in for a special treat— the only airworthy A-20 Havoc known to exist. The twin-engine light bomber and attack aircraft is owned by Lewis Air Legends out of San Antonio, Texas, which also owns such iconic favorites as the P38F Glacier Girl, as well as the Rare Bear, a modified F8F-2 Bearcat, according to the association. “We’re really excited to see this beautiful airplane this summer,” said Rick Larsen, vice president of communities and member programs for EAA. “As the only known flying example, the A-20 is truly unique and will be a great addition to the warbird lineup at Oshkosh 2016.” Built in 1943 by the Douglas Aircraft Co. as an A-20G, the Lewis Havoc operates with two 1,700-hp Wright R-2600 motors and features seven 7.7-millime-
ter machine guns, according to Lewis Air Legends. It can carry 4,000 pounds of bombs. The A-20 Havoc was the mostproduced Army Air Forces attack plane, but was quickly replaced by other warbirds, making the A-20 Havoc quite rare, according to Lewis Air Legends. It was designed in 1938 for the U.S. Army Air Corps but also used by the French, United Kingdom and Soviet air forces. British and Canadian air forces called it Boston, but Royal Air Force night fighters dubbed it Havoc, according to Lewis. The aircraft was used in every theater of the war. Douglas made more than 7,000 of the plane, with Boeing manufacturing nearly 400, according to Lewis. More than half went into service in other countries. AirVenture will be the first official public display of the aircraft since a full restoration to stock military configuration, according to the association.
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Boeing’s display will include current commercial and military aircraft as well as aircraft from the company’s early years.
EAA
Big airplanes, big events part of Boeing’s 100th anniversary USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN The 100th anniversary of The Boeing Company, the world’s largest commercial and military aircraft company, will bring a unique collection of airplanes and presentations to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2016 on July 25-31. The 64th annual Experimental Aircraft Association flyin convention, the World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration, will take place at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Many of the airplanes will be displayed on EAA AirVenture’s main showcase ramp, which has been dubbed “Boeing Centennial Plaza” for this year’s event. Those aircraft include current commercial and military aircraft as well as historic Boeing airplanes from the company’s first 100 years. “Boeing aircraft have touched nearly every part of civilian and military aviation history over the past 100 years, so we’ll right-
ly celebrate that century of innovation at Oshkosh this year,” said Rick Larsen, EAA’s vice president of communities and member programs who coordinates features and attractions at AirVenture. “From vintage biplanes to huge jumbo jets, at AirVenture you’ll see how Boeing shaped the world of flight.” Among some of the highlights during AirVenture week will be the arrival and display of a Cathay Pacific 747-8 Freighter on Saturday, July 30 – which has been named Boeing Day at Oshkosh. There will be other historic
Boeing aircraft, such as the B-17 Flying Fortress and the B-29 Superfortress on Boeing Centennial Plaza that day. Prior to the night air show on July 30, Boeing historians EAA and officials will also present highlights from a century of Boeing aircraft production during a Theater in the Woods program. “For 100 years Boeing has been the leader in the aviation industry,” said Sherry Carbary, vice president of Boeing Flight Services. “As we start our second century, we look forward to celebrating our centennial at EAA AirVenture with our customers and aviation enthusiasts.” Along with the July 30 festivities, an Alaska Airlines 737-800 will be in Oshkosh on Wednes-
day, July 27, to participate in WomenVenture Day at Oshkosh, of which Boeing is the presenting sponsor. The airliner will be flown by an all-female crew and bring more than 100 female Alaska Airlines employees to be a part of WomenVenture activities, which highlight the possibilities to increase the number of women in the aviation industry. Also that day, FedEx will showcase a Boeing 767 Freighter on Boeing Centennial Plaza. A major gathering of Stearman biplanes built in the 1930s and 1940s is also scheduled during EAA AirVenture 2016. These airplanes are a major part of the Boeing legacy and will be displayed in both the vintage and warbirds aircraft areas. The Stearmans were among the most popular primary training aircraft for military pilots during the World War II era.
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AirVenture 2016
Several airplane types are celebrating anniversaries.
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EAA
A “family reunion” for many groups celebrating anniversaries this year NOELL DICKMANN USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN The World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration is also sort of a family reunion. A number of airplane types are celebrating anniversaries at the Experimental Aircraft Association’s AirVenture 2016. “Oshkosh really is the site of aviation’s family reunion,” EAA Vice President of communities and member programs Rick Larsen said in a news release. “Whatever you fly or enjoy seeing fly, you’ll find kindred spirits on our flightline.” Grasshoppers -- small, two- to three-seat observation planes
used in World War II and the Korean War -will mark their 75th anniversary. As many as 20 pilots have flown their Grasshoppers to the convention. The camaraderie between the pilots makes AirVenture a blast, said Sam Taber, of Burlington, Wisconsin. It’s like connecting with people in a motorcycle or old car club, but with planes, he said. Airplanes turn into a little time machine when enthusiasts meet with veterans who used to fly them. “That is really the coolest thing, I think, about these airplanes; it allows you a living history connection with the pilots
that flew them,” Taber said. “You get to hear what these airplanes really did in service, get to see the soul behind the people that worked and lived with these things.”
They are: •
30 years
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Van’s RV-6
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40 years
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Ultralights at Oshkosh
Taber flies a Stinson L5 while his wife flies a Piper L4 Cub.
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70 years
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Cessna C120/C140
Taber, who rebuilds planes at his company Tab-Air, in East Troy, said it will be his 43rd year at AirVenture.
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Navion
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De Havilland Chipmunk
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Globe/Temco Swift
“I can’t wait to get up there to go to the airshow,” he said. “It’s truly a blast, there’s nothing like it.”
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75 years
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Interstate Cadet
The groups celebrating anniversaries include a variety of homebuilts, vintage, warbirds, aerobatic and ultralight aircraft.
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Grasshopper
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100 years
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Stearman Aircraft (warbirds and vintage), commemorating Boeing’s 100th anniversary
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