Skylark Flyers Blog

Eve is the name of the ship which is named after Richard Branson’s mother.

A press conference was recently held with Tom Poberezny-EAA President, Will Whitehorn-Virgin Galactic president and Doug Shane –Scaled Composites President

Tom stated that AirVenture’s core is homebuilding and innovation. That’s what bonds EAA and Scaled. This year’s convention has an unprecedented depth & breath of displays. Advance ticket sales are up 32%. From last year camping is up 3%, and some warbirds are starting to arrive.

Will Whitehorn stated that he is grateful to EAA for hosting the display.

So far this year VMS test flights have progressed very well. The ship is capable of lifting 17 tons to 50,000 feet. A future application is to boost unmanned rocket for launching satellites and other unmanned ships.

VMS is built from all carbon and is powered by 4 P&W 308A engines. Richard Branson will take his 1^st flight in EVE on the Tuesday arrival.

Historically space travel has been held back with the launch systems. This system provides flexibility and lower cost.

Doug Shane said a large group from scaled coming out to Oshkosh. The ship will arrive at OSH on its 16^th flight, having about 50 hours of flight time. The ship will fly in on Tue, have demo flights on Tue, Thu and depart Aug 1 at about 10 AM.

During the tests so far, they have flown as high as 35,000 ft, but expect to go as high as 43,000 during the flight to Oshkosh. The trip is expected to take about 4.5 hrs non stop from Mojave.

The VMS has a 140’ wingspan, and is 53’ between main wheels

After requests from tourist customers, Space Ship 2 was made to be able to carry a heavier payload. That allows a greater amount of “Human in loop” space science. One of the first commercial contracts they have is from NOAA for gas and carbon content measurements in the atmosphere. This allows a better collection than existing balloons. Astronaut training is also a desired commercial use.

So far they have invested about $130 million, and expect the costs to be about $400 million to reach commercial operation status.

I asked about the development environment in Mojave, and Mr. Shane responded that there is no better location for this type of development. The management of Mojave Airport does everything then can to help them. The location provides the best possible test environment since they can get access to nearby Military Operating Areas (MOA) which gives access to unique airspace which is not available anywhere else.

I attended a press conference today on the Airbus A380 visit and demonstration at AirVenture Oshkosh. The plane will arrive on Tuesday July 28, and leave on Friday July 31.

EAA President and AirVenture Chairman Ton Poberezny says ticket sales & vendor spaces ahead of projections

T. Allan McArtor Airbus Americas president was on the call.  Thomas Enders CEO of Airbus will be at Oshkosh.

This year is Airbus’ 40^th anniversary. Their major accomplishments have been the 1^st wide body twin engine – A300B. Technical advances were introduced in the A320 with efficiency, comfort, and systems. The first commercial plane with fly-by-wire side stick controls

The A380 brings new passenger comfort, environmental system and performance.

Bringing it to OSH is a thank you to the aviation community.

Capt. Terry Lutz championed the process of bringing the plane to OSH.

The main question was: ‘Can it operate at Wittman?’ The biggest concern was that the taxiways there are narrow except for P2 at the center which leads to AeroShell square.

They will land on runway 36 which is 8000’. They need to stop in 5500’ to turn off at P2. When it leaves on Friday, it will be pushed back north along part of RWY 18 to depart.

A towbarless tug will maneuver plane. On landing, it will lift the nose wheel and attach to the plane. It will pull into AeroShell Square (ASQ) and will turn south. The plane will then be pushed back to the north end. The unusual tug was shipped from JFK.

Wingspan of the A380 is within 1’ of width of ASQ apron.

EAA volunteers will be stationed in the plane who will keep people moving along. Some informational panels will be provided. They expect to be able to handle 1200 people/hour.

The visitors on the tour will come in at door 4 Right behind the wing and head aft. They will go up rear stairs, and walk through length of upper deck to main foreword stairs. Then down back to main deck to exit at door 2 Right.

Visits to the cockpit won’t be available due to the number of people that will be touring. There will be a large screen monitor with cockpit views and information.

As far as operating the A380, airports were concerned about taxiway wing tip clearance, but so far it hasn’t been much of a problem.

Turnaround time about the same about as a 747 (1 hour). Catering is the bottleneck.

I mentioned how quiet the plane was during its visit to Bradley in October, 2007, and Mr. McArtor replied that the plane has high left devices on the wing to land at a very slow speed for such a large aircraft. It makes less noise partially due to the interface between the wing and the fuselage. There is a new design of interior insulation for an extremely quiet cabin. They have even adjusted the galley configuration because it had become a prominent source of sound in the plane.

The plane’s maximum weight is 565 metric tons, or about 1.25 million lbs. At Oshkosh it will weigh about 330 Metric tons, or 725,000 lbs. in order to take off and land in the required distances. The runway load factor is no higher than other wide-body planes since it has 20 wheels to distribute the load. Turn radius is also similar to other wide-body planes

At arrival and departure there will be a flight demo lasting 7 minutes. It will demonstrate agility, speed, and acceleration.

The reason the plane is being displayed is that AirVenture is a global event. It is the home of aviation innovation. Airbus has been generous showing the test aircraft that is unique at OSH.

This particular aircraft is the 2^nd A380 to fly – S/N 004. Is equipped with GE/Pratt joint venture engines, and is in a testing configuration. It has ballast tanks and test instrumentation on both decks and very little interior seating and interior panels. Visitors will see some structure all regular wiring and test wiring. It looks like a micro-brewery with all the ballast tanks.

Mr. Lutz didn’t commit to what colored runway dot will they land on.

Airbus is doing this because they want to support all aviation. AirVenture is an outstanding place to meet people with the same passion. It’s not surprising to want to show off the product of the engineers & flight test group.

After the plane leaves, a recently renovated C-5M transport plane will take the place of the A380 on AeroShell Square.

For further information visit http://www.airventure.org

We all know that there’s an incredible variety of aircraft attending the EAA convention each year, but this year there promises to be several that you may not be able to get this close to again.

• Virgin Galactic VMS Mothership “Eve” (July 27-August 1): Born as “WhiteKnightTwo,” VMS Eve is the next generation of civilian space carrier vehicles

• Airbus A380 (July 28-31): The world’s largest passenger airliner, which will also be open for public tours during its stay in Oshkosh

• Erickson S-64F Aircrane Helitanker “Elvis”: A heavy-duty, twin-engine firefighting helicopter that will make aerial displays

• 1934 Klemm mission aircraft and Comper Swift (all week): Shipped from Australia, these airplanes are associated with the “Fly4Life” public-benefit aviation program

• U.S. Customs/Border Protection Predator B (all week): The latest unmanned aerial platform technology that will be on display at the Federal Pavilion all week
• U.S Air Force C-5M (July 31-August 2): The newest upgrade of the USAF’s huge cargo aircraft
• Avro Lancaster bomber (July 27-31): A classic World War II bomber in Oshkosh to help celebrate the 100th anniversary of flight in Canada

• Silver Dart replica (all week): A faithful re-creation of the aircraft that made the first flight in Canada back in 1909

• 1909 Wright B Flyer replica (all week): A flying example of the Wright brothers’ second-generation aircraft, direct from Dayton, Ohio

• U.S. Air Force “Thunderbirds” F-16 (July 26-27): One of many current military fighters expected to attend Oshkosh this year
• Lockheed P-38 “Ruff Stuff”: A rare flying example of the World War II aircraft that changed the tide of the war in the Pacific Theater
• Japanese “Zero” and German Messerschmitt ME109: Vintage warbirds rarely seen in the U.S.
• 1932 Pitcairn PA-18 Autogiro: The world’s only flying example of this forerunner of the modern helicopter
• Electric aircraft/”Flying Cars”: The latest technologies from a variety of companies showcasing what’s ahead
• Grimes Flying Lab: One-of-a-kind airplane that played a key role in aircraft lighting development

There are also anniversaries for the Pietenpol homebuilt (80th),
T-28 warbirds (60th), Cessna 150 (50th) and others, with a comprehensive
listing at www.airventure.org/attractions/aircraft.html.

* Virgin Galactic VMS Mothership "Eve" (July 27-August 1): Born as
"WhiteKnightTwo," VMS Eve is the next generation of civilian space
carrier vehicles
* Airbus A380 (July 28-31):  The world's largest passenger airliner,
which will also be open for public tours during its stay in Oshkosh
* Erickson S-64F Aircrane Helitanker "Elvis": A heavy-duty, twin-engine
firefighting helicopter that will make aerial displays
* 1934 Klemm mission aircraft and Comper Swift (all week): Shipped from
Australia, these airplanes are associated with the "Fly4Life"
public-benefit aviation program 
* U.S. Customs/Border Protection Predator B (all week): The latest
unmanned aerial platform technology that will be on display at the
Federal Pavilion all week
* U.S Air Force C-5M (July 31-August 2): The newest upgrade of the
USAF's huge cargo aircraft
* Avro Lancaster bomber (July 27-31): A classic World War II bomber in
Oshkosh to help celebrate the 100th anniversary of flight in Canada
* Silver Dart replica (all week): A faithful re-creation of the aircraft
that made the first flight in Canada back in 1909
* 1909 Wright B Flyer replica (all week): A flying example of the Wright
brothers' second-generation aircraft, direct from Dayton, Ohio
* U.S. Air Force "Thunderbirds" F-16 (July 26-27): One of many current
military fighters expected to attend Oshkosh this year
* Lockheed P-38 "Ruff Stuff": A rare flying example of the World War II
aircraft that changed the tide of the war in the Pacific Theater
* Japanese "Zero" and German Messerschmitt ME109: Vintage warbirds
rarely seen in the U.S.
* 1932 Pitcairn PA-18 Autogiro: The world's only flying example of this
forerunner of the modern helicopter
* Electric aircraft/"Flying Cars": The latest technologies from a
variety of companies showcasing what's ahead
* Grimes Flying Lab: One-of-a-kind airplane that played a key role in
aircraft lighting development

	There are also anniversaries for the Pietenpol homebuilt (80th),
T-28 warbirds (60th), Cessna 150 (50th) and others, with a comprehensive
* Virgin Galactic VMS Mothership "Eve" (July 27-August 1): Born as
"WhiteKnightTwo," VMS Eve is the next generation of civilian space
carrier vehicles
* Airbus A380 (July 28-31):  The world's largest passenger airliner,
which will also be open for public tours during its stay in Oshkosh
* Erickson S-64F Aircrane Helitanker "Elvis": A heavy-duty, twin-engine
firefighting helicopter that will make aerial displays
* 1934 Klemm mission aircraft and Comper Swift (all week): Shipped from
Australia, these airplanes are associated with the "Fly4Life"
public-benefit aviation program 
* U.S. Customs/Border Protection Predator B (all week): The latest
unmanned aerial platform technology that will be on display at the
Federal Pavilion all week
* U.S Air Force C-5M (July 31-August 2): The newest upgrade of the
USAF's huge cargo aircraft
* Avro Lancaster bomber (July 27-31): A classic World War II bomber in
Oshkosh to help celebrate the 100th anniversary of flight in Canada
* Silver Dart replica (all week): A faithful re-creation of the aircraft
that made the first flight in Canada back in 1909
* 1909 Wright B Flyer replica (all week): A flying example of the Wright
brothers' second-generation aircraft, direct from Dayton, Ohio
* U.S. Air Force "Thunderbirds" F-16 (July 26-27): One of many current
military fighters expected to attend Oshkosh this year
* Lockheed P-38 "Ruff Stuff": A rare flying example of the World War II
aircraft that changed the tide of the war in the Pacific Theater
* Japanese "Zero" and German Messerschmitt ME109: Vintage warbirds
rarely seen in the U.S.
* 1932 Pitcairn PA-18 Autogiro: The world's only flying example of this
forerunner of the modern helicopter
* Electric aircraft/"Flying Cars": The latest technologies from a
variety of companies showcasing what's ahead
* Grimes Flying Lab: One-of-a-kind airplane that played a key role in
aircraft lighting development

	There are also anniversaries for the Pietenpol homebuilt (80th),
T-28 warbirds (60th), Cessna 150 (50th) and others, with a comprehensive
listing at www.airventure.org/attractions/aircraft.html.listing at www.airventure.org/attractions/aircraft.html.

For further information, visit http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/participate/sendyourname/
NASA web servers seem to be somewhat slow today. I’m guessing it’s because of all the Apollo 11 40th anniversary multimedia files they’re serving this week.

The NTSB has released a report stating the probable cause of the Nieuport 24bis crash on August 17, 2008 was likely the pilot’s failure to maintain control of the plane while maneuvering which resulted in the stall and spin. A definite cause was not released, most likely because the plane was consumed by fire.

The chapter held a trip to the Aerodrome on that day last year. That was the first fatality at the Aerodrome since it started in

Here are some unusual runways at some large airports.  They looked very expensive to build

Premier Holidays : 4 Of The World’s Strangest Airport Runways.

Well, the start of EAA AirVenture Oshkosh is now just over a month away and I see that it’s been a few weeks since I posted anything here. Pretty much all the events are set, so let’s run some of them down.

Advance online ticket purchase is extended to June 30. Visit LINK . AAA also has discounts, but EAA member discount is better.

As most of the people reading this know, the Doobie Brothers will be performing after the air show on Monday night. I won’t be able to report on it since I’ll be arriving on Tuesday. I also see that Jeff Dunham will be performing on Saturday night August 1, which is just after I leave. D’oh!

Major aircraft expected include an Airbus A380. US Air Force Thunderbird #8 will be on the grounds July 26 and 27^th. White Knight Two will be at the show all week. Military planes include a C-17, C5M, F-18 .F-15, C-130. T-38, HH60, and A10.

Of course, plenty of new aircraft, warbirds, vintage and ultralight planes will be on display. The vintage type area is now a permanent building instead of a tent.

The biggest news for our chapter’s past president is the news that there are 4 buildings with flush toilets in the campground areas, and 4 large trailers with flush toilets will be on the show grounds.

The Fly-In Theater will be presenting the One-Six Right, Barnstorming, The Right Stuff, Six Days Seven Nights, Cloud Dancer, BAT 21, X-15, Pearl Harbor,

The daily air show will include:

• Chuck Aaron Red Bull Helicopter
• AeroShell Team T-6s
• Melissa Andrzejewski – Edge
• Herb Baker – T-28
• Bob Carlton – Jet Sailplane
• Chandy Clanton-  Edge 540
• Julie Clark – T-34
• Collaborators – Modified Pitts, Edge 540, Extras
• Susan Dacy – Stearman
• Dave Dacy/Tony Kazian – Stearman Wingwalking
• Kyle Franklin – Waco, Wingwalking act
• Debbie Gary – Marchetti
• Mike Goulian – Extra
• Liberty Parachute Team
• Bud & Ross Granley – Yaks
• Ed Hamill – Pitts
• John Klatt – Stauduacher
• Greg Koontz – Decathlon

Not everyone flys every day.

The International Visitors group is expecting many Japanese visitors, so they’re looking for translator assistance.

At the museum, the Founder’s Wing will be opened. This honors EAA founder Paul Poberezny and from the renderings I’ve seen, it looks like it is in the former restoration area near the center of the building.

The biggest change is the redesign of the main entrance. In the past, there were vendors to the far right and left of the entrance which didn’t attract many visitors. Now the entrance will spread out diagonally which should assist in traffic flow.

Over 500 seminars, 100 museum speakers, dozens of workshops and other activates will be offered. Visit LINK for more details.

If you’re flying in yourself, you better be familiar with the NOTAM. Here’s how to get your copy. The controllers were way to accommodating with this bonehead last year who didn’t know what he was doing. Here’s how not to arrive at Oshkosh LINK

The June AOPA Pilot magazine has several items on the Town of Plainville’s purchase of Robertson Airport. They credit a lot of the favorable impression voters had of the airport from the …” open house where more than 100 people took their first flights in GA airplanes…”

Has anyone been able to figure out how those people took those flights?

Technical writer Bob Cringely puts some holes in the recent GAO report on the statistic possibility of future GPS signal degradation. While his argument doesn’t clearly state how GPS assists in landing planes, he does point out why the report seems to be politically motivated by reporting the situation in the worst possible light.

I, Cringely » Blog Archive » WAAS Up? – Cringely on technology.

Could it be that some polititians have an interest in the recently unfunded eLORAN system?

GPS Satellite Failure and eLORAN Backup System – Popular Mechanics.

A small plane had an engine failure over Winter Haven on the way to Sun N’ Fun. Video was running in the cockpit. Here’s the story with video.
http://www.baynews9.com/