EAA Fly-In and Air Show

July 30, 2005

The 2005 EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association) fly-in and air show in Oshkosh is being held this week. I had heard that Space Ship One and the Global Flyer would be there, which I wanted to see, so I hopped in the car and headed for the show. The show is certainly the largest air show in the U.S. and probably in the world. It has been said that the small airport (Whitman field) owned by the EAA is the busiest airport in the U.S. while the show is on.

Airplanes, vendors, and people were to be seen everywhere.

We could walk through a C-130 provided by the Wisconsin Air National Guard.
 

A view of the show from the cockpit of the C-130.

Airplanes in all sizes, shapes, and colors were on display.

A popular place to be was on the flight line were one could plop a chair and watch airplanes taxiing and flying over the airport. A Ford Tri-motor (they were built in the 1930s) is taxiing by a P-51 (a famous plane of WWII)  while two other P-51s are flying overhead.

The White Knight, with Space Ship One hanging underneath. Space Ship One won the $10 million X-Prize for being the first privately owned and developed craft to fly to the edge of space (about 62 miles up) and do it again within two weeks. I was surprised at how small Space Ship One was, especially considering that it has the capability of carrying three people.

The White Knight and Space Ship One heading out to the flight line for a demonstration flight over the airport.

The Virgin Atlantic Global Flyer that Steve Fossett flew for the historic nonstop solo flight around the world. The plane is essentially a flying fuel tank. The take-off weight is about 22,000 lbs, while the empty weight is only about 3300 lbs.

The jet engine used by the Global Flyer. It as an intake diameter of only 19", weighs 500 lbs and produces about 2600 lbs of thrust at take-off. Note that the engine almost directly above the pilot.

The Global Flyer heading down the runway to take-off for a demonstration flight. Steve Fossett is the pilot.

The Global Flyer making a turn to fly over the airport.

Now that is beauty in motion!
 

The White Knight was also scheduled to do a demonstration flight, but it was quite a bit later, it was getting late, and I was very tired, so I cut out and headed home.