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Latest EAA AirVenture
News & Highlights

Throw Another Brat On The Barbie

Actually, throw another 254 brats on the barbie.AirVenture Oshkosh 1998 was officially opened this afternoon when an Air New Zealand747-400 landed at Wittman Field at 1341 local time. The flight carried 254 pax from sixcountries who gathered in Sydney, Australia, stopped in Los Angeles, and then continued onto Oshkosh – Nineteen hours flying time. Some people will go to incredible lengths toavoid the Ripon arrival. The tour is organized by Dave Thomas, proud long-time EAA memberfrom down under. This is the fifth trip of its kind. Thomas threw down the gauntlet toother countries to fill a 747 with passengers bound for EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, just once.So far, Australia is the only country that’s been able to do it.

NOTE: AVweb coverage includes additional details and photos of the Aussie arrival.

Bose Introduces Revolutionary New ANR Headset

Bose, whose noise reduction headset technology set theindustry standard a decade ago, today announced the introduction of a revolutionary newheadset with holes in the ear cups. That’s right, holes. Called the Headset X, itincorporates “TriPort Technology” which includes three holes in each ear cup.These holes seem at first to be an illogical approach to designing headsets for maximumnoise attenuation, since we’ve always “known” that any outside noise is a directresult of leaks in and around the ear cups. Well, the Bose engineers have moved beyond the”known” and the innovative new headset, almost half the size of their olddesign, is the result. Yours for only $995.

NOTE: AVweb includes the details that set this new headset apart from the rest.

LightSPEED Introduces New 25K Headset, 20K Trade-In Program

LightSPEED Technologies introduced a new top-of-the-line ANR headset at EAA AirVentureWednesday. Priced at $595, the new model 25K features a digital automatic gain controlsystem that offers 30dB active noise reduction, fully 10dB more than any other aviationheadset. Other features include a battery-saving automatic shutoff circuit and a sheepskinheadpad. First shipments are scheduled for early October. LightSPEED also announced aunique trade-in program for current owners of LightSPEED 20K headsets: for $200, ownerscan trade in a 20K headset for a brand new 25K.

Jeppesen Introduces Instrument/Commercial Training System

At EAA AirVenture Oshkosh today Jeppesen introduced the Guided Flight Discovery (GFD)Training System for the Instrument and Commercial ratings. The GFD features a four-colorinstrument/commercial manual, as well as a syllabus for training under FAR Part 141 and61. Also included are a set of videos which highlight the manual, exercise questions andsophisticated instructor aids. Jeppesen claims it has now put out one of the mostcomprehensive instrument/commercial manuals in history at 912 pages in length. The GFDsystem of books, videos and support materials is expected to reach dealers the end ofAugust 1998.

Weather Tap

Steve Stone of Trade-A-Plane announced today the introduction of”weatherTAP,” an online weather Web site. In cooperation with HarrisCorporation, the new Web site http://www.weathertap.comfeatures the exact same images and information that Harris provides to the ARTCCs and FSSweather briefers. Stone noted that this will be the first time the exact same weatherinformation provided to FAA will be available to the public. WeatherTAP is priced at $5.95per month, $63 per year. The introductory price is $5.35 per month, $56.70 per year.

Cirrus Design SR-20 Closing In On Certification

Cirrus Design announced today that it has completedthe FAA-required airframe parachute deployment tests. These tests have proven that theairplane is capable of being dropped safely to the earth at about 26 fps from low speeds,high speeds and even spins. Cirrus president, Alan Klapmeier, told the packed crowdoutside Exhibit Building B that the company had hoped to have all FAA certificationtesting done by now, but they are “down to the short list,” including tests forthe 29G seat. With 195 non-refundable deposits in hand, the company is trying to finishthe conformity testing, then finish the required paperwork, and finally obtain aproduction certificate. If these hurdles can be cleared, the customers would get theirairplanes by “the end of the year,” according to Klapmeier.

NOTE: AVweb coverage includes additional details of the Cirrus Design press conference.

Air Academy Lodge Rededicated

Watching the faces of 39 new aviators provided the assembledcrowd of seasoned veteran flyers with new hope for the future. Youngsters and dignitariesassembled today to rededicate the EAA Foundation Air Academy Lodge and acknowledge thosethat have given of their time and finances to build it. The 10,600 square foot lodge willhouse students year round with 53 beds and quarters for house parents. Overlooking theEAA’s Pioneer Airport, this impressive building was the dream of EAA member James Ray whowanted to insure youngsters would have an opportunity to follow their dream of flight. Theentire $2 million cost was underwritten by Ray, the Ray Foundation, the Clay LacyProfessional Pilot Endowement, 25 corporate sponsors, and private individuals.

NOTE: AVweb coverage includes additional details and photos of the rededication.

Old Crow Hobbles In On One Foot

It’s a shame to see any airplane bend a wing, but it reallybreaks your heart to see a P-51 lying on its side. Yesterday Connie Bowlin was flying OldCrow into OSH around 1615 when the right main gear refused to come down. Emergencyextension procedures didn’t work, so with just one main gear plus the tailwheel extended,she guided the airplane to a skidding stop, doing surprisingly little damage. The prop isbent, the flap is bent, there’s a dent in the leading edge and some damage to theunderside of the right wing, but that appears to be all of it. This lady deserves a lot ofcredit for wiggling out of a potentially fatal situation. Hats off, Connie!

Will OSH Vets Accept Rectangular Pins and Patches?

Oshkosh attendees shopping today forthe traditional EAA Oshkosh patches and pins came face to face with the new EAA AirVentureOshkosh logo, and a new patch and pin design for 1998. The old design is at least 20 yearsold, and many long-time OSH vets can be spotted by the collections of annual EAAconvention patches on jackets or by the pins on their hats. The new official patch for EAAAirVenture 1998 is rectangular, with the new logo that contains the date in smaller typethan the old-style patch. The pin is also rectangular and mimics the patch. Shoppers inthe official EAA merchandise stores were heard complaining that the date on the pin wastoo small to be seen at any distance. Several salespeople said that it was too early totell if the new design was having an effect on the sales of patches and pins.

Trimble And All The Trimmings

Eyes aren’t what they used to be? If you can’t move far enoughacross the cabin to get your frequencies in focus, Trimble Avionics is coming to yourrescue with a new large format color multi-function display. The TrimView 500 features a5-inch diagonal active matrix color LCD display that is sunlight readable. The TrimView isdefinitely a creation for the new Millennium; it was built as an expandable computerfeaturing a Pentium 160 MHz processor with a 4-Gig hard disk drive. (Doesn’t it turn youon when we talk computer to you?) Trimble also introduced their new TN500 IFR GPSreceiver, a unit they promise reduces pilot workload at a time pilots need to beconcentrating on other things.

CORRECTION: Thanks to all of you that pointed out the matherror in Joe Godfrey’s article about the controllers at Fisk. Sure we know that 149airplanes an hour averages out to two and a half a minute, not two and a half a second! Itwas late, we were tired…just the result of your intrepid AVweb staff trying to cram toomuch work into a 29 hour day.

AVweb’s OSH ’98 communications radios provided courtesy of ICOM America.

OSH ’98 Articles and Features

Tom Poberezny On the First Day

It is 1300 on Wednesday, July 29, and Wittman Field isofficially closed to Oshkosh-bound pilots who had intended on camping here. The inn isfull, and the “No Vacancy” sign has been hung out. The first day is nearing anend and AVweb talks again to EAA president Tom Poberezny. First day numbers aren’t yet in,but advance arrivals are heavier than last years’, and last year was up 12% from the yearbefore. See what EAA AirVenture’s prime mover had to say as the day started to wind down.

The Essence of OSH

Walter Atkinson sat under the wing of his Twin Beech, enjoying a constant flow ofaircraft landing in a seemingly unending stream on final approach to runway 27. A reportercame by and asked what made him come to Oshkosh. The answer was somewhat elusive in thatmoment of afternoon relaxation , but Walter has since cogitated on the subject andconsidered the question, what *is* the essence of OSH? His answer may surprise andenlighten you; at the least, it will give you something to think about.

My Ohmygoshwouldyoulookatthat First Oshkosh

Tom and Jerry do OSH. Yesterday Tom Gresham shared a first-timer’s travelogue to OSH.Now Tom and Jerry have their first full day of AirVenture Oshkosh under their belts. OSHdid not disappoint, dishing out a heaping helping of true Oshkosh experiences. Betweenwatching more planes, and more interesting planes, than they’ve ever seen, a one-leggedlanding by a P-51, and fierce winds which made crosswind landings more than an adventure,rearranging their camping area in the process, these newcomers got their money’s worth.Join Tom as his AirVenture adventure continues.

Giving Something Back

Jack Mark remembers the hot summer days when he was a kid in the working classneighborhoods on the south side of Milwaukee. The depression of the ’30s was in fullswing, hand-me-down shoes were a way of life, flying was something limited to thesuper-wealthy. When he got a little older, his Uncle Sugar taught Jack how to fly and senthim off to two wars to prove it. Mark did OK for himself and now he’s giving a 140youngsters from his old neighborhood on the south side of Milwaukee a special day at EAAAirVenture Oshkosh 1998.

OSH ’98 Photo Gallery – Day Two

Dozens of new photos of the mostbeautiful and interesting airplanes, products and people we encountered at EAA AirVenture’98 today. It’s the next best thing to being here yourself.

Our favorite sign-in-airplane-window spotted today in the EAA airplane camping area:”Unattended children will sold as slaves.”