If you plan to go to AirVenture this year, you can find our “Oshkosh LIVE” Redbird Studio on-site at Redbird Exhibit space 301, adjacent to Hangar A and facing Knapp Street. If you have never been to AirVenture, we hope tuning in to our daily coverage will inspire you to make the trip to Oshkosh one day.

If you’re simply unable to join this year, our goal is to ensure you don’t miss out on all of the excitement by bringing the experience to you live across several of our websites and social media channels.

What to Expect

Daily live segments hosted by editors from FLYING, KITPLANES, Plane & Pilot, AVweb, The Aviation Consumer, and AirlineGeeks will host daily live segments featuring interviews with the world’s top airshow performers, a look at some of the most rare aircraft in the world, tips for how to build your own aircraft or pursue a career in aviation, and features on the rich history that has shaped AirVenture.

When and Where to Watch

Our live broadcast will run daily, Monday through Thursday, July 22-July 25, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. CDT (9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. EDT).

On Friday, July 26, we will livestream additional original content from the week throughout the day. You will find us broadcasting and streaming live across all of our brand websites—on the FLYING and AVweb YouTube Channels, as well as FLYING and Plane & Pilot Facebook pages.

Follow us on Facebook or click subscribe to one of our YouTube channels and you’ll receive alerts that we are live!

We hope to see you in Oshkosh or that you’ll tune in to see all the exciting news and activity from this year’s EAA AirVenture.

The post Watch for ‘Oshkosh Live’ During AirVenture appeared first on Plane & Pilot Magazine.

As experts in the field have determined, the tongue-tied feeling that occurs at the press of a push-to-talk switch can be primarily attributed to a lack of experience on the radio and venturing into the world of ATC prematurely and unprepared.

That’s where ATC simulations, such as those from PilotEdge, VATSIM, and others, create a virtual world that allows users to practice their communication talents long before they take off. These simulations provide a safe environment for pilots to learn and improve their communication skills, ensuring a higher level of safety in real-world flights.

The only thing you need to hone your radio communication skills using an ATC simulation is a flight simulator program, such as Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, Prepare3D, X-Plane 11 and 12, plus others, or those hardware-based simulators, such as Redbird, that utilize one of the aforementioned programs. 

Pilots who want the most realistic ATC simulation available will likely look to the subscription services of PilotEdge, created by CEO Keith Smith over 11 years ago, instead of the hobbyist services available.  

While any of the current ATC simulators will provide some level of benefit, Kevin Meyers, director of special events and marketing at PilotEdge, emphasizes that “those with current ATC and former military controllers staffing the ranks, such as PilotEdge, will provide you with a replication that mimics life in the real world of ATC, getting you ready and prepared as you take flight.” 

In addition, using an ATC simulation will allow you to practice your communication within various types of airspace—everything from traversing VFR uncontrolled airports to making the journey to and through Class Bravo airspace and beyond. And with the realism of the ATC world that goes far beyond the old text-based and voice-recognition days of past ATC simulations, you will be so immersed in the ATC ecosystem that you may forget that it’s a simulation.  

The cost of admission to a real-world ATC simulation subscription with PilotEdge is a little more than 50 cents per day. VATSIM and others are viable options for those who are not pilots or want to experience ATC simulation as a hobby without spending any monthly cash, but either alternative is better than none. 

And don’t think these simulations are a game—far from it. In fact, if you have a pilot deviation while you’re flying the sim using PilotEdge, you might receive the dreaded warning that Captain Jack Brasher got on his commercial carrier flight on August 13, 1985, long before his last name became synonymous with the warning that no pilot ever wants to hear.

• READ MORE: Say Again?

To be clear, the PilotEdge version of the Brasher warning is not shared with anyone except the operations team to improve the realism of the simulation and determine if tweaks need to be made to the software. It simply adds to the overall realism of your ATC simulation.

Speaking of realism, are you planning on flying into Oshkosh for EAA AirVenture in July? How would you like to be able to practice the approaches into Wittman Regional Airport before your actual flight, where KOSH is the busiest airspace in the world for that period of time? 

With PilotEdge’s unique simulation, you can do just that. Annually, from about two weeks before AirVenture begins, the company rolls out SimVenture. Meyers said it “is the only way and best way to prepare to fly into AirVenture.” 

So, dust off your headset, strap into your simulator, and take to the virtual skies to improve your ATC communication and learn how to talk with controllers just like the pros.

Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared as part of a longer piece in the JULY/AUGUST 2024 issue of Plane & Pilot magazine.

The post Practice Flying into AirVenture appeared first on Plane & Pilot Magazine.

Before wheels up en route to OSH, it’s essential to become familiar with the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2024 Notice (commonly known and published before as Oshkosh NOTAMS ). The Notice provides detailed, necessary information to make your arrival and departure to this year’s 71st fly-in convention, held July 22nd through 29th, a success.

With more than 10,000 aircraft expected to arrive at Wittman Regional and other nearby airports, the density of aircraft is only exceeded by the hundreds of thousands of attendees in total that are expected to attend this year. And just because you may be familiar with last year’s arrival and departure notes, keep in mind that there are some new changes in store for you this year. In fact, many of the updated changes for this year were a direct result of feedback from pilots like you, with a dose of FAA recommendations as well.

So, what can you expect if you are flying into OSH this year (other than the requisite sweaty palms?) The first thing to consider is that the 2024 Notice is effective from Noon CDT on Thursday, July 18 through Noon CDT on Monday, July 29. Since many different aircraft types traverse the airspace, the FAA-designed Notice provides procedures for the many types of aircraft flying in for the event.

• READ MORE: Welcome to Oshkosh

Some of the surprise changes for this year include a TFR that will be in effect in Milwaukee (KMKE) airspace from July 15 through 18, a direct result of the Republican National Convention taking place during this time.

Anyone who has flown into AirVenture in the past is well familiar with the FISK holding procedure. However, don’t get too comfy with that procedure this year, as the FISK holding procedure has changed, as evidenced by several pages dedicated to these changes in the Notice. By the way, for you early birds, there are no FISK arrivals on Thursday, July 25, before 8 a.m., so go ahead and enjoy that Grand Slam breakfast and plan your arrival accordingly.

As before, ATC assignable transition points will also be part of the 2024 plan. This includes approaching Oshkosh from the west, which is planned to ease holding and congestion.

Transition points include Endeavor Bridge, Puckaway Lake, and Green Lake. These will be announced on the arrival ATIS when ATC activates these points, typically during high traffic times.

Even seasoned pilots will tell you that preparation is critical to your safe and successful journey to and from AirVenture. EAA’s vice president of advocacy and safety, Sean Elliott, says, “The most essential information for any pilot flying to Oshkosh involves reading and thoroughly understanding the 2024 AirVenture Notice to ensure safe operations on arrival and departure.”

With total aircraft operations at Wittman alone expected to average up to 148 takeoffs and landings per hour when the airport is open, understanding the procedures in detail becomes even more critical.

As a successful fly-in attendee, you will be part of a group of pilots who will experience one of the most exhilarating aspects of general aviation—flying into EAA AirVenture: an experience that should not be taken lightly.

Pilots can download a digital version of the Notice at EAA.org/NOTAM.

The post Changes in the 2024 AirVenture Notice Worth Examining appeared first on Plane & Pilot Magazine.

By mid-July, I had a dance card filled, with interviews and media events blocked for every one of the seven days I would be in attendance. I had read everything I could about what to pack and wear to stay comfortable walking from one end of the venue to another in search of the next story. I had talked to my sister and other friends who had been there. I was ready.

I knew I would have some time between events and interviews, so I planned to take in the daily air shows and spend some time visiting the museum to get out of the heat. I had starry-eyed visions of leisurely conversations with the owners of fabulously restored vintage birds and plenty of time to people watch. But I didn’t know about the Oshkosh vortex.

The trouble started on day one, Sunday, after I picked up FLYING Media Group technical editor Meg Godlewski from Appleton International Airport (KATW) and then innocently tried to get us into the event. We spent 45 minutes touring at least three of the campgrounds, off-roading on terrain my low-clearance Honda wasn’t designed to handle. I’m still not entirely sure how we managed to get into those areas, much less out again—arguing like an old married couple over which way to go.

And it wasn’t the last time during the week my navigational skills departed, which was disconcerting because they are usually decent at worst. I’m going to blame it all on the fact that the event map wasn’t oriented to the north. Godlewski may be skeptical about that.

Meanwhile, FMG travel editor Jonathan Welsh was having an even more frustrating experience. Weather forced him to abort his Sunday flight into the event, and the next day he made the difficult decision to return home in light of the low visibility conditions because of smoke.

FMG editor-in-chief Julie Boatman nodded sagely at my midweek “flustration” when my schedule continued to rearrange itself in unexpected ways. “That’s the Oshkosh vortex,” she said.

The best-laid plans at AirVenture have a way of swirling out of your hands. And so it turned out that my first Oshkosh was as much about learning how to Oshkosh—psychologically—as it was about getting great stories. The trick is to embody airshow zen. You just let the swirling tides move you. And when you do, you might end up somewhere unexpectedly awesome—like when I found myself with Godlewski in the cockpit of NASA’s Super Guppy, interviewing pilot Ray Heinemann about what it’s like to fly the beast; or with Jeremy King a day later, chatting with the Guppy’s flight engineer, Nelson Reyes, about his career journey at the FMG booth.

• READ MORE: STOL Enthusiasts Flocked to AirVenture

I also learned that one must plan around the weather. Early morning is a perfect time to visit many of the exhibits, while the light is beautiful and before the scene fills with visitors. Photographer Stephen Yeates took advantage of this strategy on Tuesday to capture some incredible images, the early morning light filtering dramatically through the wildfire smoke drifting down from Canada.

I learned the hard way that midday is not a time to schedule anything, other than maybe a writing session in an air-conditioned space (or, I assume, a quiet stroll through the museum. I never did make it in). My schedule often found me trudging to interviews in the sweltering heat and suffering from dizzying exhaustion as a consequence.

However, pulling back my dripping hair and venturing out with my water bottle in the heat occasionally found my efforts rewarded (even if I had to take a timeout later), particularly on a visit to the ICON Aircraft booth midweek. I sat with CEO Jerry Meyer and talked about the unique design of the amphibious A5.

Meyer confirmed my initial observation about the design of the cockpit, which feels almost as approachable as a car. It was developed to be accessible, with information delivered to the pilot at a glance and controls intuitively laid out in the small space.

Meyer drew my attention to one particular difference from many GA cockpits (even glass cockpits): the prominent angle-of-attack indicator placed at the top right of the instrument panel. “Rather than watching airspeed,” Meyers said, “you fly the angle of attack. You do this during climb, in straight-and-level flight, and flying a pattern and landing.”

Engineering innovations tend to have tradeoffs, and this airplane is no exception. The wing design makes it incredibly hard to stall the A5—you can see many videos of reactions to this during demo flights on the company’s YouTube channel (and I’m sure my reaction was no different). The pilot retains some aileron control even when fully stalled; the tradeoff comes in terms of speed. A sleek design means a tight margin for useful load—you’re not going to be taking long cross-country flights with a friend and lots of gear in an A5.

Meyer walked me around one of the company’s A5 models on display at its booth and pointed out the wing-folding design, which makes it possible to tow the airplane to the lake for a weekend. An ideal perk for the target market for this airplane: people who want an amphibious airplane to enjoy air and water at their leisure.

• READ MORE: ICON Bumps Useful Load of A5 LSA Seaplane

A few days later, I drove to the beautifully appointed Brennand Airport (79C) in Neenah, about 10 miles north of Oshkosh, to take a demo flight with one of the company’s instructor pilots, Alex Mason, regional sales director for the West Coast (Seattle to San Diego), and experience some of its characteristics in action. We took off and headed west to Lake Winneconne.

Once over the water, Meyer demonstrated a stall. The airplane entered the condition reluctantly, and there was never a full break. We hovered for a bit in a falling-leaf stall and then made a couple of turns using the rudder while in the stall. I’m echoing many others here, but it was a weird experience, even knowing about this characteristic ahead of time.

Mason demonstrated a water landing and takeoff, talking me through the process of selecting a landing spot, observing wind direction on the water, and then flying a normal pattern and landing. Flying the angle of attack, as Meyer had suggested, was disconcerting for someone used to a constant mental calculus centered on airspeed and attitude. But it worked, as my landing wound up far smoother than I expected.

On takeoff, I marveled at the A5’s tendency to “slip the surly bonds of Earth” (with a nod to John Gillespie Magee Jr.) on its own. It needed only the slightest nudge to part from the water at rotation speed. In the air, Mason demonstrated some steep turns and a box canyon reversal, and I marveled at what appeared to be a duck with an angry lawn mower installed in it could be so nimble in the air.

As we touched down in Brennand, I felt a bit of letdown. I wasn’t sure I’d like the A5 before my flight. But after it was over, I was sad that I didn’t have more time to play in the air.

On my last day at Oshkosh, the vortex threw me a bone. I was invited to join a media flight aboard World War II Douglas C-47 Placid Lassie in a special formation flight with the Vaerus Jet Sales Douglas DC-3. The airplanes are part of the D-Day Squadron, which will return to Europe next year to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Normandy invasion.

I thought a lot about the young men who had sat in my place 79 years ago and about the tides that moved them to their fates. It was a sobering reflection and an honor to be part of that little bit of history for a few fleeting moments. And that, the honoring of the past and celebration of innovation and exploration, is what AirVenture is all about. 

Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared in the October 2023 issue of Plane & Pilot magazine. 

The post Sketches of Adventure appeared first on Plane & Pilot Magazine.

I’ll mention this news briefly as I wish to pay respect to fellow pilots. Two accidents on the weekend after we departed resulted in four fatalities, reportedly including one passenger. My sincere condolences to the surviving families. Oshkosh has enjoyed safe years with no loss of life, but when so many airplanes assemble, mathematical odds suggest that something is going to happen despite incredible efforts to make the event as safe as possible

In the heat of Oshkosh 2023, people proved adept at finding shade where they could, in this case, that offered by a tailplane and fuselage. During the week, a few Wisconsin days were rather warm. Cooling rains came mostly at night, sparing the airshow but surely soaking campers in tents. The campgrounds were full to the edges, and the Experimental Aircraft Association opened multiple other locations to handle the overflow. AirVenture’s campground metric—Camp Scholler can accommodate 40,000 campers, and that wasn’t enough—plus thick throngs of people to weave around anywhere I walked on the showgrounds suggested a great turnout to me. Indeed, EAA president and CEO Jack Pelton reported more than 677,000 visitors.

MOSAIC and More

Given the FAA’s earlier-than-predicted release of the highly anticipated NPRM (Notice of Proposed Rulemaking), it’s no wonder that the Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification (MOSAIC) was on the minds of many aviators. The two things that are no longer included are drones and multicopters. Once they were removed, the regulation went forward swiftly.

MOSAIC burst upon the scene bearing some unanticipated surprises. Through its proposal, the FAA has confirmed that the industry did well regulating itself. The FAA has said repeatedly, “We want industry to do more.” ASTM International’s F37 light sport aircraft (LSA) committee members have clearly done an impressive job.

Various groups will closely examine the NPRM, producing summaries as soon as possible, so you can digest it and compose your response. I hope each of you will let the FAA know what you think, but write your own words. Scanning technology allows the FAA to group identical responses as one response, so say whatever you think, but don’t copy and paste language others have proposed. Also, be polite and constructive—ranting will not help.

• READ MORE: The Practical Magic of Economical Buys

Fly at Night?

Here’s one part of the NPRM that generated many comments. The question was raised: “Can a sport pilot fly at night…without a medical?”

One commenter wrote: “‘The FAA stated at a forum…[at Oshkosh 2023] that, yes, the intent is that for night flight a medical or BasicMed is required. The reason given was that they did not have enough trust in state driver agencies to adequately check eyes.”

I’m sure the person heard and quoted the FAA guys correctly. However, reading the Federal Register release of MOSAIC, I still believe the agency will use endorsements to allow sport pilot certificate holders to receive training in pursuit of skills for night flying, retractable gear, adjustable props, and even IFR. The language in the NPRM supports this on page after page.

More Aircraft Coming

I know what most readers enjoy, and fortunately I have the same interest. The following flying machines are ones I will be writing about in the days and weeks ahead at ByDanJohnson.com (a member of FLYING Media Group to become AffordableAviation.com over the next few months). By no means are these all the intriguing aircraft I saw at Oshkosh, but they are ones I think you will enjoy the most.

Aeroprakt A-32 Vixxen

I simply have to admire the Aeroprakt team, led by designer Yuri Yakovlev. Everyone on the planet is aware how its home country of Ukraine is under immense pressure from every direction, including Russian missiles flying and bombs dropping. How the team can keep it together is something of a miracle and certainly a credit to its dedication and resolve.

During AirVenture, former importer Dennis Long, who’s still helping, texted to say Aeroprakt had built its 1,500th aircraft. The company isn’t just repeating, though—it’s still innovating. One Aeroprakt on display, the A-32 Vixxen, featured a third door (similar to Jabiru J-230D, Montaer MC-01, and KFA’s Safari XL) to make loading baggage easier and allowing use of the aft space in the Vixxen’s roomy cockpit. New importer Andy Humphrey, who operates as Heavenbound Aviation in Johnstown, Ohio, showed me another Aeroprakt at Oshkosh that was fully equipped for IFR, a use he noted is “permitted for Special LSA when used for IFR flight or recurrent training.” A standard in development by ASTM should allow flight into IMC that is not presently advised.

Hawk Ultra Air

We’ve known Hawk for many years as it celebrated 40 years in 2022 (as did the Part 103 regulation). Today, one organization, CGS Aviation, builds the Special LSA version. In Oshkosh, I met a new engineer hired at CGS who confirmed it is going through the two-seater carefully, creating all-new CAD files that never existed with the original. This is a very worthy effort but prevented the company from displaying at AirVenture.

Bob Santom and son LB focus solely on the single-place CGS Hawks, including models that qualify for Part 103’s wonderful privileges. It turns out both CGS enterprises can stay busy. At AirVenture, the Santoms exhibited their open-cockpit Hawk Ultra Air. I thought it looked good with no Dacron skin covering the structure. I observed different pilots enter the cockpit—one weighing 165 pounds and one 240—and both seemed to fit easily. A 200-to-250-hour build for beginners, the display Hawk Ultra Air makes 103 with an airframe parachute, tipping the scales at a completely proper 278 pounds empty.

Aquilae

The name means eagle in Latin, a great moniker for an airplane even if everyone will ask how to spell it and say it—“ACK-will-ay.” Does it look familiar to you? It did to me as I toured the ultralight area at AirVenture. I had a hint, though.

Mark Mellicker represented the G1 STOL at airshows for the last couple years. As so often happens in aviation and any other business, events changed the organization and another company at AirVenture told me it was representing G1. So I had two clues when I saw Mellicker by the shiny, new airplane. He decided to go on his own and, voila, Aquilae.

When I write more about this, you will see it has a wing-fold system that many buyers like. It’s a large-ish, STOL-capable design like G1, but both G1 and Aquilae owe their design heritage to the Alisport Yuma from Italy, though that look significantly resembles the Zenith 701, the granddaddy of such designs.

Fusion Nano Gyro

I readily admit I was charmed by Fusion’s Nano Gyro when I saw it and reported on it from AirVenture 2021. However, it needed a different engine, and Jeffrey Boyd was already on it with European producer Fusion Copter.

At AirVenture this year, Boyd of Fly Ultralight Nano (FUN) showed an example propelled by a Hirth F23 engine producing 50 hp. He says it has behaved well for him and actually enjoyed success with sales of the modestly priced (less than $30,000) Part 103 aircraft. Big two-seat gyros are fun and essential for training, but once you know how to fly this type of aircraft, Nano might be the last one you ever need.

I tried it on for size in 2021 and loved the way it felt and fit. Now with more substantial and dependable power, I’d bet many more will arrive in the U.S. However, it’s already seen a good run as Fusion now has 35 flying around the world, and Boyd has led the charge in selling 21 units in the U.S. That’s a performance of which he can be proud.

GOGetAir G750

Here’s an aircraft I’ve seen for a few years at the German show, AERO Friedrichshafen, and enjoyed for those 25 years. But it seems appropriate to bring attention to a four-seater as that category will be coming in 16 months if we get “MOSAIC LSA” or MLSA.

Shannon Hankins and Alan Jackson from Scissortail Aerosport LLC are representing the G750 in North America. GoGetAir Aircraft is a fairly new company, arriving on the scene during what might be called the COVID-19 era. It started before the pandemic but had to immediately survive that trying period with its handsome aircraft.

The timing of Scissortail and GoGetAir is marvelous, being right on the cusp of MOSAIC being released. In the meantime, the FAA has registration categories, such as experimental exhibition, that allow the import of a small number of fully assembled aircraft to test the market. By late 2024 or early 2025, we should see MOSAIC become official regulation and then the G750 will easily fit the MLSA category, assuming the company chooses to pursue and declare compliance with ASTM standards. Naturally, we have yet to learn how the FAA will audit a new producer like GoGetAir, although third-party audits have been discussed.

The G750 is a four-seater, powered by the Rotax 915iS. This will be a very common combination when MOSAIC officially arrives, but the G750 also demonstrates style and a beautifully compound-curved leading and trailing edge wing.

Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared in the October 2023 issue of Plane & Pilot magazine. 

The post A New Lighter Side of Oshkosh appeared first on Plane & Pilot Magazine.

Frank Knapp, an Alaskan STOL pilot and current holder of the Valdez STOL record distance, and his wife, Kris, have been coordinating the STOL demonstration at AirVenture since its inception in 2014. Along with the Knapps, the elite of the STOL community were present to help put on a spectacular show.

Among the notables on the field were Russ Keith, founder of the ever-growing nonprofit organization  Airplanes & Coffee, and national STOL series founder Doug Jackson. 

STOL trailblazer Joe “Pops” Dory and STOL ”Queen” Anitra Goddard could be seen at the spot landing line, signaling to the fans if the landings were good or a scratch. 

The recognizable voices of Cory Robin and SuperAero Live YouTube host Ryan Dembroski, who announced for the series this season, could be heard over the loudspeakers engaging the crowd and narrating the piloting skills shown in each takeoff and landing.

The impressive lineup of demo pilots that the crowd was there to see flew in from everywhere to showcase their skills and aircraft. A majority of them jump between the growing STOL events that include STOL Drag, National STOL and ArkanSTOL. Eight of the 12 competitors flew in formation to Oshkosh from the national Sodbusters STOL competition that took place a short flight away in Hartford, Wisconsin, just days before the start of AirVenture.

The demo roster included some STOL greats (with airplane number in parentheses where applicable): (You can view the full details of the STOL demo pilots and their aircraft here.)

• Amir Bayani, STOL Bandits—(100) Carbon Cub EX-2
• Austin Clemens—(62) “The Dog” Aviat Husky A-1C
• Brian Steck—(221) “Scooter” American Legend Cub MOAC 
• Harold “Hal” Stockman—(3) “The Lawnmower III” RANS S-7S
• Jason Busat—(12) “Full Send” 2023 RANS S-20
• Jeff Pohl—(00) “The Dirty Bird” Cessna 170B
• Joe Dory—(53) “Wicked Pacer” Experimental Pacer
• John Young—(127) “Stickers” Aviat Husky A-1B
• Kyle Bushman—Backcountry Super Cub Rev 3
• Richard Ness and Nick Smith—Experimental PA18 L21 Yooper Super Cub
• Steve Henry—(44) “Yeehaw 8” Wild West Aircraft, Just Aircraft Highlander XL
• Tony Terrell—1954 Piper L-21B

The crowd cheered and celebrated as pilots hit the line and shared in the disappointment if there was a scratch. Unlike previous years, this year’s demonstration was a purist’s delight as no measurements were taken, giving the event the feel of a spot landing contest where the pilots had freedom to have little fun with it.  

Austin Clemens could be seen showing off his reversible pitch prop capabilities as he  “accidentally” pulled too far over the start/finish line. Steve Henry ran on his big tires most of the week, eventually switching to his now popular knobby tire setup, as requested by fans who visited his vendor booth throughout the week in Oshkosh. Jason Busat flew in from Alberta, Canada, and was excited to debut his new 2023 Rans S-20 in the demonstration. 

View highlights here at the National STOL Series YouTube Channel and here at the Wild West Aircraft YouTube Channel

“The most exciting part of co-announcing the STOL Demo at Osh this year was seeing all of the passion the audience had and being able to tell the story of safety and proficiency that permeates the STOL community,” said Dembroski. “Cory [Robin] and I had lots of amazing interactions with kids of all ages at the fence line, and if we inspired even one young boy or girl to pursue flight or STOL, we’ve done our jobs.”

The weather usually makes headlines during AirVenture, and this year was no different as the event experienced record-setting, sweltering hot days and powerful evening thunderstorms that turned the grounds into what has affectionately been dubbed “Sloshkosh.” The storms brought strong wind gusts that took out some tents, vendor booths, and a few ultralights.

The STOL demonstrations were originally scheduled to take place on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, but because of the adverse weather conditions, the Friday event had to be canceled. The STOL pilots didn’t disappoint the unwavering crowd and made up for it with an engaging Q&A session moderated by Robin and Dembroski, where they passed out stickers and autographed posters.

Editor’s note: This story originally appeared on flyingmag.com.

The post STOL Enthusiasts Flocked to AirVenture appeared first on Plane & Pilot Magazine.

Equipped with a sliding canopy over two seats and control sticks, the M20T was unmistakably geared for military service. Under the wings, four hardpoints gave the Predator teeth in the form of missiles, light rockets, or gun pods.
Much like the 1951 effort, the Predator showed well—but not well enough. The official reason for its rejection was that the M20T did not recover well from spins with a full load of fuel. Mooney wings are lauded for their strength and stability. The former was an asset, the latter a liability in this design. Roll rates were lackluster, failing to meet design criteria despite numerous revisions to the ailerons. Spin recovery has never been great with the Mooney design, and that was really the nail in the coffin. A one-turn spin was easily recoverable with quick recovery inputs. A two-turn spin took another four turns to recover; a four-turn spin wasn’t recoverable. Mooney withdrew from the competition before it ended.
The winner was the Slingsby T-3 Firefly, which raised some eyebrows: “Made in America” was a stipulation of the contract, but Slingsby built most of the airplane in the U.K. and assembled it in the U.S. After a brief few years in service, the U.S. Air Force grounded the T-3 fleet in 1997 after a pair of spin-related accidents and an engine failure. They were destroyed in 2006.
Meanwhile, the M20T prototype had gathered dust at the Kerrville, Texas, factory. Jacques Esculier, the company’s president, ordered the prototype destroyed. The engine went back to Continental (it had been loaned for the venture), but the employees in Mooney’s R&D complex were more than a little attached to the machine they’d poured so much work into. In a clandestine effort, they disassembled the airframe and pigeonholed it in various spaces across the facility. And there it stayed hidden until it found a champion.
Former Mooney chief operating officer Tom Bowen recalled his first encounter with the design. “In 1995, the research and development team staff gained enough confidence in me, and they said, ‘We have something to show you—this project we’d really like to work on.’” The workers took him through the
hangars where the pieces of the M20T were scattered. “I knew a little about the program, but it hadn’t been my focus.”
Bowen received permission from the company’s president for the workers to resurrect the project, but Mooney was being prepped for sale so they had to do so without any meaningful budget. “So we begged, borrowed, and might have stolen a few pieces from the production line,” Bowen said of beginning to reassemble the airplane. Working evenings and weekends, the airplane began to come back together, this time with a Lycoming AEIO-540 under the cowl. The bird had never been underpowered, but this engine promised even more performance.
Now registered as N20XT, the unique Mooney took flight again, and Dirk Vander Zee, then Mooney’s vice president of sales and marketing, dubbed it the “Predator.” The name stuck, and the Predator gained its memorable paint scheme after Bowen’s daughters, armed with a three-view drawing and a box of crayons, colored in tiger stripes. In the hands of longtime Mooney experimental test pilot Mike “Mikey” Miles, the Predator took flight, and Miles started checking out the other Mooney test pilots in the bird.

The whole rehabilitation project had stayed beneath leadership’s radar, and on June 30, 1997, Bowen taxied the mostly complete Predator, its test time already flown off, to the main headquarters and parked it in front of the office of Mooney president Bing Lantis. “The offices all have windows out to the ramp, and as I walked in, he was speechless,” Bowen said. Lantis went for a ride, and magically, the team had a modest operating budget for the program. With a few bucks to use, the crayon on paper became paint on metal, and soon the bird was ready to display.
The Predator parked at the Mooney Aircraft Pilots Association tent that year at EAA AirVenture, and the next it was front and center for Oshkosh and the Sun ’n
Fun Fly-In.
The R&D team continued to tweak the design, modifying the flight control sizes, then adding and adjusting servo tabs to eke out every bit of maneuverability it could. The work was well outside the norm for Mooney’s engineers, who had built generations of stable, efficient aircraft but sometimes overshot their goals and had to rein back the project when it became too unstable. What they wound up with, Bowen recalled, was not the fingertip-flying mindbender that some would imagine.
“It’s not a two-finger machine,” Bowen said. “But it is a pleasant airplane to fly with one hand on the stick.” The 90-degree-per-second roll rate hoped for initially never really came to be—50 degrees per second is where it settled in, and inverted flight was never all that great, taking an aggressive nose-up pitch of 10-12 degrees to hold level inverted. “But it looped great, pulling only about 1.8 to 2 Gs.” It was speedy—160 knots or so in cruise, but the straight exhaust pipes with no mufflers made for a very noisy experience until ANR headsets came along.
Dreamers drooled over the design, but nobody was ready to pony up the bucks for orders, and when Bowen left Mooney, the Predator hardly flew. After a period of dormancy, the Florida Air Museum asked to display it, and it was ferried to Lakeland, where it sat for several years. It eventually wound up back in Kerrville at the Mooney factory, once again forlorn.
Don and Paul Maxwell, the father-son team at Maxwell Aviation, made an offer to the newest owners of Mooney: They’d restore the Predator to flight status if they could get permission. One might argue that short of the factory itself, Maxwell Aviation—one of the nation’s most popular Mooney Service Centers—would be the perfect place for such a project.
In 2020, the Maxwells showed up at Mooney’s Texas factory to bring the Predator back to their shop, but it didn’t fly home. The solid wing, a design trait Mooney owners brag about when it comes to comparison with other GA aircraft, becomes a liability if you want to haul a Mooney home. The crew from Maxwell Aviation set to drilling out the bulkhead’s rivets just aft of the cabin’s steel-tube cage and separated the tail, setting the pieces onto a flatbed trailer for transport.
The restoration took two years of part-time work as Paul led the effort, overhauling the engine and rebuilding the airframe. The M20T wing had featured larger-than-stock ailerons. Paul and his crew replaced that wing with a M20K wing, which brought them back to stock ailerons and flaps. The elevators had featured servo tabs to lighten stick forces, but after a few flights the team replaced them with stock equipment.
“Unless you’re going to be flying aerobatics every single flight, the older elevators were overkill,” Paul Maxwell said.
The Predator’s entire existence had ridden out numerous ownership changes at Mooney and a shoestring budget all along, but now the Maxwells have heaped the goodies onto it. Its instrument panel now features Garmin G3X Touch displays with engine instrumentation, CIES electronic fuel senders, and a Garmin GFC 500 autopilot.
The fuselage’s tiger stripes were replicated and extended to the wings. Carbon monoxide in the cabin was an issue all along, but the Maxwells have sorted that out, and it now has a Guardian CO detector. Sporting a 300 hp Lycoming AEIO-540 on the nose, the Predator certainly has the power to push you back into the seat and plaster a smile on your face.
“It’s a 170-knot airplane,” said Paul Maxwell. “It’s not as fast as a Bravo, but it will outclimb all the other Mooneys.”
The Predator returned to flight March 18 and recently attended a Mooney Caravan formation clinic in San Angelo, Texas. The Caravan clinic provides training through the year at regional venues before a giant formation arrival—with tentative plans for the Predator to lead it—at AirVenture in Oshkosh. The Predator will also be on display at MooneyMax, a Mooney-specific symposium in Longview, Texas, on June 22 through 25.
As for its future, what the Predator can do is limited mainly by regulation—it’s registered as experimental-exhibition. “Despite being factory built, it has more restrictions on its use than something built in a garage,” Paul said.
But he intends to fly it to Oshkosh for every AirVenture as long as he lives, and it will actively participate in Mooney caravan clinics as well as attending other, smaller events. 

Editor’s note: This story appeared in the July 2023 issue of Plane & Pilot magazine.

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I write about affordable aviation whenever interesting material is available. This website will eventually (probably by August or September) move to the AffordableAviation.com domain that I purchased many years ago. It’s important to me that pilots can actually afford to own and fly their own aircraft because I am one of you.

I maintain you’ve always been able to find affordable new airplanes but you had to accept something other than a 150 knot four seater.

Part 103 has always been a choice—no medical, N-numbers, or pilot certificate needed—yet not everybody wants that. A great many pilots desire a two seater, even if they nearly always fly it solo. You usually pay more for a two seater, making it less likely to be affordable.

One modestly-priced two seater is available, fortunately.*

A Genuine Bargain?

One flying machine made flying affordable some years ago but it rather quietly slipped from the American market. Therefore, I was pleased to see the return of Sky Ranger for $49,985, complete.

Does “complete” mean a full parts kit? Yes, including wing coverings but everything else you need as well: 80-horsepower Rotax 912 (more than enough; I thought one flew well even with a 582), Kiev 3-blade prop, custom exhaust system, carb heat, Kanardia instruments, and engine instruments.

You won’t have to paint this one as it uses a sewn Dacron laminate fabric that is tough, light, and needs no paint, saving a bundle plus hours of work.

Build time is estimated at 300 hours and it looks to be quite a straightforward job of assembly. No fabrication is needed and only simple hand tools are used.

If you prefer a smoother fuselage, the Nynja model is available for $10,000 more ($59,985, still quite a value in 2023). The extra funds buy a composite fuselage exterior plus a 100-horse 912.

If you agree this is a bargain at a time when the price of eve

rything you buy has gone up 50 to 100 percent or more in the last three years, then you might wonder, “OK, but is this thing any good?”

Here’s two comments that put that inquiry in perspective: SkyRanger is reportedly Britain’s best-selling fixed-wing microlight and is a five-time FAI World Champion. Designed by Frenchman Phillippe Prevot under the brand BestOff, SkyRanger emerged in 1991, so it’s got a track record, too, proven further still by 1,600 flying examples.

How Do They Fly?

Back in 2007 I flew and reported on SkyRanger (read the full pilot report) and here is British aerojournalist Dave Unwin‘s more recent report on Nynja in 2021. I urge you to read both—remembering that my report is from an earlier model version—and then judge if one of these aircraft might work for you. Certainly your savings account, and maybe your significant other, may believe it’s a good choice.

Construction features include: Pin-jointed tubular construction; no welded structure; only straight tubes are used (except wing ribs), which aids assembly; airframe uses aircraft grade 2024 aluminum tubing. Other parts are made from steel and stainless steel.

“The undercarriage is particularly strong,” reported FlyLight. “SkyRanger [was expressly] designed for ‘off the beaten path’ operation.”

Since 2017, Britain’s Flylight Airsports Ltd., has owned the sole design rights and is now rightly considered the manufacturer. Much finalizing work is now in England but primary fabrication is handled by their subcontractor, Aeros, based in Kiev, Ukraine.

Yes, Ukraine! Amazingly, despite the debilitating hardships of war in their homeland, Aeros has soldiered on, as has Aeroprakt, also based in Kiev, or Kyiv if you prefer.

As FlyLight developed this product and worked with Aeros for its manufacture, the design expectedly saw changes and improvements. Modifying the original, FlyLight created the Swift model with shortened wings and the possibility of additional power (the 100 horse Rotax 912). Interior and other alternations were made, later resulting in Swift 2 and now SkyRanger U.S. is promoting Swift 3. I think this is well-suited for the American market that values higher speeds to cross this large country.

Even with the shorter Swift wing, takeoff performance “is still in the STOL category,” said FlyLight,. “With the 100 horsepower 912ULS, maximum weight takeoff roll on grass is just over 200 feet. A spirited 1,200 feet per minute climb rises to more than 1,500 feet per minute solo.”

Nonetheless, stall speed remains a “comfortably low, meaning short field landings are a breeze.” Authoritative control response down to stall speed makes for fuller control with good crosswind capability.

For those that want ultimate STOL, the original long wing is also available on request.

“Swift 3 also has available an LS version which has a 600 kilogram (1,320 pound) maximum takeoff weight. With empty weight under 270 kilograms (595 pounds), the LS version has an astonishing payload of 330 kilograms (725 pounds)… 1.2 X its empty weight!”

After almost 20 years of LSA development adding features that pilots have requested, and after absorbing the mass from these options, empty weight for most LSA has crept up steadily, making SkyRanger’s useful load unusually large.

SkyRanger has been my focus here because it offers a lower price point. However, Nynja is worth your interest if the extra 10 grand is not too much for your budget. It has a composite exterior and the shortened wing of the earlier Swift model so it has a higher cruise (and a somewhat higher stall, of course).

For $50K plus 300 hours of your labor you could have a world champion that has proven itself since before we had Light-Sport Aircraft. Learn more at SkyRanger USA.

SkyRanger Points of Interest

(information provided by FlyLight)

• Simple Tough Structure
• Fast Build (~300 hours)
• Cruise at 100+ MPH
• Stalls at 37 MPH
• Climb at 1,200 FPM
• Over 1,600 Aircraft Flying
• Unbeatable Value
• See SkyRanger, Nynja and other aircraft, on the factory website
• Contact the U.S. representative, SkyRanger USA, also operating as Blue Collar Aviation

* SkyRanger is not the only modestly-priced aircraft fitting this general description. BushCat from SkyReach is another. It is sold in the USA by AeroSport and it is also available in kit form but BushCat is approved as a Special LSA so you can buy it fully built.

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PilotEdge has been proudly hosting SimVenture Oshkosh for four years now, and each time it only gets better. It’s a unique opportunity to emulate the flight procedures associated with the famous EAA AirVenture event. You’ll have the chance to fly into the virtual Oshkosh, guided by the actual Oshkosh air traffic controllers, using your very own flight simulator. Pretty neat, right?

Each year, the real-life Wittman Regional Airport (KOSH) in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, becomes a buzzing hub of more than 10,000 aircraft arriving for AirVenture. To handle this incredible influx of air traffic, the Experimental Aircraft Association collaborates with the FAA and the National Air Traffic Controllers Association to develop specific VFR arrival and departure procedures.

If you’re a real-world pilot, SimVenture represents a golden opportunity to brush up on your nonstandard VFR skills. Whether you’re a seasoned AirVenture attendee or new to the game, these procedures can be quite unique, and SimVenture offers a platform to practice and familiarize yourself with them, building confidence and contributing to safer real-world flights.

For flight simulator enthusiasts, SimVenture can make your dreams of flying into AirVenture come true, even if it’s in a virtual setting. This is your chance to experience the thrill of one of the most realistic flight simulations you’ve ever experienced.

The first SimVenture in 2020 was created as a response to the global COVID-19 pandemic, offering aviation lovers an exciting activity they could safely enjoy from home. It quickly became a massive success, with more than 1,000 virtual arrivals into Oshkosh.

By 2021, the event transitioned to a more training-focused approach, allowing pilots to use SimVenture as a rehearsal for the actual AirVenture event happening just a week later. This strategy continued into 2022, recording well more than 2,000 arrivals throughout the event.

And now, here we are, gearing up for SimVenture 2023. We are thrilled to be a part of this grand event with a virtual booth, joining you in exploring the virtual skies at SimVenture. So, mark the dates—July 13-16. Let’s celebrate our shared passion for aviation, learn, engage and, above all, have a great time. Can’t wait to see you there! Happy flying!

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