Aviation Insider - August 2011

SubSonex V-tailed Jet Makes First Flight
A little yellow jet was spotted over Oshkosh Wednesday morning (August 10) and soon it was confirmed that John Monnett's SubSonex had made its first flight. Jet sailplane pilot Bob Carlton, who wowed AirVenture crowds two weeks ago, was at the controls for the 14-minute flight. The next day Bob took to the air for a 45-minute flight, which was a culmination of at least four years of development including an engine change and a redesign of the landing gear. It was a happy day for Sonex Founder John Monnett, who designed the SubSonex for the recreational pilot. Read more and watch the videos

Great Year at AirVenture Rod Hightower described his first AirVenture as EAA president and CEO as "a great success" in his wrap-up press conference early Sunday afternoon. He made special mention of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner's first public appearance, the long-awaited return of the Commemorative Air Force's B-29 bomber "FIFI", salutes to Burt Rutan and Bob Hoover, and the Centennial of Naval Aviation celebration as bringing in large crowds and creating an event that people will be talking about for a long time to come. Read more

Aviation Passion Flows Up and Down the Field AirVenture is, in reality, a combination of little fly-ins within the larger fly-in. From warbirds on the north end to ultralights and light planes at the south end of the field - and the homebuilt, vintage, and aerobatic folks tucked in between - each group of people has its own special programs and activities specific to its aviation passion. We checked in with some of these folks to find out what was special to them about AirVenture. Read more

KidVenture Fun at AirVenture It may be called KidVenture, but at a glance, you won't be able to tell who is having more fun - the kids or the adults. That's because KidVenture has grown into an event that has something for all ages, with parents usually learning alongside their children. Sponsored by United Technologies Corp., KidVenture features lots of flight simulators, the newest software, and lots of hands-on opportunities. Read more

B-787 Experimental Visits AirVenture 2011 When Boeing's 787 Dreamliner prototype landed at AirVenture Friday morning, the word "experimental" adorning a number of prominent spots, many of its ancestors in composite experimental aircraft watched silently from nearby, progenitors with names like EZ and Catbird and Quickie, seeming to nod a welcome to this newcomer in carbon-fiber composites. Once Boeing achieves the final approval to deliver 787s absent the experimental designation, this one's descendants will be gracing ramps of the world for decades to come. Friday it graced ConocoPhillips Plaza on its first showing in the United States, giving the public its first opportunity to see this giant twin up close and personal. Read more

*Lucas Debuts Red Tails* Trailer at Gathering** Aviation leaders, world-renowned celebrities, and those with a shared concern for aviation's future gathered Thursday night for the annual EAA Gathering of Eagles fundraising gala in the museum's Eagle Hangar. A major highlight of the evening was an exclusive preview of film icon George Lucas' latest project set for release in 2012, Red Tails, about the famed Tuskegee Airmen. Read more and watch the trailer

ForeFlight Provides Subscriptions, Scholarships for EAA Young Eagles Program The software company ForeFlight is supporting EAA and the Young Eagles program by offering complimentary subscriptions to ForeFlight Mobile as well as providing financial support for select individuals to the EAA Air Academy. Young Eagles participants who achieve certain milestones along the EAA Young Eagles Flight Plan, which takes young pilots from first flight to certificated pilot, will receive free access to ForeFlight Mobile for iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch. ForeFlight will also annually provide scholarships sufficient to send four kids to the EAA Air Academy, a camp designed to introduce students to aviation. Read more

*"FIFI" Pilot Started as a Young Eagle* When "FIFI" last came to Oshkosh in 1995, David Oliver was 13 years old and watched it fly from the flightline. This year when the world's only flying B-29 touched down at Wittman Field, that same little boy had a much better seat - on the flight deck and at the controls. David, who is now 29 years old, is the operations manager for "FIFI" as well as a professional pilot. His path to that seat began with a 1994 Young Eagles flight. Read more

Our Favorite AirVenture Photos EAA's staff and volunteer photographers and videographers spent most of AirVenture in ditches, airplanes, high above the ground in lifts, and other odd places to capture the best angles of AirVenture 2011. One of them is EAA Chief Photographer Jim Koepnick, who in his more than 27 years with the organization has seen the best of the fly-in. This year Jim spent a lot of time up in the air during AirVenture and his efforts yielded some stunning photos. We are almost done sorting through all the memory cards from Jim and the others and we hope you will enjoy the photos we have picked out so far. View the AirVenture photo galleries

Time-Lapse Videos: EAA AirVenture in Stop-Motion Photographers had fun with time-lapse photography at AirVenture Oshkosh 2011. EAA photographer Mariano Rosales created three time-lapse videos that in their totality allow you to travel the entire AirVenture grounds in about five minutes. We also found two videos that were done by AirVenture attendee Jo Hunter. If you have any time-lapse videos to share let us know. Watch the videos

Top AirVenture Videos EAA's staff and volunteer video teams kept a steady stream of videos flowing to the EAA's video portal during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2011. What were the most-watched videos? Naturally, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and the B-29 were popular, but viewers also liked videos about the latest products on display around the grounds. Watch the videos \| Watch the 'Night Ballet'

Rolls-Royce Offers Flight Scholarships for Young Eagles Rolls-Royce, the global power systems company, has committed to sponsoring flight-training scholarships for six students who have completed the majority of EAA's online ground school class as part of the EAA Flight Plan. The scholarships will be awarded throughout the remainder of 2011; recipients will be chosen by an EAA scholarship committee. Additionally, according to the company, one student will receive a voucher for full flight training to earn a private pilot certificate. Apply for a scholarship

Warbird Restorer Has Young Eagles Roots He may be only 28 years old, but since his years at the EAA Air Academy, Patrick Mihalek's had his eyes on the 1940s. One day, Mihalek got a ride in a PT-17 Stearman biplane. "That's when it struck my love for warbirds," he said. "My parents say I'm a reincarnated World War II mechanic." After graduating as an A&P from Western Michigan University with a degree in aviation maintenance, Mihalek started his own warbird and vintage restoration business - Legend of Aces Aviation. Read more

More Than 12,000 EAA Student Members - Are You One? All Young Eagles under age 18 are eligible for a Free EAA Student membership, and all you need to do is register. Student membership is full of exciting opportunities just for you - EAA Sport Aviation magazine online, e-newsletters, members-only website, Academy of Model Aeronautics Student Membership, free admission to 300-plus science and technology museums, and more. The membership is made possible by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. If you're not already a member, visit the Young Eagles website to register today.