Posted on 07/26/2005 9:40:31 AM PDT by BenLurkin
OSHKOSH, Wis. - Thousands of aviation enthusiasts heeded the Experimental Aircraft Association's call of "You've got to be there!" on the opening day of AirVenture 2005, filling the mammoth grounds for what promises to be a memorable week of flying, forums and fun. Monday's opening of the 53rd annual gathering was capped with the arrival of the ultimate experimental design, SpaceShipOne, and its carrier aircraft, White Knight.
Designer Burt Rutan, longtime member and hero of the EAA, arrived on his now-famous futuristic craft to cheers from the crowd pressed along the ropes before the runway.
"This certainly has got to be close to the top of thrilling arrivals at Oshkosh," said Rutan, who marks his 35th anniversary of attendance at the event.
The Oshkosh event is the only public display for the twin craft, which made history last year as the centerpiece of the first privately funded, manned space program. At the end of the week, White Knight will deliver SpaceShipOne to Washington, where it will hang in the National Air and Space Museum.
Clearing the way and warming up the crowd was another aircraft funded by Microsoft co-founder and SpaceShipOne backer Paul Allen. Allen's restored P-51 fighter, a staple of World War II battles, made several passes down the flightline to the crowd's delight, until the sight of White Knight circling overhead drew their attention.
A silence fell over those assembled along the flightline as White Knight and SpaceShipOne became clearly visible, the only sound the varied clicking of camera shutters.
The space-program vehicles left their home base in Mojave on Saturday, making stops in Albuquerque, N.M.; Tulsa, Okla.; and Madison, Wis., before making a grand entrance at the show grounds at Wittman Regional Airport.
At each stop, the aircraft and team were "treated like royalty, just like SpaceShipOne should be," astronaut Mike Melvill said.
Melvill became the world's first civilian astronaut to rocket out of the Earth's atmosphere in a nongovernmental space program when he piloted the SpaceShipOne to an unofficial altitude of 328,491 feet, or just over 62 miles above the Earth, enough to see the blackness of space and experience weightlessness.
Today, SpaceShipOne will be joined by yet another history-making Rutan design, the Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer flown nonstop around the world by pilot Steve Fossett earlier this year. The two unique displays are part of what makes this year's event "one of the best ever," EAA President Tom Poberezny said.
While having exclusive claim to public display of White Knight and SpaceShipOne is certainly one of the all-time highlights of AirVenture history, "most important, they are one of us," Poberezny said of Rutan and Melvill.
"You walk the flightline and every time you turn around there's another person making history," he said. "The airplanes bring us here, but it's the people."
It's the people involved in SpaceShipOne that make it especially beloved by this particular crowd. Rutan and Melvill are both longtime members of the organization and regulars at Oshkosh.
As White Knight circled above the field, the announcer reminded the crowd, "EAA-ers, you are a part of this."
Rutan's designs for do-it-yourself, home-built aircraft have long been favorites with EAA members. Their popularity was evident in the long rows of Long-EZ and Vari-EZ aircraft filling a field alongside the flightline.
The distinctive aircraft were flown into the event by proud owners and builders in honor of Rutan's 35th anniversary at Oshkosh.
Elwood "E.J." Johnson of Stevenson Ranch, an unincorporated community near Santa Clarita, brought his Long-EZ, one of five different Rutan aircraft he has owned over the years. Despite having visited Oshkosh about 10 times before, the gathering is "still very exciting. You never know what to expect. Every year is something special," he said.
The 68-year-old former aerospace worker lovingly restored the pale-blue airplane he displayed this year, and has flown it around the country, including an air race from Kitty Hawk, N.C., to Oshkosh three years ago to mark the centennial of powered flight.
I'm swooning....
I have to change the oil, check the plugs - maybe replace with back up set and put on the racing prop - which will probably all happen around the end of August - Early September.
Let me know if you are up for it.
Wow! Sounds like fun! If you can get to Hampton Roads AP I can set up a bench for you... Racing prop... for a Pitts?
*click*click*
Talkin' Reno??? I'm in!!!
I'll tune into the Reno thread for 'Da Plans'.
Lookin' forward to it!!
very cool!
cool stuff
Wed, 27 Jul '05
A North American P-51 Mustang, reported in general media as a D (actually - it was a K) model bird, was lost during the Tuesday afternoon warbird fly-bys at the Oshkosh EAA Airshow. Tuesday's show featured a number of exciting warbird flights throughout the afternoon, including USAF Heritage Flights, a number of bomber runs, and a series of fighter passes that thrilled tens of thousands who braved occasional rains to view one of the strongest Oshkosh airshow rosters in many years.
The aircraft had completed one pass and was preparing for another when it was discovered to be missing from the formation gathering for the next approach to Oshkosh, Wisconsin's Wittman Field. The Fond Du Lac Police Department received a report of a "plane down" at 1602 local time and dispatched officers to the scene. A single engine aircraft, as yet officially unidentified, was found to have impacted a farm field in Calumet County, Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin near the east Shore of Lake Winnebago. The aircraft was occupied by a single pilot, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
One media report quotes NTSB Investigator Ed Malinowski as saying that, "judging by the crash site, it didn't look like there was any effort to land the plane". ANN will present more information on this story as soon as we have confirmed that family members have been properly notified.
Ping to previous post.
I read about that in AAFO, so sad. Possible heart attack?
Prayers to the family.
No word yet.
I'll let you know ifI hear anything.
DD
hmmm...or monoxide???
Tragic regardless ...
The evening news is reporting that the crash occurred on the East side
of Lake Winnebago, near the town of Calumetville.
An eyewitness reported seeing the Mustang as part of a four aircraft
flight. It unexpectedly went inverted and did not recover, impacting the
ground at high speed. What little debris was visible above ground was
consistent with Dick's aircraft.
That's why I theorized a heart attack but carbon monoxide sounds plausible, too.
The plane was straight and level and then for some reason just rolled over and fell out of formation with no apparent attempt to recover.
They may never release the pilot's autopsy. We'll have to wait for the final NTSB report a year or so from now.
Betting the Warbird fraternity will have a NTSB 'source' that'll slip the word under the table before then.
Ya' know ... tragic that it is, having your ticket punched while at the controls of a P-51 is paradoxially living; beats a year of cancer suffering or many other more morose ways to buy that farm.
I personally celebrate the joy folks like that felt just before ....
...but that's JMO.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Community Relations 202-268-4924 June 24, 2005 Stamp News Release No. 05-029 www.usps.com AVIATION STAMPS TAKE FLIGHT AT WORLD'S LARGEST AIR SHOW WASHINGTON - Ten classic American aircraft from the 1930's, '40s and '50s take to the skies in the form of postage when the U.S. Postal Service dedicates the American Advances in Aviation commemorative stamp sheet at the world's premier air show. The Friday, July 29 first-day-of-issue ceremony, hosted by the Experimental Aviation Association (www.eaa.org) will occur during the 2005 EAA AirVenture Oshkosh (WI) fly-in convention. The ceremony will take place at the event's Aero Shell Square at 10 a.m. Central Time in the shadows of at least six of the rare aircraft depicted on the stamps. Many pilots and crew members of these historic aircraft will be on-site to discuss their experiences. An autograph session follows the event. A first-day-of-issue ceremony will also take place that day at 11 a.m. Eastern Time during the Americover 2005 Stamp Show (www.afdcs.org) at the Sheraton Premier at Tysons Corner, 8661 Leesburg Pike, Vienna, VA. The stamps will be available at Post Offices and Philatelic Centers nationwide Saturday, July 30. "The Postal Service is proud to build on the popular Classic American Aircraft collection we first issued in 1997," said Linda Kingsley, Vice President, Strategic Planning, U.S. Postal Service, who will dedicate the stamps at the air show. "The ten historic aircraft chosen for the American Advances in Aviation stamp sheet show the innovation and remarkable technological contributions of our nation's aviation pioneers." "Every year literally thousands of historic aircraft participate in EAA AirVenture Oshkosh," said EAA Museum Director Adam Smith, "So we're taking the opportunity not only to showcase these beautiful new stamps, but also to show many of the actual aircraft depicted on them." A description of each aircraft is on the back of the stamp sheet (see below). The stamp images depict:
Military aircraft scheduled to be on display during the ceremony include the: B-24 Liberator, B-29 Superfortress, F6F Hellcat and the P80 Shooting Star. Civilian aircraft scheduled to appear include the A-35-Bonanza and the Ercoupe-415. The American Advances in Aviation stamp sheet was designed by Phil Jordan. The stamp illustrations and header design were painted by William S. Phillips, an award-winning historical aviation and landscape artist who also created the artwork for the 1997 Classic American Aircraft collection. Aviation Enthusiast Collectables Six limited edition prints will only be available on-site at the 2005 EAA AirVenture Oshkosh (WI) fly-in convention. Authenticated with a numbered certificate and autographed by stamp artist William S. Phillips, high-quality prints (12 3/4 x 13 3/4 inch) of select aircraft stamp images will be available for $175. Each print is mounted with an aircraft stamp postmarked with the Oshkosh, WI July 29, 2005 First-Day-of-Issue cancellation. Prints are available for the 35 Bonanza, B-24 Liberator, F6F Hellcat, P45 Thunderbolt, PBY Catalina and the P80 Shooting Star. Advance orders are now being accepted for these products and will be fulfilled following the July 29 issuance of the stamps. A sampling of products available on-site and through the Postal Store at usps.com/shop or at 800-STAMP-24 include:
EAA, The Leader in Recreational Aviation, is an international association with 170,000 members and 1,000 local Chapters. EAA AirVenture Oshkosh is the world's greatest aviation celebration and EAA's yearly membership convention. For more information on EAA and its programs, call 1-800-JOIN-EAA (1-800-564-6322) or www.eaa.org. EAA AirVenture information is also available at www.airventure.org. Since 1775, the Postal Service has connected friends, families, neighbors and businesses by mail. It is an independent federal agency that visits 142 million homes and businesses every day and is the only service provider delivering to every address in the nation. The Postal Service receives no taxpayer dollars for routine operations, but derives its operating revenues solely from the sale of postage, products and services. With annual revenues of more than $69 billion, it is the world's leading provider of mailing and delivery services, offering some of the most affordable postage rates in the world. The Postal Service delivers more than 46 percent of the world's mail volume- some 206 billion letters, advertisements, periodicals and packages a year- and serves seven million customers each day at its 37,000 retail locations nationwide. Information on the Back of the American Advances in Aviation Stamps Building on the popular Classic American Aircraft collection issued in 1997, the planes chosen for this stamp pane illustrate American innovations and technological contributions to military, commercial, and general aviation during the 1930s, '40s, and '50s. Stamp Header Illustrations
Background Information on the American Advances in Aviation Stamps Art Director and Stamp Artist Art Director Phil Jordan Phil Jordan grew up in New Bern, North Carolina, and attended East Carolina University. After Army service in Alaska, he graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a degree in visual communications. He worked in advertising and in design at a trade association before joining Beveridge and Associates, Inc., where he provided art direction for corporate, institutional, and government design projects. A partner in the firm, he left after 18 years to establish his own design firm where he has managed projects for USAir, NASA, McGraw-Hill, IBM, and Smithsonian Books, among others. He was Design Director of Air & Space/Smithsonian magazine for 15 years. His work has appeared in numerous exhibitions and publications such as Graphis and Communications Arts. A past president of the Art Directors Club of Metropolitan Washington, he has been an art director for the U.S. Postal Service since 1991. A resident of Falls Church, Virginia, he is an avid glider pilot and a member of the Skyline Soaring Club. Stamp Artist William S. Phillips Renowned aviation artist William S. Phillips has had a love affair with flight for as long as he can remember. While in the Air Force during the Vietnam War, he sketched military aircraft and dramatic monsoon cloud formations and began to sell his work. After completing military service, Phillips returned to the U.S., graduated from college, and was accepted into law school; all the while he continued to paint. When he sold 4 paintings as he hung them in a local restaurant, he abandoned any thought of legal studies for a full-time career in art. Phillips's research for his paintings has taken him all over the world, bringing him to combat missions such as the Gulf War and natural disasters such as the eruption of Mount St. Helens. He has flown with aviators at the Navy Fighter Weapons School ("Top Gun School") then in Miramar, California, as well as with the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and the U.S. Navy Blue Angels. A recipient of the Navy's Meritorious Public Service Award and the Air Force Award for Artistic Excellence, Phillips was honored in 1987 with a retrospective exhibition at the National Air and Space Museum. His paintings appear in books, including The Glory of Flight (1994); on limited-edition prints; and on 20 Classic American Aircraft stamps issued by the U.S. Postal Service in 1997. Commissioned works hang in public and private collections throughout the world. A former fireman in Ashland, Oregon, where he lives with his wife Kristi, Phillips commemorated the firemen who died on September 11, 2001, with a painting-A Prayer for My Brother-that today hangs in many fire stations throughout the United States. American Advances in Aviation Stamps Issue: American Advances in Aviation Item Number: 458700 Denomination & Type of Issue: 37-cent Commemorative Format: Pane of 20 with header (10 designs) Series: N/A Issue Date: July 29, 2005 Cities: Vienna, VA 22180 Oshkosh, WI 54902 Designer: Phil Jordan, Falls Church, VA Engraver: N/A Art Director: Phil Jordan, Falls Church, VA Typographer: Phil Jordan, Falls Church, VA Artist: William S. Phillips, Ashland, OR Modeler: Joseph Sheeran Manufacturing Process: Offset Printer: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU) Printed at: Williamsville, NY Press Type: Mueller Martini Stamps per Pane: 20 Print Quantity: 110 million stamps Paper Type: 0 PMU, Type III, Block tag Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive Processed at: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. Colors: Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, PMS 127 (Yellow) PMS Cool Gray 4, PMS 712 (Orange) Stamp Orientation: Horizontal Image Area (w x h): 1.085 x 1.42 in./27.559 x 36.068mm Overall Size (w x h): 1.225 x 1.56 in./31.115 x 39.624 mm Full Pane Size (w x h): 7.24 x 7.85 in./183.896 x 199.390mm Plate Size: 180 stamps per revolution Plate Numbers: "P" followed by seven (7) single digits Marginal Markings: Header "American Advances in Aviation" · Ó 2004 USPS · Two plate numbers Price · Plate position diagram · Descriptive text on back of pane and each individual stamp · Four barcodes on back of pane Catalog Item Number(s): 458720 Block of 4 - $1.48 458730 Block of 10 - $3.70 458740 Full Pane of 20 - $7.40 458763 FDC Set of 10 w/Oshkosh Cancellation - $7.50 458769 FDC Set of 10 w/Vienna Cancellation - $7.50 458765 DCP Random Single - $1.50 458768 $15.00 DCP Set of 10 w/Oshkosh Cancellation - $15.00 458779 $15.00 DCP Set of 10 w/Vienna Cancellation - $15.00 458788 Print with 10 stamps - $14.95 458793 Cancellation Keepsake (FP w/FDC Set of 10; Oshkosh Cancel Set of 10 Only) - $14.90 458799 DCP Keepsake (FP w/DCP Random Single) - $8.90 How to Order First Day of Issue Postmark Customers have 30 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at their local Post Office, by telephone at 800-STAMP-24, and at the Postal Store on www.usps.com/shop. They should affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to: AMERICAN ADVANCES IN AVIATION CANCELLATION C/O POSTMASTER 1025 W 20TH AVE OSHKOSH WI 54902-9998 AMERICAN ADVANCES IN AVIATION CANCELLATION C/O POSTMASTER VIENNA POST OFFICE 200 LAWYERS ROAD NW VIENNA, VA 22180-9998 After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark. All orders must be postmarked by August 28, 2005. How to Order First Day Covers Stamp Fulfillment Services also offers first-day covers for new stamp issues and Postal Service stationery items postmarked with the official first day of issue cancellation. Each item has an individual catalog number and is offered in the quarterly USA Philatelic catalog. Customers may request a free catalog by calling 800-STAMP-24 or writing to: INFORMATION FULFILLMENT DEPT 6270 US POSTAL SERVICE PO BOX 219014 Kansas City Mo 64121-9014 First-day covers remain on sale for at least one year after the stamp's issuance. # # #
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Neat!
Thanks!
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