EAA Sport Aviation - October 2011

How long have you been a pilot? I have been a pilot since 1983, soloed on my 16th birthday, hold ATP, CFI, CFII, MEI, and type ratings in the B- 17 and DC- 3, and have logged more than 8,000 hours’ total time.

Who introduced you to aviation/flying? My grandfather. He raised me as though he was my dad. He was a World War II naval aviator and GA pilot all his life. He actually built and flew his own design in 1930 powered by a Heath-Henderson motorcycle engine. He was my best friend all the way through college.

Describe your first airplane ride: I was 6 months old. My grandfather took out the back seat of the family Debonair and installed a makeshift cradle for me. Apparently I had a good time!

What is the most unique airplane you’ve flown/taken a ride in? Why? Pitcairn PA-7S Mailwing. The Mailwing that we operate was actually flown by Howard Hughes and gave Shirley Temple a PR flight in the 1930s. Pretty amazing history to wrap my mitts around!

What are your hobbies? R/C model aviation. As a kid, I actually flew competitively in Control Line Precision Aerobatics and won Junior National Champion in 1982. Modeling has been part of my life since I was young. Now I get the joy of sharing the hobby with my 8-year-old son, Ryan (named after the Spirit of St. Louis).

Most unique experience as a pilot? Flying the lead singer of Iron Maiden (Bruce Dickinson) in EAA’s Spirit of St. Louis replica. I have been a metal fan since college and could not believe the lead singer of such an iconic band as Iron Maiden was sitting right behind me!

AskEAA

Q. Can Young Eagles pilots be ramp checked, or is there an agreement between EAA and the FAA prohibiting ramp checks at Young Eagles rallies?

A. The answer is yes, Young Eagles pilots may be ramp checked at a Young Eagles rally. The reason is these pilots are flying members of the public who may not be familiar with aviation, and the FAA has a mandate to protect public safety. If a pilot flew into a YE event and did not give YE flights, he or she would not be subject to a ramp check. The EAA Young Eagles office has information describing what information a YE pilot, or any pilot for that matter, must have on board to be prepared for a ramp check. Contact them by e-mailing yeagles@EAA.org.

Q. I’d like to listen to a recording of Burt Rutan’s forum at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2011. I’ve heard it is available online. How or where can I find this?

A. EAA volunteer Dave Yeoman and his crew have recorded just about every forum plaza presentation at AirVenture since 1972. For a copy of a forum recording, visit his website at http://Forums4.us or call 319- 377-4188. A small fee is charged for reproduction costs.

Q. Our chapter would like to host the B- 17 next summer when it’s on tour. How do we go about arranging that?

A. That’s a very timely question, as the deadline for applying to host the

MEMBERCENTRAL ASK EAA / WHO’S WHO

B- 17 Aluminum Overcast in 2012 is coming up very soon—October 15, 2011, to be exact.

Since 1994, EAA’s B- 17 has made an annual tour around the United States, promoting interest in aviation, preserving the memory of WWII, and giving many thousands of people unique access to an important historic artifact through flight experiences and tours. It has been one of EAA’s biggest success stories of the past decade. EAA chapters have been a vital part of this and will be important to the continuing success of the B- 17 tour.

If your chapter is interested in hosting Aluminum Overcast on its 2012 tour, visit www.B17.org and click on EAA Chapter Hosting for an application and further instructions.

Q. How many aircraft are in the EAA AirVenture Museum collection, and how many are flyable? How does one donate an aircraft to the museum?

A. The EAA AirVenture Museum has 246 aircraft in its collection. EAA owns 235 of those aircraft; 11 are on loan to EAA. Twelve of those aircraft are flyable, and that includes the B- 17, Ford Tri-Motor, and Cessna 210 that functions as EAA’s photo plane.

Anyone interested in donating an aircraft to the AirVenture Museum should contact Ron Twellman, EAA curator of collections, for assistance with that process. He can be reached at rtwellman@eaa.org or by calling 920-426-5917.