For NASA staff,
AirVenture is unique
Story and photo by Frederick A. Johnsen
NASA Public Affairs
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NASA’s Frank Cutler
shook hands with a student visitor to the NASA exhibit at AirVenture
2006. |
If you think EAA
AirVenture Oshkosh crowds respect NASA’s accomplishments, you should
hear what the NASA staffers at this year’s show have to say about the
EAA audience. "Everything and anything that is aviation-oriented is
at Oshkosh," says Frank Cutler, earth sciences capabilities
specialist from NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center in California’s
Mojave Desert. Frank, who owns a 1957 Piper Pacer, smiles as he
pronounces the AirVenture variety "almost overwhelming." This
is Frank’s first year staffing the NASA exhibit building. He enjoys
the cross-section of aviation enthusiasts who visit AirVenture, ranging
from novice to professional. "We all love airplanes," he adds.
Does he want to return next year to help NASA’s exhibit? "I’m
going to try every year I can," Frank says enthusiastically.
Another Dryden staffer,
research pilot Ed Lewis, gives presentations and mans the information
booth where he hands out NASA materials. He likes inviting AirVenture
visitors to partake of the free NASA informational goodies. Ed,
resplendent in his tan NASA flight suit, is frequently approached by
visitors who ask if he is an astronaut. No, he replies, he is a research
pilot. Thus begins a dialog on the many facets of NASA research, often
capped with a request for Ed’s autograph.
Elaine Gause manages the
agency’s Oshkosh logistics—no small feat for an exhibit staffed by
70 people from all over the country. When she can slip away from her
trailer office behind the exhibit, Elaine likes to watch the aerobatics.
Sometimes she takes a shift at the information desk in the exhibit.
"It makes your job worth it when you see how much they appreciate
what (NASA is) doing," Elaine says.
The team at AirVenture
this year includes staff members from Elaine’s own Langley Research
Center in Virginia as well as Stennis Space Center, Mississippi;
Marshall Space Flight Center, Alabama; Dryden Flight Research Center,
California; Glenn Research Center, Ohio; NASA Headquarters; and some
education specialists from Johnson Space Center, Texas.
Gail Langevin, another Langley staffer,
has been supporting AirVenture for seven years. She manages the NASA
forum and theater presentations and has hosted a recurring trivia game
in which contestants may receive books and NASA pins. Even veteran Gail
has some surprises at AirVenture; when administering the NASA trivia
questions, she said: "It was surprising they knew some of the
answers so quickly." Some respondents were ready before she could
finish some questions. The trivia game happens about four times daily
through Sunday morning.
A first-time AirVenture
visitor is Tonya Merriweather from the Glenn Research Center. A model
maker by profession, Tonya helps explain how NASA can make prototype
parts for aerospace research projects. She finds her first AirVenture
"a bit overwhelming." Tonya, who says she hates to see
something as common as a motorcyclist without a helmet, admits that
performers like wingwalkers "spooked me for a few days." By
now, "I’m getting used to it," she says. What’s her
favorite part of AirVenture? "I love the Fly Market!" And the
warbird bombers—she finds that pyrotechnic show
"phenomenal." Tonya characterizes the AirVenture crowd as
"a lot of friendly, intelligent people."
Robert Werka came from
the Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama to talk about the new Ares
rockets that will propel people to the moon and deeper into space in
future years. "Could you dial down the heat just a little," he
asks rhetorically. Robert says the best question he is asked by
AirVenture visitors is, "How soon are you going back (to the
moon)?" "Not soon enough!" is his enthusiastic reply,
acknowledging a project of that magnitude simply has a long gestation
period.
Nearby, Steve Taylor from
Mississippi’s Stennis Space Center verbally dissects the huge space
shuttle’s main engine in front of the NASA building for visitors. He’s
worked shuttle engines for more than a decade and is well qualified to
explain the massive motor to this crowd. Steve notes a "high level
of interest in the space program," from AirVenture visitors. Does
Steve have a favorite item at AirVenture? "It kind of varies from
day to day," he explains. One day it was the B-1 bomber, then it
was the F-22 fighter.
There’s a mutual respect going on at
AirVenture 2006, as aerospace enthusiasts inside and outside NASA mingle
under the umbrella of this unique event.
