EAA AirVenture 2005

July 25 – August 1, 2005
Article by Steen Staff

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Sunday, July 24 – Setup Day

After some severe weather on Saturday, Sunday was calmer… though the heat index was 114 degrees! Everyone in our crew had arrived by Sunday, so we got busy with setting up our display (it’s in the same location as last year, between the main gate and Paul’s Park.) We were also pleased to have the opportunity to take part in a special event… Steen Aero Lab, Kevin Kimball of Jim Kimball Enterprises, author and Pitts afficianado Budd Davisson, Allan Westby of EAA, and the IAC teamed up to create a display to honor everyone’s beloved friend Curtis Pitts, who passed away in June. The tribute includes prototypes, replicas, and early copies of nearly all of Curtis’ designs, arranged around a tent, where visitors can view historical photos and read about the life of the world’s greatest aerobatic aircraft designer. The display also includes video showing the early flights of the first Pitts Special, the first S1-C N8L, and some very special (not to mention entertaining) tributes to Curtis by several well-known airshow performers. Also on display under the tent is the 1990 replica of the first Pitts Special and the first S-2 “Big Stinker”.

: The setup of the Curtis Pitts memorial tent begins on Sunday.

: We just bet that this builder owns a Harley too.

: Pete Clinton talks to Paul Goetsch. Pete flies his beautiful Skybolt to Oshkosh just about every year.

: This car window sums up the determination of the many thousands of aviation enthusiasts who make the yearly pilgrimage to AirVenture via plane, trains, and automobiles.

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Monday, July 25 – Opening Day

Monday was a good start to the show, a little slower than in other years (since they previously started Oshkosh on Tuesday) but that should pick up as the week goes on. The weather was nice, but warm, though some bad weather started moving in very late in the day. There were a good number of folks who went through the Curtis Pitts memorial area, with many folks sharing stories of time with Curtis or his airplanes. The White Knight and SpaceShipOne arrived at 3PM, right on schedule, and really stole the show… it was a virtual mob scene… albeit an incredibly polite and nearly organized one… as thousands of admirers jockied for position to see, photograph, and meet the aircraft and the team that won the X-prize. They all signed a few autographs and had a great time, you can tell that they really enjoyed “coming home” to a bunch of EAA folks on the only public stop for SpaceShipOne before it goes into the National Air and Space Museum in Washington.
We’re looking forward to a great week!

: This year, we’re displaying the Yellowbird Skybolt and a structurally complete Skybolt fuselage.

: There are at least 3 B-17s here this year.

: Some visitors read all about Curtis Pitts in the Curtis Pitts tribute display tent.

: Curtis Pitts t-shirts were a popular item. Proceeds benefit IAC.

: The memorial board has many photos of Curtis and his planes, with a set of his original S1-C plans as a backdrop.

: This is a faithful replica of Caro Bayley’s famous Pitts Special named ‘Black Magic’, circa 1951. All the planes at the tribute display have a nice sign with it explaining information about the model of aircraft.

: The Black magic replica is a really well-done airplane. Caro Bayley’s original was the third Pitts Special.

: The cockpit of Black Magic.

: Jim Klick’s S1-S is a very attractive aircraft.

: Chuck Strauch’s fine plane represented the S-2A line.

: This is an example of an S2-S.

: N80XP is the prototype of the Pitts Model 12 “Macho Stinker” line. It’s still in nice shape.

: The C-54 was used extensively in the Berlin Airlift.

: Teddy is signaling to the arming crew… he’s upholding our constitutional right to arm bears.

: The Dornier Do-24ATT is a pre-WW2 seaplane, converted (much) later to use three turboprops. Very unique… this plane has a ton of character!

: The B-17 ‘Thunder Bird’ being towed into AeroShell Square.

: The famous P-38 ‘Glacier Girl’ had a large crowd around it constantly.

: The PBJ-1J was a US Marines version of the B-25. This is an unusual and good-looking color scheme for this airplane.

: The MG-2 is a nice-looking sport biplane.

: Steve Culp’s Sopwith Pup reproduction is stressed for +/- 10G and has a 400hp M-14 radial engine.

: Steve also instealled a real Lewis machine gun which weighs 60 lbs.

: We aren’t sure what this Segway-riding robot was doing… but it was amusing to watch. You see a little bit of everything at Oshkosh!

: The Javelin is a very attractive jet.

: The USAF brought two F-4s that are used for weapons evaluation. This is a beautiful (and LOUD!!!) sound that is rarely heard nowadays.

: We have a fully decked-out Skybolt S fuselage on display at our tent… a lot of onlookers have enjoyed seeing it.

: Our friends just up the road in Rockledge FL, Bob Boswell and Aero Adventure, not only offer the excellent Aventura II light amphibian, but they’ve come up with this rip-roaring trike. I couldn’t get Bob to admit to a top speed, but it has 280 horsepower… no question it’s REAL quick!!!!

: Bob poses with the machine.

: At 3PM, the White Knight appeared overhead with SpaceShipOne underneath. This sight pretty well electrified the entire convention!

: White Knight and SpaceShipOne made several impressive passes down the runway.

: The White Knight actually has a pretty good climb rate.

: WK and SS1 taxi in to a very eager crowd.

: Oshkosh attendees are often a bit jaded, but the reaction to the arrival of the X-Prize winners can only be described as near pandemonium.

: WK and SS1 are towed into AeroShell Square very slowly.

: After the landing of the WK and SS1, the airshow continued on.

: (L-R) First commercial astronaut Mike Melville, designer/homebuilding legend Burt Rutan, entrepreneur/financial sponsor Paul G. Allen, commercial astronaut Brian Binnie, and EAA president tom Poberezny. They all had some neat things to say to a very enthusiastic crowd.

: Save the RV-3s (collect the whole set!) Nice airplanes.

: Jim Simmons’ Skybolt sits in the IAC area.

: Next to Jim Smmons’ Skybolt sat Tim Paul’s Skybolt.

: Steve Jones’ Skybolt serves as a runway for an experimental biplane design, with his son at the controls.

: Bob Dobry’s matching Great Lakes trainers are a sight to see!

Tuesday, July 26

Tuesday saw the trailing edge of Monday’s cold front clear out, with temperatures in the low 70’s and a good breeze… after the 114 degree day on Sunday, it was a very welcome change! The booth continued to be quite busy. Several of us headed over to the EAA Museum to hear our friend Cliff Robertson speak (Cliff owns and flies several planes)… unfortunately for us, his talks have become so popular that they have had to start issuing tickets to limit the number of folks trying to get in. By the time we found out about that, it was too late to get a ticket! He did however have a meet & greet session afterwards so we were able to say hello after all. We saw a bit of the Museum, as a first-time visitor, I can say that it’s truly an amazing place for anyone with even the slightest bit of interest in aviation. Another thing that impressed us was seeing KidVenture… there are many aviation-related activities for the younger ones that helps spread the adult’s excitement about aviation to them. There were even control-line model airplanes and pilots available to help the kids get a taste of “real” model flying. AirVenture is a true class act all the way through. One amazing thing you’ll notice about the character of the event is that no matter where you look, you’ll be very hard-pressed to find a speck of trash on the grounds… not just because the volunteers are active in keeping things clean, but the visitors just don’t drop trash on the grounds. This Mecca of aviation is truly held in high esteem by those who attend. The town of Oshkosh embraces the visitors and AirVenture with open arms, and we’ve been treated to a very positive experience all the way through.

: Monday night’s storms did cause minor damage… a tent fell on this Ercoupe and damaged the rear canopy. Oshkosh got 2.11 inches of rain during the night.

: In the EAA Museum, a Park Service guide was telling all about the Wright Brothers, and even introduced a relative of Orville and Wilbur.

: This is an early glider design – it was the first aircraft with true three-axis control.

: The museum has a lot of educational and interesting displays.

: The Cosmic Wind is a very famous racer.

: The Pober Sport is a really attractive sport plane. It’s good to see the roots of homebuilding being so well preserved and presented to the public.

: The Spirit of St. Louis replica has a ncie display. (It’s likely the only place int eh world where you can see a diorama of Paris at night that’s made of Legos!)

: Ray Stits’ famous Sky Baby was the smallest flying plane in the world (later, Bob Starr built a slightly smaller one called the Bumble Bee.)

: The homebuilt Cirrus VK-30 is the plane that started it all for Cirrus Design, which is now selling more single-engine planes than Cessna. It’s also one of the prettiest aircraft built in the last couple decades.

: The original BD-5 hangs on the wall. Newer versions have a different horizontal tail shape.

: This is a full-scale, cutaway replica of the Rutan Voyager, the first plane to make it around the world nonstop. It’s amazing that two people stayed in this aircraft for over nine days!

: One wall has a really neat display of propellers. They all rotate, of course.

: The Red Devils’ Pitts Specials and the Eagles’s planes (Christen Eagles) share spots of honor in the front lobby of the museum. Both teams represent the epitome of formation airshow performances.

: One of the Devils’ Pitts Specials… a really slick aircraft.

: The famed Bugatti racer never had the chance to fly… but boy, would we all love to see a flying replica take to the air!

: Pioneer Field is an airport within an airport, and sits across a grass runway from the museum. Three Bell 47 helicopters are continuously offering rides from the field… it sounds like you’re living in an episode of M*A*S*H.

: The AMA partnered with the EAA to offer kids a chance to fly control-line models. This is a stunt model demonstration.

: The cavalry heads out for the airshow.

: Large formations are the rule at Oshkosh.

: A Skyraider performes during the airshow. BOOM!

: An OV-1D Mohawk shows it’s stuff.

: The P-38 ‘Glacier Girl’ gets ready to take off. Very graceful curves on these planes.

: … and here we have the ‘Glacier Girls’… a lot of pilots enjoyed having their picture taken with these attractive young ladies.

: A flock… er, pack… er.. bunch oo Bird Dogs and other liason airplanes fly the circuit in the warbird show.

: A squadron of Mustangs flies by. Unfortunately, one of these pilots and his P-51D was lost a short while later when his P-51D crashed (well away from the airport) in a staging area before a formation assembly… no details are yet available on what happened.

: The performers enjoy watching the airshow.

: A Stealth fighter taxies in.

: The Red Bull monoplane is almost ready to perform.

: An L-39 takes to the sky.

: The Heritage Flight includes a P-51, P-38, F-4, and F-16. The rare F-4 and P-38 were real stars of this part of the show.

: The Heritage Flight flies over. We all got goosebumps!

: The F-4 is one of the last remaining Phantoms in USAF service… it’s painted in Vietnam colors and it’s “real job” involves weapons evaluation.

: A C-47 and the Aeroshell T-6’s prepare to drop parachuters… they were skimming through the bottom of the clouds.

: The third Pitts S-1-11 Super Stinker arrived and was added to the Curtis Pitts memorial display area. The only plane that couldn’t make it was the Samson Replica, which was down for mechanical issues.

: A parachuter comes in with colorful smoke.

: Kirby Chambliss hangs on the prop on takeoff… you REALLY have to trust your engine to do something like this.

: Famed Georgia aviator and FBO owner Pat Epps performs in his aerobatic Bonanza.

: We had a surprise party earlier in the month, but Paul’s real birthday was Tuesday… we celebrated a bit Tuesday night.

: The recent issue of Sport Aerobatics had a tribute to Curtis Pitts (it’s the same article that was recently published in Sport Aviation).

Wednesday, July 27

The weather on Wednesday was beautiful! We’re really having a good time and are enjoying the chance to talk to many friends and customers. There is just so much to see! We’re trying to bring you a good snapshot of all the neat stuff that’s going on, but the truth is, you really have to be here to appreciate the scope of everything that’s here. It seems that everytime you turn around, you see something new or discover a whole new section that you didn’t realize was there.
So without any further ado, here’s today’s photos.

: There are a variety of B-17s on display. This one is named “Thunder Bird”.

: This rare post-war Goodyear-built Corsair is a very attractive airplane. This one is configured as a racer, the unusual scheme confuses folks since most people have never seen a Corsair that wasn’t blue.

: Kristin poses with the Corsair (she likes these birds so much, she even had one on her wedding cake!)

: The Kreutzer Air Coach is the smallest of the seven tri-motors present, but certainly one of the prettiest.

: A lot of detailed restoration work went into the Air Coach.

: This is a Stout Bushmaster 2000, a “modernized” and certificated update of the famed Ford Trimotor. Only two were built between 1960 and 1980, and the other one was lost recently in a takeoff accident in California. It’s essentially a Ford with a taller cabin, different engines, and a different tail, and was intended to be a heavy-duty bush plane.

: Greg Herrick’s Ford 4-AT-A has newly-manufactured corrugated wing skins, but it’s still nearly impossible to believe that anyone would actually polish an entire Ford Trimotor! This is one of the most beautiful aircraft we’ve ever seen.

: The Trimotor is an enormously strong airplane… and many folks find it quite beautiful too. This view shows the corrugations that gave it much of its strength and distinctiveness.

: The sun sets behind the Ford. Beautiful!

: Many famous people have flown in this aircraft. Harry Brooks was a close friend of Henry Ford (he lost his life in a Ford Flivver crash in Melbourne FL during a publicity tour) and Floyd Bennett was a pilot on Richard Byrd’s polar expeditions (When Byrd became the first man to reach the South Pole, his Trimotor was named “The Floyd Bennett” in his honor, Bennett having died shortly before the trip.)

: The 4-AT-A has a whole lot of character, even more than later versions of the type.

: This beautiful Stinson Trimotor is quite a bit different from the Fords, but it was almost as well known in it’s day.

: The Stinson and Ford Trimotors were a great combination to see together.

: Glacier Girl taxies in after a mission.

: The Breezy lives up to its name. This design became popular in the 1950s and 60s, and they’re still being built today. What a view!

: The Piaggio Avanti is a very sleek-looking aircraft.

: Three Bell 47s are constantly overhead giving rides, even during the airshow.

: One of the two F-4s that the Air Force brought to AirVenture on display in AeroShell Square.

: Paul, Sherry, and Ethan Goetsch enjoy the EAA Museum. It’s a truly fascinating place and is something you shouldn’t miss!

: Actor Cliff Robertson had a meet & greet session after his talk at the museum. (We know him because his Stampe needed some flying wires a while back.) A truly nice guy!

: This ornithopter-like “thing” put on quite a show.

: Lots of people continued to go through the Curtis Pitts tribute tent.

: The Shockwave Jet Truck makes a blisteringly-fast run down the runway during the airshow.

: There are a variety of current military aircraft on display.

: The Steen banner flies high for all to see.

: The P-51 ‘Cloud Dancer’ heads out for a flight to demonstrate air racing.

: The Sea Fury unfolds its wings (it flies a lot better that way) while heading out for the mock race.

: The Goodyear Corsair joins the racing group.

: Two Eclipse jets fly by for the crowd.

: Where else can you see a wingwalker move from a Stearman to a helicopter in midair?

: Steve Fossett’s Global Flyer arrived on Wednesday.

: The Global Flyer was greeted by a very enthusiastic crowd.

: The Global Flyer is a very elegant airplane.

: Every type of aircraft is represented at AirVenture, including gyrocopters.

: The Star Spangled Banner was sung as the flag was carried in by a parachutist.

: Paul shares a moment with his son Ethan.

: Even after we closed up, people were still coming by looking at the plane.

: We were treated to a beautiful sunset.

: The “shoe farm” at the house… we have 13 people staying in the house! (Actually it works out just fine.)

: Our friends at Liberty Aircraft are in a nearby display.

: The famous gate… entrance to the largest sport aviation event in the world.

: Mike Jones, our master welder, stands next to the fuselage that he recently completed. The quality of Mike’s work is outstanding.

: Lots of folks stopped by the booth to check out the Skybolt.

: Todd Ashcraft discusses the finer points of biplane construction with Paul.

: Our friend Gordon Penner of IAC 34 in Ohio discusses acro with Barrett.

: The Skybolt fuselage was a popular attraction.

: The almost-owner of the Skybolt fuselage, Dave Dugan, poses by it with his daughter Sarah.

: Robert Luther and his wife Suzie stopped in. Robert is the author of the novels “Skybolt” and “Corporate Space”… we sell “Skybolt” (now, signed by the author!)

: Lots of folks looked over our Yellowbird.

: The Pitts memorial tent was busy.

: The Virgin Global Flyer arrives.

: The Global Flyer on display.

: A P-51 waits to fly in the afternoon airshow.

: Bill Rewey’s Pietenpol Air Camper sits in the Light-Sport Aircraft section. The Sport Pilot rule is only a year old, and it’s clearly having a big effect upon the direction of sport aviation as we know it.

: The B-17 ‘Thunder Bird’ displays Old Glory proudly.

: The USAF Heritage Flight breaks off. Very impressive!

: Paul is reflected in a DC-9 table at the Moto Art display.

: How about a table made from F-4 engine parts? Only $4,200.

: Ethan had a good time!

: The first commercial astronaut, Mike Melville, answers EAA’ers questions about SpaceShipOne and the X-Prize.

: Back in 1944, you didn’t want to attack a B-17 from the rear… or from any other direction, for that matter.

: Kristin is caught in a lighter moment.

: A Hellcat waits for the next mission.

: There are two P-40s here!

: The B-25 ‘Panchito’ performs regularly.

: The Shockwave jet truck makes a run at 300mph.

: Lots and lots of formations are seen during the warbird airshow.

: This is the world’s busiest control tower during the show… competition is very keen for FAA folks to be a part of it (and, they’re all volunteers.)

: The Lockheed PV-2 Neptune is a somewhat lesser-known, but significant, anti-submarine airplane.

Thursday, July 28

Thursday – more great weather and lots of folks in the tent. What a neat place… new things to see and do every day! We’ll get right to the pictures…

: This is Elaine Larsen’s jet engine-powered dragster… yeeehaaaawww!!!

: The Woodworking forum allows folks to practice the art of building a wooden airplane wing.

: There is a Knight Twister on display in the Children’s Activity Hangar.

: The Twister is a unique-looking airplane.

: NOAA had an interesting display.

: This is an old-fashioned weather station. Some of these are still in use, though most weather stations have moved to automated equipment.

: This Cherokee Six looks like it’s about to fall over on its backside.

: This Curtis P-6E Hawk replica is a real eye-catcher.

: Don Stewart is the proud designer, builder, and pilot of the Stewart 265. This is a really beautiful airplane that really captures the feel of the Golden Age of aviation.

: The 265 draws inspiration from Don’s memories of seeing a Ryan STA when he was a young boy.

: The Radial Rocket is a very popular plane. It looks fast even when parked.

: The Radial Rocket is actually pretty large inside.

: Barrett Brummett gave a talk about our planes near the IAC Building. Lots of folks had some good questions.

: Barrett shares his knowledge with the crowd.

: The IAC building has seen a lot of traffic this week.

: The composite MX-2 is one of the newer monoplanes available.

: The Twister is a very elegant composite aerobatic airplane.

: The Twister’s wing lights are high-intensity LED’s with a clear resin molded right around them. Very neat idea, which a resourceful homebuilder should be able to duplicate.

: The Polen Special is one of the sleekest planes out there, and it’s even faster than it looks.

: An couple of A-10s arrived in a most impressive fashion.

: The pedal planes were very popular with the Junior Pilots (and their parents!)

: Vrooom! Vrooom!!

: A PZL Wilga takes off.

: Lots of helping hands are available to move planes into position.

: These Hyperbipes were on display in the IAC area.

: This is a turbine-powered Cub… you really do see everything at Oshkosh.

: The Davis DA-2A is a classic, all metal homebuilt design that is designed to fly just like a Cherokee.

: EAA’s Ford Trimotor hopped rides throughout the day.

: This Sonex is a popular plane for the new Sport Aircraft category.

: Bill Clapp’s Corvair-powred KR-2S only cost him $7,300 to build.

: This was a nice Fly Baby.

: This Fly Baby was also quite attractive.

: The American Wings Air Museum brought their fully restored OV-1 Mohawk.

: Lots of fighters are here, some are uncommon…

: The well-known P-51 ‘Old Crow’ was flying in the daily airshow.

: EAA’s B-17 is on the mend after a gear collapse in California earlier this year.

: This Junkers Ju-52 Trimotor, aka the “Iron Annie”, was the German counterpart to the C-47 during WW2. Today these are quite uncommon.

: The Ju-52 was a real workhorse of the German wartime military machine.

: Back in the late 1970s, Martin Caidin used to do a routine with a Ju-52 where he would stand outside the cockpit while the autopilot flew the airplane down the runway at low level. You sure couldn’t get away with doing that today!

: This Hawker Hunter has smoke generators installed on each wing.

: This immaculate, highly polished F-86 Sabre had all the panels open. Many folks consider this one of the most beautiful airplanes ever built.

: This FJ Fury is a very rare example of an early jet fighter. This was the predecessor to the F-86 Sabre.

: The Dornier seaplane is seen over a T-28.

: Chuck Burin stands next to a Turbine Legend. Chuck flies Bird Dogs and Mohawks for the American Wings Air Museum.

: You can find nearly anything at AirVenture. This is one of the popular message posting boards.

: This gentleman entertained the crowd with fascinating tales of his time with the B-17.

: It’s always good to talk to those who were there and hear about their experiences.

: Honda was displaying its newly-developed turbofan designed for high efficiency in small jet aircraft.

: The HondaJet only appeared for afew hours, but attracted a great deal of attention. This sleek plane is only a test aircraft, but was designed taking the possibility of production into account.

: The engines are mounted over the wings to reduce cabin noise.

: The HondaJet is very, very quiet in the air, even at high speed.

: The Global Flyer remained a popular display.

: The White Knight sports distinctive mission markings.

: Old and new: two aircraft that revolutionized aviation history.

: A C-130 crew member watches the airshow from atop the Hercules.

: Van’s Air Force is seen over an A-10.

: Van’s Air Force treated attendees to a fine display of formation flying.

: These folks are admiring a real OX-5 engine, the motor used in the Curtis Jenny and other WW1-era planes.

: Cheryl, Dave, and a customer enjoy the airshow.

: Four Trimotors… two more were flying around as well. Very, very cool!

: Old enemies make peace… in 1944, these planes served on opposite sides. Today, the Dornier and Liberator are both true classics.

: The Dornier is very stately in flight.

: The Dornier lands after the Trimotor fly-by session.

: The Heritage Flight featured several of the premier fighters of their respective eras.

: The Heritage Flight breaks off.

: The Aeroshell team is always impressive.

: Aeroshell puts on a very graceful show.

: Sean D. Tucker begins his high-energy routine with a rolling dive.

: The Airshow Stars of Tomorrow put on a good show.

: Howard Pardue’s Bearcat demo was impressive, to say the least. This plane has a LOT of power.

: Jake and a friend commit aviation on a small scale.

: Basler Flight Service is lcoated on the other side of Wittman Airport. They have some very interesting things in their yard… they specialize in converting DC-3s and other old propliners to turboprops. These are zero-time airframes by the time they’re done!

: These two rabbits were happily playing under the tail of a cannibalized DC-3.

: The sun sets over a couple of planes waiting their turn to be overhauled… they will see a new dawn after they’re reworked.

Friday, July 29

Friday was another busy day with nice weather and a great airshow. Here is Friday’s photo gallery.

: Many potential builders came by to try on the Skybolt. Most found it to be roomier than they expected.

: An F-15 makes a dramatic and noisy arrival behind the Yellowbird.

: George Coy and the Gesoco crew had their nifty little 125hp radial on display again… there’s a ton of interest in this new engine, which will be perfect for many of the LSAs now being marketed.

: This is a nice Spartan C3-225.

: Greg Herrick’s Ford 4-AT-A makes the rounds during the Trimotor fly-by session. This plane is polished to a mirror finish and gleamed brightly in the sunlight.

: The Junkers Ju-52 was an impressive sight. It seemed to fly in a slightly tail-down attitude.

: The big Dornier Do-24ATT flying boat is very stately and impressive both on the ground and in flight.

: The Junkers taxies in after the flybys.Thousands of these were built before and during WW2, now the type is a very rare sight.

: Robert Odegaard’s Goodyear F2G Super Corsair makes a fast pass by one of the AeroShell Team’s T-6’s during a racing demo.

: One of the Corsair’s prop blades is painted white, which creates the illusion that the prop isn’t turning very fast at all.

: What a beautiful bird. This 1947 aircraft is one of the very last Corsairs built, and is a real thoroughbred.

: Jimmy Leeward’s Cloud Dancer P-51 put on a great show as well during the race demo.

: The Super Corsair climbs after a pylon turn.

: The Super Corsair is towed back into AeroShell Square…

: … followed closely by Cloud Dancer.

: The announcer’s stand is a real beehive of activity during the entire show.

: The Liberty Parachute Team did a special tribute to Old Glory with five different US flags.

: “Darn these cheap surplus fire trucks…” Actually, the Liberty Team’s Old Glory tribute was followed by a small but fun fireworks show.

: Duggy the DC-3 provided drop services to the parachuters. Duggy is “the happiest D-3 in the world”. Believe it or not, the pilots’ name is… Doug.

: This beautiful Stinson Reliant didn’t fly in the show, unfortunately.

: Sean D. Tucker taxies his highlymodified Pitts out for a show. He has 8 ailerons… the inboard ones are rigged to move exponentially with stick deflection and provide for more control during zero-airspeed hovering maneuvers.

: Sean Tucker begins his high-energy show.

: Sean’s plane doesn’t seem to know the meaning of “forward flight”.

: The limbo pass under the ribbon.

: Sean does a nice photo pass right downt he runway.

: Sean is the highest-paid airshow performer in the world, and for good reason.

: Sean isn’t just talented, but he’s a really nice guy that obviously enjoys the people he meets along the way. Here he has a post-performance mini-celebration with his ground team.

: Sean’s one of those guys that always seems to have way too much energy!

: Despite the slightly exasperated attempts by EAA staff to get him to hurry up to take the post-performance ride down the flight line, Sean made sure that he took a few more moments to give these kids a chance for a photo and autograph. They were very excited that he took the time!

: AeroShell’s performance is seen behind the Do-24ATT.

: The big Dornier has plenty of room for lots of jet fuel… glad we’re not paying the fuel bill!

: The Harrier crew hangs out at their airplane. These are unique planes that are only flown by the Marines. Not many modern jet fighters have a windvane installed on the nose!

: The Ford tent had many interesting displays. Polished bare metal looks really nice if done right (we bet you can’t buy it from the factory this way, though… that polished finish must take a ton of hard work!)

: One of the really intersting displays was a car that was cut in half. Not sure just how they did it but it sure puts a new perspective on things.

: The transmission appears to be a very complicated piece of engineering.

: I was sure I was going to win this year’s EAA Sweepstakes prize… this tricked-out, better-than-new Cherokee. I must have forgotten to stamp my envelopes or something. Dang it!

: The Bell 47s were constantly giving rides.

: The Coast Guard brought an HH-60J Jayhawk. This is a mainstay of their rescue fleet, and is equipped for all kinds of rescues. When someone is in trouble, these guys and gals will fly in weather that most people wouldn’t even drive their cars into.

: Looks like our pal William Wynne , aka “The Corvair Authority”, finally snapped! William and his crew are all huge boosters of grass-roots aviation and have done a lot of work to support low-cost, practical flying for fun.

: The Ford tent had a Trimotor flight simulator. If this is actually a realistic simulation, the Trimotor needs to be “horsed around” quite a bit.

: This Bonanza has a turboprop modification. Nice!

: This unusual Percival EP9 Prospector was on the flightline. It’s for sale if you want to fly something really different.

: There were many classic Cessnas lined up.

: Oshkosh always has a LOT of the more common training planes… this 21-ship formation of T-34s was only a portion of the Mentors in attendance.

: Here they come again…

: This smoke ring went on for several minutes after the pyro that produced it.

: A Hawker Hunter pulls up after a fast pass during the show.

: The Red Knight T-33 flew a lot during Friday’s airshow.

: There were several L-39s making circuits.

: The Harrier is hard to miss, even back near the main gate. Here it’s seen over the Aero Adventure tent, which was just down the way from Steen’s area.

: Four B-17s and four “Little Friends”… P-51s.

: The B-17s fly over…

: As the speakers played Taps, the bombers and fighters performed the missing man formation. This gave everyone goose bumps.

: Bell 47 vs. L-39…

: Man, that chopper shows up everywhere doesn’t he…

: No doubt about where you are…

: The Ultralight area’s famous Red Barn provides a scenic backdrop.

: The ultralight area was interesting, though it didn’t seem as much larger than Sun ‘N Fun as the rest of the fly-in does. This is a lineup of light helicopters.

: This unusual helicopter looks like it could be from a spy movie.

: Gyrocopters have begun a shift towards “dropped keel” designs. This keeps the aircraft’s center of mass from being significantly lower than the thrustline like more traditional designs. This helps prevent dangerous pitchovers if there is an have an engine failure during cruise.

: Legal Eagles, Airbikes, and similar “minimalist aircraft” were out in force. They seemed to be doing quite well.

: The WW1 scheme works well on this Airbike.

: It would be hard to miss this light amphibian.

: The Hummel line of planes were also represented. As light as they are, they’re approaching some of the amenities of their larger brothers, with metal construction and full canopies.

: This looked for all the world like an enlarged R/C Fun-Fly model. It flew like one, too – it demonstrated STOL performance with the large drooped flaps (STOL even by ultralight standards, that is.) There was a great deal of interest in this plane.

: The traditional, older designs like this Quicksilver are still alive and well. You can tell the guys who fly these kinds of planes, they’re the ones with bugs stuck in their teeth.

: Planes line up to take off. Unlike with the larger planes, the wait for the runway was usually only about a minute.

: This Legal Eagle has the new UltraVair engine… it’s 1/3 of a Corvair engine. This is an interesting alternative to the 1/2 VW’s that have been developed for quite a few years.

: The original Legal Eagle actually has a simple smoke system installed. Neat!

: This is an early ultralight. The field has advanced a long way since this era!

: Here’s a new one for you dog people out there… this happy and friendly pup hanging out in a private camping area near the ultralights is a RED Labrador retriever. An unusual and truly beautiful dog. (We tried to bring her home with us… she wanted to stay and beg for hot dogs though.)

: A rural service desk?

: A little humor in the cockpit of a new design.

: A pilot pushes his PPC to the flightline.

: What better way to conclude a good day than with powered parachutes enjoying a beautiful sunset?

Saturday, July 30 – Part 1

Saturday saw a lot more locals visit, but the crowds really weren’t much bigger since a lot of folks were leaving to go back home. Burt Rutan’s airplanes got a lot of flight time… both the White Knight/SpaceShipOne and the Virgin Global Flyer did flight demos, with the Global Flyer heading out after it performed some flybys. Both of these aircraft show more maneuverability than you might expect. The White Knight has afterburning engines (as Burt told the crowd, “we got them cheap on eBay!”) so it’s actually capable of climbing out quite steeply even with the extra weight and drag of SpaceShipOne underneath. The Global Flyer is quite graceful (it’s essentially a big, twin-boom powered glider) and Steve Fossett was banking it quite sharply at times and doing some really low passes. It doesn’t make a lot of noise either, probably because the turbofan is optimized for efficiency rather than raw power.
Burt Rutan and Mike Melville seemed omnipresent at AirVenture, frequently appearing at forums, by their aircraft, or in exhibition tents. One of our crew, Mike Jones, even managed to get Burt to sign a “Burt Rutan for President” bumper sticker, and Mike Whaley got a chance to get a quick photo with Mike Melville. Brian Binnie and SpaceShipOne’s financial sponsor Paul Allen were also around the show, though it seems that Burt and Mike were seen more often. Everyone had a real sense of appreciation that Burt and his crew made a point to bring these aircraft to the place and organization that really launched the homebuilt aircraft movement and which had such a huge role to play in his legendary career. While Mike Melville and Brian Binnie got a lot of the headlines in the general press, it was clear that many EAAer’s see Burt Rutan as their personal hero not just for the famous recent projects, but for his whole body of work going back to the Vari-Viggen and even before then. There really was a feeling that Burt was “back home” at AirVenture.

There were other things going on in the airshow as well, of course… notably the very loud and impressive AV-8B Harrier demonstration.

Saturday, July 30 – Part 2

Saturday wasn’t just the Scaled Composites show, there was a ton of other stuff going on as well. We finally got to see Steve Culp fly his awesome Sopwith Pup replica, though he didn’t do any acro this time around (it’s a +/-10G airframe with 400 hp, so airshow acro is definitely in Steve’s plans!) but at least he got to “drop” some bombs. The EAA has of course put a tremendous amount of effort into the Sport Pilot rules, which were announced at Oshkosh last year. To support this effort, they had several sessions where they made it possible for attendees to get their Sport Pilot student certificates at no cost (normally, it costs about $50 to do it at the local FAA office.) The process was actually pretty easy… applicants were asked if they held any type of FAA pilot certificate and if they had any felony narcotics convictions. If the answer was no to both, and they had a government-issued photo ID, then it was just a matter of (carefully) filling out a form or two, having the certificate typed up, and getting signed off by the appropriate flight instructors. The student certificates are good for two years. Mike and Kristin Whaley took advantage of this and got their student certificates, as did at least a couple hundred other folks (just at the Saturday session, there were other sessions during the week.) We’ll have to see who actually gets their Sport Pilot certificate first! One year into the Sport Pilot rule, there are still a lot of issues to work out, such as establishing a viable training and aircraft rental infrastructure, getting the costs for new LSAs down further (many of them still cost a lot more than a good used Cherokee or Cessna 150), and resolving the infamously disappointing medical double standard issue (certificated pilots who lost their last medical due to some medical condition can’t fly until they get a valid new medical, while a new pilot with the identical condition can fly legally using only a driver’s license for their medical certification.) But the interest in SP and LSA’s remains very high and the general consensus with those involved seems to be that all of these issues will eventually be worked out in a satisfactory manner, and it’s really just a matter of how long it will take. In part, the FAA is waiting to see how things go before changing things, and the same holds true for many of the insurers, finance outfits, FBOs, etc. It’s a bit of a chicken-and-egg situation in some ways but there are some new players that aren’t entrenched in serving the “traditional” pilot community as it’s existed before Sport Pilot, who are focusing only on the SP/LSA side… this should help drag the more established players into the game as well, which will hopefully benefit all pilots by creating even more choices for aircraft, flight priveleges, and services. The wheels of governmental change grind slower than molasses in January but for the most part it looks like the FAA is actually onboard with Sport Pilot.
I suspect that in 20 years we’ll look back at the time from 2004 to 2010 as the beginning of a complete revolution in the general aviation arena, just as folks look back wistfully at the unbridled excitement and progress of aviation’s Golden Age in the middle to late 1930s.

: Steve Fossett’s Global Flyer taxies out.

: Global Flyer begins its takeoff roll…

: Folks were really jockeying for good positions to photograph the Global Flyer.

: It’s actually a very graceful aircraft.

: Steve made several low passes down the runway.

: Everyone wanted to get Mike Melville’s autograph!

: Mike Whaley was lucky enough to get a photo taken with the first civilian astronaut, Mike Melville.

: The White Knight and SpaceShipOne are towed to the flight line. The security folks were a bit overly paranoid about people getting near this aircraft for some reason, they kept insisting that people had to back up (when there was no place to back up TO) as the wingtip passed overhead a good 6 feet overhead, well out of reach. Still, it was exciting to see it so closely.

: White Knight begins the first of several passes.

: This is a very unusual-looking aircraft, with our without the spacecraft underneath.

: Despite the functionality, there is an odd kind of gracefulness inherent in the design of the White Knight.

: SpaceShipOne is about the same size that it looks on TV, but the White Knight definitely looks smaller than it seems on TV.

: The WK / SSO combination is completely distinctive from all angles.

: After landing, the White Knight turns on the runway. Steering is accomplished via differential braking on the main wheels with assistance from one steerable nosewheel (the other nosewheel merely casters.)

: The aircraft turns to taxi back towards AeroShell Square.

: In one of the true tragedies of aviation history, Raytheon has been buying back and destroying nearly the entire fleet of Beech Starships (ostensably so they won’t have to continue supporting this revolutionary aircraft, though many sources pin the actual reason for the recall on conflicts between old and new management teams and internal battles over the products associated with each group.) In any case, this now-rare bird is a real sight to behold, both on the ground and in the air. Scaled Composites’ Starship is likely not going to be a victim of the Starship extermination program, since they just plain refused to sell it back!

: Hundreds of people crowded around the back of the EAA tent to hear Burt Rutan speak and answer questions from teh crowd (Burt is wearing the white hat at the left center of the photo.)

: The Harrier put on a very loud and impressive show.

: The AV-8B is arguably the closest thing the military has to an actual UFO (at least, it’s the closest thing that the public is allowed to know about…)

: Unless it’s loaded to near gross weight, the Harrier can climb vertically. Wheee!

: Four B-17s flew over as they set off a real crowd favorite… the WALL OF FIRE!

: About this time, you could feel the wave of heat hit you…

: Kabloooey!

: Most of us can only imagine what a real incindiary bombing raid must be like to witness.

: A mushroom cloud rises from the flight line…

: A T-33 flies through the mayhem of the jet show.

: A privately-owned T-2 Buckeye makes passes down the runway… the Buckeye doesn’t look terribly sleek, but these things can really boogie and are quite maneuverable!

: Two of the most famous and groundbreaking aircraft of the early jet era… an F-86 and the T-33. Both served the US in active duty for many years, and were serving the military services in other countries until very recently.

: Ron Johnson’s 1941 Ryan PT-22 is a really nice aircraft.

: A bit of humor for the pitot tube cover. Wonder what airspeed your average sunflower is good for?

: A clean airplane all around, and a sharp-looking (and different) color scheme.

: That’s one way to keep folks from jumping up on the wings without permission!

: The cockpits of the PT-22 appear to retain the original, basic layout.

: The rear cockpit of the PT-22 is pretty simple as well… in 1941, the focus was on efficiently producing airplanes and training crews as quickly as possible, not on providing a lot of creature comforts!

: This PT-17 is a really pretty example of the type.

: A lineup of classic planes… two PT-22s on either side of a PT-17.

: This Spartan Executive 12 is really nice. According to the FAA registration database, it carries serial number 1!

: This Fairchild 24 has a bit of a different paint scheme.

: Barrett explains some of the features of the Skybolt.

: Four year old Ben Luksas, son of Skybolt builder Pete Luksas, rests in the Steen tent. Ben says that he “likes all the military jets.”

: John Luksas is 7 and he likes the Harrier.

: Even from a quarter of a mile away, the Skybolt was quite visible sitting in the open air instead of inside the tent as in past years.

: The EAA tent was the scene for many folks to get their Sport Pilot student certificates. Despite warnings on Friday that there were only a limited number of forms available, it seems that the FAA must have brought a lot more with them on Saturday morning… we didn’t see anyone get turned away.

: EAA’s own Rusty Sachs signed off on who knows how many certificates. Rusty agreed with us, there’s just something kind of neat about getting your student pilot license at Oshkosh!

: The machine guns of Glacier Girl have been meticulously restored.

: The Allison engines are very clean as well.

: There was a lot of interest in the new Twin Star from Diamond aircraft.

: The Angel Model 44 is an interesting aircraft. It’s designed for missionary and bush work, and can be repaired in the field more easily than many other aircraft.

: Dick Strong’s non-flying mockup of his Magic Dragon concept for a roadable aircraft attracted a lot of attention.

: Responses to the Magic Dragon mockup ranged from “I can’t believe this thing” to “Looks like a great idea”… and everything in between.

: The Ju-52 made some more passes during the trimotor fly-by session.

: The Dornier Do-24ATT, Junkers Ju-52, and Stinson Trimotor fly over a P-38 and LB-30.

: The Dornier demonstrated impressive maneuverability after aborting a landing due to other planes on the runway.

: The Do-24ATT comes in for a landing, after going around once to let the runway clear.

: Doesn’t this plane make you think of Christmas?

: Jim Leroy’s “Bulldog” Pitts sits waiting for their turn in the airshow.

: The Super Corsair and Mustang did another racing demo on Saturday.

: A Stinson participates in the L-bird fly-bys.

: Steve Culp gets into his Sopwith Pup.

: Sort of new, and really new: Steve Culp’s replica of a WW1 Sopwith Pup with the White Knight.

: Steve puts the Pup’s 400hp to good use with a very short takeoff.

: Believe it or not, this is basically an authentic color scheme that was actually used on a Pup in WW1.

: A squadron of P-51s comes back in to land.

: The Liberty Parachute Team jumps from Duggy while a couple of T-6’s get ready to circle around.

: This Grumman G44A appeared in a very unusual and eye-catching paint scheme used by the Royal Navy.

: This 1955 Mooney M-18C is an uncommon airplane type.

: This is a beautiful Beech 18.

: A patriotic view of a twin Beech.

: All that polishing takes a lot of time!

: The parachuters come in for a graceful landing. One of them had to pull a reserve chute, and a few minutes later they asked the crowd to let them know if they found the pilot chute and bag for it.