First black female fighter pilot speaks to kids at The Children's Museum

This is from the Indy Star, way back on June 27. First black female fighter pilot speaks to kids at The Children's Museum

Kids visiting The Children's Museum of Indianapolis on Wednesday had a chance to hear about reaching their dreams and flying high -- from someone who has been there.
Air Force Major Shawna Rochelle Kimbrell, the first black female fighter pilot and a mother of two, stopped by the museum to talk with dozens of children ranging in age from 6 to 12 in the museum's neighborhood summer enrichment program. Kimbrell, 36, whose family moved from Lafayette to Colorado shortly after she was born, was expected to meet and greet more than 400 visitors during her visit, including families of the Tuskegee Airmen.
The Indianapolis Star sat down with Kimbrell after she met with a class of kids:
Question: What were some of the better (or funny) questions the kids asked?
Answer: They were asking me all kinds of things like how the oxygen mask worked. One of the kids was really into weather, so he asked, "What if you get icing on your wing tips?" And I was like, "That's actually a pretty good question."
Q: Why fighter pilot? How did you choose that career?
A: When I was in kindergarten, I wrote away to NASA to find out what it would take to be an astronaut and they sent me back this huge information packet. About fourth grade, I decided I was still in love with space and stars and flight and the air, but I wanted to do my job more than an astronaut would get to go into space. Because typically they only go a couple times in their lives, and I wanted to practice and to do that type stuff every day. So the next best thing was fighter pilot, where you get to do that all the time.
Q: How did you get there?
A: I took my first flying lesson (at 14) and it was absolutely everything I dreamed it would be and I absolutely loved it and I knew that was what I really wanted to do. So I got my private pilot's license when I was 16, actually before I got my driver's license. In my research throughout the years, I just knew I wanted to go to the Air Force Academy because that was the best opportunity to get a pilot training slot. I got accepted into the Naval Academy and got accepted into the Air Force Academy. I was really wanting to get out of Colorado at the time and go to college someplace new -- and Annapolis is beautiful, so I really felt tempted to go there -- but compared to spending all my time on carriers, flying from the ground sounded better.
Q: When did you get your wings?
A: I started training in Laughlin Air Force Base in Del Rio, Texas, in August of 1998 and graduated in August of 1999. Following that, you go to introduction of fighter fundamentals, and that's when you learn to use the jet more as a weapon; you learn tactics as opposed to just learning how to fly the jet from point A to point B without getting lost. I started flying the F-16 in late 1999 and graduated in 2000.
Q: Where else has this job taken you?
A: I spent about three years in Japan. That was my first operational assignment. Then I went to Korea for a year. Then I came back to Georgia, working with the Army as an air liaison officer, where we teach the Army how to use airplanes to meet the Army's objectives. That's where I had my first son. Then I went to Italy. Then, I came out of Italy and now I'm at Las Vegas, Nev., where we teach the overall course in air-to-ground integration.
Q: What were some of the biggest obstacles to get around?
A: One of my personal hardships has been that I always have been the kind of person to do things for myself. So learning at what point to ask for help was something that was very difficult for me. At pilot training, initially I struggled with the special orientation and instrument flying. The concept was a little bit foreign to me because I hadn't been used to flying with instruments. So I had to swallow my pride and just go ask for help. That was a hurdle for me that was put on by myself.
Q: What has changed in the Air Force since you started?
A: So much has changed. The jets themselves have changed. The training environment has changed. The numbers have changed; we're going through the draw down right now. There are a lot of things that have changed. It's a continually changing effort.
Q: What message do your achievements send to African-American women, or women in general?
A: Hopefully the message is that there's no barrier too high. That there's nothing they can't do. One is to set goals for yourself. It's kind of like the road map through life and there's no way you're going to get somewhere if you don't know where you're going. And two is to believe in yourself, because you're the only one that knows what you can do. And finally, never quit.

 

Hodson pilots KSU to 2nd in 4-day air race

From the Marion County REcord, July 8: Hodson pilots KSU to 2nd in 4-day air race

Tonya Hodson, formerly of Marion, and co-pilot Nicole Lordemann placed second in the collegiate division of the 4,000 nautical mile cross-country Air Race Classic, an all-female competition honoring women in aviation.

“It was four straight days of drive and focus on doing the best we can,” Hodson said.

Hodson and Lordemann are students in the Kansas State University-Salina professional pilot program. Lordemann, a senior who participated in the race last year was junior Hodson’s mentor.

“I did all the flying, she did all the behind the scenes everything — communications, weather, navigation, everything,” Hodson said. “She was the aircraft commander and I was the pilot.”

The pair met in class this spring, when Hodson learned about the Air Race Classic, but they never flew together until they stepped into the cockpit of their Cessna Skyhawk 172S at the start of the race June 19 in Lake Havasu, Ariz.

“Two days after finals she left for an internship in California,” Hodson said. “We were on the phone probably five hours a week for three weeks. We talked about our strategies. It was kind of a challenge to make it work.”

“It’s important to be able to communicate with your co-pilot,” Lordemann said. “We were fortunate that our personalities blended well. There were times that we could almost read each other’s minds.”

Weather became an obstacle the second day when they tried to leave Columbus, Neb. and were forced to turn back.

“We’d flown one leg and had hoped to get two more. Everyone else had buttoned up their airplanes, and we were still there thinking maybe we had chance,” Hodson said.

Airplane weight was a critical factor, and they calculated everything down to the ounce, including what clothes and personal items they could take with them on the plane. The ground crew at the airport in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. learned firsthand how precise those calculations were.

“We got out to the airport that morning and they had put more fuel onboard than we calculated we needed,” Hodson said. “They were kind enough to siphon seven gallons of fuel.”

When Hodson and Lordemann finished the race June 22 at Batavia, Ohio, their plane was immediately impounded, and it would be another two days before they learned the results.

“That was an emotional roller coaster. We got a call we had a penalty. The very first flyby I was too high,” Hodson said. More encouraging news soon followed.

“Saturday morning we got a call our aircraft was going to be inspected. Anyone who gets that call was likely in the top 10, Hodson said.

Hodson and Lordemann were the first K-State team to place in the top ten in the overall standings, finishing eighth among the 48 entries. Hodson also received an individual honor.

“I’ve been asked to sit on the Air Race Classic panel at the national Ninty-nines conference,” Hodson said. The Ninety-nines is an international organization for women pilots founded by Amelia Earhart. Hodson said she will be sharing her experience as a first-time racer.

Hodson started flying in 1990, and her maroon Stearman biplane was a familiar sight in the skies above Marion for many years. She entered the professional pilot program at K-State-Salina in 2011.

“I went with my passion, I went with my heart,” Hodson said. 

She plans to graduate in 2013, and wants a career flying jets. Hodson said it doesn’t matter whether she flies for a commercial airline or pilots a corporate jet. “Flying is so unique, so freeing, and they’ll be paying me to fly,” she said.

Local Belton woman brings home 36th Annual Air Race Classic trophy

From 8 July Belton Journal :  Local Belton woman brings home 36th Annual Air Race Classic trophy

Victoria Holt piloted the plane that won the 36th Annual Air Race Classic. Holt and her teammate, Diana Stanger, who are known as the “Racing Aces,” piloted their Cirrus SR-22 aircraft to victory Victoria Holt, of Belton, and her teammate, Diana Stanger, otherwise known as "The Racing Aces," were recently crowned the champions of the 36th Annual Air Race Classic.

The race is a continuation of The Women's Air Derby that started in 1929, and is a 4-day, 2,682 mile race, and is one of a rich tradition in which Amelia Earhart raced, but finished third.

Holt, a mother of four, has been flying for 21 years. Her first flight was in a glider on a blind date; Holt was hooked.

"I came to the ground knowing what I wanted to do with the rest of my life," Holt said. "That was in October of 1990, and by January, I was a full-time college student."

Holt's journey to attaining the highest level pilot certificate, as an Airline Transport Pilot, is an inspiring one. A single mother determined to attain her dream; she worked at an airport near McKinney, where she traded her labor for flight time. Holt also has a degree in Aeronautical Science from the University of Central Texas. She is a corporate pilot, and wanted to try "another arena of flying" when she and Stanger entered the Air Race Classic.

Although Holt's plane was the 20th to land, she and Stanger implemented many strategies in order to beat the handicap speed that was assigned to their plane, a Cirrus SR-22.

For the competition, each plane is given a handicap, and the goal is to beat one's handicap by the most points. Holt and her racing partner beat their handicap by 11 points.

"We knew we did well because we had a tail-wind on every leg, and because of the speed of our airplane, we were able to ride the cold-front, all the way up to the northern part of the route," said Holt.
Upon landing on Friday, the duo was "hopeful," but had to wait until Sunday to learn they were indeed the victors.

"I was just so excited," Holt said. "We were hopeful, but we didn't want to jinx it."

Stanger, Holt's fellow winner, is one of Holt's clients. The two fly together year round and thus have excellent "crew coordination."

Holt believes this was also part of their winning strategy.

"We know each other well," Holt said. "So we can almost tell what the other is thinking."

The Racing Aces, Holt and Stanger, plan on entering the Race again next year.

"We hope to defend our win," said Holt.

Last year, the two finished the race "in the middle of the pack," but "came away with quite a bit of knowledge."

The Racing Aces plan to give the money they won to scholarships.

"The biggest personal reason for this is that I was a displaced housewife and wanted to be a pilot in the worst way, and I didn't have the means to do it," Holt said. "I had some very worthwhile mentors that hold a special place in my heart. I want to give back to aviation, and I want to see more women licensed to fly planes."

 

The Israeli Defence Forces: first for women

From the Guardian:  The Israeli Defence Forces: first for women

When Yehudit Grisaro says "I am not Wonder Woman," she speaks in a gravelly, deliberate voice. This might be because English is not her first language. Or because she wants to make sure she has your full attention, something she attracts easily from women forging careers in the military as well as many from her native Israel.

As brigadier general and advisor on women's issues to the army chief of staff, Grisaro was the highest-ranking female officer in the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF). Nothing since her retirement in 2010 has dulled her enthusiasm for breaking down the gender barriers which remain in the army.

When asked whether she ever encountered sexual harassment during a 26-year service that started with compulsory national service at 18, she grimaces. "I don't know if there were men brave enough to take the chance. This is not an issue in the IDF."

Though the Israeli military has a very macho image, the IDF is the most progressive in the world – when measured in terms of gender equality, at least. Almost one third of the force and 50% of its officers are female. In the UK, only 13% of the armed forces are women, while there are only slightly more in the US army (13.4%).
So Grisaro, 49, seems genuinely perplexed by the idea that she, or any of her colleagues, might have been abused, belittled or patronised by male colleagues. "The men in the IDF are educated and aware about the issues of sexual harassment, so it is not a phenomenon. I used to say that the most sophisticated weapon against sexual harassment was improving the awareness of men. The majority of soldiers know the rules and recognise the contribution of women. Women are treated in the same way as the men, and they are judged the same as the men. They are paid the same as the men."

The British military is one of several around the world that has sought advice from the IDF on equality, though the UK is unlikely to catch up in the short term, despite recent efforts to do so. Without compulsory national service to showcase careers for women, the British military has struggled to alter the attitude that life in khaki is best suited to men. The MoD has also acknowledged it should be more flexible towards women who want to have a family while they are in service.

The situation is very different in Israel. There are laws that demand women must be recruited to the IDF, and a series of legal challenges have shattered barriers to what they can do thereafter. The process started in 1949 with a law that demanded equality in the IDF – and 92% of roles in service are now open to women.

Sixteen years ago, a civilian pilot, Alice Miller, won a watershed case in the high court of justice which ruled the Israeli air force could not exclude women from fighter pilot training. Women now regularly serve in anti-aircraft brigades, in the artillery, and as fighter pilots. They are not, as yet, allowed in combat units to fight "face to face", but Grisaro says it is only a matter of time.

Her assessment of the number of women in the IDF is unforgiving. "It is quite good. It is a meaningful number which shows they are not there for decoration. This is a marathon, not a sprint."

In the UK, women remain banned from small units in the frontline because of fears that, in the heat of a battle, male colleagues may seek to look after them, rather than concentrate on fighting. Grisaro pulls that face again. "If you are going to adopt this state of mind you will sit and do nothing," she says. "The decision makers have to ask themselves: Do I have the privilege to be able to give up half the human manpower available to me? Skills are important, not gender. On this issue, I think it is about time for a change. If we were sitting here 30 years ago and talking about the options for women in service now, then what has happened would seem unbelievable. So the changes are coming step by step, and I think this is the right way to do it."

Did she get help from the military as her career progressed? After all, she was juggling work, a marriage and bringing up three boys. "The IDF does not have kindergartens on bases! And I am not Wonder Woman. I hired support, I had a nanny and I relied upon my husband, parents and friends. I never felt discriminated against because I had a family or because of my gender – the opposite was the case. I got married, I had children and I watched them grow up when I was in the military. It is not simple, but it is possible."

Her "get on with it" attitude is accompanied by a golden rule for all those women who have made it into senior positions. "I had two goals," she says. "To be a professional and to be a role model for other women. All women have a duty to behave like this … If I had to make an appointment and there was a man and a woman with the same skills, I would always promote the woman. You cannot expect women to become senior officers unless you have women at all levels."

Grisaro left the military to become a vice-president of the Israeli airline El Al. She passed the IDF baton on to another woman, Orna Barbivai, who has become the first woman to achieve the rank of major general. Her promotion, Grisaro says, is a "very, very significant point in the long race for women being integrated into the IDF … Israeli society is very liberal towards women. But I would like the change to happen faster."

 

Cleveland, Sept 22-23 - 2nd Annual Wings of Women

2nd Annual Wings of Women Conference to be held September 22 & 23

On September 24, 2011 IWASM held its first Wings of Women Conference. On that day the museum welcomed 96 female students, some of which came from as far away as Detroit and West Virginia, and 17 female mentors working in the fields of aviation, aeronautics, and engineering. The girls interacted with the mentors during activities, meal times, and a Q & A panel discussion where the girls were able to ask any questions they may have about these careers. The conference ended with a guest speaker discussing her experience and perseverance in the field of aviation. The following day 43 of the female students returned for Young Eagle Flights courtesy of the EAA. For many of the students this was their first time in an airplane. IWASM will be hosting this wonderful event again this year on September 22 & 23. The conference is open to girls in grades 6-12 and the registration fee is only $20 per student and includes meals, activities and a t-shirt to remember their time at the conference.

 

If you know a female student or a potential female mentor who would be interested in participating in this year's conference please follow the link to the mentor and student applications or call 216-623-1111 for more information. If you would like to sponsor this year's conference please call Michelle Epps at 216-623-1111.

Young Eagles Day provides 169 free plane rides to youths this year

From Ludington DAily News:  Young Eagles Day provides 169 free plane rides to youths this year

“It was awesome,” Justice Tingay said as she climbed out of a plane piloted by George Roth.
The 15-year-old Free Soil girl had her first flight Saturday during Young Eagles Day at the Mason County Airport.

Nine pilots volunteered, providing free flights to 169 children.

“I was really scared,” Tingay said of her emotions before the experience.

Once the plane was up in the air, though, she took in the sights and relaxed.

“It was beautiful,” she said. “You could see the rivers and how small everything looks.”

The Young Eagles program offers free flights to children ages 8-17 in the hope of inspiring some to consider aviation in their future.

Not only did Justice get a plane ride, so did her sister Brianna, age 8, and her brothers, Alex, 14, and Andrew, 12.

“It was fun. I got to steer the plane a little,” Andrew said.

Alex said the experience was “pretty cool.” At first he didn’t know what to think but said he enjoyed all he could see from a bird’s-eye view, noting there were more trees than he expected.

Tammy and Mike Stone of Grand Rapids brought their boys, Corbin, age 14, and Jake, 12, to Ludington Saturday specifically for the Young Eagles rides.

“I just thought they should try one,” Tammy said.

Josh Meisenheimer, age 10, of Ludington, took his fourth Young Eagles ride Saturday, brought to the airport by his grandparents Joe and Phyllis Meisenheimer.

Joe has an ultralight he enjoys flying.

“It was bumpy,” Josh said of his ride Saturday, “but I saw a lot of stuff. I recognized Oriole Field.”

Barb Bennett of Ludington brought two grandchildren, Ryan and Rachel of Kingsley, to the airport, meaning a third Young Eagles flight for Ryan, age 14, and a second for Rachel.

“It was fun. I liked how we got to go around Lincoln Lake and all around and along the shoreline,” Ryan said.
Rachel said she came back for a second year “just for the fun of it.”

Her favorite part was the view of Lake Michigan from the air.

Pilots from both Mason and Oceana counties donate the time for the program, with the two pilots’ associations helping each other out with their respective Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Young Eagles programs.

Their experience ranges from military wartime to recreational pilots, with the one retired commercial airline chief pilot, George Roth, age 86.

Among those serving were 10 Young Eagles pilots, but not only does the program take pilot volunteers, it takes ground crew help as well — in all about 30 people giving of their time.

All of those involved are volunteers and they cover all the costs as well, including fuel.

“It takes a lot of work and time and planning by many volunteers to get this done every year,” said Bob Taylor, president and coordinator of the Mason County Pilots Association. “Fortunately for me, the Mason County Pilots Association is not like other clubs or groups where you only have a few that do all the work. Everyone pitches in to help make this event a success every year. We have great people here and in Hart that do a fantastic job, come up with ways to do things better and are more than willing to do more than just pay lip service to the organization.

“I am very proud to be president and coordinator for the Mason County Pilots Association and very proud to have the people in our association that we have. All are hard workers and very smart people. I would be lost without them. They give of their time, minds, and wallets to make my job an easy one.”

 

What to see at Oshkosh this July

And if you can go, you'd better go. Who knows what will happen to General Aviation in t he near future...

From Flightglobal: http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/flightglobals-ten-things-you-have-to-see-list-for-eaa-airventure-2012-373677/


Those lucky enough to be making the trek to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, for the Experimental Aircraft Association's AirVenture 2012 event, commencing 23 July, won't just get to participate in general aviation's largest gathering worldwide. They'll also get to take in visual treats from every era and sector of aviation, from parachute teams to firework-lit aerobatic displays and piston singles to wartime bombers. In our show preview, we list the 10 sights you must see to get the most out of a unique event in the industry calendar.

For a flavour of what to expect, revisit our multimedia report on last year's show

DAUNTLESS RECOVERY
Twenty years after unassembled pieces of Glacier Girl first came to AirVenture for public viewing, another aircraft in need of restoration is expected to arrive at Oshkosh - a Second World War Douglas SBD-3 Dauntless dive bomber the National Naval Aviation Museum plans to raise from Lake Michigan this summer.
If things go to plan, the Dauntless pieces will be transported to the show before heading for Pensacola, Florida to be restored for static viewing in the museum. According to the EAA, the Dauntless belonged to Fighter Squadron 14, the US Navy's oldest active squadron, aka the Tophatters. "Based on the carrier USS Ranger, the squadron provided air support for Operation Torch, the Allied invasion of North Africa in November 1942," says the EAA.
SBD dive bombers were credited with heavily damaging the Vichy French battleship Jean Bart in Casablanca harbour, as well as destroying 14 enemy aircraft. Records also show the aircraft participated in the first American naval air strike against German forces in Norway's inner channel.
The Dauntless ended up in Lake Michigan in October 1943 after a pilot got into difficulty making a carrier landing training run on the USS Wolverine.

US Navy The Dauntless sank in Lake Michigan

CANADIAN SKYHAWKS PARACHUTE IN
If you want to see "crazy things with canopies", be sure to catch the Canadian SkyHawks parachute team, performing for the first time at Oshkosh on 27-29 July.
The official skydiving team of the Canadian Forces, the eight-member SkyHawk team jumps from a mile high, but manoeuvres typically do not finish until 10 to 15ft (3 to 4.5m) above the ground, when team members unlock legs and bring their canopies in for a smooth landing.
The so-called "parabatics" are often based on stacks and formations, with biplane structures - two canopies flying together as a biplane - as the theme.
The team, part of the Canadian Forces' Centre of Excellence for Land Advanced Warfare, has been performing for 41 seasons.
The team commander is Capt Pierre Pelletier, an infantry officer with the Royal 22nd Regiment. With the Canadian Forces for 25 years, Pelletier has served tours of duty in Bosnia Herzegovina, Croatia and Afghanistan. With the SkyHawks, he has performed some 180 jumps.
The price of a trip in the Superfortress starts at $600

Canadian SkyHawks The team jumps from a mile high

BOEING B-29 TO STRIKE A SWEET NOTE
There are few sounds as sweet as the bass line laid down by four Wright 3350 radial engines working together on the same wing. Put those engines on a massive 1944-built silver Boeing B-29 Superfortess named Fifi, and you have visual and auditory bliss.
Visitors can become part of the aircraft's continuing legacy by taking a ride - prices range from $600 per seat in the side gunner's compartment to $1,500 for the bombardier seat in the nose.
A special memory awaits whichever philanthropist places the winning bid at a 26 July auction for EAA's youth programmes - a 27 July flight on Fifi in the company of Theodore "Dutch" Van Kirk, the B-29 Enola Gay navigator who flew the first atomic bomb mission over Japan in 1945.
The B-29 first flew in 1942, with active service starting in 1944. After the Second World War, B-29s were used in the Korean War in the early 1950s and remained a key part of the US Air Force's bomber fleet until the late 1950s.
Operated by the Commemorative Air Force (CAF), N529B, the world's only flying example of the aircraft, was saved from use as a ground target for weapons tests in the 1960s and was first flown by the CAF in 1971, says the EAA.

Fly For Fun The price of a trip in the superfortress starts at $600

ATTU BUOYANT 67 YEARS ON
Although similar in form to its civilian brother the Lodestar, the Lockheed PV-2 Harpoon was quite the war machine, carrying nine 0.50cal Browning machine guns, 2,722kg (6,000lb) of bombs and two types of rockets.
A Navy Lockheed PV-2 Harpoon called Attu Warrior is a must-see for any first-time visitor to AirVenture this year. Operated by the Warbird Warrior Foundation, the Pratt & Whitney R-2800 radial-powered twin is painted in the colours of US Navy Squadron UPB-139, which operated out of the Attu Islands - in Alaska's Aleutian Island chain - during the Second World War.
Attu Warrior, however, never saw service in the Second World War, having been built too late in 1945. After being decommissioned from the Navy in 1957, the aircraft went through several civilian owners, eventually sitting on a ramp for 20 years.
Ultimately, Dave Hansen, of Dave's Custom Sheet Metal, in Heber City, Utah, acquired the Lockheed PV-2 Harpoon in 2006 as a restoration project.

Christopher Ebdon An Attu Warrior painted in the colours of US Navy Squadron UPB-139

GLACIER GIRL COMES IN FROM THE COLD
This Lockheed P-38F - named Glacier Girl - was recovered from the depths of the Greenland ice cap 20 years ago. The aircraft was a member of the "lost squadron" of six P-38Fs and two B-17Es which landed on the ice cap in July 1942 because of bad weather en route to Europe from the USA in 1942.
The aircraft were part of Operation Bolero, an effort to fly fighters and bombers to Europe rather than take them on ships which were in grave danger of being sunk by German U-boats.
When the Greenland Expedition Society honed in on her location during the summer of 1992, Glacier Girl was 268ft (82m) below the ice.
After a 10-year restoration, N17630 took to the air again in 2002, becoming a regular guest at AirVenture, starting in 2003. The Allison V1710-powered twin aircraft is owned by Texas-based aviation enthusiast Rod Lewis, who also plans to bring two other warbirds from the Lewis Air Legends collection to the show - a Bell P-39 Airacobra and Curtiss P-40 Warhawk.

D.Miller The Lockheed P-38F was discovered 82m below the ice in Greenland

JUNKERS ON A JAUNT
Although not the first of its type to appear at Oshkosh, the Junkers Ju 52 tri-motor (HB-HOT) has travelled the longest distance to get to this year's show. Flying across the Atlantic via Iceland, Greenland and Canada, the 1939-built Ju 52 started its tour in Germany in mid-June, near to where the BMW-powered 17-passenger low-wing has been used in Switzerland for air tours since 1982.
Along with parking on the static line, where visitors can study the 660hp (490kW) BMW radials and German-engineered cockpit up close, the Ju 52 will take part in the daily Rockwell Collins-sponsored air displays at the AirVenture, showing off its 97kt (180 km/h) cruise speed. The Ju 52 was designed by Hugo Junkers and was first flown in May 1932, says the EAA, noting that within six years, the model was flying 75% of all German air passenger flights.
"The tri-motor configuration supplied a high standard of comfort and reliability, even during flights over the Alps," says the EAA. "It remained an important part of European aviation for more than three decades." The tour is being sponsored by German luggage manufacturer Rimowa.

Rimowa The Ju 52 arrives from Germany via Iceland, Greenland and Canada

CHAMBLISS AT THE CUTTING EDGE IN AEROBATICS
A must-see performer at AirVenture is five-time US National Aerobatic Champion Kirby Chambliss flying his Zivko Edge 540, a man with so many aerobatic hours he says the Zivko's wings are mere extensions of his arms. Chambliss is also a two-time Red Bull Air Race World Champion. Built by Oklahoma-based Zivko Aeronautics, the Edge is capable of 420 degree per second roll rates and 3,700ft/min (19 m/s) climb rate with its 340hp (254kW) modified Lycoming AEIO-540 piston engine.

Steve Smith Chambliss won the Red Bull Air Race twice

CUBS PITCH UP AT 75
A yellowing of the skies over Whitman Field on 24 July will be the most visually compelling spectacle of the week - but certainly not the loudest - as an estimated 200 to 300 Piper J-3 Cubs arrive en masse at the airport, weather permitting, to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the type.
Development started in 1935 as a variant of the open-cockpit Taylor E-2, and the J-3 - so often painted in bright yellow - has become synonymous with light aviation to the point where any small aircraft is often wrongly labelled a "Piper Cub".
During a production run from 1938 to 1947, Piper built nearly 20,000 of the piston-powered high-wing singles.
The company later upgraded the J-3 into the more powerful PA-11 Cub Special and the PA-18 Super Cub.
The line ultimately ended at Piper in 1981, but new production lives on through several airframers, including Cub Crafters and American Legend Aircraft.
A Piper J-3 Cub is to be awarded as the grand prize in the 2012 EAA "Win the Cub" Aircraft Sweepstakes, a long-running annual giveaway run in support of the association's aviation education programmes.

Tom Paradis Piper Cubs will mass for a celebration

TINKER BELLE BRINGS A SPARKLE OF MAGIC
The Curtiss C-46F Commando Tinker Belle will appear at AirVenture for the first time.
A rare sight in the air, the Second World War transport is named after its long-time home at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma.
The heaviest and largest twin-engined aircraft operated by the US Army Air Force during the Second World War, the C-46F - which is owned and operated by Warriors and Warbirds - is still resplendent in its original military colours and interior.
With considerable more payload than the DC-3 (C-47), Pratt & Whitney R-2800-powered C-46s played a major role in operations over the Himalayan mountain range - known as the "Hump" - flying fuel and other supplies from bases in India to China in the early 1940s.

Kathy Kimpel The C-46F: the USAF’s largest twin-engined aircraft during the Second World War

ROCKWELL COLLINS' NIGHT AIR SHOW
Fireworks and flying, two forms of entertainment that would otherwise be mutually exclusive, will be weaved together into an exquisite night-sky ballet by aerobatic performers at Oshkosh again this year.
Sponsored by Rockwell Collins, the night air show on 28 July - AirVenture's final evening, or "Super Saturday" - is in many respects the apex of the many spectacles taking place at the week-long event.
Night performers - flying aircraft which will carry specialist lighting equipment or spark generators on the wingtips - include the four T-6 Trojans in the AeroShell Aerobatic Team, Bob Carlton and his jet-powered sailplane, Gene Soucy in his Showcat biplane, Bill Leff in a T-6, and "Wicked Willy" reaching amazing speeds on the runway in his jet dragster.
All this plus what is billed as a "wall of fire" promise an extravaganza to remember as the Oshkosh curtain comes down.

Soucy Airshows Night performers will light up Oshkosh