The annual gathering of the aviation world at EAA AirVenture features not only thousands of airplanes, but tens of thousands of people. Mary Grady's gallery shows us some of the planes and a few of the personalities, too.
Aerostar Jet By Glenn Pew Aerostar Aircraft Corporation has taken two Pratt & Whitney 615 FADEC engines and slung them under the wings of an Aerostar to create what Aerostar's Jim Christy says will be a jet capable of 400-plus knots. Christy flew the jet to AirVenture Oshkosh for the jet's first major public debut and says he's testing the market with eyes on certification. The engines improve performance in every way but fuel flow, and take advantage of the Aerostar's aerodynamics and strength. Christy says a new Aerostar Jet could come to market at a price point near $2.4 million and Aerostar Aircraft can offer more than just more speed -- it can also offer more room.
Redbird Plans Simulator-Based Flight School By Jeff Van West Redbird Flight Simulations makes tabletop and full-motion flight simulators for flight schools all over the world and this November will open a simulator-centric flight school. The company is opening what it's calling an aviation laboratory in San Marcos, Texas to study the effectiveness of simulation in flight training. Jerry Gergoire, president of Redbird, says that creating "a lab environment with a high volume of students coming through will allow us to objectively measure the impact of these tools and correct and refine as we go." At the core of the lab is a Part 141 flight school promising a $9500 private pilot license using new Cessna 172s and the Redbird simulators.
As AirVenture 2011 begins to wind down, we look back over a week of airplanes, camaraderie, and new product roll-outs that appeal to the gadget geek lurking inside every pilot. Our AirVenture intern Adam is already home by now, but he left behind this exciting batch of photos centered on the afternoon air shows to help us look back on a terrific show.
Electric Aircraft Advocates Share Ideas At AirVenture By Mary Grady Anyone who thinks that electric aircraft are just for dreamers and tinkerers might think twice after seeing the lineup of speakers at EAA's Electric Aircraft World Symposium, held on Friday and Saturday during AirVenture. The event, sponsored by GE Aviation, brought in experts from the U.S. Air Force, NASA Langley, Sikorsky Aircraft, Argonne National Labs, the FAA, and more. Mark Maybury, chief scientist for the USAF, told AVweb the military is interested in creating fully electric aircraft, both manned and unmanned. "This is important not only from an energy-management perspective but also for acoustic properties, to create a much quieter vehicle -- as much as 15 to 20 decibels quieter than current vehicles," he said. "Acoustic stealth offers a military advantage." Maybury said the military is also interested in electric technology as a means to help reduce complexity, improve thermal management, reduce carbon emissions, and conserve fuel. He sent a copy of his very interesting PowerPoint presentation to AVweb; click here to download it (PDF).
Teachers Day A Growing Attraction At AirVenture By Mary Grady Several hundred teachers from around the country -- many of them pilots -- gathered at the EAA Museum on Tuesday for Build A Plane's annual Teachers Day event. Jeff Skiles, the first officer on "Miracle on the Hudson" Flight 1549, was among the speakers, who also included guests from EAA, AOPA, the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum and more. Build A Plane founder Lyn Freeman told AVweb his group has been running the event for three years, and participation from across the country is growing. "This year we had teachers from New York, Tennessee, Texas, Arizona, all over," he said. The teachers also spend some time in hands-on activities with kids, and after lunch they are free to explore AirVenture.
As EAA AirVenture heads into the weekend, we asked Adam to grab some photos of some of this year's big attractions. Just like the folks on-site here at Oshkosh, you folks at home are free to look, but please don't touch. (Unless you're on an iPad.)
Babbitt Reassuring Despite Tough Times By Mary Grady FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt made a quick visit to EAA AirVenture on Thursday and spent an hour talking with the Oshkosh crowds in the show's big forum pavilion. He gave a short update on FAA issues, answered a list of questions from EAA president Rod Hightower, and fielded a few queries from the audience. He said he was "deeply troubled" by the failure of Congress to extend a funding bill, forcing the agency to furlough 4,000 workers. "I had no choice," he said. "I personally regret having to take this action." Getting those workers back on the job is his number-one priority right now, he said. Regarding the future of avgas, Babbitt said, "I think we are on track to come up with workable solutions. But is there a solution that (1) is a drop-in solution, and (2) is affordable? I hope so, but I don't have clarity on it."
Electric Cessna 172 Starts Taxi Tests By Mary Grady Beyond Aviation, until recently known as Bye Energy, started initial taxi tests on its electric-powered Cessna 172 last Friday, the company said this week. "We will be announcing our first flight date soon," said Charlie Johnson, president of the company. The tests are taking place at Centennial Airport in Englewood, Colo. The company said its goal is to develop practical, cost-effective electric and hybrid propulsion systems that can easily work as a replacement for internal combustion engines in the 150- to 200-hp range. "The aircraft currently is configured as a proof of concept, 'battery only' aircraft," Darrel Watson, vice president of engineering, told AVweb.
IMC Clubs Grow, Expand Offerings By Mary Grady The IMC Club, a nonprofit project that launched just about a year ago in Norwood, Mass., aims to help instrument-rated private pilots gain the confidence and skills they need to get the most out of their rating. Members meet once a month to advance their knowledge by sharing experiences or hosting a guest speaker. The project now has 28 chapters and about 1,000 members across the country, and Radek Wyrzykowski, one of the founders of the group, says they are now ready to launch "IMC Club 2.0." The main advance is a new alliance with PilotWorkshops.com to provide "IFR Mastery" training materials for each monthly meeting.
