Gen-Av Blog

TOP AIRSHOW AND AEROBATIC PERFORMERS TO DAZZLE VISITORS

 Some of the airshow Performers and the planes they fly:
AeroShell Team 4 T-6s;
Aerostars 3 Yak 52s;
Matt Chapman CAP 231;
Chandy Clanton Edge 540;
Collaborators Modified Pitts, Edge 540, 2 Extras;
Bob Davis Sukhoi;
Kyle Franklin Waco;
Mike Goulian Extra;
Iron Eagles 2 Christen Eagles;
Greg Poe MX-2;
Gene Soucy Showcat;
Nikolay Timofeev Sukhoi;
Sean Tucker Modified Pitts;
Patty Wagstaff Extra;
Mike Wiskus Pitts;
Matt Younkin Twin Beech;

FORD MOTOR COMPANY AND ECLIPSE AVIATION BRING FLY-IN THEATER BACK

The outdoor theater, located adjacent to EAA’s Camp
Scholler camping area, will be open each evening (weather
permitting) from Sunday, July 27 through Saturday, August 2.

The walk-in theater is reminiscent of the famous drive-in theaters of the past, complete with open-air seating and popcorn!  There is no admission charge for the theater, which is open to all AirVenture guests.  Each evening’s show begins at approximately 8:30 p.m., with an introduction by a celebrity presenter, followed by a classic aviation film, shown on a projection screen measuring five stories high.

VIRGIN GALACTIC TO EXHIBIT

Virgin Galactic confirmed that they will host a significant exhibit at EAA AirVenture 2008, located adjacent to the event’s AeroShell Square showcase area. That exhibit will include the large, detailed models unveiled during the Virgin Galactic’s announcement earlier this month, as well as several presentations by the Virgin Galactic team. The display builds on the excitement of civilian space travel that Virgin Galactic first announced during SpaceShipOne’s visit to Oshkosh in 2005.

LOCKHEED F-22 ‘RAPTORS’ RETURN FOR DAZZLING AERIAL DISPLAYS

The Lockheed F-22 “Raptor,” one of the world’s most advanced military jets, will return and fly during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2008, “The World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration,” this year at Oshkosh, Wis. Two of the airplanes will arrive at Wittman Regional Airport with an aerial performance on July 31 and at least one aircraft will fly an aerial demonstration each afternoon on Friday through Sunday, August 1-3.

ADVANCE TICKETING NOW ONLINE

Admission to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh is now just a click away with a new advance ticketing system available at www.airventure.org. The advance purchase system allows EAA member- and non-member-priced tickets to be pre-purchased via a secure website. Both daily and weekly admissions are available, as is the ability to join EAA to receive the best-possible admission prices. Discounts are also available for tickets purchased online prior to June 15.

RED BULL AEROBATIC HELICOPTER MAKING FIRST VISIT

The only aerobatic helicopter performing in North America, which will fly at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2008. “The Red Bull Helicopter is certainly one of most innovative air show acts to emerge in recent years, and we’re very eager to welcome it to Oshkosh this summer.” said Tom Poberezny, EAA president and AirVenture chairman.

Red Bull’s BO-105 CBS helicopter, a stock Eurocopter/ Messerschmitt Boelkow Blohm, is flown by Chuck Aaron, who holds the distinction as the only pilot licensed in the United States to fly aerobatics in a helicopter. His performances feature aerobatic maneuvers achieved previously only in fixed-wing aircraft, including loops and rolls, but also nearly the entire regimen of maneuvers reserved for fixed-wing aircraft. Among those are the Split-S, Immelman, Half Cuban Eight, and even the challenging Lomcevak, slightly modified by Aaron for the helicopter.

GOODYEAR BLIMP RETURNING

The “Spirit of Goodyear” airship will again be on-site through- out the week and will be flying regularly during the festivities. In addition, it will be moored near the EAA AirVenture Museum’s Pioneer Airport for up-close viewing at other times, giving visitors a unique view of an aircraft that is commonly seen only from afar.

EAA AIRVENTURE OSHKOSH RECOGNIZES FEMALE AVIATORS AT ‘ WOMENVENTURE 2008′

What could easily be the largest gathering of women pilots in history is just one of the highlights of the inaugural “WomenVenture 2008″ activities taking place at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2008.

WomenVenture 2008 was developed through a partnership between EAA and Women in Aviation, International, and was officially announced at the WAI convention in San Diego, Calif., this morning under the theme “Elevate Your Life.” The program is designed to recognize and encourage women aviators, who are less than 10 percent of the nation’s pilot population. There will be programs and activities throughout the week for longtime women pilots, those women interested in learning to fly and encouraging girls to explore the worlds of flight and the sciences.

NEMESIS NXT ATTEMPTING WORLD SPEED RECORD

EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2008 attendees will be running with a fast crowd this year, including a world-record speed attempt by longtime EAA member Jon Sharp and his “NemesisNXT” aircraft.

Sharp, who set speed records at Oshkosh during the 1990s in his original Nemesis aircraft, will be making his first three- kilometer speed record attempt in the NemesisNXT this summer in what he calls the “NemesisNXT Speed Blast.” The current record for this aircraft classification [Class C-1(b)], as designated by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI), is 331 miles per hour, set in 1989 in a Questair Venture flown by Richard Gitter. According to FAI rules, a record attempt must show a minimum one percent increase to be valid, so Sharp is aiming for at least 334.31 mph at Oshkosh.

DISCOVER ECONOMICAL FLYING SOLUTIONS AT THE ‘AFFORDABLE FLYING CENTER’

EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2008 will be addressing one of the biggest hurdles facing many pilots (and would-be pilots): How to keep the passion for flying within a reasonable budget. During the 56th annual edition of EAA AirVenture, some of the answers will be available at the new “Affordable Flying Center.”

This new area, located in the former NASA Pavilion adjacent to AirVenture’s Honda Forums Plaza, homebuilt aircraft commercial exhibits and the workshops area, will bring together in one place much of the knowledge and information available throughout the AirVenture grounds.

NANCHANG CJ-6 AIRCRAFT TO CELEBRATE 50TH ANNIVERSARY

One of the longest-produced aircraft models in history, the Nanchang CJ-6, will have its 50th anniversary celebrated during EAA AirVenture. “The World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration,” is annually one of the world’s largest gatherings of warbird aircraft.

The RedStar Pilot’s Association, the owners’ group for these Chinese-built military trainer aircraft, is organizing the Oshkosh activities in honor of the golden anniversary with cooperation of the EAA Warbirds of America. One of the highlights will be a 50-airplane formation during the warbird segment of the EAA AirVenture afternoon air show on Wednesday, July 30.

NASA ADMINISTRATOR TO PARTICIPATE
NASA Administrator Michael Griffin has confirmed that he will participate at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. Griffin’s participation will be part of the activities commemorating NASA’s 50th anniversary.

Griffin has served as NASA Administrator since 2005 and will be making his first visit to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh in that role. Griffin, who holds a flight instructor certificate with instrument and multiengine ratings, also has a long career in space sciences and education.

ONE-OF-A-KIND RESTORED BOEING 40 TO ATTEND

Participants at EAA AirVenture 2008 will have the opportunity to view an airplane that has been resurrected after 80 years, and an aircraft model that has not graced the sky for 65 years, when a fully restored Boeing 40C arrives at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh this summer.

Addison Pemberton of Spokane, Wash., restored the aircraft that had been lost in an accident in October 1928, using parts from that airplane and another obtained from Alaska. The restored airplane made its maiden flight in February 2008 and is now being prepared for the 1,400-mile trip to Oshkosh. It is the only flying Boeing Model 40 in the world.

EXPANDED COMPLIMENTARY WI-FI ACCESS FOR CAMPERS

EAA AirVenture Oshkosh is supplying one of most- requested items for campers at its event with an expansion of wireless Internet access this summer. Wi-Fi access will be available in many areas of the North 40 aircraft camping area, the drive-in Camp Scholler campground, and in the vintage aircraft and ultralight camping areas. This access is provided free of charge to EAA members and their guests in those campgrounds. Signal strength may vary because of computer type and setup, weather conditions and other factors.

EAA AIRVENTURE TO FINISH HIGH-FLYING OPENING DAY WITH FOREIGNER CONCERT ON JULY 28

After a full opening day of flying on Monday, July 28, AeroShell Square will feel the power of more than aircraft, as the legendary band Foreigner takes the stage that evening, compliments of the Ford Motor Company. The performance, free of charge to all AirVenture guests that day, will be held at 6-8 p.m. adjacent to the Ford Motor Company Hangar on AeroShell Square.

Foreigner is known the world over and has attracted multiple generations of fans. Led by the band’s co- founder, guitarist Mick Jones, Foreigner has sold more than 70 million albums and played at venues around the world.

“Over the past decade, Ford has been proud to be a part EAA AirVenture, The World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration,” said Kevin Keling, Ford’s manager of global auto shows and events. “We’re very happy to help support EAA, all EAA members and this great event through a variety of ways, including bringing top entertainment such as Foreigner to aviation’s annual family reunion.”

Foreigner is known for its mix of blues, rock and pop that left an indelible mark on music history. Among its best- known hits are rock classics such as “Cold As Ice,” “Hot Blooded,” and “Urgent,” as well as its international No. 1 hits “I Want to Know What Love Is” and “Waiting For A Girl Like You.”

I arrived today on the LST (Long Silver Tube) crying baby special. The weather here has cleared up, but there are low clouds all along the east coast. Word is that the Tiger Moth flight has stopped in Virginia, and the crew will be renting a car the rest of the way. A current weather view shows MVFR weather all the way from New York to Georgia.

Today Pete and I went to Fantasy of Flight. We visited there 2 years ago, and the main new attraction is a walk-through as you enter the museum. You enter a simulated C-54, and then jump out into the darkness. The wind hits you, as you are simulating a wartime parachute jump. Next you go along and see a mirrored area giving you the impression of coming to earth under a parachute. You then continue to an area with early flight displays. Balloons. early planes and a Wright engine are in this area. The lighting and display are very detailed throughout these areas giving a great impression.

Next you continue to the WWI area. Planes are bombing overhead while you are in the trenches with the fighters. Further down are the Germans in their bombed out underground trench areas. The only thing missing is the mud. Next is the WWII briefing room. Again the construction details are fantastic with a period movie projector showing the presentation (although it’s workings have been replaced with a video projector.

After the briefing, you go out to your actual B-17 bomber. You enter the back of the plane where the engine noise is deafening. The cramped areas, cold and noise are only a partial reminder of went into those flights. Going forward to the bomb bay area has another video under the floor of the doors opening, and the bombs dropping away. You then continue to the radio operator’s station and finally to the cockpit and the nose area below.

Exiting the plane, you see the outside of your plane with the maintenance crew working inside the wing. The Winter scene shows the difficult working conditions.

Tomorrow the Sun-N-Fun show opens. The area is quite muddy from the four inches of rain that fell yesterday. The weather looks good for the rest of the week.

Since the Connecticut exemption on aircraft repairs and parts is based on being competitive on neighboring states, this could eventually affect Connecticut too.

This came from the Massachusetts Airport Managers Association (MAMA)
Governor’s Proposal to Repeal Exemption on Sales Tax
To the MAMA membership:
By now, all of you know that Governor Patrick’s office is proposing to repeal an exemption on the sales tax of aircraft and aircraft parts in Massachusetts. Already, from various members of the state legislature (see Rep. Humason press release, below), this proposal has been met with opposition.
It was not too long ago that MAMA put forth a tremendous effort to support the authoring and introduction of this sales tax exemption bill. And thanks to people like Rep. Cele Hahn and Sen. Mike Knapik, this bill was subsequently passed into law, with the aviation industry and state economy being the beneficiaries. So I know I speak for MAMA when I say that this latest action by the Governor’s office is poorly guided and requires a “re-set” on the facts. With this in mind, from each MAMA member, I have two requests:
1) After soliciting your FBOs and dealers, please cooperate as soon as possible with the MAC, by providing to Lorraine Bohannon all current (2006-2007) data concerning aircraft sales, as well as sales on aircraft maintenance parts and maintenance. This data will augment that which was gathered in MAC’s 2005 survey.
2) Please contact your individual legislators as soon as possible and make them understand how maintaining the sales tax exemption on aircraft and aircraft parts has created for Massachusetts a competitive balance with neighboring states like New Hampshire and Connecticut; and how the sales tax exemption has, in fact, generated more aviation activity in the state, meaning more jobs and more revenue.
Thanks.
Russ Maguire, President
MAMA

Here’s the list of events we’re planning for 2008, along with other aviation events in the area.
The items in bold are our chapter events.

February 9th and March 8th are our regular monthly meetings at 10:00 AM

There is no meeting in April, and we return to our 2nd Wednesday of the month meetings on May 14th

February 16th-Pancake Breakfast
March 15th-Pancake Breakfast
March 29th-New England Safety Expo at Daniel Webster College, Nashua, NH
Apriil 8-13th-Sun-N-Fun, Lakeland Florida
April 19th-Pancake Breakfast
April-Date to be Determined-Tour Bradley (Yankee) TRACON and Tower
May 10th-Chapter 166 Young Eagle Day at Brainard
May 17th-Pancake Breakfast
May 17&18th-Hampton Fly-Market
May 31st-FAA Safety Seminar at Skylark
June 14th-Pancake Breakfast
June 23-24th-Rhode Island National Guard Open House & Air Show
July 12th-Pancake Breakfast
July 28-August 3-EAA Airventure Oshkosh
August 16th-Corn Roast & Cookout
August-Date to be Determined-Trip to Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome
September 6-7th-Great New England Air Show, Westover ARB, Chicopee, MA
September 13th-Young Eagles Day
September 21st-Simsbury Fly-In (Rain date Sept. 28th)
October 11th-Taildragger Fly-In & Safety Seminar
November 15th-Pancake Breakfast
December 5th-Skylark Christmas Dinner
December 13th-Pancake Breakfast

A poker run event with other chapters is also a possibility.

I live only about 1/2 hour away, so I plan on going all 3 days since I don’t have to pay for a flight, hotel and car. I also took an express CT Transit bus in so I didn’t have to pay the $19 to park in the garage at the convention center. On Wednesday I helped out at Bradley, but the people in charge of badging people didn’t want to have the AOPA volunteers badged since they would have to check us against the terrorist watch list. Since there was nothing in it for them, they didn’t want to do it. Connecticut still has a BIG problem where each department only works for itself, not for the benefit of the entire State. Low clouds kept arrivals way down anyway. Today’s weather was much better. 

I was planning on visiting the static display at Brainard tomorrow, so I saw most of the exhibits and went to some seminars today. I didn’t go to any ASF seminars since I’ve seen the ones offered already. This was the first time I was in the convention center. It looks like a top-notch facility, although the new parking garage is quite a bad design. (Thank goodness talks about moving the NE Patriots to that site was just a scam to get Boston to make concessions. It would have been a disaster.) On-site food is limited, but the Seattle Coffee Co. stand has decent selection at very reasonable prices, considering the captive audience. The adjacent area still has a lot of construction going on so food choices within walking distance is a bit limited.

I’ve been to previous Expos in Philadelphia, 2 in Atlantic City, and Tampa, and from what I’ve seen so far, I can say that this has been equal or better than those. The opening session was on light jets, and this type of audience always chuckles when we’re told how “affordable” they are. Phil made a brief statement, and said that so far attendance is the best it’s been for an east coast Expo. Thomas Haynes was the moderator, and presentations were made by the Presidents of Cessna and Williams, along with an owner/pilot of a jet plane.

I also went to the sessions on Managing Your Engine for Peak Performance, Flying your Airplane to Air shows and Aviation Events, and Fly-In Destinations in the East.

The Managing Your Engine seminar concentrated on operating the engine according to the POH. There wasn’t much in the way of new information for me. Of course, operating your plane often will save engine repairs down the road.

Flying Your Airplane to Air shows concentrated mostly on Sun-N-Fun and Oshkosh, along with this event. The presenter writes the annual NOTAM for Oshkosh, and he lives out there. A tip was to learn the engine settings for your plane to obtain a particular airspeed in advance so you can set it and then concentrate on the things necessary for high density traffic and be up to speed on visual identification.

Destinations in the East gave information on some of the better small airports and local attractions from Maine to northern Florida. Being from New England, many of the northern locations were a review, but there were some interesting airports to the south. The speaker advised us to not automatically assume you can’t land at airports labeled private/restricted on the sectional chart. Call ahead. Many owners welcome visitors, but don’t want to have their airport listed as public due to liability reasons.

The exhibition hall looked quite full. A row of tables along the back could have been removed if more space was sold, but there are still plenty of exhibitors.

The Cirrus Jet grew up to full-size from the model shown at Oshkosh. It’s still a non-flying prototype, but it does look nice with its 7 seat capacity. The PiperJet mockup is also present, along with Mooney. The Cessna LSA is also on the floor, and you can climb inside any of them.  One of the busiest booths I saw was from the FAA Safety Team. Of course that was most likely because our good friend Jim Adams was manning that display.

SWAG is also very good at this event. Some of the best I’ve found are: Jeppeson gives a canvas bag that includes the event program. Lockheed/Martin has notebooks with pen, Aerotrader has office supply kits, whistles, and airplane pens, Columbia Aircraft has free bottled water in several locations on-site. Aerorecords has mints, Alamo has clips with a photo slot. CATS has foam planes similar to JayJay the Jet Plane, Aspen Avionics has nylon backpacks, and AOPA Life Insurance has cell phone holders.  I also picked up a full-sized Aircraft Spruce catalog since I was finally at a show where I didn’t have to lug one of those back on a plane.

Tomorrow it’s more of the same plus the static display area.

According to the present schedule, the A380 will be making fly-bys over the Pratt & Whitney facilities in Middletown and East Hartford between 7 and 8 AM Tuesday morning, weather permitting. Exact times will be announced 30 minutes prior to the fly-by.

The plane will be parked near the Air National Guard facility, so public viewing will be limited once it’s on the ground.

It looks like you need to get up early if you want to see an A380 fly. Here is the tentative schedule for the US tour next week. All times are local

Oct 2- Dep TLS 0600 arrive BDL 0810
Oct 3- Dep BDL 0600 arrive CVG 0830
Oct 4- Dep CVG 1000 arrive SFO 1200
Oct 5- Dep SFO 1300 arrive TLS 0900+1

The House just finished discussing HR2881 on the floor right now. There aren’t many members on the floor, so it doesn’t look like it’s coming up for a vote.

I only happened to turn it on at about 12:15 pm, but from what I’ve heard so far, most of the talk isn’t covering fees/taxes, but the congestion actions. Also they talk about the revised flight patterns in the Northeast, and passenger/flight attendant rights for those planes sitting on the ramps for extended periods of time.

I don’t think I’ve heard anyone say anything against the bill. Oberstar says there are two items of disagreement. One was controller staffing, and then he ran out of time before saying what the other was.

Now they’re talking about amendments.

The first amendment is regarding the passenger bill of rights.

Continuing Tom Petri (R-WI) and John Mica (R-FL) have come out against the “Managers” amendment. Undesirable items would require airlines to notify passengers if the plane they are flying on has been sprayed with insecticide within the last 60 days, and included $1.9 bln for labor items, fees imposed on FedEx, and mandate fire fighting requirements at medium and small airports.

The amendment passed.

Next amendment $1.5 million to purchase an airport in northeast OH to increase capacity. The amendment passed.

Next amendment Require drug and alcohol testing for foreign repair station employees that work on aircraft. The discussion had conflicting information on whether this applied to reparimen working on US registered aircraft, or if it applied to all aircraft that will fly in the US. The amendment passed.

1:08 PM The next amendment comes from Rep Shays (R-CT). He has an amendment that will require a report on congestion on Now FAA considers safety and efficiency, but not noise. The amendment was adopted.

1:10 PM Amendment requires FAA consolidation to consider FAA regional offices. The amendment was adopted.

1:12 PM Amendment From Udall (D-MN) Rules require annual training for gate agents and flight attendants on dealing with drunk and disruptive passengers. Rep Tom Petri (R-WI)is against the amendment since it is redundant the FAA already has a NPRM to expand the training. The amendment passed.

1:21 PM Kline (D-FL) Require the DOT to handle customer complaints. Oppositions says the limited resources of the Aviation Enforcement Office would have to use most of its resources for this one issue. The amendment was adopted.

1:31 PM Neugebauer (R-TX) Creates a study on the affects of wind turbines near airport, such as safety and radar. The amendment was passed. A 15 minute recorded vote was requested.

Information obtained during the vote-This is a four year $58 bln appropriation process. One year longer than previous bills. Almost 1/2 for FAA operations. Rest for equipment and airport improvements. This extends the current ticket taxes, and increases GA fuel taxes. The White House says it hates the bill. They still want user fees. No one in Congress wants them. White House also doesn’t like labor rules. FAA would have to go back and negotiate the labor rules it imposed last year.

1:57 PM Amendment was passed 418 to 1

2:24 PM The entire FAA reauthorization bill HR2881 as adopted, was passed by voice vote. A recorded vote was requested. The bill passed 267-151 which is a veto-proof majority.

The senate version of the bill is now in the Finance Committee.

Word is out that there is an “Easter Egg” function within the current version of Google Earth that will put you in the pilot’s seat. You need the current version from Link . Then from the main screen in Windows press <CTRL><ALT><A> or <Command><Option><A> on an Apple computer. Here is a list of the keyboard commands Userguide . It will work with a joystick, and even has some force-feedback functions.

The US-tour will take the A380 flight-test-aircraft MSN009, powered by four Engine Alliance GP7200 engines, to the United States. The visits are part of the ongoing route proving process for this aircraft/engine-combination. The aircraft, which has no passenger-cabin, is on static display at the following airports:

Both demonstration tours are part of the extensive campaign to prepare the A380 for a smooth entry into service. Operating under typical airline conditions, both aircraft will undergo airport compatibility checks, ground handling and maintenance procedures to confirm its readiness to enter service. The A380 has already visited more than 45 airports and by 2011, more than 70 airports will be ready for A380 operations.

The numbers for Airventure are in, and it looks like it was a very good week.
Estimated attendance-560,000 which is an increase of 3.2% from 2006
More than 10,000 aircraft arrived at Whittman Regional Airport and others in east-central Wisconsin.
Total showplanes-2,647
Homebuilt-985
Vintage-1,014
Warbirds-365
Ultralights-136
Seaplanes-117
Rototcraft-30

There were 784 commercial exhibitors
Approximately 1,700 International visitors registered from 60 nations. This only counts international visitors who did register, so the actual number is larger.

Estimated campers in Camp Scholler-Over 38,000
Media-887 representatives from six continents (Including 1 from East Windsor, CT)

At the chapter leaders breakfast on Saturday, several items were announced.

Adam Smith stated that they are working to improve chapter communications. A speakers bureau will be formed by mid-September to provide a list of speakers who will be available to chapters nationwide. Also an online nationwide calendar of events is planned, as well as increase to the number of people staffing the chapter office.

Tom Poberezny expressed the concern to get the public more involved in aviation. Since we don’t have anything like the GI Bill, aging pilots aren’t being replaced. It’s still too expensive and time consuming to get into flying. 70% of those who start flying don’t finish. The new goal of EAA is to increase the pilot population from the current 640,000 to 1 million.

Paul Poberezny also spoke to the group. Paul expressed the need to continue safety improvements. We don’t want to slip backwards with safety. We can’t afford to lose our privileges. He said that EAA and the chapters are an aeronautical, educational, and most importantly, a social organization.

He continued stating a concern that the Light Sport Aircraft are still expensive, and people don’t get the educational experience as you do with homebuilding. Homebuilding too has become mostly an assembly process.

On the concern of the commercialization of the convention, early on he got no response from the major small aircraft manufacturers when he offered them free display space. His wife Audrey suggested charging for the displays so it showed the value

The chapter awards were then presented.
Major Achievement Awards went to:
Chapter 484-San Adreas, CA
Chapter 1300-James Bonelli
Chapter 274-Deactur, IL
Chapter 471-Gray Bridwell
Chapter 976-Barry Davis
Chapter 690-Debbie Huffman
Chapter 1414-Polar Grove, IL
Chapter 13-Ray, MI
Chapter 129-Bloomington-Normal, IL

Newsletter Editor Awards were won by:
5th place Chapter 976
4th Place Chapter 59
3rd Place Chapter 105
2nd Place Chapter 376
1st Place IAC Chapter 19

Web Editor Awards went to:
5th Place Chapter 48
4th Place Chapter 50
3rd Place Chapter 62
2nd Place Chapter 1226
1st Place Chapter 1410

Also announced at the breakfast, there will be a chapter summit workshop held September 14-16 at the Air Academy Lodge.

I’m back from the big show, and as I write this I’m listening to the Ed Hamill performing at the air show over EAA’s internet stream service. Sean D. Tucker is coming on now. Earlier Tom Poberezny, along with some of the major sponsors, announced the winners of the various prizes at the show. The closest winner to us was from Eastern Massachusetts.

Before we left Saturday afternoon, I spent some time listening to Bob Hoover speak at the Eagles Hangar in the museum. Bob covered a lot of the reasons he was, and continues to be, so successful.

When he was a test pilot, Bob always wanted to learn. Not just about test flying, but about engineering and manufacturing. When he was flying he concentrated on flying precicly to the test plan. This would reduce the data points in the test results. This made him a favorite pilot for the engineers, and also saved the company millions of dollars in testing costs.

His reputation did not go unnoticed by management who even wanted him to stay on their payroll when he went to work for another company so he would qualify for a bonus.

Even at 85 years of age, Bob isn’t taking it easy. He just started his third company three weeks ago. 

Both EAA and AOPA are pressing for the FAA reauthorization bill to not include any type of user fee. EAA devoted a large section of the Member Village tent to the cause. A petition is available to be signed, along with buttons that state “EAAers Unite: Say NO! to User Fees.” Hundreds of photographs of the people who signed the petition are now posted on the display. Senator James Inhofe is expected to be in the Member Village tomorrow. Sen. Inhofe, along with other members of Congress are expected to attend a forum on this topic tomorrow. The people who are staffing the booth, including myself, estimate that about 1,000 people a day have stopped by to sign the petition.

One member came back requesting another button. He wanted us to ask him why he needed another button. OK, We asked him. He said he saw FAA Administrator, and user fee proponent at an aircraft display and told her he wanted to give her something. He then handed the button to her.

AOPA has very large posters for people to sign to express their opposition to user fees. They went through six of these posters today alone.

Early reports are saying that an explosion has killed 2, and injured 4 people at the Scaled Composites rocket engine test facility in Mojave, CA. Unconfirmed reports say the test was supposed to be a cold flow test with no motor ignition.