Meg Godlewski Archives - FLYING Magazine https://cms.flyingmag.com/author/meg-godlewski/ The world's most widely read aviation magazine Wed, 24 Jul 2024 19:26:50 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.4 Authorities ID 2 Killed in Lancair ES Crash Near EAA AirVenture https://www.flyingmag.com/news/authorities-id-2-killed-in-lancair-es-crash-near-eaa-airventure/ Wed, 24 Jul 2024 19:26:47 +0000 https://www.flyingmag.com/?p=212088&preview=1 The aircraft went down while on approach about 2 miles south of Wittman Regional Airport.

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OSHKOSH, Wisconsin—Authorities have identified two men killed when the Lancair ES they were in went down while on approach about 2 miles south of Wittman Regional Airport (KOSH) on Monday.

According to a media release from the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office, one occupant was identified as Sean Tommervik, 37, formerly of El Paso, Texas, but having recently moved to Philadelphia. The other occupant was identified as James Sullivan, 32, formerly of Nashville, Tennessee, but having  recently relocated to Brooklyn, New York.

“Official medical examiner confirmation will take additional time, however, after the initial investigation, there is no reason to believe the occupants were anyone other than Mr. Tommervik and Mr. Sullivan,” the sheriff’s office statement said.

The pair were flying a Lancair Super ES registered to Tommervik, according to the sheriff’s office.

They were on approach to KOSH when the aircraft went down around 12:15 p.m. CDT in a farm field near the airfield. The aircraft was engulfed in flames when first responders arrived.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the accident.

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Selecting a Great New Headset https://www.flyingmag.com/selecting-a-great-new-headset/ Wed, 17 May 2023 21:29:14 +0000 https://www.flyingmag.com/?p=172182 Choose wisely with our guidance.

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One of the hazards of being a pilot is the potential for hearing loss. This goes back to the early days of aviation—Amelia Earhart is said to have commented on a temporary loss of hearing as a result of long flights behind a loud radial engine. Prolonged exposure to noise and vibration will take its toll.

These days, most pilots are savvy enough to wear some sort of hearing protection every time they fly, whether it be earplugs when they are in an open cockpit biplane that lacks an electrical system, or noise-canceling mega-buck headsets in a jet.

FLYING put a few of the more popular designs through our testing gauntlet.

David Clark DC Series

David Clark, the Worcester, Massachusetts-based company, has been manufacturing “head set communication systems for high-noise environments” since 1975. 

[Courtesy: Sporty’s]

As headsets for general aviation pilots became more popular in the 1980s, DCs were the ones that pretty much every pilot, from students to professionals, used. My first headset was a DC H10-40 picked out by a test pilot co-worker of my dad’s at Lockheed Martin. Dad said, “If they were good enough for someone flying an F-whatever,” they were good enough for me. The headset is still available and described in many pilot supply catalogs as “best value” for both the fledgling aviator and the more established pilot, as it is available new for less than $300. 

These days, David Clark has expanded its options. Some of the designs have passive noise attenuating and electronic noise canceling, some have active noise reduction (ANR). There are also units with articulating boom mics, and others with a one-piece wire style. There are headsets with different-sized and shaped earcups, and the price (between about $335 to $895) varies depending on additional features, including Bluetooth,among others.

I spent my first 4,000 hours under a DC headset. They were durable. I know I dropped mine a few times and had to replace several ear seals—the definition of excitement is when one of the gel seals fails during a cross-country flight and your flight instructor thinks your brains are leaking out.

David Clark also has an incredible service department. You can ship the headset to them, and if they can fix it, they will do so at a reasonable cost. If there are charges, they will call you for authorization before beginning the repair work. Some replacement parts, such as the gel ear seals and microphones, can be purchased and installed yourself. All David Clark headsets carry a five-year warranty.

Sigtronics S-20

The Sigtronics S-20 Headset is one of the most inexpensive headsets on the market, coming in at less than $200. This makes it popular as a first-time headset for the budget-conscious aviator and for flight school operators who have lost headsets to people who suffer from “asset confusion.”

[Courtesy: Sporty’s]

The headset features a noise-canceling microphone with a foam windscreen attached to an articulating boom mic and foam ear seals. The model weighs 12.4 ounces and carries a three-year warranty.

For several years I kept one of these in my desk at the flight school as a backup to my DCs or for clients to use if they forgot their own.

Bose A30

[Courtesy: Sporty’s]

There comes a time in every pilot’s life when they take a look at a Bose headset. Bose brought ANR technology to the masses more than a decade ago with a variety of headsets. The most popular among the general aviation crowd is the Bose A30 aviation headset. The model comes with or without the Bluetooth feature (for a difference of $100). The microphone is interchangeable to either side for ease of use. The A30 uses AA batteries and weighs only 12 ounces.

The Bose has a wide headband and is comfortable with or without a ballcap. The downside of the Bose A30 is the cost. Its $1,195 price tag makes it one of the more expensive headsets on the market, but pilots who own them swear by them. The Bose A30 carries a five-year warranty.

Lightspeed Delta Zulu

The first ANR headset I ever used was a Lightspeed Aviation design. It belonged to a client—he had two in his aircraft and insisted I use the other one. The first time I hit the power button and the engine noise went away was a life-changing event.

[Courtesy: Sporty’s]

Lightspeed Aviation has recently introduced the Bluetooth-enabled Delta Zulu model that gives the pilot the ability to customize its auditory acuity with the help of an app, and also has a built-in carbon monoxide detector that provides an auditory warning if CO is present in the cockpit.

The app makes it possible for the headset user to fine-tune the device to meet their hearing needs, which can be very useful if the wearer has differentiated hearing loss in one or both ears. The app also enables the user to record radio conversations, play back transmissions, draw diagrams, and archive flight recordings for post-flight briefing using a smartphone or other mobile device.

The Delta Zulu also features Bluetooth wireless technology with A2DP technology-enabled cell phone communications and stereo music streaming, alongwith alerts from aviation apps. ComPriority automatically lowers the volume of any auxiliary device when there is a radio or intercom transmission.

The headset has an Ultra Accessory Connection (UAC) plug, allowing the user to connect to other devices directly from the headset for charging, data communications, and auxiliary audio. The Delta Zulu carries a price tag of $1,099 and comes with a 60-day money-back guarantee and seven-year warranty.

Clarity Aloft Stereo Aviation Pro Plus

For the pilot who flies an aircraft with limited headroom, the Clarity Aloft Stereo Pro Plus is a TSO-certified, in-ear headset that does not need batteries. Instead of having a headband over your head, the wire band goes behind your head, sort of like wearing a pair of sunglasses backward.

[Courtesy: Clarity Aloft]

The earpieces are composed of soft viscoelastic foam capable of 35 to 45 dB spectrum noise reduction. The headband is similar to those worn by stage performers and is so light, you might even forget you’re wearing it. The Clarity Aloft model doesn’t require batteries and the foam ear pieces can be easily replaced. They are about as custom fitted as you can get because they sit directly in the ear canal. 

You’ll find the Clarity Aloft Stereo Pro Plus is priced at $725 and comes with a three-year warranty. Extra ear pieces run about $25.

This article was originally published in the February 2023 Issue 934 of FLYING.

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The Art of Ground School https://www.flyingmag.com/the-art-of-ground-school/ Tue, 23 Jul 2024 14:00:00 +0000 /?p=211772 Whether you are a flight instructor or a learner, here's why you should make ground school a priority.

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One of the hard truths of being a flight instructor is that you are going to lose learners.

They will drop out of flight training when they run out of money or when life gets in the way. It can also happen with ground school—they miss a class here or there or don’t have time to study. More often than not, it is more of a slow goodbye when they become overwhelmed. 

It is a learning plateau of sorts, and a good CFI will be watching for this and be ready to reel the learner back in.

Instructor Attitude Sets the Tone

It starts with attitude. If the instructor doesn’t want to be there, neither will the learners.

To the CFIs: Ground school shouldn’t be treated like a chore or a necessary evil. 

To the learners: Yes, it will help you pass the knowledge test, but it is also there to prepare you for your time in the air. Put some effort into it, and with the help of your instructor, do flight lessons that help you better understand the concepts you learn about in class.

To the flight schools: Find a CFI who excels at and enjoys teaching ground school. Nothing turns off a learner quicker than a lazy CFI who reads slides off a screen or passages out of a book and tries to call that teaching. They need to be engaged in the delivery—and that needs to be memorable for learning to take place.

Some flight schools pay their CFIs to create and teach a 10-week course with the caveat that the participants who miss a class can drop in on that particular class in the next 10-week course for free. Give the participants a six-month window to do these makeup classes.

This works best when the ground schools are run several times a year, provided they have enough learners to make it economically feasible for the flight school. I have taught classes with as few as five and as many as 12 learners.

The pace of the class should be to accommodate the slowest learner. It will take the CFI about two weeks to determine who that is.

To the CFI: Be ready to give that person extra assistance (privately) if needed, as there are fewer worse feelings than being left behind academically. Understand that talking is not teaching any more than throwing food at someone is getting them to eat.

Ask questions of the learners to see if the message delivered is the one received. If it isn’t, be ready to rephrase

Train the trainers 

It can be beneficial for CFI candidates to shadow the lead CFI, and open this opportunity to the inexperienced CFIs or even a commercial soon-to-be CFI candidate.

The CFI who is leading the course assigns the student-teacher a topic—for example, weight and balance or hazardous weather. The leading CFI is still in charge and will oversee the lesson to make sure all the elements are addressed, but it is a great opportunity for an up-and-comer to gain teaching experience.

Take the Initiative to Teach Ground

If your flight school does not have an established face-to-face ground school class, perhaps you can take the initiative and create one?

You don’t have to hold a CFI certificate to do this. You can become a ground instructor by passing the advanced ground instructor (AGI) knowledge test.

There is a basic ground instructor certificate, but if you want to pursue Gold Seal certification (the FAA’s way of saying you know your stuff), you will need to have an AGI, so why not get it now? The material on these tests is similar to that required of the private pilot and commercial pilot candidates. Once you pass the AGI exam, you can begin teaching ground school.

This nugget of knowledge comes from Greg Brown’s The Savvy Flight Instructor. Brown was flight instructor of the year in 2000 and inducted into the Flight Instructor Hall of Fame in 2021.

Brown became my mentor after I heard him speak at a convention. His book is required reading for all the CFI candidates I work with, because it provides guidance on how to achieve professionalism and to market and prepare yourself to be an aviation educator. If you are on the instructor track, read this book.

Initiative: Master Level

When you don’t have a CFI certificate or experience as a teacher, it can be difficult to find a location that will hire you as a ground instructor. Don’t let that stop you.

Have some business cards made and market yourself as a tutor for those in pursuit of their flight review. The ground portion can often be very daunting if it has been a few years since they were involved in aviation.

This is how I started my instructor career. I began tutoring a friend in a Starbucks on Saturday mornings. I carried a small whiteboard, a sectional, an E6-B, etc. Another customer who recognized the tools of the trade asked if I would tutor him for his flight review.

This continued, and soon I had a small ground school going in the corner on Saturday mornings. I would tip the baristas in advance, and everyone would order coffee for the two hours we were together. It helped pay for my CFI flying lessons and develop my teaching skills.

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2 Killed in Plane Crash Near EAA AirVenture https://www.flyingmag.com/news/2-killed-in-plane-crash-near-eaa-airventure/ Mon, 22 Jul 2024 20:52:49 +0000 /?p=211925 The Lancair ES went down in a farm field about 2 miles from Wittman Regional Airport (KOSH) in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, according to authorities.

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OSHKOSH, Wisconsin—The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has launched an investigation following the crash of a Lancair ES near EAA AirVenture that left two dead.

According to officials, the aircraft went down around 12:15 p.m. CDT in a farm field near Wittman Regional Airport (KOSH). 

“This area is about 2 miles south of the EAA AirVenture event and was first reported by ATC in the Wittman Airport tower,” Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. “Upon arrival, responders discovered that the plane was fully engulfed in fire. At this time, we can confirm that there were two occupants in the plane, and that they are both deceased.”

The black smoke was visible from the airport at the annual weeklong airshow, which opened Monday and attracts thousands of visitors from all over the world, according to media reports.

The names of the people on board the aircraft have not been released.

This is a developing story.

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Wipaire Obtains FAA Approval for Yukon Prop STC https://www.flyingmag.com/eaa-airventure/wipaire-obtains-faa-approval-for-yukon-prop/ Mon, 22 Jul 2024 13:00:00 +0000 /?p=211819 The four-bladed propeller was designed by both the company and Hartzell.

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OSHKOSH, Wisconsin—The FAA has granted a supplemental type certificate (STC) to Wipaire for its Yukon propeller. The four-bladed prop, designed by both Wipaire and Hartzell, is on display here this week at the Wipaire booth at EAA AirVenture.

The Yukon features carbon composite construction and a nickel leading edge. It can be used on both the wheeled and floated Cessna Caravan utilizing the PT6A-114A 675 SHP or PT6A-140 867 SHP engines.

According to Wipaire, the Yukon can reduce takeoff distances by up to 26 percent from land and 31 percent on water. The propeller weighs 137 pounds, which is lighter than others available by about 19 pounds. It also has optional pitch locks, and according to the company, will not change the stall speed of the aircraft. 

The Yukon is available with TKS or electric deice, or both.

“The successful flight performance with the Yukon is a testament to the collaboration between Hartzell Propeller and Wipaire engineers,” said Chuck Wiplinger, president and CEO of Wipaire. “The increased efficiency and power are a game changer for our customers and presale deposits are strong.”

According to the company website, “Wipaire has developed over 100 STCs for the modification of aircraft, including float installations, engine and propeller upgrades, gross weight increases, instrument panel and Cessna 206 right-hand-door installations.

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Ultimate Issue: Being Aviation Docent Simply Labor of Love https://www.flyingmag.com/aviation-history/ultimate-issue-being-aviation-docent-simply-labor-of-love/ Mon, 22 Jul 2024 12:28:32 +0000 /?p=211620 The volunteer job is all about sharing knowledge and passion for airplanes and flying.

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Aviation for many people isn’t just a hobby or a career—it’s a passion.

And if you are lucky and you become a docent at an aviation museum, you get to share your knowledge with people from all walks of life. Most, if not all, are volunteers who donate their time and expertise to educate the public about aviation. Museums simply could not function without them.

They may volunteer at a museum once a week (or more) or work alternate weekends. They often wear a uniform of sorts, such as a polo shirt with the museum logo or a jacket or vest and have a museum ID lanyard around their neck. A great many also wear a “fun meter” button with the needle pegged to maximum.

The reason? They love what they do.

As someone who spends a great deal of time at aviation museums, I can tell you they all have their own character and energy, and they all rely on volunteers to operate. Some of the volunteers bring special skills and restore airplanes to their former glory. But many more are the faces of the museum to the public—the docents. You don’t necessarily have to be a pilot, mechanic, engineer, or retired from an aviation career to be a docent—you just need to bring your enthusiasm.

EAA Aviation Museum (Oshkosh, Wisconsin)

“Storytellers are the best docents,” says Chris Henry, manager at the EAA Aviation Museum in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. “They can help make the planes pop to life and make you inspired

to learn more at home. A good docent should lead you to wonderful stories, leaving you wanting to know more and wanting to go home and research further.”

Henry notes the museum has a large cross section of society as docents coming from different walks of life and age ranges.

“We have everything from WWII veterans to current high school kids,” he says. “It’s helpful if the docent has a passion to keep learning, and they are passionate about sharing what they learn, and they just enjoy showing people new things that they have never seen or heard before.”

Gary Barrett is a docent at the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum in Oregon. [Courtesy: Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum]

Museum of Flight (Seattle)

The larger the museum, the more docents it has.

According to Brenda Mandt, docent programs supervisor at the Museum of Flight (MOF) in Seattle, the docent cadre is made up of 162 volunteers.

“Most of them work one day a week, and they work the same day and shift each week,” says Mandt.

To become a docent at the MOF, a person must take a 12-week basic training class that acquaints them with museum policy and procedures and teaches how to build a tour.

“Docents have a great deal of freedom to create tours that interest them most,” says Mandt.

Many of the docents either have or have had careers in aerospace or the military and often build tours around their experience.

For example, docents Jim Frank and Dave Cable are retired Navy aviators who served aboard aircraft carriers, so they know about “landing on a postage stamp.” Frank’s talk on the history of carriers is informative and entertaining, and Cable’s tour of the A-6E Intruder, the airplane that brought him home many times, and the F-14 Tomcat are quite moving and bring a smile to the face of museum visitor Jack Schoch, a retired Navy chief who served on five different carriers, including a war cruise during Vietnam aboard the USS Enterprise.

That’s one of the best parts of these tours—the docents are able to make them relatable to visitors.

Palm Springs Air Museum (California)

Requirements for docent training vary by museum.

At the Palm Springs Museum in California, the applicants are required to go through a background check and approximately 40 hours of training, “most of which can be done online,” says spokesperson Ann Greer. They also undergo on-the-job training in one of the 10 different areas of the museum.

“We have over 300 docents, and the museum is run with military precision,” says Greer. “They work four-hour shifts, [and] they may be in one of the hangars or on the hot ramp [where aircraft move] or in the library or gift shop. In the hangars we have a crew chief who keeps an eye on things, and if we want to talk to a particular docent, we have to ask the crew chief. There is a chain of command as the docents’ main job is to interact with the visitors and keep an eye on exhibits and airplanes.”

Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum (McMinnville, Oregon)

At the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum, docents in training will spend at least 50 hours under the wing of Don Bowie, a retired Air Force aviator who has been with the gallery for 26 years.

Although the facility is most famous as the location of the Howard Hughes HK-1, the flying boat famously known as the “Spruce Goose,” according to Bowie, there is a lot more going on besides that popular exhibit.”

The museum features two buildings—one houses the HK-1, and the other is devoted to the Space race. Bowie works the floor, helping visitors and docent candidates learn about the aircraft and spacecraft on display.

“You are a volunteer here, and the job has to be fun and you have to be a people person,” he says. “You meet people from all over the world.”

Bowie says the best part of being a docent is when someone comes in and asks about a specific aircraft that is special to them, and there is a docent who shares their interest.


Docent Schedules

Because docents are volunteers, they aren’t required to put in massive amounts of hours on the job, but many do because it is a labor of love. Most museums ask for a commitment of at least one day a week, and often the docents rotate working weekends.

The docent’s typical day often begins with a crew briefing before the museum doors open. This is when they learn about special events at the museum, such as school tours or corporate meetings, and when exhibits are being installed or removed.


This column first appeared in the Summer 2024 Ultimate Issue print edition.

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Flying to AirVenture? What You Can Expect of the Oshkosh Weather https://www.flyingmag.com/weather/flying-to-airventure-what-you-can-expect-of-the-oshkosh-weather/ Fri, 19 Jul 2024 20:58:58 +0000 /?p=211830 The wildfires in Canada may result in some smoky skies at this year's airshow, according to a EZWxBrief forecast.

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If you are heading to EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, to be part of the annual migration to the world’s largest fly-in, be sure to carry a rain poncho and perhaps a face mask. 

That’s because both precipitation and smoke are a possibility during the airshow (July 22-28), according to Scott Dennstaedt, author of the EZWxBrief and a FLYING contributor.

For starters, the wildfires in Canada and to the west may result in some smoky skies, Dennstaedt said. This was a factor last year, resulting in thick haze, poor visibility, and blood-red sunrises and sunsets. Photographs taken in the early morning hours had a sepia-tone look to them—a bonus if you are taking pictures of vintage aircraft.

In a forecast released Thursday, Dennstaedt predicted AirVenture attendees may smell the smoke earlier in the day but by later afternoon could expect some convective activity that should clear away the smoke due to the unstable atmosphere and ground heating up.

Dennstaedt presents an entertaining and educational look at the factors impacting aviators who are trying to get to the event as well as what to expect when they get there. The data is derived from atmospheric tools used by the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

EZWxBrief AirVenture Weather Roundup

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GA, Private Aviation Dodge Worst of Cyber Outage Impact https://www.flyingmag.com/news/ga-private-aviation-dodge-worst-of-cyber-outage-impact/ Fri, 19 Jul 2024 16:56:40 +0000 /?p=211797 Flight planning apps such as ForeFlight and SkyVector remain operational.

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General and private aviation largely avoided the impacts of a massive global IT outage that led to thousands of commercial flight cancellations and delays Friday. 

Many American pilots woke up to the news that a faulty software update from CrowdStrike, a cyber security technology used by Microsoft Windows, had triggered a vast cyber outage that disrupted air travel, banking, and media outlets across the world.

Early Friday morning in the U.S., major carriers, including United Airlines, American Airlines, and Delta Air Lines canceled more than 1,000 flights, or 4.2 percent of their planned schedules, according to AirlineGeeks.com.

As the morning wore on FlightAware’s MiseryMap reported multiple airports with significant delays and flight cancellations, most notably in Washington, D.C, Chicago, New York, Atlanta, Minneapolis, Boston, Denver, Houston, and Miami.

[Credit: FlightAware/screenshot]

CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz was quick to issue a public statement on X, explaining that the issue was not a security incident or cyberattack, and that a fix had been deployed. Kurtz apologized for the inconvenience.

“CrowdStrike is actively working with customers impacted by a defect found in a single content update for Windows hosts,” Kurtz said.

Impact on ForeFlight, SkyVector

For GA pilots en route to EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin (July 22-28), the outage appears to be a nonevent. As long as the internet remains in operation and they have connectivity, flight planning apps such as ForeFlight and SkyVector remain in use.

“ForeFlight’s systems have not been impacted by a software outage affecting the aviation industry, and our support team is not aware of data or filing issues with third-party providers,” ForeFlight said in a statement.

By midday Friday, a steady stream of aircraft were lined up on approach for Wittman Regional Airport (KOSH) in Oshkosh, according to FlightAware.

[Credit: FlightAware/ screenshot]

Air traffic control operations were also not affected by the outage.

“Currently, FAA operations are not impacted by the global IT issue,” the FAA said in a statement. “We continue to monitor the situation closely.”

Private aviation operations also initially were not adversely affected, according to reports.

“Our operations have not been impacted by the issue,” a Wheels Up spokesperson told Private Jet Card Comparisons.

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Air Force B-52, C-17 Headed to EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh https://www.flyingmag.com/aircraft/air-force-b-52-c-17-headed-to-eaa-airventure-in-oshkosh/ Fri, 21 Jun 2024 15:30:00 +0000 /?p=209912 Five Air Force aircraft will be on static display on Boeing Plaza.

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The U.S. Air Force Material Command (AFMC) will have a big presence at EAA AirVenture in late July. 

Five aircraft from AFMC will be on static display on Boeing Plaza, led by the B-52 Bomber and C-17 Globemaster, EAA confirmed Thursday.

EAA’s annual fly-in convention is scheduled for July 22-28 at Wittman Regional Airport (KOSH) in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

B-52H Bomber Stratofortress

The B-52H has been part of the Air Force arsenal since 1952. Designed as a strategic long-range bomber, it can carry up to 70,000 pounds of ordinance. It was built to carry nuclear weapons then later modified for conventional ordinance.

It bomber has been used extensively in major military campaigns since the 1950s. This particular aircraft is based at Edwards Air Force Base in California.

The C-17 West Coast Demonstration Team takes off in a C-17 Globemaster III assigned to the 62d Airlift Wing at the Experimental Aircraft Association Airventure Air Show, Oshkosh, Wisconsin., July 28, 2022. [Courtesy: U.S. Air Force]

C-17 Globemaster III

The C-17 is one of the most prevalent large cargo airplanes in the world, capable of airlifting hundreds of troops as well as heavy equipment. Often utilized for humanitarian relief missions, the aircraft has a range of nearly 3,000 miles.

F-15EX Eagle II

The F-15EX is a variant of the F-15E Strike Eagle with an updated avionics package. The fighter is a refined version of the F-15E, sporting a revised wing structure that increased the aircraft’s service life by 20,000 hours.

Beechcraft C-12 Huron

The C-12 is the military designation for a series of twin-prop aircraft based on the Beechcraft 1900 and Super King Air. The C-12 is used for embassy support, light cargo transport, and medical evacuation. 

X-40 Space Maneuver Vehicle

The X-40 is an unmanned, unpowered glide test vehicle created as a test platform for the X-37 Future-X reusable launch vehicle. It was designed by Boeing then delivered to NASA, which modified it to conduct further testing.

The X-40 will be showcased along with a B-52 munitions display inside a tent adjoining Boeing Plaza. Accompanying the aircraft will be a large number of Air Force personnel on hand to answer questions about their missions.

In addition, on July 27 the AFMC will also be featured during an evening program, focusing on test pilot school and the impact on global aviation, at the Theater in the Woods. 

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EAA AirVenture: A Vintage Aircraft Paradise https://www.flyingmag.com/airshows/eaa-airventure-a-vintage-aircraft-paradise/ Fri, 14 Jun 2024 19:20:21 +0000 /?p=209617 This year’s event in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, features aviation anniversaries galore.

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One of the best parts of EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh is seeing all the vintage aircraft gathered in one place. Not only are the aircraft massed some of the finest restorations on the planet, the fact they are often privately owned and airworthy makes them that much more special.

Often organized by type, and parked in disciplined rows, these meticulously restored machines are something to behold—and learn about.

“Vintage in Review” is an informational interactive series presented during AirVenture that showcases specific airplanes built between 1903—the dawn of powered flight—and 1970. The presentations will take place July 22-26 next to the Vintage Hangar.

“Vintage in Review offers attendees an opportunity to see a rare selection of airplanes up close and hear stories about them directly from the owners, pilots, and other aviation personalities,” said Ray Johnson, Vintage in Review chairman. “Several of this year’s headline aircraft are more than 75 years old, making them quite rare to see airworthy today.”

This year, the presentations focus on antique and classic aircraft produced from the post-World War I boom of the 1920s to the 1940s when civilian aviation slowed considerably due to World War II before roaring back when hostilities ended and military trained pilots weren’t willing to hang up their wings.

Vintage in Review Schedule

Each day, EAA will interview three pilots about their unique aircraft. There will also be a vocal performance of Ladies For Liberty at 10:45 a.m. CDT, followed by a running of antique engines at 11 a.m. The lineup of aircraft for the vintage talks includes:

Monday, July 22

  • Jim Hammond – 1931 Aeronca C-3

Tuesday, July 23

  • Kelly Mahon – 1929 Cabinaire Biplane

Wednesday, July 24

  • Edwin Remsberg – 1949 Stampe Biplane
  • Ron Johnson – 1938 Buhl Pup

Thursday, July 25

  • Laura Benton – Ladies Love Taildraggers
  • Jeri Barrientos – 1929 Rose Parrakeet

Friday, July 26

  • Ben Templeton – 1937 Spartan Executive

According to EAA, additional aircraft will likely be added to the schedule. You can find more information about vintage aircraft at the show here.

EAA AirVenture Vintage Area [Courtesy: EAA]

Special Anniversaries

There’s a whole slew of aircraft celebrating a significant production anniversary this year, starting with ultralights Titan Tornado and Mini Max, both of which mark their 30th year. Small and light and fun to fly, you’ll find them down in the Ultralight Area.

In the Homebuilt Area, the SX300, Kitfox, and Zenith have reached their 40th anniversaries. It can be fun to compare earlier models to the more recent designs to note the refinements  over the decades.

Marking its 70th anniversary, the Helio Courier, what many consider the beginning of the short takeoff and landing (STOL) movement as it was designed to be able to take off and land on a dime and give you back 9 cents change.

The North American T-28 celebrates 75 years in service. The T-28 premiered in the 1950s as a military trainer and is still used in that capacity by several nations around the world.

The Aeronca, the post-WWII high-wing taildragger marks 80 years in existence this year. The National Aeronca Association reports more than 70 of these classic taildraggers have signed up to attend the show.

The post EAA AirVenture: A Vintage Aircraft Paradise appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

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