Category Archives: Aviation

DRONE LIGHT SHOW TO ILLUMINATE NIGHT SKY AT EAA AIRVENTURE OSHKOSH 2018

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DRONE LIGHT SHOW TO ILLUMINATE NIGHT SKY AT EAA AIRVENTURE OSHKOSH 2018

Up to 100 drones in simultaneous flight in night air shows on July 25 and 28

DRONE LIGHT SHOW – EAA AVIATION CENTER, OSHKOSH, Wisconsin — (July 5, 2018) — For the first time in North America, a drone light show will be part of an air show when EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2018 presents up to 100 lighted drones in flight during night air shows on July 25 and 28, creating another “Only at Oshkosh” experience.

The 66th annual Experimental Aircraft Association fly-in convention is July 23-29 at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The night air shows have become a favorite of the weeklong event, featuring a new perspective on the precise flying skills displayed by aerobatic pilots.

The EAA AirVenture demonstrations will mark the first time a lighted drone display is a scheduled part of a North American air show performance. Great Lakes Drone Company, based in Watervliet, Michigan, will be flying their drones and is one of just two U.S. companies authorized by the FAA for such displays.

“EAA and Great Lakes Drone Company worked closely with the FAA to make this pioneering and innovative event possible,” said Dave Chaimson, EAA’s vice president of marketing and business development. “What makes this event especially memorable are the intricate maneuvers that are capable by up to 100 synchronized drones, highlighting the possibilities of safe and responsible drone flying. People come to AirVenture to see aerial excitement not seen anywhere else, and these performances certainly continue that tradition.”

Great Lakes Drone Company has done numerous drones shows as stand-alone highlights at events, but this is the first as part of an air show performance. During AirVenture, the LED-equipped drones will perform a 10-minute “The History of Flight” show complete with musical accompaniment.

“When one thinks of THE place where flying innovation and excitement occur, Oshkosh instantly comes to mind,” said Matt Quinn, president of Great Lakes Drone Company. “That’s why we are so excited about this opportunity to be part of the famed night air shows and perform in front of the tens of thousands of aviation enthusiasts on the flightline – a real ‘first’ for the air show community.”

The EAA AirVenture Oshkosh night air shows begin at 8 p.m. on July 25 and July 28, and are included with AirVenture admission. Announced schedules are subject to change based on weather or operational conditions.

About EAA AirVenture Oshkosh

EAA AirVenture Oshkosh is the “World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration” and EAA’s yearly membership convention. Additional EAA AirVenture information, including advance ticket and camping purchase, is available online at www.eaa.org/airventure. EAA members receive lowest prices on admission rates. For more information on EAA and its programs, call 1-800-JOIN-EAA (1-800-564-6322) or visit www.eaa.org. Immediate news is available at www.twitter.com/EAA.

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ALL THINGS INNOVATION PROGRAMMING JULY 24 AT EAA AIRVENTURE OSHKOSH 2018

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ALL THINGS INNOVATION PROGRAMMING JULY 24 AT EAA AIRVENTURE OSHKOSH 2018

Innovation – New technologies, awards, thought leaders part of ‘what’s next’ in flight

EAA AVIATION CENTER, OSHKOSH, Wisconsin — (June 12, 2018) — The cutting-edge technology and products that will drive general aviation’s next generation come together at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2018 on Tuesday, July 24, with a full Innovations Day of programming and events on the AirVenture grounds.

The 66th annual Experimental Aircraft Association fly-in convention is July 23-29 at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The event is traditionally the venue where the latest aviation technology is introduced to the flying community.

The daylong series of only-at-Oshkosh events brings together the brightest minds in aviation innovation. Topics will include electric and hybrid technology, artificial intelligence in the cockpit, future avionics, uses of unmanned aircraft and more. The packed schedule of events concludes An Evening With Innovators program at Theater in the Woods, featuring with the third annual Founder’s Innovation Prize judging and program. In addition, Aviation Gateway Park features more than 20 new exhibitors demonstrating new technology throughout the week.

“EAA members thrive on the ‘what’s next’ – the new technology and innovations in general aviation,” said Dave Chaimson, EAA’s vice president of marketing and business development. “Many of the innovations seen at Oshkosh over the past five decades are now commonplace in aviation. There’s no place better than Oshkosh, and its connection with the community’s leading manufacturers and service providers, to provide world-class educational experiences to engage in aviation’s future.”

Some of the July 24 highlights include:

  • 9 a.m.-Noon: Lindbergh Innovation Forum, Aviation Gateway Park Forum Tent — Entrepreneurs, inventors, and trailblazers involved in breakthrough work participate in presentations and panel discussions on a variety of technology shaping tomorrow’s aviation environment. Those scheduled to participate include representatives of Uber Elevate, Boeing, Insitu, Ampaire, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and others.
  • 1-2 p.m.: Innovation Trends in GA Avionics Executive Roundtable, Aviation Gateway Park Forum Tent — This panel of GA founders and CEOs from the avionics industry will focus on ADS-B, open-source development, GA/UAV crossover technology, and more.
  • 8 p.m.: An Evening With Innovators featuring the Founder’s Innovation Prize, Theater in the Woods — The third year of this competition, presented by Airbus, highlights the top five 2018 entries in a “Shark Tank”-style format, where judges from throughout the aviation and aerospace world review the best and brightest ideas to lower the loss-of-control accident rate in general aviation. The winner receives a cash prize of $25,000, with additional cash prizes for second and third place.

About EAA AirVenture Oshkosh

EAA AirVenture Oshkosh is the “World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration” and EAA’s yearly membership convention. Additional EAA AirVenture information, including advance ticket and camping purchase, is available online at www.eaa.org/airventure. EAA members receive lowest prices on admission rates. For more information on EAA and its programs, call 1-800-JOIN-EAA (1-800-564-6322) or visit www.eaa.org. Immediate news is available at www.twitter.com/EAA.

RARE, LEGENDARY XP-82 ‘TWIN MUSTANG’ AIMS TO MAKE PUBLIC DEBUT AT EAA AIRVENTURE OSHKOSH 2018

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RARE, LEGENDARY XP-82 ‘TWIN MUSTANG’ AIMS TO MAKE PUBLIC DEBUT AT EAA AIRVENTURE OSHKOSH 2018.  Ten-year restoration nearly complete for 70-year old airframe

EAA AVIATION CENTER, OSHKOSH, Wisconsin — (May 25, 2018) — The restorers of a North American XP-82 “Twin Mustang,” one of the most unusual fighter/escort aircraft ever deployed by the U.S. military, are aiming to make EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2018 its first public appearance to celebrate completion of an arduous 10-year restoration project.

The 66th annual Experimental Aircraft Association fly-in convention is July 23-29 at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The event is the world’s largest annual gathering of vintage warbird aircraft, with more than 300 participating each year among the 10,000 airplanes that arrive in the region for the event.

The 10-year restoration project in Douglas, Georgia, began after aircraft restorer Tom Reilly discovered the complete airframe on a farm in Ohio. Reilly then scoured the earth seeking engines, propellers and a multitude of other XP-82 parts to continue the restoration.
“The interest and enthusiasm for this restoration has been wonderful and gratifying,” said Reilly, who has chronicled the restoration process online. “There is no better place than Oshkosh to make the first public flights of this aircraft, which is why it is our intent to complete the restoration and testing so we can be a part of AirVenture 2018.”

The XP-82 restoration brings back a unique flying example of an aircraft designed late in World War II as a long-range fighter escort to accompany B-29 bombers for thousands of miles on missions over the Pacific Ocean. Based on the highly successful P-51 “Mustang” design, the XP-82 used twin fuselages and two specially designed Rolls-Royce Packard-built Merlin engines to supply the speed, range and armament needed for the task. Fewer than 300 of the airplanes were produced as the P-82, with all but five scrapped in the years after the Korean War as the military moved to jet aircraft.

“It has been decades since people have seen this aircraft type fly anywhere,” said Rick Larsen, EAA’s vice president of communities and member programs, who coordinates AirVenture features and attractions. “The return of this historic aircraft to the sky is a tribute to the vision and perseverance of the restoration team, and it’s fitting that the group has AirVenture as a goal to fly this beauty before a huge, appreciative audience.”

About EAA AirVenture Oshkosh
EAA AirVenture Oshkosh is the “World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration” and EAA’s yearly membership convention. Additional EAA AirVenture information, including advance ticket and camping purchase, is available online at www.eaa.org/airventure. EAA members receive lowest prices on admission rates. For more information on EAA and its programs, call 1-800-JOIN-EAA (1-800-564-6322) or visit www.eaa.org. Immediate news is available at www.twitter.com/EAA.

 

XP-82

(NACA/NARA)