Lots to See

By ANN Correspondent Aleta Vinas

Think if you've seen one EAA AirVenture you've seen them all? Not quite, especially this year, which will be bringing some fantastic firsts to AirVenture. If seeing White Knight and SpaceShipOne, Glacier Girl and the HondaJet wasn't enough, how about no price increase. Prices remain the same as last year!

The week long aviation extravaganza starts July 25 and ends July 31. Between that time over 700,000 aviation enthusiasts will stroll through the gates at Whitman Field in Oshkosh (WI) to gaze at superstars of aviation. I'm not even talking about the likes of Harrison Ford or Patty Wagstaff. I'm talking about the shiny beauties sunning on the tarmac, freshly polished and spiffed up for the week long show.

The world watched Burt Rutan and Scaled Composites on television win the X-Prize. See White Knight and SpaceShipOne in "person" for their only airshow appearance before heading to permanent display in the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC.

VirginAtlantic Global Flyer will be good company for White Knight and SpaceShipOne in AeroShell Square when GlobalFlyer arrives on Tuesday. Global Flyer with Steve Fossett flew round the world, no refueling, and no stopping in 67 hours.

A couple of VLJ's (Very Light Jets) will also be on hand, pony up a cool million or so and one of them could be yours, almost, since they're not quite on the market just yet. The Eclipse has been ever present at AirVenture since its birth but this year, the first lies in the first public demonstration of the Eclipse 500, on July 27th. The new HondaJet will make its first public flight at AirVenture as well. Be watching for the HondaJet on July 28th. Don't blink because it'll only be appearing for one day.

When last AirVenture attendees saw Glacier Girl in 1992, the P-38 Lightning was a pile of parts, dented and smushed from sitting under the ice for a few decades. The Girl has been thawed out and she's quite a hot number now. She'll be on display in AeroShell square as well as doing what she does best, flying.

If you've never seen a DC-3 smile, you'll have your first chance at AirVenture. Meet spokesplane Duggy, brighter than a rotating beacon, the yellow DC-3 is the star of the National Aviation Hall of Fames (NAHF) SkyReach educational program. Duggy's mission is to help teach children about the history of flight and the accomplishments of NAHF members.

The new Light Sport Aircraft Mall will be at the south edge of AeroShell Square. Over 30 LSA are scheduled to be part of the action.

At the opposite end of AeroShell Square, on the north side will be a Salute to Curtis Pitts. Pitts passed away on June 10th and the display will honor the man who introduced aviation to a whole new era of aerobatic flight. EAA and the International Aerobatics Club, IAC, have done a great job in putting the tribute together in such a short time.

In case you're hungry, Sodexho, replaces McDonald's on the site. Sodexho handles the majority of college dining services in the nation. The menu includes health-focused items and a number of name brands such as Starbucks, Domino's Pizza and others. There are also EAA-member reductions for many combo meals throughout the grounds.

For EAA members, the EAA Member Village has expanded, with many new features and an enhanced Internet Caf� presence. All the better to check out Aero-News's daily, live coverage of the show.

FMI: www.airventure.org