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Q:
What is going to happen with the old tower once the new tower is
opened in 2009?
J.B., Flushing,
Michigan
A:
There’s no truth to the rumor that it is going to be turned
into a giant planter. It’s going to be torn down, of course.
Q:
Is the EAA going to support rules allowing the operation of
light-sport helicopters? This would be a worthy addition to the
set of light-sport aircraft currently available. Special design
limitations, such as a requirement for coaxial counter-rotating
rotors could be established for light-sport helicopters. This
technology provides especially stable and friendly-to-fly
helicopters.
N. L., Reston,
Virginia
A:
EAA spokesman Dick Knapinski said that EAA would support such
rules, but these rules would have to be created by the FAA and
the industry working together. Does that give you a lift?
Q:
Why do they always seem to start the air shows before the
advertised 3:30 start time? About 3, when we’re still lounging
in our camper and just getting ready to start the trek to the
flight line, here comes a performer. What gives?
A.E.D., St.
Louis, Missouri
A:
St. Louis? You should be on Central Time. Check your watch.
Every effort is made to start them at the correct time. You may
be confusing the air show with the showcase that starts at 2:30
p.m. and goes up to the time of the performance.
Q:
I’m wondering how and when the winners of the homebuilt plane
judging are notified.
M.H., Denver,
Colorado
A:
Those winners were announced Saturday night, and, assuming that
you are reading this before you read anything else in the paper,
you will find them elsewhere in these pages. You also can find
them on the AirVenture website
www.airventure.org.
Q:
Does anybody make recordings, either audio and/or video, of the
forums being offered during the week? If yes, where can I find
them?
K.R., Lewistown,
Pennsylvania
A:
Boy, do they make recordings. Everything in Forum buildings 1-11
and in Workshop 17 is recorded and available on CD. So are
forums going back to 1972, when Dave Yeoman started recording
them. You can check Yeoman’s webpage http://www.forums4.us/.
They are $10 each. You also will find some recordings
and forum videos on the AirVenture
website..
Q:
I will be bringing a retired helicopter pilot who has had recent
brain surgery. He will need some sort of motorized vehicle when
he is there. We are prepared to bring his golf cart if there is
nothing else available. Could you give me directions to the
handicap parking?
D.C., Racine,
Wisconsin
A:
Let the parking people know that you need handicap parking and
they will direct you to the proper place. Sorry, but you can’t
bring the golf cart. However, there are scooters available to
rent on the grounds.
Q:
We had to leave AirVenture, but I want to write to friends about
our experience, and I need some facts. How many airplanes have
registered? And how many campers are there?
You might be
interested in knowing that I saw license plates from 47 of 50
states. I only had Delaware, Louisiana, and Hawaii to go when we
left. But 47 out of 50? That’s incredible.
B.B., Egg Harbor,
Wisconsin
A:
That is an outstanding record. I’m not surprised at your
missing Hawaii, however. It is a tough drive. Anyhow, the final
figures aren’t in yet, but there are about 2,500 show planes
here, not to mention some 10,000 other aircraft. Meanwhile,
between 30,000 and 40,000 folks are camped on the grounds.
Q:
We spent an entire day on Wednesday at EAA AirVenture and didn’t
find out about an Airpark Estates that is supposed to be
available about 20 miles west of Oshkosh. Do you know anything
about this?
J.B., Palmyra,
Wisconsin
A:
I am told that it is early in the development stages, and there
are a lot of issues to be resolved.
Q:
Is there any positive news regarding pilots denied a medical
being able to fly sport pilot with their driver’s license in
hand? This has been going on since the inception of SP/LSA. It
affects many who sincerely want to fly for fun and so far cannot
because of this huge roadblock.
B.A., Lowell,
Massachusetts
A:
The FAA, I am told, will not change this. You must get a special
issuance. If this is allowed to expire, then you have no medical
problem on your record, and you are free to fly as a sport
pilot. I think that’s the way it works.
Q:
Are pets allowed at the air show?
A.M.,
Minneapolis, Minnesota
A:
No, unless they have at least a private pilot certificate.
Q:
If AirVenture Radio is enjoyed in South Africa, it must be on
the Internet. Where?
A:
Surprise, surprise. It’s on www.airventure.org.
Q:
The old tower is going to be torn down. Are there any ideas
about moving it somewhere out of the way and saving it? It would
be a great place to get people up in the air and view the
grounds. You could charge a couple of bucks for 15 minutes up in
the tower and pay for moving it.
J.K., Burlington,
Iowa
A:
The tower has been moved once in its 40-year history. As for
getting an elevated view of the grounds, isn’t that one of the
reasons for airplanes? Furthermore, it’s simply not suitable
for people to go up in it, unless you want to ride in the dumb
waiter.
Q:
How come we don’t have
daycare services on the grounds for EAA’s kids? My daughter is
two years old and loves airplanes.
D.M., Naperville,
Illinois
A:
The management points out that AirVenture is intended to be a
family event, one in which families spend time together.
However, "We’re always interested in new services, and if
you’d like to chair an investigation of the possibility of
daycare, well, you’d be welcome."
Corrections: An
item in this space on Friday may have unintentionally implied
that there are no postcards available on the AirVenture grounds.
There are some in the Member Village.
And I am told
that cheese curds are available at the camp store in the Red
Barn in Camp Scholler.
Thanks to everyone who contacted
us this year; you helped make our AirVenture experience a
special one. We’ll see you next year!
–Tom Richards |
