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World War II Reenactment Camp
at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh



    We are a non-profit, 501(c) 3, organization established for educational and charitable purposes. It is our goal to promote and encourage the preservation and safe operation of ex-military aircraft, better known as Warbirds.

    These wonderful aircraft are an important part of our aviation heritage. Please join us in our efforts to “Keep ‘Em Flying!”


    Learn more about the benefits of membership in EAA Warbirds of America!

    Misty Pilots to Tell Their Stories July 29 at Theater in the Woods
    In 1967, a group of combat-experienced fighter pilot volunteers were brought together in South Vietnam to form a top-secret squadron known as Operation Commando Sabre. With a call sign of "Misty," their mission was to fly fast and low over enemy territory - so low they could see targets like bridges, trucks and Surface to Air missiles.

    The call sign came from the famous jazz standard written by Erroll Garner and made popular by crooner Johnny Mathis, among others. The song had been a favorite of the unit's first commander.

    Armed with only their cannons and marking rockets, their goal was simple: Disrupt the transfer of enemy supplies and equipment down the Ho Chi Minh trail. When a Misty located one or more of these targets, he directed Air Force and Navy fighter A group of Misty pilots. - Photo courtesy of Don Jones strikes against them.

    "When you fly over someone's country and drop bombs on them, it easily pisses them off," said Dick Rutan, a Misty pilot who flew the two-seat Super Sabre F-100F. If the civilians found downed pilots before the military, they often killed them.

    Yet Rutan said he was never scared. "But I certainly was apprehensive before a mission…"

    Rutan and seven other Misty pilots will talk about their experiences Tuesday at Theater in the Words. From 7-7:30 p.m., the pilots will be signing copies of Bury Us Upside Down, the book that tells their stories.

    For a typical mission, Rutan said they'd get up at 3 a.m., get dressed and eat creamed chipped beef. "It would gag a maggot, but knowing it could be the last decent meal you could have in years, you'd eat a full breakfast," he said. (Read more).

    EAA, WOA Fight Potential Warbird Noise Restriction In Stalled Senate Bill
    June 19, 2008 — A proposed noise restriction on jet Warbirds contained in the U.S. Senate’s FAA reauthorization bill will not likely see passage into law anytime soon, according to Washington sources, but EAA and the Warbirds of America are nonetheless working behind the scenes to make sure it’s removed. The proposed new restriction in the FAA Reauthorization Bill S.B.1300, currently stalled in the Senate, would tighten noise restrictions on privately owned jets and could ground many warbird jets.

    The Senate bill provision prohibits a civil subsonic turbojet with a maximum weight of 75,000 pounds or less to operate to or from an airport in the U.S. unless in compliance with stage 3 noise levels. A few general aviation jets and many more warbird jets do not comply with Stage 3 noise restrictions, but fall under less restrictive Stage 2 standards. Warbird owners and enthusiasts fear that imposing Stage 3 standards would ground those aircraft. (Read more)

    Congress Extends FAA Budget to September 30
    General Aviation User Fees and ATC Modernization Still Up in the Air

    June 25, 2008 - With the FAA budget reauthorization bill stalled in the Senate, both houses of Congress this week passed a continuing resolution to fund the FAA through the end of September 2008. The House passed legislation on Tuesday, while the Senate voted for the extension on Thursday to extend the agency’s existing budget through September 30, 2008.

    The budget extension would keep the lights on at the agency for another three months, but it leaves a lot of long-term FAA programs and projects in limbo because no one knows what the final FAA budget bill will include. Among the items left hanging are much-needed air traffic control modernization projects.

    The House passed its version of the new FAA budget bill (H.R.2881) in September 2007, without any general aviation (GA) user fees. The Senate version of the bill (S.B.1300) was stalled for months over the issue of user fees. In late April, a compromise between Senate committees removed GA user fees from S.B.1300, but the measure stalled again over labor provisions and other non-aviation issues. If passed, the bills would fund the FAA through 2011.
    Learn more about the user fee issue at
    www.eaa.org/govt. (Read more)

    Important Information For Warbird Air Show Pilot Participants
    Fuel and smoke oil will be provided for flying in the daily air shows; however, be sure that you possess at least a commercial airman’s certificate with a current 2nd class medical. Acceptance of fuel or smoke oil without those certificates could lead to FAA enforcement. If you do not have these certificates, you may still fly in the air shows, but you may not be reimbursed for your fuel or smoke oil.

    Also, in order to fly in any of the daily shows, participants are asked to provide copies of the following documents:

    Current pilot certificate

    Current medical certificate

    Copy of insurance certificate, which states inclusion of fly-by coverage

    Date of last BFR

    These document copies may be filed at Warbird Registration, or you may forward them in advance to: EAA Warbirds of America, Warbird Pilot Documents, PO Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086; fax 920/426/6579; e-mail warbirds@eaa.org.

    In order to fly in the daily air shows, participants are required to attend the Warbird forum entitled "Flying at Oshkosh for the First Time" if they have never flown here before. This forum may also be a good refresher for veteran Oshkosh pilots.

    To fly in formation, we also require pilots to be formation qualified through the FAST program or the Joint Liaison Formation program. Note that not all aircraft types will fly formation.

    Having met these requirements, a pilot needs to attend the briefing, held in the Warbird Briefing Building, on the day(s) he/she wishes to participate. There are time limits and possibly specific themes for each day, so not all aircraft and types may fly every day. During the briefing, pilots will be instructed as to the numbers of specific aircraft types required for that day, flight patterns, etc.

    All air show briefings are held in the Warbirds Briefing Building (large building with the porch). The schedule of briefings will be posted outside the Warbird Headquarters, Registration, and Briefing Buildings.

    EAA AirVenture 2008 “Keeps “Em Flying” with Spectacular Warbird Activities All Week
    June 13, 2008 - One of the world’s largest annual reunions of warbird aircraft and dozens of associated activities are again among the highlights of EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2008 this summer at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh. The 56th annual edition of EAA AirVenture, “The World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration,” will be held July 28-August 3.

    The annual warbird activities include five warbirds air show performances during the week (every day except Thursday, July 31 and Sunday, August 3), with a 60-minute demonstration on Tuesday, July 29, and the “Warbird Spectaculars” on Friday, August 1, and Saturday, August 2. In addition, a full schedule of the popular “Warbirds in Review” programs with World War II veterans, current aircraft owners and other warbird authorities will take place throughout the week.

    “Warbirds enthusiasts know that EAA AirVenture is the place to see an unmatched gathering of these magnificent restored aircraft,” said Tom Poberezny, EAA president and AirVenture chairman. “We know that the warbirds area and programs are among the most popular attractions for attendees during the event, and thousands of people plan their visits to include the warbirds’ flying activities.” (Read More)

    The Fight Continues: GA User Fees and the FAA Funding Bills
    June 12, 2008 — Funding for the FAA will expire on June 30 unless Congress takes action to extend the agency’s current budget authorization—already on a 9-month extension. The House of Representatives passed a new FAA budget bill (H.R.2881) in September 2007, but the Senate’s version of the bill (S.B.1300) was stalled over general aviation user fees.

    In late April, general aviation user fees were dropped from S.B.1300, thanks in part to ongoing protests from EAA members and the general aviation community that helped remove a $25-per-trip ATC user fee on turboprops and jets. But S.B.1300 is stalled again over labor issues and other provisions unrelated to user fees.

    H.R.2881 does not include general aviation user fees. Both bills do include a sharp increase in aviation fuel taxes on business aircraft, intended to help pay for ATC modernization. (Read More)

    Outstanding Lineup Planned for Warbirds in Review
    June 6, 2008 - P-51…F4U Corsair…MK 5 Spitfire…F-16…B-25…Hellcat…P-38…Helldiver…these and other legendary military aircraft will be featured during twice-daily Warbirds in Review presentations at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. Here’s your chance to see some of history’s greatest aircraft up close, with real insider perspectives from their owners and pilots. Presentations, one at 10 a.m. and the other at 1 p.m. every day, take place just south of the Warbirds Café near the EAA Ford Tri-Motor and Warbirds of America areas.

    “When I start putting the pieces of the puzzle together that becomes the "Warbirds in Review" schedule, I'm never quite sure how they will fit, or how the finished picture will look,” said Connie Bowlin, who has organized the program since its 2002 debut. “I think we have a really nice picture this year. From the beginning with Paul, all the great airplanes, the Doolittle Raiders, Vietnam, World War II Aces, Tuskegee Airmen, Bud Anderson, Jack Roush, Bob Hoover...we'll even talk about space and modern day military.

    “I think we have something for everyone this year.” (Read More)

    Warbird Pilots - Time to Pre-register Your Aircraft for AirVenture 2008!
    June 5, 2008 – There are only 53 days left until AirVenture 2008. AirVenture dates are July 28th – August 3rd. Please consider registering your plane ahead to make the registration lines move faster. Check out our link:
    https://secure.eaa.org/warbirds/av_aircraftregistration.html to add your aircraft to the list of planes attending in the warbirds area.

    Training Command Returns to the Warbirds Area
    May 28, 2008 - The EAA Warbirds of America will again feature the Training Command area to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, highlighting the military aircraft that prepared combat pilots for their frontline cockpits. This year’s focus will be the primary trainers used in different eras and by different countries.
    (Read More)

    Paul Poberezny Receives Lifetime Achievement Award
    May 15, 2008 - EAA Founder and Chairman Paul Poberezny received the Seymour Cray Award for Distinction in Technology Wednesday, May 14, at the Wisconsin Historical Society’s Third Annual Wisconsin History Makers Gala in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

    After he was introduced by EAA Director Emeritus Verne Jobst, Poberezny paid tribute to his wife, Audrey, as well as the many thousands of members and volunteers who helped build and grow EAA. “Over the years, I’ve learned more about people than airplanes,” he said. “I am pleased that so many people have recognized EAA and AirVenture. It’s a real honor.”
    (Read More)

    B-17 Tour Rolls On In Great Northwest
    May 15, 2008
    - EAA's Salute to Veterans Tour featuring the B-17 Aluminum Overcast visits EAA Chapter 105 in Portland, Oregon, May 16-18, then EAA Warbird Squadron 2 hosts an extended tour stop (May 21-25) in Seattle at the Museum of Flight. For information on how you can reserve a once-in-a-lifetime flight mission aboard Aluminum Overcast, or to see the entire tour schedule, visit the EAA B-17 website

    Make That Oshkosh Trip for Less $$$
    May 15, 2008 - AirVenture-bound traffic receives fuel discounts throughout U.S.
    Throughout the entire U.S., there are friendly FBOs ready to welcome pilots and aircraft flying to and from EAA AirVenture. Even better this year, many of these FBOs are offering discounts on fuel prices if you're heading toward Oshkosh or on your way home from "The World's Greatest Aviation Celebration."

    These businesses, in 21 different states, are helping you lower the cost of flying to Oshkosh this summer. Along with a friendly hello and fuel-price discounts, many of these FBOs also offer such amenities as free overnight camping, wireless Internet access, snacks and courtesy vehicles. These businesses support EAA members and AirVenture, and are excellent places to make that overnight stop, or get fuel and stretch your legs.

    Incorporate these FBOs into your flight plan by checking the current list at http://www.airventure.org/2008/flying/alternate_airports.html. If you own or operate an FBO and wish to participate in this program, we'd love to add you to the list! Contact us at webmaster@eaa.org with your information and special offers for AirVenture-bound pilots.

    Download Your 2008 EAA AirVenture NOTAM Now
    May 2, 2008 - The official EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2008 Notice To Airmen (NOTAM) is now available for download from the
    EAA AirVenture website. The easy-to-print PDF document contains the Special Flight Procedures in effect for Wittman Regional Airport and alternate airports from 6 a.m. CDT on Friday, July 25, to 11:59 p.m. CDT Sunday, August 3, 2008. EAA AirVenture Oshkosh runs from July 28-August 3.

    If you're flying an aircraft to Oshkosh, the EAA AirVenture NOTAM is required reading and an important part of your preflight preparation. The NOTAM outlines all arrival/departure procedures, radio frequencies, Wittman Regional Airport details and much more. Although many of the procedures are similar to previous years, there are updates in nearly every area to enhance safety, efficiency and convenience. (Read More)

    “Gone West” – Charles P. “Chuck” Doyle, Sr.

    EAA Warbirds of America mourns the loss of Chuck Doyle, Warbird #371, a long-time supporter of the warbird movement. Chuck is remembered as one of Minnesota’s true aviation pioneers. He was a CFI, airline pilot for Northwest Airlines, and operated a skywriting and banner towing business. Chuck donated several significant warbird aircraft to the USAF Museum, including a rare Seversky P-35A. He supported the warbird movement by donating hangar space, providing parts for various restoration projects, and sharing technical information & his expertise. He was inducted into the EAA Warbirds of America Hall of Fame in 2003. Doyle passed away on April 25, 2008 at the age of 91. EAA Warbirds of America shares its deepest sympathies with the Doyle family.


    See EAA's
    Timeless Voices interview with Chuck Doyle from AirVenture 2005

    Flying Heritage Collection Seeks Military Aviation Historian
    April 2008
    - The Military Aviation Historian is the lead for research and curatorial efforts for the Flying Heritage Collection (FHC) and is responsible for working with FHC leadership and founders to develop and execute FHC’s mission, strategic plan, budget and goals.   This position will be responsible for conducting research on FHC and related aircraft, and providing FHC leadership with detailed information on disparate aircraft issues related to the development of the collection.  In addition, the Military Aviation Historian will act as FHC’s ambassador and liaison to the aircraft history community, including public speaking, convention appearances and general public relation efforts.  

    Candidates should be capable of working in a highly collaborative structure and able to articulate ideas and concepts.  The individual should be seen as a leader in the field of military aviation history, possessing a national reputation and network of contacts.   Advanced degree in Military History, Museum Studies or related fields preferred. Broad knowledge of Aviation and WWII aircraft required. Position will require domestic and some international travel.

    Flying Heritage Collection
    For additional information about the collection, please visit
    www.flyingheritage.com For a complete job description and to apply to these positions, please visit www.vulcan.com.  This position is based in Seattle, WA.

    2008 Sun ‘N Fun Award Winners

    'Resurrected Veteran' Returning to AirVenture
    Owners allow close access to Quick Silver P-51D

    April 2, 2008 - The Quick Silver P-51D Mustang, one of the most popular warbirds to appear at EAA AirVenture 2007, will make a return visit to Oshkosh this summer. If you missed it the first time around, here's another chance to see this special airplane during the 56th annual convention and fly-in scheduled July 28-Aug. 3.

    Quick Silver was a magnet for warbird enthusiasts during AirVenture 2007, as hundreds of visitors took advantage of the owners' offer for an up-close look at the airplane. Many also had the rare opportunity to actually sit in the cockpit. Bill Yoak, who co-owns the airplane with his son, Scott (Quick Silver's pilot), says they intend to again allow the same access to Quick Silver at Oshkosh this year. The line is already forming.

    "That's the real reason we want to be there," he said. "We want to give it back to the American people by letting them touch it, get in it." (Read More)

    Gary Sinise’s “Lt. Dan Band” to Perform During EAA AirVenture
    March 27, 2008 - The EAA Warbirds of America and the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) are bringing actor/director/musician Gary Sinise and his "Lt. Dan Band" to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2008 for a special concert performance on Friday, August 1, at 7:30 p.m. at Theater in the Woods.

    The band is named after Sinise's character Lt. Dan Taylor in the acclaimed movie, "Forrest Gump." Sinise was nominated for an Academy Award for that role. His other film credits include such blockbusters as "Apollo 13," "The Green Mile," and "Ransom." Today, Gary Sinise is best known for his character, Detective Mac Taylor, on the CBS series "CSI: NY." (Read More)

    RPA Plans Large Nanchang CJ-6 Formation Flight at EAA AirVenture
    March 20, 2008 - Aircraft to mark 50th anniversary at Oshkosh

    The RedStar Pilot’s Association (RPA) is planning to mark the 50th anniversary of production of the Nanchang CJ-6 with a 50-plane formation of aircraft during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2008. The formation will be flown during the EAA Warbirds portion of the daily air shows to commemorate a half-century since the first flight of the Chinese military trainer.

    “EAA Warbirds of America looks forward to celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Nanchang CJ-6,” said Bill Fischer, WOA executive director. “We are working closely with the RedStar Pilots Association and anticipate a variety of special activities that will highlight the CJ-6. Having 50 or more CJ-6s participating at AirVenture will be an impressive sight to see.” (Read More)

    FAA Mandates 21-Day Turnaround For Aircraft Transaction Notices
    March 4, 2008 — A
    final rule issued by the FAA last week requires a person selling or otherwise transferring ownership of a U.S.-registered aircraft to return the completed certificate of aircraft registration to the FAA Aircraft Registry within 21 days of the transaction. That requirement becomes effective on March 31, 2008.

    This change was part of the final rule published recently that requires all pilots to normal with a counterfeit-resistance plastic certificate within the next two years.

    The FAA originally proposed a five-day time limit on reporting the sale or transfer of aircraft, but adopted a 21-day period in response to comments suggesting five days was an unrealistic requirement. Sellers will have to complete the reverse side of the certificate and ensure its arrival at the Registry within that time.

    Additionally, the FAA is requiring people applying for aircraft registration to include their printed or typed name with their signature. This change is in response to concerns raised in the FAA Drug Enforcement Resistance Act. The purpose of these changes is to upgrade the quality of data and documents to assist federal, state, and local agencies to enforce the nation’s drug laws.

 

   

     
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