Celebrates The Best Of Early Aviation
The dazzling aircraft
and the dashing men and women representing the era dubbed "The
Golden Age of Aviation" will be in Oshkosh this summer, as the
American Barnstormers Tour concludes their nine-city schedule at
EAA AirVenture 2006.
The American Barnstormers Tour brings together as many as 20
aircraft from the 1920s, ’30s and ’40s in a unique
collection of airplanes and aviators. The meticulously restored and
maintained aircraft will be featured in a special display in
AirVenture’s Vintage Aircraft area, and flown in showcase
flights during their stay in Oshkosh.
"EAA AirVenture, of course, is the most popular gathering place
in the world for vintage aircraft each year," said Tom Poberezny,
EAA president and AirVenture chairman. "This American Barnstormers
Tour, however, is something that stands out even amidst the
unmatched quality of airplanes that appear on the Oshkosh flight
line every summer. The colorful personalities on the tour match the
fabulous airplanes that will bring the famed Barnstorming Era to
life on the EAA grounds."
The tour -- which begins in Kalamazoo, MI in mid-July --
features the pilots and crews in period clothing as the re-create
the period between the World Wars, when aviation captured the
world’s imagination. Between 1920 and 1940, aviation records
were national news, while air races and aviation rallies drew
thousands of people to their local airfields.
"Flying these vintage aircraft into AirVenture is the perfect
ending for the tour," said Clay Adams, organizer of the American
Barnstormers Tour. "It gives people from all over the world the
chance to travel back in time and experience the same sights,
sounds, and excitement they would have felt some 80 years ago as
they looked out across the fields and saw the Barnstormers on the
horizon."
The American
Barnstormers Tour was born under the wing of an antique Travel Air
biplane, as a group of friends and vintage airplane aficionados
began to talk of resurrecting the barnstorming tours of the 1920s,
where many local citizens would see their first airplane up close,
or perhaps spend a few dollars for their first flight. The magic of
those times and aircraft continues to be a draw today at places
such as EAA AirVenture or other aviation gatherings. Tour
organizers saw an opportunity to give visitors from all backgrounds
a unique vantage point to connect the past with the present.
During their stay at Oshkosh, participants will conduct several
informal "mini-forums" in the American Barnstormers display area,
giving visitors a chance to discover more about the pilots and
flying machines that made this tour possible.
"Less than a century ago aviation was still emerging, and the
potential was unlimited for the designers, dreamers and pilots who
were drawn to the sky," Poberezny said. "At EAA AirVenture 2006,
people can again enjoy the airplanes that provided the excitement
to that era and talk to the personalities who have their own flying
stories to share.
"It’s another reason that to enjoy the entire world of
flight, there is no place to compare to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh.
You’re just got to be there!"
The 54th annual fly-in convention of the Experimental Aircraft
Association will be held at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh on
July 24-30. Of course, Aero-News will be there.