Updates, requests and suggestions

[Roger Janssens]

I'm grateful for the quality and the speed of the updates so far. Several aircraft types have been announced that I had been looking forward to seeing at Oshkosh at some stage.
Some of the updates lead me to wonder whether particular other types have been considered/requested. I'm not sure how active the EAA are in trying to get specific aircraft to attend AirVenture, but in the context of the invitation to 'Rutan and canard aircraft owners to come to Oshkosh and participate in the festivities' (Feb. 19 update), for instance, has any contact been made with Northrop Grumman to bring (the) Proteus? I don't believe it has ever visited Oshkosh (apart from a few fly-overs), while it would still baffle most visitors with its unique lay-out. Along the same lines I'm hoping we will again be treated to a flying display by a Beech Starship. In the Mar. 19 update reference was made to NASA's centennial. Anything NASA brings will be special, but I'm hoping invitations have been extended to some of the more 'really special' types, such as their 747SP SOFIA or S-3 (based on publicly available calendars I realise many types will not be available, e.g. DC-8, both ER-2's, P-3, both C-130's, ...). Or should we, enthusiasts, start to put pressure on Northrop, NASA, etc. to get them to bring aircraft we would like to see?
Lastly, I found out on the VAA's Facebook page that the B-52 is currently scheduled to arrive a couple of days before AirVenture and leave on the Monday after. A pity, as I had been looking forward to seeing it land on 36L and take-off from 18R. As I can stay until Monday night I'm hoping it won't take off until Monday afternoon (~position of the sun for photos). But wouldn't it be nice if that kind of information was included in the updates? Or if there was (like there used to be before the website was overhauled) a list of expected participants, with such details? (more and more fly-ins now have a section on their website showing pre-registered participants)
Roger

[Hal Bryan]

Hi Roger -

Thanks for the feedback! I'm not sure if we've reached out specifically with respect to the Proteus, but I'll be sure and pass that along.


Lastly, I found out on the VAA's Facebook page that the B-52 is currently scheduled to arrive a couple of days before AirVenture and leave on the Monday after. A pity, as I had been looking forward to seeing it land on 36L and take-off from 18R. As I can stay until Monday night I'm hoping it won't take off until Monday afternoon (~position of the sun for photos). But wouldn't it be nice if that kind of information was included in the updates? Or if there was (like there used to be before the website was overhauled) a list of expected participants, with such details? (more and more fly-ins now have a section on their website showing pre-registered participants)
Roger

As for the timing on the B-52 arrival and departure, we're a long way from knowing that level of detail, but, as soon as we do, we'll share it.

As for the list of performers - sorry you didn't find it!

If you go to the Features and Attractions area of the AirVenture section of our site, then click on Air Shows, you'll see the link for Performers right there. It'll take you here to show you our confirmed list (http://www.eaa.org/en/airventure/features-and-attractions/eaa-airventure-air-show/eaa-airventure-air-show-performers) as of January. Probably time for an update...!

Thanks again -

Hal

[Roger Janssens]

Hi Hal,
thanks for the swift reply.
I'm sorry but I should have specified 'participants' as being 'show planes', not 'performers'. My question had more to do with the 2,000 or so aircraft that (pre?)register as being on show instead of being visitors. Apparently the EAA is informed ahead of time that e.g. the PB4Y will be attending, and that news is shared with the world. If you know in advance which aircraft will be on show, could that information not be shared with the world, as is being done by more and more fly-ins? (and as you used to do on the old website, where each year you ended up with a list of c.100 special warbirds, vintage planes, etc. that would be attending) Doing so would manage the expectations of aviation enthusiasts like myself who travel across the Atlantic to attend AirVenture, and if that list could be kept up-to-date even during AirVenture, would also allow us to go looking for that special aircraft that turns out to have been there, but that we didn't notice even during the daily trek through the grounds.
As to the list of performers: don't worry, I knew where to find that, but (and apologies for being so blunt): I don't fly across the Atlantic to see the same Thingamajingy Wonderbanger tumble through the sky year after year when I can see basically the same act at the airshow 10 miles down the road. It's the Harlow PJC-2's and Fairchild XNQ-1's (just to give 2 examples) of this world that I come to Oshkosh for.
Best,
Roger

PS Forgot to add that probably the most special NASA aircraft we could hope for is of course the Super Guppy. But I'd really love to see that next to its daddy, the BAHF's KC-97, and since the latter looks like it may not be ready this year after all, it's probably better to save the energy to convince NASA to bring the Super Guppy for the year in which the KC-97 will be ready.

[Hal Bryan]

Ahh, understood.

Generally speaking, we do share what we know when and as we can, but you might be surprised at how many wonderful airplanes show up that we don't know about in advance.

Anyway, as you can see, we've already started calling out some of the aircraft that we're expecting in key areas - Boeing Plaza and the Warbirds area are two locations where we already know a few participants:

http://www.eaa.org/en/airventure/place/Boeing%20Plaza?id=31EA629114FA4F3A80D3D04B3C9DFA15&sourceid=7c479b53-1bce-4738-a49e-b4522bf37880

http://www.eaa.org/en/airventure/features-and-attractions/aircraft-areas/warbird-aircraft-area

You can get to these pages by clicking Aircraft Areas under Features and Attractions on the AirVenture portion of the site.

Regards,

Hal

P.S. I'm dreaming of a 3-ship formation: B-29, C-97, and Super Guppy... probably not this year, as you said, but maybe one day.

[EDGEFLY]

Ahh, understood.

Generally speaking, we do share what we know when and as we can, but you might be surprised at how many wonderful airplanes show up that we don't know about in advance.

Anyway, as you can see, we've already started calling out some of the aircraft that we're expecting in key areas - Boeing Plaza and the Warbirds area are two locations where we already know a few participants:

http://www.eaa.org/en/airventure/place/Boeing%20Plaza?id=31EA629114FA4F3A80D3D04B3C9DFA15&sourceid=7c479b53-1bce-4738-a49e-b4522bf37880

http://www.eaa.org/en/airventure/features-and-attractions/aircraft-areas/warbird-aircraft-area

You can get to these pages by clicking Aircraft Areas under Features and Attractions on the AirVenture portion of the site.

Regards,

Hal

P.S. I'm dreaming of a 3-ship formation: B-29, C-97, and Super Guppy... probably not this year, as you said, but maybe one day.


Hal,

Will neither the Thunderbirds nor the Blue Angels be appearing this year ?

Dale

[Hal Bryan]

Dale -

No, not this year. As far as DoD participation goes, we're really excited to have the F-22 back, and our first-ever B-52 (on the ground; they've done flybys before), and the USMC Harrier, not to mention a couple of others we're still working on...

Regards,

Hal

[psvinny]

Any chance you are working on an f35?

[Roger Janssens]

Thanks for your replies, Hal.


P.S. I'm dreaming of a 3-ship formation: B-29, C-97, and Super Guppy... probably not this year, as you said, but maybe one day.
I was hoping to see those 3 on the ground together some day, but now that you've mentioned a [flying] 3-ship formation...! :-)
(Probably not going to happen, though: at least I've never seen a report of a NASA aircraft taking part in an aerial display, so I doubt they would change their policy for such a family formation. But we live in hope!)