Wings, Wheels and Water

Warbirds in Review during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2024

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Heroes and historic military aircraft have their stories shared at Warbirds in Review during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2024

EAA AVIATION CENTER, OSHKOSH, Wisconsin — (May 24, 2024) — Warbirds in Review, an unparalleled presentation series during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh that brings together historic airplanes with pilots and aircraft owners, returns in 2024 with guests that encompass 80 years of aviation and military history. The 71st edition of the Experimental Aircraft Association’s fly-in convention is July 22-28 at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh.

The twice daily series of “up close and personal” stories will be held July 22-28 at the Warbirds in Review aircraft ramp, located within the EAA Warbirds of America area on the AirVenture grounds. The series is open to all attending AirVenture.

“Warbirds in Review features veterans, aviation legends, and aircraft that simply cannot be seen together in one place anywhere else in the world,” said Connie Bowlin, past president of the EAA Warbirds of America, who organizes the series. “Many of these veterans maintain that they were just doing their jobs and nothing heroic or extraordinary, but that could not be farther from the truth. Their stories and unique perspectives on the aircraft showcased at Oshkosh are insightful, poignant, and important for the public to hear.”

The aircraft and personalities at Warbirds in Review this year include those from WWII, the Korean War, and Vietnam. The schedule as of May 24, 2024 (subject to change without notice):

Monday, July 22

  • 10 a.m. – Stinson L-5 Sentinel – Captain (Ret.) Steve Seal and Chad Hill, Artist and Historian, Dijanjo Studios
  • 1 p.m. – Cessna L-19 Bird Dog – Gerry Asher, Fort Worth Aviation Museum and Colonel (Ret.) Charlie Finch, Catkiller 19

Tuesday, July 23

  • 10 a.m.- Cessna A-37 Dragonflys – Colonel (Ret.) Hank Hoffman, Mark Peterson, Colonel (Ret.) Jon “Huggy” Huggins and Charlie Largay
  • 1 p.m.- North American P-51B and P-51D “OLD CROW” Mustangs. This program will be a celebration of life for Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Clarence E. “Bud” Anderson, who passed away on May 17, 2024. His friends reach far and wide and run deep in the Warbird and Military communities. Bud Anderson is the only individual featured as a speaker every year since the inception of Warbirds in Review 20-plus years ago. All are invited to this Warbirds in Review program for a celebration of a life well lived.

Wednesday, July 24

  • 10 a.m. – de Havilland Mosquito, Hawker Hurricane and Supermarine Spitfire – Flight Lieutenant (Ret.) Colin S. Bell, Rod Lewis, Stew Dawson, Dave Hadfield and Joe Cosmano
  • 1 p.m. – Beechcraft T-34 Mentor and North American T-28 Trojan Trainers 75th Anniversary – Paul Walters, Mick “Thor” Thorstenson, Dan Kirkland, Tom Donovan, and Jim Rohlf

Thursday, July 25

  • 10 a.m. – Douglas C-47 Skytrain – Eric Zipkin, Leader of the D-Day Squadron
  • 1 p.m. – Curtiss-Wright Helldiver and the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt – Fagen Fighters WWII Museum

Friday, July 26

  • 10 a.m. – Beechcraft T-34 Mentor – Chief Warrant Officer Two (Ret.) Walt Fricke, Founder, CEO, and AirBoss, Veterans Airlift Command
  • 1 p.m. – Parade – Veterans Tribute

 Saturday, July 27

  • 10 a.m. – Little Friend “P-51” – Major (Ret.) Lucky Luckadoo – “Masters of the Air” (Pending)
  • 1 p.m. – Fairchild PT-26 – Kevin Korterud, Danielle Reese, and Dave Holden – members of the CAF Buckeye Wing

 About EAA AirVenture Oshkosh

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

Piper Cherokee 140?

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Recent question about buying a Piper Cherokee 140.

Basically the question is, Should I buy a Piper Cherokee 140 or a Cessna 172?

“I just finished reading your book “How to Buy a Single-Engine Airplane”.  Man, it was great!  I am a private pilot with 400+ hours in a Cessna 150.  Five years ago, I sold it thinking that I would not fly enough to merit the expense.  Ever since, I have been like a caged animal looking for a hole to escape into the wild blue yonder!  With your beautiful little book, I found a hole in which to escape from my self-made prison and am now in a hunt for a Cessna 172 or Piper Cherokee 140.  I have $40K in a fruit jar to invest.  Now for the BIG question, what can I expect in terms of hours on the plane, year (age), etc.?  Please help me!”

Wow, thank you for the kind comments about the book!  Glad you are excited about getting another aircraft. You can actually consider a number of nice aircraft for the $40,000 range.  You won’t usually get new engines, new paint and a panel full of new flat panel displays, but you should be able to get a nice basic digital IFR, mid-time engine, good-looking aircraft.

It appears that you should be able to buy a Piper 140 for a little less than the Cessna 172.  I think that is because it is really a 2+2 aircraft, even more than the Cessna 172.  The original Piper 140 models came from the factory as two seat aircraft or two seats with a small jump seat in the baggage area.  The PA28-140 does not have a baggage door to access the area from the outside or the baggage space behind the rear seat like the Cessna 172 does.  Many people equate the Cherokee 140 to an enlarged Cessna 150 although I do not think that is really a fair comparison.

The Cherokee 140 can be a very economical traveling machine for two people with the ability to take a third (or possible a fourth if they are really small) for a ride.  Check out the aviation classifieds (Trade a Plane etc.) and you will be surprised at what is available.  Do not discount a high time airframe aircraft.  Take into account its use, condition and maintenance.

I went shopping and found a number of 1960’s era PA28-140’s priced right around $40,000.  A few were IFR equipped; most were 4,000 to 5,000 hour airframes and 1,200 to 1,500 hour engines.  The Lycoming 0-320’s have a 2,000 TBO and the average person flies less than 50 hours year, which gives you eight to 10 years of use before you need an overhaul.  The Cessna 172’s in that price range were 1956 to 1962 models.  Most of the 1965 and newer Cessna 172 aircraft were over $40K. There is an occasional later year, high time, run out engine for less money.  To find the later model Cessna (or Pipers for that matter) at the lower prices you have to monitor the ads and be ready to buy.  Late model and low prices sell quickly.

Piper Cherokee 140

 

Cessna 172

 

Broker of record?

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We still get asked why only one broker can get an aviation insurance quote at a time. So let me try and summarize this issue.

We shop all markets that are available for a specific type of aircraft. But, the aviation insurance industry is different than buying car insurance. In car insurance you can call all the agents on the same block and they can quote the same companies and all offer you a quote. Aviation insurance companies will release a quotation for your aircraft insurance to only ONE broker at a time.

If our agency has attempted to quote all applicable markets (except Avemco who is a direct insurance underwriter and doesn’t use outside agents) but has been blocked from getting quotes it is because another broker is doing the same thing.

Being blocked means you have contacted more than one broker and they have also been quoting your aviation insurance risk. By allowing more than one broker to get quotes, you have taken away each brokers ability to quote the same companies.

You are probably thinking that it doesn’t make sense or seem fair, but aviation underwriting is somewhat subjective and by limiting the number of quotes released, an underwriting company can be more consistent. Now, on a new insurance risk a couple of companies have started to let more than one broker quote. But that’s not a universal trend, yet. I think as more companies are come more computerized that will happen more often. The problem with computerized quotes, there is less of an opportunity to deviate from the guidelines. If the computer says no you can’t get insured, that’s all you might get from that company. No options or flexibility.

Our goal is to provide the best customer service possible and we hope to do that through competitive quotes, aviation expertise and personal contact. We do quote all companies available.

I believe we have a number of advantages over other brokers. We didn’t just get into the experimental market in the last few years as an agency; we have been working with the experimental aircraft market since I started in the aviation insurance business in 1985. I am a pilot, I have owned and flown experimental aircraft and I have been involved in aviation since I was a kid. I married into an aviation family and my wife grew up in an FBO and is my partner in the business. I have been an author and columnist for years on aviation topics and in aviation magazines. I still attend aviation events and give seminars for owners.

That’s said, if you have run into a situation where you contact more than one broker you might be asked to sign a “Broker of Record” letter.

This letter would tell the underwriters that you want one broker to be your broker and that all the quotes should be released to that broker. Hope that helps.