...But The Neatest Part Of This Story ISN'T The Plane

Kyle Wilson is coming to Oshkosh this year for the big EAA AirVenture fly-in... and like thousands of other pilots, Wilson is flying his plane into Oshkosh for the world's biggest air show. He won't be part of the gaggle, however... in fact, you can bet when Kyle lands, he won't have to share a runway with anyone.

Kyle's plane -- we'd better make that Captain Wilson's plane -- is a B-1B Lancer bomber, and he'll be flying in for the show from Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota. It will be the first time a B1-B has graced AirVenture's ground displays in a decade.

"The minute I started pilot training I always thought about how I could get a plane back to Oshkosh," said Wilson. "It's always been a dream of mine."

Just five years ago, however, that dream seemed a distant memory... as Wilson (below) was diagnosed with colon cancer, and underwent surgery on September 26, 2001. That was also the same week his fellow members of the 34th Bomb Squadron were deployed overseas.

Wilson's subsequent chemotherapy treatment kept him from the flight line...  but didn't ground his love of aviation. Faced with fighting an uphill battle, Wilson decided the best way to cope with the uncertainty was to begin building his own plane, a RV-7A.

"It was probably the most rewarding year of my life, seeing the progress and knowing I was building something I could fly," he said. 

Wilson has since been declared cancer-free, and has been cleared by the Air Force to fly again. And while having Wilson fly his homebuilt plane (below) to Oshkosh would have been a pretty cool ending to this story... well, when you have a B-1B available, we must admit we'd make that same choice, too.

And the Lancer is a fitting choice. See, the B1-B is itself a fighter... having survived a rocky development process, and uncertain future as early as the late 1970s. It has since served in several skirmishes, including the 1991 Gulf War. Recently, the B1-B was once again thought to be on its way out... but has since proven vital in recent years due to the conflicts in the Middle East.

Wilson will fly the bomber into Wittman Field on July 24, and it will be displayed on AeroShell Square through the 28th.

"Having the B-1 return to Oshkosh is a great addition to this year's event," said Tom Poberezny, EAA president and AirVenture chairman. "Adding Kyle Wilson's story of determination and perseverance, however, makes it a truly special occasion this year at Oshkosh, as he returns to his home state."

Amen.

FMI: www.eaa.org, www.af.mil