Oshkosh provides a platform to introduce the world to many new and wondrous things in the world of aviation. For those that have not heard of Oshkosh, it is a city in the state of Wisconsin that once a year hosts the EAA or Experimental Aircraft Association convention now known as EAA AirVenture. Aviation enthusiasts from all over the world come to celebrate their love of all things flying. It is the largest such event of its kind and one can quickly become overwhelmed through sensory overload as you try to take in all that is AirVenture Oshkosh.
I was able to see that latest advances in technology, from aircraft that would fly using electric motors as those being developed by Yuneec, to the new Airbus A380 the largest commercial passenger plane soon to take to the skies. The A380 is amazing and the demonstration flight was remarkable to watch. With the exception of one hard landing, the pilot really put on a show and really made me marvel at the progress that has been made over the years. To think that that plane can be configured to carry up to 850 passengers and do so much quieter than the planes of yesterday and today tends to boggle the mind.
Yuneec on the other hand is introducing electric motors to ultralights and powered paragliders. The desire to find new or rather alternative sources of energy has broadened the spectrum of what is available to the world of aviation and although electric motors seem appropriate in the automobile industry and more and more accepted with the introduction of hybrids, aviation was not one of the places that I thought battery power would show itself so soon beyond the novelty stage. Though they are still not the ideal candidate for long cross country flights, thanks must be given to companies like Yuneec, Sonex, and the ElectricFlyer for proving that the battery powered aircraft is a reality that can be enjoyed today. They may not be the first to create electric flight but they are certainly raising the bar.
If you get tired of hanging around terra firma, Oshkosh even inspires man to break from the bounds of gravity completely with the introduction of White Knight 2. Richard Branson teamed up with Burt Rutan to develop an aeronautical package that will deliver paying customers that chance to experience outer space. White Knight 2 is the launch vehicle that will take Spaceship 2 to a high enough altitude to enable it reach outer space under its available power. They proved it could be done winning the X Prize with the first generation and are proving it again with this 2nd generation, all without government sponsorship. Although in the air it looks like 2 airplanes holding hands you can’t help but be impressed watching it fly overhead.
The fun of Oshkosh is more than just the technology as you can tell it is also about the people behind the technology and all the people that have a love of aviation. I would like to share with you a story of an amazing person. Her name is Jessica Cox and though I missed seeing her I saw her aircraft at Oshkosh this year. I didn’t realize how amazing she was until I saw a little article about her in the local Milwaukee paper. I didn’t fully appreciate it until I happened onto this interview she did with AVweb. Check it out and I am sure you will be impressed also. It is amazing what mankind can accomplish when they don’t look at the world through the eyes of limitations.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fK0LvmurKbU&feature=channel
This was just the tip of the airshow known as Oshkosh. A quick search will let you see just how vast the world of aviation has become. It easily captures my imagination and with all the wonderous new inventions being introduced it inspires me to work on my creativity and see if there isn’t just a little bit of that imagination still residing within. The dreams of flight still remain and I will continue to latch on at every chance.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
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