Wings, Wheels and Water

Mass DC3 Arrival…this will be awesome!

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

EAA AIRVENTURE OSHKOSH’S DC-3 75TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION TAKING SHAPE FOR GRAND ENTRANCE

Mass fly-in arrival to highlight July 26 air show at Oshkosh

EAA AVIATION CENTER, OSHKOSH, Wis. – (March 4, 2010) – Possibly the largest gathering of DC-3 aircraft since the 1940s is committed to the aircraft’s 75th anniversary commemoration during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, coming July 26-August 1 at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh.

That celebration includes what could be a 40-airplane mass arrival at Oshkosh on Monday, July 26 – the opening day of the 58th annual edition of AirVenture. Aircraft and DC-3 enthusiasts from around the world have already committed to participate in the event, including many aircraft that have never before been seen at Oshkosh. In all, as many as 50 or more DC-3s (or its military counterparts, the C-47 and
R4D) could be at the event.

“When we first suggested the DC-3 75th anniversary party, we thought as many as 25 aircraft might make for an outstanding program,”
said Tom Poberezny, EAA president and AirVenture chairman. “The response has been far beyond our greatest expectations and now will be one of the greatest aircraft reunions ever seen at Oshkosh, with more surprises to come.”

The mass arrival fly-in was capped at 40 aircraft, which will stage at Whiteside County Airport in Sterling/Rock Falls, Ill., beginning on Saturday, July 24, with support provided by M & M Aviation.
Following a media day and dinner on July 25, the formation’s pilots will have their full safety briefing on Monday morning, July 26, prior to the public departure for Oshkosh. The full group, with a combined 96,000 horsepower, is scheduled to arrive at AirVenture in time to open that day’s afternoon air show with an unforgettable flyover.

The previous world record for a DC-3 formation is 27 aircraft in 1985. Those aircraft not participating in the mass arrival will arrive at Oshkosh on their own schedule and be part of the many activities surrounding the DC-3 anniversary.

In addition, a special guest “mystery aircraft” – rarely seen in flight – will be part of the mass arrival. That’s airplane’s identity and pilot will be announced on the www.thelasttime.org website that is the host website for the mass arrival. That website is also posting “Hero FBOs” that are offering fuel and food discounts for DC-3 crews heading to Oshkosh; as well as a diary section that welcomes DC-3 fans to post their own fond remembrances of the iconic airplane.

Other activities honoring the DC-3 and its military cousins include an evening program at EAA’s Theater in the Woods; a series of forums and presentations throughout the week at AirVenture; DC-3 aircraft flying skydiving teams during the afternoon air shows; special movie presentations at the Fly-In Theater; and other activities. A number of aviation personalities involved with the development and flight operations of the DC-3 will also be guests at AirVenture.

“We appreciate all the efforts of dedicated volunteers who are helping make this celebration possible,” Poberezny said. “There is already an enormous ‘buzz’ around this once-in-a-lifetime event for the DC-3, and the military C-47 and R4D versions, which also fits very well with this year’s ‘Salute to Veterans’ activities at Oshkosh.”

Complete presentation schedules will be posted at www.airventure.org as they are finalized.

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.airventure.org. 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 http://twitter.com/EAAupdate.

Compliments of Avweb….

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Wing Broke On Crash Skymaster

The outboard six feet of the right wing on a Cessna 337 broke off just before the aircraft crashed and killed five people in New Jersey last week. Just what effect that will have on Cessna’s process to initiate an extensive wing inspection program on the aging aircraft isn’t clear at this point but it’s likely to come up. As AVweb reported in January, Cessna is developing a supplemental inspection document (SID) that focuses on the wing attach points of the Skymaster series. It appears the Feb. 15 failure was outboard of the strut attachment point and involved failure of the “horizontal flange of the forward spar lower cap,” according to the NTSB preliminary report. The report says the failure occurred as the aircraft pitched up after a high-speed, low-altitude flyby at Monmouth County Executive Airport. The aircraft had STC’d tip tanks and had taken on 90 gallons of fuel prior to the flight.

The pilot, a 45-year-old ATP, was in the right seat while his Polish private pilot friend was in the left. Another adult, a 14-year-old boy and a six-year-old boy were on board. The accident happened about four minutes into the flight. Relatives of those on board were on the ground watching. The NTSB says the wing section, which included the aileron, was found on the runway, about 633 feet from the main wreckage, and showed signs of going through the rear propeller.