Becoming an aerobatic or airshow pilot is a dream for many, but there are many steps to go through to achieve that goal.

Start With Primary Pilot Training

As with becoming any type of specialized pilot, the first step to becoming an airshow pilot is to become a private pilot. Such training teaches the basics of aircraft control, energy management, and aeronautical decision making.

Many airshow pilots also consider getting a commercial pilot certificate, regardless of whether they plan to fly in the events for a living. The additional training provides more expertise and aircraft control, and it builds upon the concepts learned during private pilot training to make an aviator more complete and well-rounded.

Specialized Aerobatic Training

After primary training, aerobatic pilots then need to go through aerobatic pilot training to hone their stunt skills.

A number of flight schools around the country provide acrobatic training in aircraft such as the Cessna Aerobat, Pitts Special, or American Champion Decathlon.

In addition to special training, aerobatic flight schools employ instructors with significant experience flying acrobatics. Real-world experience is a great benefit to help newer pilots learn the trade of aerobatic aviation.

To become a stunt pilot, one must complete at least 10 hours with an aerobatic instructor on top of the requirements to achieve an FAA pilot certificate. It is recommended that aerobatic training not be completed until a pilot receives their primary training and certification to make the process of becoming a stunt pilot easier.

It is important to note that one can become a stunt pilot with only an endorsement. This means that they fly with an instructor until it’s determined they are proficient to act as an aerobatic pilot by themselves. No additional FAA exam is required.

Maintaining proficiency as a stunt pilot is no easy feat.

After receiving their endorsement, a pilot should practice regularly to make sure their skills, decision making, and reaction times stay sharp. This is especially important for pilots performing at airshows or flying in formation with other aerobatic aircraft.

Career Opportunities for Aerobatic Pilots

Some stunt pilots are happy to fly only for themselves. They may enjoy the adrenaline of flying aerobatics or want access to a unique sector of aviation not available to all.

However, some decide to continue into a career as an aerobatic pilot. Many go on to fly as instructors or in fields such as aerial photography or film. Still others become test pilots, flying new or modified aircraft to ensure their performance and safety.

Again, flying in airshows is a top attraction for many stunt pilots. Some airshows are operated by volunteers flying antique or unique aircraft, while others are professional pilots who tour the country—or world—as part of an act. Major airshows across the country attract hundreds or thousands of paying viewers excited to witness a special facet of aviation.

Some stunt pilots are even sponsored by companies or branches of the military. Acrobatic flying can be such a spectacle that planes painted in certain colors can bring significant visibility in key demographics.

In addition, large companies and the military are among the few who have the resources to fund and maintain fleets of aerobatic aircraft, often jets, as they tour.

Resources to Start Training

There are a number of organizations that help pilots work toward acrobatic training and maintain proficiency as stunt pilots.

The International Aerobatic Club (IAC), for example, sponsors events and educational programs to help pilots attain and maintain their aerobatic proficiency. The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) is also a great place to make connections with pilots who have the knowledge and skills to help with aerobatic training.

Local pilots will know the best places to start aerobatic training. Participating in local IAC and EAA chapters, or stopping in at the local FBO, could help prospective pilots learn more about how and where to get started.

A great way to test out aerobatic flying is to visit a flight school with planes that can perform basic spins.

Every flight instructor in the U.S. is required to complete spins during their instructor training and thus have experience with the maneuver. Getting flight time practicing spins can help pilots decide whether acrobatic flight is a path they would like to pursue more in depth. If not, simply practicing spins can provide an adrenaline rush and help pilots hone their basic airmanship.

Ultimately, acrobatic flying is an exciting path to take. Whether you want to pursue acrobatics as a career or simply want to learn to improve your flying skills, there are resources across the country to help you pursue your passions.

Acrobatics help you learn energy management in new ways usually not accessible to standard category airplanes and can help you apply a wider variety of principles to your day-to-day flying.

The post How to Become an Aerobatic or Airshow Pilot appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The 30,000-square-foot facility was completely built through private donations through the EAA Aviation Foundation. The two-story center has lots of classroom space and rooms for multimedia presentations. Upstairs houses the Youth Education Center. Downstairs is the Pilot Proficiency Center, consisting of a simulator lab filled with Redbird AATDs and a crosswind trainer.

According to the EAA, in December the $6.2 million education center received a final $600,000 matching grant from the Ray Foundation. The funds help the organization fulfill its dream to inspire more people to pursue aviation.

• READ MORE: EAA Marks Grand Opening of Its Youth Education Center

“Approximately five years ago, this was merely a dream—to create a place where young people could be inspired by the world of flight while current pilots could build their existing skills,” said Jack Pelton, EAA’s CEO and chairman of the board. “Having now seen what has occurred here in just 18 months, we know what the support of those who believed in the dream has created, expanding the possibilities for people of all ages within EAA’s aviation community based here at Oshkosh.”

The center hosts activities year-round. Each summer there is a full week of pilot proficiency courses offered during EAA AirVenture. The facility has also hosted the national Redbird Migration conference, the National Intercollegiate Flying Association SAFECON competition, and regular open simulator sessions that allow pilots to build flying skills on Redbird simulators.

The Youth Education Center brings in thousands of students a year for STEM-based classes and aviation explorations days, including Girls On The Fly sessions for those interested in the science of flight as well as EAA’s Air Academy and GirlVenture program held each summer.

Margaret Brill, EAA Aviation Foundation vice president, is pleased with the progress the center has made.

“As we close out the initial fundraising portion for the EAA Education Center’s existence, its success shows what is still possible to support EAA’s mission of growing participation in aviation,” Brill said. “There are many more opportunities that we will be exploring in 2024 to connect with even more people interested in the world of flight.”

About EAA

The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) was founded in 1953 by Paul Poberezny as an organization for pilots and aviation enthusiasts. It soon grew from one chapter to hundreds. Today there are chapters all over the world and more than 290,000 members.

For more information on EAA and its programs, call 800-JOIN-EAA (800-564-6322) or go to the organization’s website. 

The post EAA Education Center Continues to Expand with New Investment appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

How It Works

Once registered with AeroEducate, the users are invited to complete 31,000 activities drawn from five aviation careers. This gives the users a chance to explore different facets of aviation through a series of individual, do-it-yourself projects and classroom activities. When the activities are completed, the students earn digital achievement badges that can be printed as certificates of accomplishment.

At the present time there are 22 digital badges available, with plans to add more as the program continues to grow and evolve.

Paul Maloy, EAA director of education, noted the rapid growth in 2023 reflected the program’s improvement and expansion throughout the year.

• READ MORE: EAA and Siemens Join Forces on Youth Aviation Education

“The continuous addition of new content in cooperation with our sponsors has reinforced the overall goal of AeroEducate to engage, inspire, and empower young people to see pathways to success in aviation and aerospace,” Maloy said.

AeroEducate has the support of some of the heavy hitters in the aviation world, including United Airlines, Siemens, and Airbus, along with Estes Education, Horizon Hobby, NextGen Aviators, and the U.S. Air Force.

More information on AeroEducate can be found here.

Aviation education has long been part of the EAA’s mission. The organization, based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, boasts more than 270,000 members and 900 local chapters. Activities range from flying and building aircraft to award-winning restoration of recreational aircraft.

The post Thousands Taking Advantage of EAA AeroEducate appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The weekly tradition started in the mid-’80s when Phillips suggested he and a few friends fly in formation to their favorite breakfast spot. “I did a basic formation briefing,” he says, and sketched their positions on the back of a napkin. During the requisite debrief, Phillips says he made the mistake of saying, “That was the damnedest gaggle that I’ve ever flown in.” To his chagrin, the “gaggle” moniker stuck. “It’s kind of demeaning. But it’s one of those things that got away. You can’t get it back,” he says. Today, the Spruce Creek Gaggle Flight has about 100 members. The Gaggle frequently performs fly-overs for Little League opening days, veterans’ events, honor flights, and city festivals—like Daytona Beach Jeep Week—and has been recognized with multiple proclamations.

A former fighter pilot, Phillips is accustomed to more precise formation flying. He retired from the Air Force in 1977 as a lieutenant colonel and became an aerospace consultant for Litton Industries, General Dynamics, and others. Phillips grew up in the 1940s and ’50s near Maule Field (3NP) in Napoleon, Michigan. At 12, he started working after school and weekends for Belford D. (B.D.) Maule, who invented a light tailwheel, operated a tool milling and sharpening shop, and built TV towers and antennas. Maule later developed his signature aircraft and moved his operation to Moultrie, Georgia. Working there, Phillips learned skills that he still uses today. “I call it people’s liberal arts education. I didn’t learn a lot in school, but I learned a lot at the airport.”

An advocate for the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), for which he served as president of the Daytona Beach Chapter (No. 288) for nine years, he is as passionate about building aircraft as he is about flying them. An FAA Wright Brothers Master Pilot and Charles Taylor Master Mechanic, A&P/IA, and EAA technical counselor, he has built a Swearingen SX300, a Pitts Model 12, and a hybrid Wittman Tailwind/Nesmith Cougar. Phillips talked recently with FLYING about his passion for aviation, homebuilt aircraft, and his airpark community.

FLYING Magazine (FM): Describe your early pilot training experience at Maule Field?

Keith Phillips (KP): When you’re around an airport, you know, it’s like a farmer’s kid, you learn to drive by osmosis. You never remember really learning to drive. You’re expected to drive. It’s the same with flying. In those days, the GI Bill was a big thing for learning to fly. In ’46, ’47, ’48, every little town airport, they’d have a fleet of J3 Cubs, or Luscombes, or Taylorcrafts to teach GI Bill flying classes. That gave you ample opportunity to learn to fly. I actually learned to fly without a CFI. They’d [ad hoc instructors] get their GI Bill, they soloed and got their private and said, “Come on kid, help me with this and do that, and I’ll give you a ride in the airplane.” I had a student license but never was signed off.

FM: You have owned quite a few airplanes over the course of your lifetime. What was your first airplane?

KP: When I was a junior in high school, I bought a 1941 J4 Cub. But I, of course, didn’t have the money to buy it, so B.D. [Maule] bought it. It cost $400. I put in $200 and he put in $200 for Shirley, his daughter. She really didn’t have any interest in learning to fly and never did, so I ultimately bought her half out.

FM: What aviation mentors have had the biggest impact on you and how?

KP: I had a couple of schoolteachers who were World War II guys. I basically grew up with no father image; even though my mother got remarried, he was a stepdad and was brand new to me. One of the principals in the high school was a C-47 pilot in World War II [Gordon Smith]. Another teacher was a P-47 pilot [Mr. Goodrich]. They encouraged me. But if you did something stupid, they told you about it. I flew under some wires one time when we went to a football game over in one of the towns. Raymond [Maule] and I flew our airplanes over there and landed next to the athletic field, and when we left, I flew under these wires, and the principal saw that and he really chewed me out. They certainly had an influence on me, but nothing like B.D. [Maule]. He wasn’t a good mentor, but he created the environment that allowed me to fly. I wouldn’t have been able to buy the airplane without him. I was making 35 cents an hour; $400 was a big hit.

FM: As an older pilot (Phillips turned 88 in June), are there any challenges that you’ve had to adapt to?

KP: It’s a hell of problem with things like insurance. They told me last year, “Next year, you must have a pilot.” So, I wrote a little note back to them saying, “What am I?” In order to have my insurance valid, I have to have a pilot in the airplane with me that has 25 hours in type, and he’s got to be this and that, etc. So, in essence, if I’m flying my airplane without anybody on board, I’m not covered. That is the biggest impediment that I find. I feel that my skills are still good enough so that I’m safe.

FM: You’ve built three aircraft of your own, contributed to building countless others, and were honored in 2016 with the EAA Tony Bingelis Award for your contributions to the homebuilt community. Why do you champion homebuilts?

KP: I grew up on a farm and then later the airport, and I was always building or doing something with machinery. I have a passion for it. The flying and the building are fulfilling to me. You can be creative, and one thing that EAA has done is they have deployed a degree of standardization and so forth. Early on, there were some really bad homebuilt aircraft. But over the years, standards have come way up, and thanks to Van [Richard VanGrunsven].

FM: What inspired you to build your first airplane, the hybrid Wittman Tailwind/Nesmith Cougar?

KP: In 1956 or ’57, we were at the Rockford Air Show, and I got a first ride in a Wittman. By then, I was a lieutenant in the Air Force. I was in love with little airplanes. I went over there with B.D. [Maule] in his Bellanca. I had a ride in Bud Harwood’s Wittman Tailwind and I said, “This thing is a performing fool.” When you compared it to an average little airplane of that day, it was 40 to 50 knots faster. Prior to U.S. Air Force flying, I was used to J3/J4Cubs’ performance, and that Bellanca was a rocket, and it was still slower than that Wittman. I said, “Man, I gotta have one of these.” I liked that you could make changes, as long as they didn’t impact the airworthiness.

FM: Which of your homebuilt aircraft was the most challenging to build and why? What’s your favorite to fly?

KP: The SX300, by far. It’s a very complex airplane. It goes fast, it’s got a high wing and the gear retracts. Because it goes fast, it’s more rigid [and] it takes more work. And the way Ed [Swearingen] designed it. Ed’s a good designer, but he didn’t have the genius of Steve Wittman or Van. They build things simple. If you can do something with one piece where somebody else takes 10 to do it; like the landing gear [on a Van’s RV], there is nothing there but apiece of rod. The average homebuilder wouldn’t want to get into an SX300. The SX300 is my favorite [to fly]. It makes me feel like a fighter pilot. It goes fast, [and takes] very little effort to fly, cruis[ing] at about 265 knots.

FM: As a lifetime EAA member since 1959 and the former president of one of the largest EAA chapters (No. 288), what is the secret behind your chapter’s success?

KP: When I first got here [Spruce Creek] in 1985, I joined the chapter. They were having their meetings at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in one of their academic rooms. It was only 15 to 20 people. And then we had meetings out here, hangar tours. We had twice as many people at the hangar tours as we’d have at the meetings. The chapter has 245 paid members and 425 on its roster.

FM: You’ve lived in Spruce Creek in Florida since 1985. What does the fly-in community mean to you?

KP: It’s kind of like heaven. They say when you die here, it’s a lateral move. If you’re an airport bum like I am, I just enjoy airplanes, I enjoy the people, I enjoy helping people, and it’s good flying.

• READ MORE: Paying It Forward

Quick 6

Who is the one person living or dead that you would most like to fly with?

Bob Hoover

If you could fly any aircraft that you have not yet flown, what would that be?

The F-22. It lives in a world of its own. It flies supersonic in military power.

What is one airport you love to fly into?

Umatilla Municipal Airport (X23). It’s a great bunch of people, and they have three airport cars so you can drive to the restaurants.

What do you believe has been aviation’s biggest breakthrough event or innovation?

The jet engine.

If you could build another airplane, what would it be?

Vans RV-15, but it’s not on the market yet. When not flying, I’d rather be…Building an airplane.

This article first appeared in the July 2023/Issue 933 print edition of FLYING.

The post In Depth with an ‘Airport Kid’ appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

For decades, the Wings of Freedom tour brought World War II aircraft to thousands of aviation fans at airports across the country, offering rides for a price aboard the Boeing B-17G, B-25, B-24, and P-51D.

The end of the decades-long tour did not come as a surprise to many, who, after watching the high profile deadly accidents of recent years, feared this would happen. However, Rob Collings, the president of the Foundation noted that the Wings of Freedom Tour was originally begun to reach as many World War II veterans as possible and it did—but, as noted by Collings, there are very few World War II veterans left, and the focus of the organization has shifted to “acquire and restore the most historic types of aircraft and artifacts with the best provenance to allow a new generation to connect with the history.”

According to Collings, the American Heritage Museum is a 501(c)(3) organization located in Hudson, Massachusetts, has “a collection of military vehicles spanning the U.S. Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines and Coast Guard and other nations with 50 aircraft and over 90 vehicles in addition to large artifacts such as the rebuilt Hanoi Hilton POW cell and a part of the Berlin Wall.” To allow more school groups, greater education, and more robust preservation of the legacy of the veterans meant a far more immersive, audio-visual based museum, which the American Heritage Museum has delivered. “We have adapted our approach,” he continued, “but we still remain committed to operating many of the vehicles and aircraft for the public at our events and with our outreach program.”

The expansion of the museum will add more than 90,000 square feet of highly immersive museum space to display the most iconic aircraft from World War I and World War II. The ground vehicles, such as the tanks, will still be operated as part of the living history weekends held in the summer.

Many in the warbird community predicted this outcome following the loss of the B-17 Nine-O-Nine that killed seven people and injured seven at Bradley International Airport (KBDL) in Connecticut. The accident happened during the Wings of Freedom Tour. For ten months out of the year, the tour traveled around the U.S. Many FBOs sponsored and hosted the tour, as it was great for business to have these iconic aircraft parked on the ramp.

During the tour, people paid hundreds of dollars for a 20-minute airplane ride. A seat on the B-17 or B-24 ran $425. A seat in the front compartment of the B-25 went for $400, one in the back for $325. The back seat in the P-51D went for $2,200 for 30 minutes. As the organization is a 501(c)(3), the money was considered a donation. During a stop, the B-17 routine flew two rides per hour with ten passengers onboard. In addition, t-shirt sales at stops added up to millions of dollars per year. That all ended on October 2, 2019.

The Accident

According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the accident flight was the first of the day. The aircraft with two pilots, a loadmaster, and seven passengers lifted off from Runway 06. The Collings Foundation was operating under an FAA exemption 6540P as part of a Living History Flight Experience (LHFE).

Normal procedures called for all occupants of the aircraft to be seated and seatbelted in during takeoffs and landings. Normally, two passengers were seated on the flight deck behind the pilot and copilot while the rest of the passengers and the loadmaster occupied seats on the floor in the radio compartment. Each seat had a military style seatbelt with a lift and latch attachment. Normal procedures called for the loadmaster to brief the passengers on seatbelt use, exits and safety equipment. The loadmaster was also tasked with letting the passengers know when it was safe to get out of these seats and roam around the aircraft and when they needed to return to their seats.

• READ MORE: B-17 “Nine-O-Nine” Crashes in Connecticut

According to the NTSB report, the loadmaster, the only member of the crew to survive the accident, was standing, unsecured, between the pilots during takeoff. He left the cockpit just after takeoff to tell the passengers they could get out of their seats, but when he returned to the cockpit he realized the aircraft was not climbing.

The aircraft was at an altitude of approximately 600 feet above ground on the right crosswind leg when one of the pilots contacted air traffic control stating that the airplane needed to return to land because of a rough magneto. The controller asked the pilot if he needed any assistance, to which the pilot replied,“negative.”

The loadmaster told the NTSB that the pilot instructed the copilot to extend the landing gear, which he did. The loadmaster then left the cockpit to instruct the passengers to return to their seats and fasten their seat belts. According to local news reports, one of the passengers texted his wife that the aircraft was returning “because of turbulence.”

When the loadmaster returned again to the cockpit, the pilot stated that “the No. 4 engine was losing power” and then, without discussion or crew coordination, shut down the engine and feathered the propeller.

Video of the bomber taken from the ground shows it struggling to hold altitude. When the airplane was at midfield on downwind, it was at an altitude of about 400 feet agl, although it had about 2.7 miles to go before it reached the threshold for Runway 6. The airplane came in with its right wing down, striking the ground 500 feet short of the runway. The aircraft veered to the right as it continued its landing roll, colliding with ground vehicles and sliding over a deicing fluid tank 940 feet to the right of the runway. An explosion and post-accident fire consumed the aircraft.

The cause of death for the pilot and copilot were smoke inhalation, thermal injury, and blunt trauma.

The cause of death for the five passengers was blunt impact injury and/or thermal injury and smoke inhalation. Two passengers and the loadmaster escaped out the cockpit window. The rest of the survivors got out through the rear of the aircraft. One person on the ground was injured as well.

During the investigation, the NTSB found numerous unresolved maintenance issues and crew training failures. It was noted that the pilot in command on the accident flight was also the director of maintenance. The uncommanded loss of engine power was attributed to deferred maintenance. In addition, there was a lack of oversight by the FAA of the Foundation’s safety management practices system, which, in addition to aircraft maintenance, included flight operations, such as briefing passengers on the proper use of seatbelts, exits, and emergency equipment. It was also noted that the pilots did not use shoulder harnesses and the loadmaster would stand unrestrained between the pilots during takeoff and landing although there was a seat with a seatbelt for him to the left of the ball turret.

The NTSB noted, “The pilots’ failure to use their shoulder harnesses and the loadmaster’s failure to be restrained during takeoff and landing were inconsistent with federal regulations addressing the use of safety belts and shoulder harnesses.”

In March of 2020, the FAA ruled that the Collings Foundation could no longer accept money from people who wanted to fly aboard the organization’s World War II aircraft. The agency also denied the Foundation’s request to renew the LHFE exemption.

The NTSB probable cause of the accident, released on May 17, 2021, cited the pilot’s failure to properly manage the airplane’s configuration and airspeed after he shut down the No. 4 engine following its partial loss of power during the initial climb. Contributing to the accident was the pilot/maintenance director’s inadequate maintenance while the airplane was on tour, which resulted in the partial loss of power to the No. 3 and No. 4 engines; the Collings Foundation’s ineffective safety management system (SMS), which failed to identify and mitigate safety risks; and the FAA’s inadequate oversight of the Collings Foundation’s SMS.

Last month, the Collings Foundation settled legal claims involving eight of the passengers who were aboard Nine-O-Nine when it crashed. Two other persons involved reached a deal with the Foundation in 2021. Terms of the settlements were not released to the public.

Grounding the Remaining B-17s

The call to ground the remaining B-17s rang out again last November when the Commemorative Air Force B-17 Texas Raiders was destroyed in a midair collision with a Bell P-63 Kingcobra on November 12, 2022, during the Wings Over Dallas Airshow. Six men were killed when the P-63 sliced through the B-17 to the horror of the thousands of people who were at the show and the millions more who saw the online photographs and video of the collision. The NTSB and FAA are still investigating that accident.

• READ MORE: Remembering ‘Texas Raiders’

Prior to this in 2011 the B-17 Liberty Belle was destroyed by fire after an unscheduled off-airport landing. The fire broke out in flight. Thanks to the skill of the crew, no one was killed when the pilots landed it in an agricultural field in Aurora, Illinois. Unfortunately, the rain-soaked ground was too soft for fire trucks to reach the aircraft so the crews watched helplessly from the road as it burned.

According to Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) spokesman Dick Knapinski, their B-17 Aluminum Overcast is still in the shop for spar repairs triggered by an airworthiness directive issued last spring.

• READ MORE: FAA Grounds B-17s Through Airworthiness Directive

However, the EAA still plans to have their B-25 and Ford TriMotor flying in 2024.

The post Collings Foundation Grounds Air Tour for WWII Aircraft appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The upcoming dates are:

• 2024: July 22-28
• 2025: July 21-27
• 2026: July 20-26
• 2027: July 26-August 1

For the aviation community, Oshkosh represents the highlight of the year. So much so that other life events, such as weddings, retirements, and even pregnancies, are planned around it. The EAA recognizes this, according to Jack Pelton, EAA CEO and chairman of the board.

“We wanted to announce the dates for the next several years, so people can plan for their trips to Oshkosh,” said Pelton, adding that there are other events in Wisconsin in the summer that sometimes also conflict with or overlap with AirVenture, so it is important to lock down the dates now.

• READ MORE: AirVenture 2023 by the Numbers

About AirVenture

What began as a few airplanes meeting in Milwaukee and later Rockford, Illinois, has grown into the largest fly-in in the world. The annual event was moved to Oshkosh in 1970 because it had outgrown the other locations.

More information on EAA AirVenture can be found here.

The post Dates for Next 4 EAA AirVenture Conventions Announced appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The inductees for 2023 include: the late Neal Loving, EAA Homebuilders Hall of Fame; Lew Shattuck of Yelm, Washington, International Aerobatic Club Hall of Fame; the late Charles “Chuck” Greenhill, Warbirds of America Hall of Fame; John Parish Sr. of Tullahoma, Tennessee, Vintage Aircraft Association Hall of Fame; and Paul Mather of St. Elmo, Alabama, EAA Ultralights Hall of Fame.

• READ MORE: Members of EAA 983 Honored for Safe Operation

Loving was born in Detroit in 1916 and took his first flight at age 14. He began learning to fly in 1938 despite difficulties finding flight schools that accepted Black students. He later designed the S-1 glider and lost both legs in an aircraft accident but continued to pursue aviation. He went on to design his most well-known aircraft, the WR-1, which won the Most Outstanding Design Award at the 1954 EAA Fly-In Convention. Loving died in December 1998.

Parish is known for his interest in the Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing. After years of flying, he was able to buy his own Staggerwing in 1970 and became increasingly involved with the International Staggerwing Club. In 1973 he and his wife, Charlotte, helped establish the Staggerwing Museum Foundation, known today as the Beechcraft Heritage Museum, in Tullahoma, Tennessee. Parish’s involvement with EAA has included serving on its board for more than 30 years, and working as director and vice president of the EAA Aviation Foundation.

• READ MORE: EAA Chapter Marks 20,000 Young Eagles Flights

Shattuck enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1952, where he flew many different fighter aircraft. In 1966, Shattuck was captured after his F-105 was shot down in North Vietnam and was held as a prisoner for more than six years. He retired from the Air Force in 1976 as a colonel. He soon bought a Pitts Special and began practicing aerobatics. In 1978 he won the Pitts Cup trophy in the IAC National Championships. He continued flying in competition until 2018, when he was 85. Shattuck also spent many years mentoring aerobatic pilots and judges.

Greenhill became involved with restoring warbirds soon after he served in the U.S. Army. Greenhill used his skills as a tool and die maker to restore warbirds to their original condition working with his wife, Bev. One standout among his many projects is the only surviving Grumman J2F-4 Duck from the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Greenhill’s restorations often appeared at EAA AirVenture and earned him the 2007 World War II Grand Champion, 2003 and 2005 Reserve Grand Champion, and 2014 Preservation awards. Greenhill died in April 2022.

Mather began flying in 1974 at age 18 and has flown a range of ultralights, including hang gliders and Quicksilver foot-launch models. In 1980 Mather began working at Quicksilver in sales and marketing. Among his notable feats was his 1984 nonstop flight in an MXL II ultralight from Annaba, Algeria, to Monaco over the Mediterranean Sea, setting numerous FAI records. Mather left Quicksilver in 1995 to start his own venture, M-Squared Aircraft, which produces a variety of aircraft, including the part 102 ultralight Breese-XL.

In addition to the inductions, Jim Casper received the Henry Kimberly Leadership Award, which recognizes Oshkosh-area residents for volunteer service to the EAA. Casper is a longtime EAA Aviation Museum docent volunteer.

The post EAA Honors 5 Hall of Fame Inductees for 2023 appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The ceremony was held at chapter headquarters at Pecan Plantation, Texas (0TX1). Joe Murphy and Darrell Hughes of the FAA’s North Texas Flight Standards District Office presided over the event.

According to Tom Woodward, the WBA/CTA award coordinator for EAA 983, this was the largest ceremony of its kind for the FAA. Woodward said the previous largest award event for WBA/CTA came with this same chapter in 2014 when 13 members were honored.

“Of the now 69 members in the Granbury area, 65 of them are or were members of EAA Chapter 983,” he said.

Woodward, a 19,000-hour retired airline captain, added that this year’s WBA recipients have a combined flight time in excess of 324,390 hours and a total of more than 1,691 years of flying. Individual flying time over those 50 years varied from 790 hours to more than 35,960. At least eight of the recipients hold CFI ratings. Woodward has been instructing in gliders since 1979.

Chapter 983 was established in 1992, and Woodward joined in 1996.

“As a chapter we have a very senior pilot group but are just now starting to get younger members,” Woodward said. “We fly about 20-40 Young Eagles every month. We sponsor one or two youngsters to the EAA Air Academy, and we’ve started a glider club where young people rebuilt a [Schweitzer] SGS-222 and on the weekend are learning to fly it.”

For more information about the chapter visit eaa983.org.

The post Members of EAA 983 Honored for Safe Operation appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Representatives from GAMA, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), and the National Air Transportation Association (NATA) participated in the discussion.

The panelists cited progress toward fielding a replacement for 100 Low Lead (100LL) high octane gasoline that would be suitable for fleetwide use. While an estimated 70 percent of the current piston-aircraft fleet can safely use available lower-octane lead-free fuels, the remaining 30 percent that require higher-octane fuel to operate safely fly an estimated 70 percent of the hours flown by the entire GA fleet.

• READ MORE: EPA Releases Proposed Finding on Leaded AvGas

The panelists noted that the expected EPA endangerment finding, in itself, does not constitute a ban on continued use of 100LL fuel. In fact, the group stressed the priority of retaining the right to distribute and use 100LL until and acceptable replacement is in place.

However, the panelists did acknowledge that the EPA endangerment ruling does set a “pathway” to future rulemaking related to lead emissions in aviation fuels.

There was extended discussion on the difference between the supplemental type certificate (STC) route to acceptance of a replacement unleaded fuel, and the so-called ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) route, involving a “collaborative government FAA program to test candidate fuels, generate report and data, and distribute to fuel providers” enabling the FAA to gain “industry consensus” and issue a fleetwide approval.

• READ MORE: G100UL Avgas Replacement Set to Soon Hit Pumps

The panelists were careful to assure that the FAA, as the arbiter of safe aviation operations, is the final authority on approving a replacement for 100LL; not the EPA. That said, the discussion revealed that – for the first time – regulatory standards for lead emissions in aviation fuel will be established as a result of the expected EPA endangerment finding. GAMA assured the participating journalists that there would be further briefings once the EPA endangerment finding is finalized.

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AVweb.com.

The post GAMA Hosts Pre-Brief on Life After EPA’s Ruling on Leaded Aviation Fuel appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

“This is a huge milestone for our chapter and all the volunteers involved,” says EAA chapter president and Young Eagles pilot Mike Baer. “We all love aviation, and being able to share the magic of flying with so many kids is very special.”

Chapter 579, based at Aurora Municipal Airport (KARR), formed in 1977, a full 15 years before EAA created the Young Eagles program, which is designed to give children ages 8 to 17 a chance to fly in a small aircraft. Today, the chapter is composed of pilots of all experience levels from students and professionals to aviation engineers and enthusiasts, and aircraft builders.

According to Baer, May to October is Young Eagles season. On the third Sunday of the month (weather permitting), chapter pilots and dedicated ground crew volunteer their time to share the joy of aviation.

Baer notes that flying Young Eagles is the best thing a person can do with their pilot certificate.

“We usually will have eight to 10 airplanes and 15 to 20 ground volunteers,” he says. “From working registration to flightline marshallers to ride pilots, it requires a lot of people to make these Young Eagle rallies happen. And these volunteers don’t just give their time and aircraft to the cause. They all share their passion for flying to every kid that comes by.” 

For the 20,000th flight rally, there was an eclectic collection of aircraft, including a Cessna 150, 170, 182, and six 172s, along with a Piper Pacer, a Hatz CB-1 biplane, and an American Champion Scout on amphibious floats.

“Over the years, we have also seen Cessna Skymasters, Cessna 177s, Cessna 195s, a variety of Vans RV aircraft, a Quicksilver ultralight, and a squadron of other aircraft that helped us reach 20,000,” Baer says.

While all Young Eagles rallies are fun, this one was made extra special as Chris Gauger, a representative from EAA, was there to present a special trophy to recognize the chapter for its efforts.

The chapter uses EAA’s online registration system to space out the flights during the day so that no one is waiting around for long. There are also child and family appropriate aviation activities, such as a miniature and age-appropriate ground school to keep the visitors busy and entertained while they wait for their turn in the aircraft.

“In addition, we have a tent set up with a flight simulator, allowing the kids to learn basic flight controls while still on the ground,” says Baer. “We also have a static display aircraft that we make available for viewing by siblings who are interested in climbing into an aircraft but are still a bit too young to fly as a Young Eagle, and we, of course, have a souvenir tent where we sell EAA 579 hats and T-shirts to help cover some of our expenses.”

For more information on EAA Chapter 579, visit them on Facebook. 

For more information on the next Chapter 579 flight rally, visit:  EAA Young Eagles Day | EAA | EAA Young Eagles Day Online Registration site

For more information on the EAA’s Young Eagles program, visit:  www.youngeagles.org

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