National Aviation Heritage Area plans major events in 2009
Here is a copy of the NAHA press release.
Dayton, Ohio (17 Dec 08)—The National Aviation Heritage Alliance (NAHA) and its partners will celebrate the Dayton Region’s rich history of aviation and the Wright brothers in 2009 with several special events and programs. The upcoming year marks the 100th anniversary of the Wrights’ Homecoming Parade in Dayton Ohio, where in June 1909 the brothers returned from a very successful trip in Europe to be recognized as hometown heroes. To help commemorate that event, a number of NAHA events will be connected to that “Homecoming” theme. In 2009 NAHA will recognize the 100th anniversary of the Wrights’ sale of their first airplane to the US Signal Corps, establishing aviation as part of the United States military arsenal. The year will see NAHA members participating in a number of air shows both here and abroad, and hosting special programs throughout the Dayton Region.
NAHA partners range from the National Park Service’s Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park to smaller groups like the Experimental Aircraft Association’s chapters located throughout the National Aviation Heritage Area. The broad scope of the activities planned is a reflection of the deep roots of aviation in the area. While the Wrights were responsible for inventing the airplane, many other aviation and aerospace developments were led by pioneers who called the Dayton Region home, such as Warren Grimes, creator of the first aircraft landing light to the first man to walk on the moon, Neil Armstrong.
Some of the year’s highlights will include the launching of new Wright brothers replica aircraft and simulators, the National Aviation Hall of Fame’s 2nd Annual REEL STUFF Film Festival of Aviation in March 2009, and a greatly expanded Dayton air show, with United States Air, Trade and Technology Expo taking place in July. In addition, there will be NAHA partners in Europe participating in Wright brother centennial events in the Netherlands. Later in 2009, the Huffman Prairie will come alive with a celebration of the Wright brothers most successful flight of October 5th 1905, when they flew at will over the Prairie and were convinced they had truly perfected the airplane.
A comprehensive list of activities and programs is attached.
The National Aviation Heritage Alliance (NAHA) is a private, not for profit corporation operating as the management entity of the Congressionally designated National Aviation Heritage Area, one of 40 national heritage areas in the United States. NAHA’s vision is for Dayton to become the recognized global center of aviation heritage and premier destination for aviation heritage tourism, sustaining the legacy of the Wright brothers. The National Aviation Heritage Area encompasses an eight county area (Montgomery, Greene, Miami, Clark, Warren, Champaign, Shelby, and Auglaize counties.)
National Aviation Heritage Alliance
Partner Activities and Programs
2009
National Aviation Hall of
Fame
• 2nd Annual Reel Stuff Film Festival, March
12-15, 2009-Four action-packed days of classics,
documentaries and new feature films celebrating the
cinematic people, wonder and joy of flight.
• 48th Annual Enshrinement Ceremony, July 17-18,
2009-Two days of activities associated with the
recognition of the most important individuals in
aviation. Includes the WOW Conference (Wings of
Women) for high school age girls, the President’s
Reception and Dinner and the formal Enshrinement
Ceremony.
Vectren Dayton Air
Show
• 35th Anniversary of Dayton’s premier summer
event, July 18-19, 2009-The USAF Thunderbirds, Tora
Tora Tora, and Patty Wagstaff will headline the
Dayton Air Show in 2009. The Thunderbird appearance
in Dayton will be a “homecoming” as team lead, Lt Col
Greg Thomas, is a Wright State graduate.
• SOAR/A2 will move to a new location in 2009 (the
NAHA Pavilion) and with additional NAHA partners
helping to create a unique educational experience for
children at the Vectren Dayton Air Show.
Wright B Flyer,
Inc.
• Test flight program for “Silver Bird” will
begin in 2009-Wright B Flyer will conduct extensive
tests of its newest Wright replica with plans to have
the new plane certified for flying by mid-summer
2009. The Silver Bird was designed to be
dis-assembled and placed into a standard shipping
container to allow for transportation throughout the
world.
• Wright Simulators-Three new Wright Simulators are
being constructed by Wright B Flyer for use by NAHA
partners. The simulators will complement the existing
simulator located at Dayton Aviation Heritage
National Historical Park’s Huffman Prairie Flying
Field Interpretive Center. The simulators will be
owned by the Alliance and made available to community
groups when requested. It is anticipated the
simulators will be used by NAHA convention and
visitor bureaus at various travel and trade shows to
attract more visitors to the Dayton Region.
• Wright B Flyer will maintain a busy flying and
static display schedule-In 2009 Wright B will be at
Dayton Air Show, Air Force Material Command’s Tattoo
and the USAF Marathon along with numerous other
community events.
Dayton Aviation Heritage National
Historical Park
• 104th Anniversary of Practical Flight,
October 5, 2009-A Wright Flyer replica returns to fly
at Huffman Prairie Flying located at Wright Patterson
AFB, Ohio. Piloted by Mark Dusenberry, the public
will once again have a chance to see first hand what
the Wright brothers experienced when flying in 1905.
In addition to the flight, there will be educational
activities for school children throughout the day,
including edible Wright Flyers, paper helicopters and
model hot air balloons.
• Wright Brothers Homecoming in Wright-Dunbar
Village, June 20, 2009-Join others for music,
ice-cream and a home tour in the neighborhood of the
Wrights’ to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the
Wright Brothers Homecoming in Dayton.
• Aviation Heritage Speaker Series will see a number
of noted speakers from the world of aviation make
presentations at the Engineers Club of Dayton
throughout the year.
Wright Family Foundation
• Landmark of the Wright, 100th
Anniversary of the Dutch Centennial of Flight, June
18-19, 2009-Wright family members will participate in
commemoration of the centennial of the first flight
in the Netherlands with the formal dedication of the
sculpture of a Wright Flyer. The following day, the
Wright family will attend an air show conducted under
the auspices of the Dutch Air Force.
United States Air, Trade and
Technology Expo
• A trade show and technical conference
(Wright Dialogue with Industry) will take place in
the Dayton Region, July 13-18, 2009-The United States
Air, Trade and Technology Expo brings together
leaders in the military, civilian government,
academia, and industry to address challenges and
highlight successes across the aerospace industry
with a keen focus on second and third tier companies.
Historic WACO
Field
• 2009 WACO Homecoming Fly-In, September
18-19, 2009-WACOS and other vintage airplanes are
expected to return to Historic WACO Field from all
parts of the United States.
Ohio Historical Society-Armstrong
Air & Space Museum
• 40th Anniversary of Moon Landing, July 19-
20, 2009-Ohio Historical Society’s Armstrong Air and
Space Museum will celebrate the landing of Wapakoneta
native, Neil Armstrong on the moon. The Summer Moon
Festival on the 19th will take place on the grounds
of the museum with a number of activities planned
including an evening concert. On July 20th, the 40th
anniversary of the landing, the museum will be
selling commemorative covers with special
cancellation by the Wapakoneta Post Office. Special
admission policies will be in effect for the museum
that day.
Aviation Trail
Inc.
• Trailblazer Awards Banquet and Ceremony,
April 2009-Honors the birthday of Wilbur Wright
(April 16, 1867) and presents the Trailblazer Award
to an individual or organization that has furthered
aviation in the Dayton Region.
• National Aviation Day, August 19, 2009-commemorates
both Orville and Katharine Wright’s birthday with a
picnic luncheon.
• First Flight Dinner, December 17, 2009-Annual
dinner celebrates the Wright brothers first flight at
Kittyhawk NC in 1903.
Greene County Historical Society
• 40th Anniversary of the Moon Landing,
July, 2009-The Greene County Historical Society will
commemorate the historic landing on the moon with
exhibits at the Society’s headquarters.
Grimes Flying Lab
Foundation
• Mid-Eastern Regional Fly-In, September 12-13
2009-Grimes Flying Lab Foundation will host the
Fly-In at Grimes Field in Urbana, Ohio.
Experimental Aircraft Association
Chapter 284
• Red Stewart Field, Waynesville, Ohio Open
House and Tail Dragger Fly-In, September 5-6,
2009-Chapter 284 will host the public and present an
air show on the evening of the 5th and on September
6, the Tail Dragger Fly-In will commence. A Young
Eagles Rally will take place on the 6th.
Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 36
• Wings and Wheels Fly-In, June 6-7,
2009 at WACO Field, Troy, Ohio
National WACO Club 50th Anniversary Fly-In, June
24-28, 2009 at Wynkoop Airport at Mt. Vernon,
Ohio
An Engineering Challenge: Designing Wright "B" Flyer's "Silver Bird"
NBAA and Wright "B" Flyer held a press conference in front of the Silver Bird on Tuesday, Oct. 2, featuring Amanda Wright Lane, great-grandniece of the Wright brothers. FlightGlobal.com posted a video of the event. Here's the link to the video (you might have to scroll the list to find it.)
Here's a news release I wrote for Wright "B" Flyer, Inc.:
Walt Hoy test-fits drive chain
The Wright “B” Flyer lookalike is the product of an all-volunteer team that designed and built the airplane in less than a year.
Dayton, Ohio-based Wright “B” Flyer Inc., which owns two other, separately designed lookalikes of the Wright Model B, decided in 2007 it needed a new airplane for a new mission: telling the story of Dayton’s and Ohio’s aviation heritage to the world with an airplane that can be shipped internationally for exhibition flights.
The first sortie of that mission is its non-flying display before an expected 33,000 business professionals at this event, which NBAA calls the world’s biggest civil aviation trade show. Dubbed the “Silver Bird” because of its silver-painted frame and white fabric, the airplane is in its final stages of construction. Its first flight is expected in early 2009.
A flying ambassador
“It will truly be a global ambassador for Dayton. There is not a single artifact you can hold, or place you can visit, or document you can read that equals seeing a Wright Flyer in the air,” said Amanda Wright Lane of Cincinnati, great grandniece of the Wright brothers and a Wright “B” Flyer Inc. trustee.
Wilbur and Orville Wright invented the airplane in their West Dayton bicycle shop at the turn of the 20th Century and formed the Wright Company in 1909 to produce military and civilian airplanes. The “B” model was the first one they produced in quantity, with more than 100 built beginning in 1910. Configured with tail-mounted rudder and elevator, it was the first Wright airplane without a front elevator, as well as the first with wheels.
Famous military and civilian air pioneers such as Air Force Gen. Henry “Hap” Arnold, magazine publisher Robert J. Collier, and aviatrix Ruth Law learned to fly in Wright “B” Flyers. The Wright Company’s exhibition team exposed thousands of Americans to flight, mainly in Model B airplanes, at air shows around the country in 1910 and 1911. A Model B made the first air cargo flight on November 7, 1910, carrying bolts of silk from Dayton to Columbus, Ohio, for a department store.
Wright “B” Flyer Inc.
Wright “B” Flyer Inc., located at Dayton-Wright Brothers Airport, is an all-volunteer, not-for-profit organization that promotes the Wright brothers’ aviation heritage. Since 1982, it has been flying its one-of-a-kind lookalike of a 1911 Army Model B Flyer at the annual Vectren Dayton Air Show and other events around the Dayton region. During summer months, it also displays a non-flying civilian Model B on Huffman Prairie in cooperation with the National Park Service and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Its airplanes and hangar-museum are a part of the National Aviation Heritage Area, an eight-county region around Dayton that includes 10 national aviation heritage sites.
Nicknamed the “Brown Bird,” the Army Signal Corps lookalike soared over the Rose Bowl and circled the Statue of Liberty in 2003. It was displayed at Tempelhof Airport in Berlin, Germany, in 1990.
But it is difficult and expensive to disassemble the Brown Bird and ship it to remote locations, especially overseas. At the same time, worldwide interest in the Wright brothers’ pioneering work has grown, and Wright aircraft are in demand. This year, the organization shipped its non-flying airplane to England for display at the Farnborough International Air Show.
In 2007, the organization launched a project to design and build a new Model B Flyer that could be loaded into a standard cargo shipping container, shipped anywhere in the world, and put together in one hour for exhibition flights. More than 30 skilled volunteers have been responsible for its design and construction, and several businesses have donated materials, parts, or fabrication services.
An engineering challenge
The organization wanted an airplane that would closely resemble the original Model B in air show flybys, but be sized to fit in a standard shipping container and be easy to assemble for flight by a small crew. It also had to be rugged and reliable enough for daily use and capable of flying in more than calm conditions. In other words, the Wright brothers’ original wood-and-fabric structure, marginal control system and primitive engine would not do. But neither would the Brown Bird, which is difficult to tear down and won’t fit in a shipping container.
In materials and construction, the Silver Bird is closer to Charles Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis airplane, said Walter Hoy, project engineer and coincidentally a native of St. Louis, Missouri. Both airplanes have steel frames, wooden wing ribs and fabric covers, he said.
“We did get into discussions on building aluminum structures. That I vetoed, because I don’t have people here who can work aluminum structures,” said Hoy, an aeronautical engineer. “With a steel tube structure, you grind the tubes to fit, you tack weld it together, and then you have a professional welder come in and weld it up. Amateurs can see how to do this. And the woodworking, we have excellent woodworkers. So it forced what we were going to build this airplane out of into chromoly [steel] and wood, not aluminum and not composite. … We don’t have composite engineers in this group.”
The project benefitted from technology far removed from the Wright brothers’ West Dayton bicycle shop. The team used modern engineering software tools for design and structural analysis. Lasers cut the ribs from plywood sheets, and laser-machining tools were used to make or finish many of the metal parts.
Hoy said the structure is stressed for 3.8 positive Gs like conventional light airplanes. The design includes a 150 percent safety margin, but the team didn’t want to sacrifice a wing to prove it. “The safety factor was arrived at empirically. … We tested it to operational loads, not to failure,” Hoy said.
Wing design
Design began with the wings, Hoy said. The original Wright wings were thin, spanned 39 feet and were lightly loaded. Also, the original Model B used wing warping for roll control. Hoy said the Silver Bird needed higher wing loading to make it more stable in turbulent or breezy conditions, and it needed shorter wings to fit into a shipping container. Shortening the wingspan to 33 feet and shortening the chord to 54 inches from 72 inches helped meet both goals while preserving the general appearance.
At the same time, a thicker wing was used for both a higher lift coefficient and gentler stalling traits. Hoy said the Silver Bird uses a NACA USA 35-B airfoil from the 1920s. The wings should give the airplane a 41mph stall speed and a 70-mph maximum speed.
The Wrights achieved roll control by twisting or “warping” the wings. Wright “B” Flyer Inc.’s lookalikes all have ailerons. The Silver Bird has two-thirds span Frieze ailerons on upper and lower wings.
“You give up structural strength with wing warping. If you build flexibility into the wing, you have given up the rigid truss and the strength associated with it,” Hoy said. What’s more, Hoy said working a lever to warp the wings requires “brute force” and greatly increases pilot workload.
Frieze ailerons help with an adverse yaw problem on the Model B Flyer. The Model B has vertical fins — the Wrights called them “blinkers” — mounted above the skids at the front of the plane. Hoy said these blinkers can increase adverse yaw, which causes an airplane’s nose to point in the opposite direction as it turns.
“If you get adverse yaw and it starts to swing the nose in the wrong direction, the blinkers will pull it more in that direction. … You need a tremendous amount of rudder to get the nose back around. Well, you don’t have tremendous rudder” on the Model B, Hoy said.
Frieze ailerons have lips that dip below the wing when they are angled up for a turn, which adds drag to the wing and counteracts adverse yaw. (Hoy thinks the Wrights used the blinkers to augment the rudders in turns by yawing first, then rolling.)
Drive train
Like the original, the Silver Bird has twin counter-rotating propellers and drive chains, although a modern aircraft engine will power them. The mahogany propellers also have the bent-end look that characterized Wright Flyer props. With the fan-cooled, Lycoming HIO-360 engine turning at 2,900 rpm, the props will turn at 1,200 rpm with the reduction accomplished by the chain sprockets, Hoy said.
The drive train includes a Flexidyne coupling between the crankshaft and the chains. Hoy says the coupling dampens power impulses that might otherwise be transmitted through the chains into the structure, risking a harmonic feedback that could destroy the airplane. Wright “B” Flyer Inc.’s Brown Bird also uses a Flexidyne coupling.
Controls
The Model B had three wooden control sticks: A side sick on the right or left to control the elevator, and a stick between the pilots to control wing warping. The top section of the wing warping stick was jointed for a rudder control.
The Silver Bird has conventional controls, with a center-mounted stick at each seat to control ailerons and elevator, and foot-pedal rudder controls. The pilot’s seat, on the left, has hydraulic toe brakes.
Volunteers
Located near Dayton and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, a region steeped in aerospace and automotive technology and manufacturing, Wright “B” Flyer Inc. has benefitted from a pool of highly skilled volunteers, ranging from aeronautical and electrical engineers to machinists and woodworkers. On the Silver bird project, ages have ranged from an 11-year-old who taught his elders how to rib-stitch wing fabric to a 91-year-old machinist who designed special tools to ease assembly. Hoy said at least 33 people have worked on the airplane at some point, although a core of eight has been involved throughout the project.
“I think the chief engineer on anything like this is constantly negotiating, trying to get it so it’s strong enough but light enough,” Hoy said. Indeed, the age-old battle between strength and weight has proved to be his biggest managerial challenge. The original Model B had a gross weight of approximately 1,250 pounds with a pilot and passenger; the Silver Bird will be about 1,000 pounds heavier.
“We had places where we had dual quarter-inch plates butted against each other. That’s a half-inch of solid steel. … I started saying, ‘Look, this is the Wright B, not the Wright B & O,’ ” Hoy said. “It’s a constant battle in building any airplane, between the structural people and the aerodynamics people who have got to lift all this stuff. It’s normal.”
Future plans
When finished, the Silver Bird will be capable of flying a pilot and a passenger, either at is home base or at air shows or other events around the world. Its flight will symbolize both the aviation heritage of the Wright brothers and the aerospace industry of the Dayton region and Ohio.
It will also provide a high-profile marketing opportunity for corporate sponsors interested in aligning their company or brand names with the most famous name and image in aviation.
“Make no mistake about it. We serve a global [aviation] market today. This airplane extends our reach in promoting our aviation heritage and Ohio’s aerospace business,” said John Bosch, chairman of Wright “B” Flyer Inc. “There’s no place in the world we can’t take this airplane.”
Raptor homecoming: F-22A will fly at 2008 Dayton Air Show
The announcement, of course, was that the Air Force's Raptor demo team will fly at the 2008 air show on July 19-20 at Dayton International Airport.
Well, OK, I knew what was on the agenda because I'm on the air show's board of trustees. Still, it was a pretty cool way to announce it. And I'm jazzed that Major Paul "Max" Moga will be demonstrating the big fighter's surprising maneuverability: I've yet to see the demo live, but the videos on the Internet — like the one below — are astonishing. How does it do that?
Also booked for this year's show: Civilian Performer Sean D. Tucker, flying his one-of-a-kind Oracle Challenger II biplane. Sean has won every major award in the air show industry; this summer he'll be inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame, joining the ranks of The Wright Brothers, Charles Lindbergh and Neil Armstrong. Sean will also be on the cover of The Dayton air Show: A Celebration in Photographs, by Ty Greenlees and me.
Want more? Here's what else the air show announced:
• Misty Blues All-Woman Skydiving Team
•AeroShell Aerobatic Team
•Les Schockley's NeXplore Shockwave, a Peterbilt truck powered by three blame-belching jet engines.
Now, strap in and watch the Raptor video:
Dayton + late summer = flying
Saturday Aug. 19, 2007
Aviation Trail Picnic
Celebrating National Aviation Day and the birthdays of both Orville and Katharine Wright. Enjoy a Wright Family-style picnic at the Wright Memorial overlooking the Huffman Prairie Flying Field. Picnic will begin at noon using some of the Wright Family recipes. Cost is $10 per person or $25 per family.
Saturday Aug. 25, 2007
WACO Vintage Fly-in and Car Show
The WACO Historical Society will hold its annual fly-in from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Historic WACO Field (1WF) 1865 South County Rd. 25A, Troy, Ohio. The $5 fee (free to students) includes admission to the WACO Aircraft Museum, located in the hangar. Other activities will include a vintage car show, fly market, hands-on aviation activities for young people, exhibits by local non-profit groups and food vendors. An evening banquet and auction of WACO sculptures is also scheduled.
WACO pilots will be available to provide rides from Friday through Sunday, Aug. 24-26. Register with the WACO ride scheduler when you arrive.
Friday-Sunday, Aug. 31 - Sept. 2, 2007
Giant Scale RC Air Show
Giant-scale, radio-controlled model model aircraft will take the runway behind the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force on Labor Day Weekend. Sponsored by the Dayton, Ohio Giant Scalers, the air show is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. The aircraft will perform a heritage show, commemorating the USAF's 60th anniversary, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. each day. Admission is free.
Saturday, September 1, 2007
Red Stewart Airfield (40I) Open House and Air Show
Red Stewart Airfield, an old-fashioned, grass-strip airfield near Waynesville, will hold its annual open house and air show. Scheduled flying acts include Cliff Robinson, Decathlon; Brett Hunter, Pitts S2C; Emerson Stewart III, 7KCAB Citabria; Jay Hodge, Yak 52; Michael Vaknin, Extra 300L; Bill David, One Design; Mike Lakin, 8KCAB Decathlon, and Bill Leff, T-6 Texan, and his StarFire Night Show.
The air show will be followed on Sunday by EAA Chapter 284's annual fly-in (see below.) Camping will available on the airfield.
Sunday, September 2, 2007
EAA Chapter 284 Taildragger Fly-In and Pancake Breakfast
Located at Red Stewart Airfield (40I) at Waynesville, the Taildragger Fly-in attracts antique, vintage and homebuilt aircraft known as "taildraggers" because they have tailwheels instead of nosewheels. The tailwheel design is better suited for grass or rough fields and reflects an reflects an earlier era of flight. The fly-in attracts tailwheel pilots and people with a taste for old-fashioned aviation. EAA 284 is a chapter of the Experimental Aircraft Association and a member of the Greater Dayton EAA.
September 21-23, 2007
Dawn Patrol Rendezvous
One of the nation's premiere historical aviation events, the three-day Dawn Patrol Rendezvous World War I Fly-in features vintage original and reproduction WWI aircraft, radio-controlled models, era automobiles, period re-enactors and a "swap and shop" of WWI era items. This flying event is offered every other year by the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force at Wright-Patterson air Force Base and the Great War Aeroplanes Association. Hours for the event are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. Free admission.
September 27-28, 2007
Liaison Aircraft Fly-in
Hosted by the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, this biennial event features fly-bys by liaison aircraft, which were used by all branches of the U.S. military from the late 1930s until the early 1970s. Many liaison aircraft were modifications of existing civilian light aircraft. Often unarmed, these aircraft performed a variety of missions, including reconnaissance, light transport, courier duties, medical evacuation, rescue, forward air control and artillery spotting. Check the museum's events page for more details closer to the event.
September 27-30, 2007
Gathering of Mustangs and Legends
Located at Rickenbacker International Airport (LCK) near Columbus, this event is expected to draw more than 100 P-51 Mustangs and 51 legendary pilots. Besides being a major Mustang gathering, it will also be a full-blown air show and Air Force Heritage Week event with the USAF Thunderbirds, the F-22 Raptor demo team, and more. Tickets are now available.
Fund for Jim Leroy's son, services set
Donations may be made to “The Jim LeRoy Jr. Memorial Fund,” in care of Harris Bank, located at 110 E. Irving Park Road, Roselle, IL 60172. Any questions regarding the fund should be directed to Harris Bank representative, Nancy Little, at 630-980-2700.
A memorial service and celebration of Jim’s life will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, August 8 at the DuPage County Airport (airport identifier: DPA), 2700 International Drive, West Chicago, Illinois 60185, phone (630) 584-2211.
Dayton Air Show will display EAAers' planes
Visitors to the July 28-29 air show at Dayton International Airport will have a chance to look at rare or custom-built airplanes, talk to the pilots and owners, and learn about the Dayton area’s thriving grassroots aviation community.
Just a few examples of the airplanes registered for display: a homebuilt, fiberglass-structure Velocity; a rare prototype of the 1936 Taylorcraft A, and an AMD Zodiac 601XLi, a factory-built two-seater that represents the new Light Sport Aircraft category.
The display’s participants come from 10 southwestern Ohio chapters of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), collaborating as the Greater Dayton EAA. The display is sponsored by local EAA chapters and the Aviation Heritage Foundation Inc., representing the National Aviation Heritage Area.
“The display is intended to show the public the range of aircraft in today’s general aviation fleet. We wish to show the variety of amateur built aircraft in the area and to attract new members to our local chapters,” said Robert “Bob” Luken, president of EAA Chapter 284 in Waynesville and one of the display’s organizers.
People who build their own airplanes are known as amateur builders or homebuilders. The Federal Aviation Administration licenses amateur-built aircraft as experimental.
Airplane inventors Wilbur and Orville Wright built their first flyers in the back of their Dayton bicycle shop. Many amateur aircraft enthusiasts also consider them the first aircraft homebuilders, Luken said.
Today, the EAA supports aircraft homebuilding, vintage restoration and sport aviation through more than 1,000 chapters worldwide. (Two major EAA divisions are the International Aerobatics Club and the Vintage Aircraft Association. IAC Chapter 34, Waynesville, and VAA Chapter 36, Troy, are among the 10 EAA chapters taking part in the air show display.)
“We in the Dayton community are proud of our rich aviation heritage. The Vectren Dayton Air Show is pleased to partner with our local EAA chapters as we celebrate our legacy as the Birthplace of Aviation,“ said Michael Emoff, chairman of the United States Air and Trade Show Board of Trustees.
Headlining the 2007 Vectren Dayton Air Show will be the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds hosted by Goodrich and the Brazilian Air Force Demonstration Squadron (the "Smoke Squadron") hosted by NCR. The air show will be an official Air Force 60th Anniversary event.
For air show updates and ticket info, visit the show’s web site at www.daytonairshow.com.
Vectren Dayton Air Show adds 2 CV-22s, An-124, 3-ship heritage flight to lineup
Photo source: Volga-Dnepr Airlines
The Vectren Dayton Air Show has added some world-class attractions to its July 28-29 event at Dayton International Airport. They include a pair of U.S. Air Force CV-22 Ospreys, one for demo flights and one for static display; a giant Russian An-124 Condor cargo jet operated by Volga-Dnepr Airlines, and a three-ship heritage flight that includes an F-15 Eagle, F-4 Phantom and P-51 Mustang.
With the Thunderbirds and the Brazilian Air Force Smoke Squadron already booked as headliners and a strong lineup of military and civilian acts, this is beginning to shape up as one of Dayton's better air shows. Besides the 3-ship, we'll have a second heritage flight of a U.S. Navy F/A-18 Hornet and FG-1D Corsair. The F-15 and F/A-18 will also fly solo tactical demos, and a USMC AV-8B Harrier will give its deafening vertical take-off demo. And there will be more shade than ever under the Condor's sky-darkening wings.
(Disclosure: I'm a member of the United States Air and Trade Show board of trustees, the nonprofit that puts on the Dayton Air Show.)
Video of Blue Angels Pilot Kevin Davis
CNN is airing a video that shows Kojak's plane going down during a turn to form up with the rest of the team. Look for the link "Plane disappears during airshow."
Blue Angels pilot dies in crash
News reports say the F/A-18 Hornet crashed in a neighborhood near the base, scattering fire and debris. No other fatalities were reported. A video of the news conference is available here.
You can find speculation about the crash on the 'net, but the Navy hasn't released the pilot's identity. Here's the officical statement:
"From Navy Office of Information
"PENSACOLA, Fla. (NNS) -- An F/A-18A Hornet assigned to the Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron (Blue Angels) crashed during the final minutes of an air show at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, S.C., at approximately 4 p.m. EDT, April 21.
"The pilot did not survive.
"The pilot of the jet was joining the Delta formation for the final maneuver of the aerial demonstration when the mishap occurred. It was his second year on the team, and first year as a demonstration pilot.
"The other five Blue Angel jets were not involved in the incident and landed safely moments later.
"The crash occurred approximately three miles outside the air station in the vicinity of Pine Grove Rd. and White Pine Rd. One civilian on the ground reported minor injuries and was transported to Beaufort Memorial Hospital. Some houses in the area received damage, the extent of which is unclear at this time.
"The name of the pilot is being withheld pending the notification of the next-of-kin.
"The cause of the accident is currently under investigation."
The Blue Angels performed at the Vectren Dayton Air Show last year. (The USAF Thunderbirds and the Brazilian Air Force Smoke Squadron are scheduled here this year.) The Blue Angels are scheduled to fly at the Indianapolis Air Show in August.
Brazilian Smoke Squadron coming to Dayton Air Show
Not a jet team, you say? I saw this team perform at its first Dayton air show in 1986 and again in 1993. I enjoyed it as much as the military jet teams, in part because its members fly with the same crisp precision as the jet teams. The propeller-driven Tucanos may lack the ear-shattering roar of jets, but the slower-flying Embraers can fly more compact maneuvers that keep them in front of the crowd, instead of roaring in and out of sight every minute.
But the air show will have a jet team, too. The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds are scheduled to fly here as part of the Air Force’s “Heritage to Horizons” 60th anniversary celebration. It will be the team’s first visit to Dayton since gaining female pilots, with two in the formation this year.
Other popular acts on the air show bill are the U.S. Army Golden Knights Parachute Team, aerobatic champions Jim LeRoy and Skip Stewart, daredevil wing walking Double Trouble, the ShockWave triple-engine jet truck and more. Officials say they will announce more features in the coming months.
Thunderbirds coming to Dayton
The air show’s management team made the announcement from Las Vegas earlier this week where they were attending the International Council of Air Shows’ annual convention and trade show. They were there to line up their top acts for the 34th annual air show but didn’t immediately announce any other bookings.
The 2007 show is scheduled for July 28-29 at Dayton International Airport — the same weekend the Experimental Aircraft Association wraps up its annual AirVenture fly-in and air show in Oshkosh, WI. AirVenture is America’s biggest fly-in and draws top performers, warbirds, and hundreds of thousands of aviation enthusiasts — including many from the Dayton area.
Dayton traditionally holds its air show on the third weekend in July, just before AirVenture. Putting it on the same weekend forces performers, exhibitors and fans to choose. Many choose Oshkosh. It also separates it by a week from Dayton’s other premiere aviation event, the National Aviation Hall of Fame’s annual enshrinement ceremony.
Organizers faced the same problem this year when they moved the show’s date. NAHF had to scratch the heritage invitational it co-sponsored with Rolls Royce, a restoration contest that added museum-quality airplanes to the air show’s static display. The Dayton-based Aviation Heritage Foundation Inc. skipped its hometown show to exhibit at AirVenture.
Organizers said Dayton had to switch its 2006 date in order to book the U.S. Navy Blue Angels. It got them, and Terry Grevious, whose team Grevious and Associates manages Dayton’s air show, said the show’s attendance didn’t appear to suffer because of AirVenture.
Still, Mike Emoff, chairman of the United States Air and Trade Show Inc., the nonprofit group responsible for the air show, vowed to return the event to its traditional date. He had to reverse himself later when the Air Force offered to make Dayton an official “Heritage to Horizons” 60th anniversary event in 2007 — but only if it moved the show date to the end of July.
USATS had no choice. The birthplace of aviation and home of the first military airplane — not to mention Wright-Patterson Air Force Base — simply couldn’t afford not to be a part of the Air Force's anniversary.
But these two years show how much the Dayton Air Show has come to depend on one of two military jet teams to draw crowds and stay in the black. What happens if an accident grounds the Thunderbirds, as has happened to other shows? What happens if the Blue Angels skip Dayton in 2008, as history suggests they might well do?
How can Dayton build an air show that will draw people regardless of a jet team? What would draw you to the show?