July 30, 2000 Walt Troyer: The Art and Science of Airshow Announcing |
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Walt Troyer has been the disembodied voice in the air during AirVenture's warbirds shows for 18 years, and he brings a sense of history and a flair for the dramatic to each performance. AVweb's Matt Paxton spent some time one afternoon in the announcer's booth while Troyer did his thing. Here's his report.
July 30, 2000
 A big part of the weekend airshows at AirVenture is the warbird special
appearance, and a familiar part of those shows for 18 years has been the voice
of Walt Troyer. His voice is instantly recognizable to Oshkosh veterans, and
his knowledge of World War II, Korean War and Vietnam-era aircraft is
encyclopedic. AVweb was invited to sit in on the announcers' stand and observe
Troyer last week as he described the aircraft in detail and gave the crowd a
history lesson, all while following every move of the show activities.
Troyer served as a civilian instructor in the T-41 Mescalaro — perhaps better
known in civilian circles as the Cessna 172 — and later worked
as a pilot for a commuter airline, but by 1973 had gotten out of aviation
altogether. For a number of years, he claims, he didn't go near the business
end of an airplane. But in 1978, a friend dragged him to Oshkosh for the EAA
convention. After seeing the warbird show, he was hooked. He joined EAA on the
spot.
In 1980, he began helping out on the announcing stand, mainly making
housekeeping announcements. He got a break in 1982, when the primary announcer
had a conflict and Troyer was asked to fill in. He soon learned that the
action and the commentary amounted to a form of choreography, and proceeded to
work on ideas with the show's air boss to time the arrival of the airplanes.
Troyer said he wanted to tell his audience a story and convey a sense of the
history behind the airplane being showcased.
A Sense Of History
Troyer, a history buff, has put together some spectacles that long-time
Oshkosh attendees still talk about. The 1985 salute to Vietnam-era aviation
featured a simulated helicopter assault using two lifts of four UH-1 Hueys,
with support from F-4s and even B-52s. Tapes made in actual combat were played
over the PA system, adding to the realism.
The 50th anniversary of World War II gave Troyer and the Warbirds of America
planners a lot of opportunities to showcase airplanes and events from the war.
The low-level raid on Ploesti, Italy, oil refineries by B-24s was featured in a
salute to veterans on the anniversary of the raid. The 1995 show,
commemorating the end of the war, put together the largest group of WWII-era
warbirds ever seen in the sky over Oshkosh. One hundred seventy-two aircraft
converged on show center in a massive salute to WWII veterans. Such a display
will likely never be seen again.
As The Story Weaves Around The Show
Troyer calls the show from a stool on the balcony of the EAA Communications
Center, just south of the Aeroshell Pavilion. He works with an assistant, Jim
Zazas, who monitors the airshow frequency and relays to Troyer when the
various airplanes have been cleared to cross in front of the crowd. When he
arrives at the announcing stand, Troyer discusses with Zazas some variations
from the plan for the coming show. Because of an expected low ceiling, only
the T-28s will pass overhead in formation.
As the show begins, several WWII-era fighters take off on Runway 36, in front
of the crowd. Troyer, speaking without a script but referring occasionally to
notes, weaves his description of each aircraft into a brief history lesson on
the state of American aviation at the beginning of World War II. In the spirit
of this year's "Speed" theme at AirVenture, Troyer tells how
aircraft speed increased from the beginning of the war to the end.
As a T-38 Talon streaks across show center, Troyer talks about the transition
to jet aircraft, then segues into the Korean War, and asks the crowd to
applaud for the Korean vets on the field. When three B-25 Mitchells pass show
center, pyrotechnic explosions in front of the crowd send up fireballs and
black smoke. Just after the last B-25 passes, a huge fireball, 600 feet long,
rolls skyward, accompanied by a chest-thumping boom. "Come back
tomorrow," Troyer tells the crowd. "It will be 1,400 feet
long."
Troyer's commentary is unabashedly patriotic and he ends the show with a few
words about the sacrifices made by American flyers in 20th-century wars, as
"Taps" is played and a missing-man formation flies by. Once the last
note sounds, and the formation recedes to the north, Troyer gets off his stool
and heads down the stairs to the field. AirVenture attendees have enjoyed
another warbird show. Troyer hopes they've learned a bit of history, too.
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