Wall of Fire

NAS Pensacola Airshow this weekend

Watch the Pensacola show live at http://www.naspairshow.com/.

It starts at 930. Skip Stewarrt solo at 1030. Patty solo at 1044. TinStix at 1259.

TTF

What?  No hangar homes?  No airport access?  Check out this press release about the FAA's new hangar home directive....scary!! 

New Organization Fights FAA’s Hangar Home Directive


A new organization, ThoughTheFence.org (TTF), used the AOPA Summit to announce its’ formation on Thursday. The organization has been formed by pilots to fight the FAA’s prohibition of hangar homes at publically funded airports.

“The FAA’s Airport Compliance Manual (ACM), dated September 30, 2009, clearly labels all hangar homes as incompatible adjacent airport land use” stated Brent Blue, one of the organizers of TTF. “The FAA’s reasoning is based on noise” and the noise complaints are based on antidotal information. “They do not have any data” stated Blue who is submitting a Freedom of Information Act request to secure any data, or lack thereof, the FAA has. “This stealth directive was released two months after Babbitt stated at EAA AirVenture that these situations would be evaluated on an individual basis and now they come out with a wholesale directive” Blue emphasized.

“It is really frustrating that the FAA did not take any public comment or input on the topic” Blue said which addresses hangar homes in Chapter 20 of the ACM. The full Airport Compliance Manual can be accessed at www.faa.gov/airports/resources/publications/orders/compliance_5190_6/ and states what airports must do to receive and keep Airport Improvement Grant monies.

FAA Administrator, Randy Babbitt, when asked about this issue at the AOPA Summit, only responded that the FAA is waiting to hear from the alphabet groups on their thoughts on the subject.

“Hangar residences improved airport security by having people around the airport 24/7 plus increases the economic vitality of the airport” Blue remarked at the Summit while handing out TTF buttons which display “Stop the FAA insanity” on the top. “Why the FAA thinks hangar homes near airports should be considered the same as non aviation related homes near airports is beyond rational thought.”

The new organization can be reached and comments placed on its blog at www.throughthefence.org.



For Further Information:

Brent Blue

brentblue@wyoming.com

307-220-2543

Plane and Pilot

Make sure to get the December issue of Plane and Pilot and looks who is on the cover!

AOPA Summit

Tomorrow I will fly to Tampa for the AOPA Summit.  On Thursday, November 5, Craig Fuller will interview me at Center Stage at 4 pm.  See you there!

Aerobatic Pilots do it Better

As seen on this morning's AIAA Daily Launch:

FAA: Pilots With Aerobatic Training Perform Better During Upsets.


Air Transport Intelligence (10/30, Croft) reported, "A recent study by the US FAA's Office of Aviation Medicine reveals a 'large disparity' between how pilots with aerobatic backgrounds perform compared to those with only ground-based simulator experience when recovering an aircraft from an upset state." These events are "linked to loss-of-control events," the leading cause of passenger fatalities worldwide from 1998 to 2007. "The finding is significant given the decreasing numbers of military-trained pilots, who are versed in aerobatic manoeuvres during training, say the authors of the study." The study authors also "say informal conversations with current airline pilots suggest that 'while virtually all regard the company-provided upset training they receive as useful, a significant number also perceive it as a pro forma approach to a serious safety problem.'"

(Of course we knew this all along:)

J. Geer Kellas

The Ninety-Nines Museum of Women Pilots
in celebration of their 10th Anniversary
presents
"Celebration of Flight: Women in Aviation"
a series of art works
by J. Geer Kellas
November 7 - December 5, 2009
please join us for refreshments at the opening reception
November 7th
5pm - 7pm
conversation with the artist at 6 o'clock
Diane, mixed media, 8"x10"
Museum hours:
Monday - Friday 　9am - 4 pm
Saturday 　10am - 4 pm 　　　Closed Sunday 　
4300 Amelia Earhart Road
Oklahoma City, OK
call 405-685-9990 for special showings
Hope you can make it. J.
http://www.geerkellas.com/CelebrationOfFlight.html

Judi Geer Kellas
18711 Jefferson Hills Dr.
Lawrence, KS 66044
skype:jgeerkellas
Courage in women is often mistaken for insanity.
(from movie "Ironed Jawed Angels")

AOPA Summit

I'm happy to be going to the AOPA Summit in Tampa next week.  AOPA always has a great convention where I see lots of friends and feel the good energy of aviation people! 

Here's my schedule for Thursday, November 5



10:00-10:30 Airportfest (Peter O. Knight Airport) autograph session at the AOPA Learn to Fly Tent

1:00-1:45 Women in Aviation: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow
· Women’s Wing/Room 11 of Convention Center
· Presenting with WAI President Peggy Chabrian

2:00-2:30 Autograph session in the Women’s Wing/Room 12 of Convention Center

4:00-4:20 Center Stage (Convention Center Exhibit Hall)
· Meet Patty Wagstaff
· Interview by Craig Fuller, AOPA President and CEO

4:30-5:00 Autograph session at Meet-Up Area (Convention Center Exhibit Hall)

5:30-7:00 Exhibit Hall Meet and Mingle (Convention Center Exhibit Hall)

This is It

Just saw a great movie, This is It.  I always loved Michael Jackson's music, but got sidelined by the media horror show the past umpteen years...Recently though, saw a blurb about it on CNN, with Director Kenny Ortega, and was blown away by the footage, so made my way to our new Epic Theatre in St. Augustine.  Now, we've had a tiny little theatre for so long, in addition to our beloved Pot Belly Cinema which is in a class of its own, that it's a great pleasure to go to a really big movie theatre with cushy seats and a big screen and sound.
The movie is great and if you are like me, you'd rather go to a concert on IMAX or theatre than in the flesh (eeuw, too many people! No box seats!).  Not that I haven't been to my share of a lot of concerts.  This movie is about MJ's Genius and talent, and his brilliance in picking colaborators - guitarist Orianti Pangaris (check out her web site), the dancers, choreographers, singers - genius in the entire production.  Thankfully the rehearsals were filmed because it has given meaning to his last tour.   Even if you're not an MJ fan, you owe it to yourself to rock out to this beautiful movie.

Amelia

It might not be completely historically accurate, for eg., substituing a Lockheed 12A for a 10E on her around the world attempt; and her relationship with GP might have been romanticized and dramatized, but I really liked the movie (as did the two women pilots I watched it with).  I thought it captured Amelia's spirit, spunk and proto-feminist or humanist attitude toward flying and life.  And, it is after all a movie and not a documentary. 

We looked for Carol Pilon wingwalking in the airshow scene.  It might have been cut but I hear it made the trailers, and it's all ok because she still gets residuals.
The movie sparked me to read Mary Lovell's book about AE "The Sound of Wings." This is one of the books the movie was based on.  I was not surprised to read that AE's desire to fly was sparked by going to airshows!  Quoting from Chapter 4, 1920-1921, "One day, shortly after her arrival in California, Amelia drove with her father to an aerial meet at Daugherty Field in Long Beach.  'The interest aroused in me in Toronto led me to all of the air circuses in the vicinity.' she wrote, and on this occasion she thought she might like to fly.  AE started taking flying lessons in 1921. 

How many of us have been inspired to learn to fly at airshows?!   
Over the years I have heard a number of men claim that AE wasn't "that good a pilot." Let's discuss that.  How many of us have flown an overloaded twin radial engine taildragger most of the way around the world in every condition possible?  How about setting an altitude record in an airplane you have only a few hours in?  How many of you have raced cross country in an antique airplane with a less than reliable engine?  Or flown an autogiro and made a solo transcontinental flight in one?  I'd say she was a pretty damned good. 

The secret link!

Miles O'Brien and I head to Washington DC tomorrow to show the movie "Over Africa" and to give our presentation on the Kenya Wildlife Service recurrency training program.   Since we know you cannot all make it - what a shame! - we would like you to be able to see the movie first hand and are prepared to hand over the secret link to the video...are you ready?    Here it is:  http://vimeo.com/7120948

The presentation will take place in the IMAX Theatre at NASM on the Mall and we are really looking forward to it.   After the presentation I will be signing Ann Cooper's book "Stars of the Sky."  I chose that book to sign because the chapter about myself focuses mainly on my work in Kenya.   Hope to see a few of you there! 

Brian Jones

Then years ago Brian Jones and Bertrand Picard became the first men to circumnavigate the earth in a balloon, the Brietling Orbiter.  The Brietling Orbiter sits in the Milestones of Flight Gallery in the National Air & Space Museum and we paid it a visit just last week.  Jones and Picard also have a book called "The Greatest Adventure" - a great read about their incredible accomplishment.  I had a chance to visit with Brian recently at the Reno Air Races and he told me about his non profit organization called Wings of Hope, which hopes to eradicate a disease called Noma.  Please go to his web site:  http://www.orbiterballoon.com/ to find out more about this very worthwhile cause.  Brian is a charming and humble man, another extraordinary person we have been lucky to meet through the world of aviation.

Tinstix of Dynamite for 2010

Book early!

Inverted Ribbon Cut Inside the Museum!

Lordy!  Pete, my Godson, and I went to the National Air & Space Museum on Saturday to see the hanging of the Extra 260, and by gosh, it was doing an inverted ribbon cut!  Hanging just about ribbon cut height (22' where the prop hits the ribbon), the controls were deflected as though there was a left crosswind (coming from Constitution Avenue no doubt), some rudder helping keep the airplane into the crab, and voila, an indoors ribbon cut!   Hmm...I wonder if they would actually let me do that?  I can always ask!

Female Airshow Pilot looking for Relationship

FEMALE AIRSHOW PILOT LOOKING FOR RELATIONSHIP.  CREATIVE, FUNNY, OPEN MINDED, ATHLETIC AND HARD WORKING AIRSHOW PILOT NEEDS SPONSOR.  LIKES AVIATION, HORSES AND SMALL CHILDREN.  DESIRES LONG TERM RELATIONSHIP WITH COMPANY.  FLIES AIRSHOWS IN FRONT OF MILLIONS OF SPECTATORS A YEAR.  INTERNATIONAL AMBASSADOR TO AVIATION. HAVE HELMET WILL TRAVEL!  WHY SPEND TWO MILLION BUCKS ON NASCAR WHEN YOU CAN BE INVOLVED IN THE BEST PR AND MARKETING VENUE FOR LESS?  TO REQUEST A SPONSOR PACKET CONTACT ROSALIE AT PATTY@PATTYWAGSTAFF.COM
FOR MORE INFORMATION GO TO:  http://www.pattywagstaff.com/
SIGNED:  SOLO FEMALE AIRSHOW PILOT

Cross Training

Flying with Julie

Taken by John Parker over Lake Tahoe during the Reno Air Races. John's photo ship was an OV-10

Patty and Miles O'Brien to speak at Smithsonian

Patty and Miles O'Brien will be featured speakers at the General Electric Aviation Lecture, National Air & Space Museum's Lockheed Martin IMAX Theatre in Washington DC, on October 21 at 8:00 pm. Featuring "Over Africa! Low and Slow with the Kenya Wildlife Service" Patty and Miles will talk about the Kenya Wildlife Service training program that has been ongoing since 2000.

Tickets are free but required so book your tickets early!

Here is the link to the NASM web site for tickets!! http://www.nasm.si.edu/events/eventDetail.cfm?eventID=1556&preview=1598

Night at the Museum

Dorothy Cochrane, curator of General Aviation at the National Air & Space Museum, sent me this picture at 3 am ET yesterday while she was there to oversee the Extra 260's new place just outside the Pioneers of Flight Gallery, on the Mall...the Extra flies again!

Fargo

We are now in Hillsboro, Oregon, getting ready for their big show this weekend. We haven't flown a show with the TBirds in awhile so it will be good to see them.

Last weekend's show in Fargo was grrrrreat! What a neat show...the friendliest, most helpful people in the world, great organization! The logistics were wonderful and our hotel was right across the street, as were most of the social events. Thank you Fargo Jet Center for being about the most helpful FBO we've encountered. We had an issue with our smoke pump and it had to be replaced, and they jumped right on it. It seems that when these rubber impellers break (which they do quite often) on our smoke pumps, they end up in the pump itself. We found 10 pieces of impeller in the lines, so no wonder it finally rebelled. Also, other acro pilots, if you still have a Johnson or Jabsco pump and have lost impeller blades, a good thing to do at annual would be to flush out the pump. You might be surprised what you find in there. We are switching to a CJ Pump this winter (thank you CJ) so we shouldn't have the problem anymore.

The flying at Fargo was some of the best - "Fang" Moroney does a magnificent job in his Chipmunk, as does everyone's favorite Stearman pilot, John Mohr. John has blown people alway for many years with his flying and is truly the pilot's pilot. We had Mustangs and pyro and a B-25 even doing strafing passes. We hated to leave, but Monday had us on on the road again and on our way to Hillsboro, just outside of Portland, Oregon.

One of the highlights of the weekend in Fargo was seeing old friends Jerry and Maggie Van Kempen. Jerry was the voice of the Red Baron Squadron for many years and while he's retired form announcing, he did take the mike for awhile at Fargo and hasn't missed a beat!

Tinstix of Dynamite

Garfield County Airport, Rifle, Colorado - August 14 & 15, 2009...Debut performance of Patty, Skip Stewart and Rich Gibson's Rich's Pyro, in Tinstix of Dynamite. It was awesome flying with Skip and Kent Shockley's Shockwave jet truck, experiencing Rich's Pryo up close. This act has been around for awhile featuring Skip and Jurgis Kairys of Vilnius, Lithuania. You can see some great you tube video of Tinstix in Al Ain in the UAE last year. Jurgis's schedule prevents him from being in the U.S.A. as much as he would like, so Patty and Skip have teamed up for the 2010 Airshow Season. For promoters/organizers looking for a great act (we also do our solo routines), contact Skip, Patty or Rich for available dates next year.

Scott Slocum took this picture of Skip and Patty from a Bonanza at Oshkosh this year.

Oshkosh 2K9

The theme of Oshkosh for me this year was "old friends." I can't remember appreciating the comfort of being with so many friends of longstanding as much as I have recently. I guess the other theme of Oshkosh was "rumours were flying!" The state of the aviation biz is so shifting and upset by the recession these days that everyone was talking about the changes. Who will survive and who won't. The aviation biz has always been survival of the fittest, but things are moving at a quicker pace than ever before. EAA is changing too - new President soon? Joining up more with AOPA. Okay, there are lots of cutbacks and maybe people are flying as much as possible before fuel goes up again (yep, that's what we hear...so fill er up now), but the fly-in was huge and had record setting crowds. In 2008 when we arrived on the first Saturday we wondered if we had landed at the wrong airport. This year Saturday was already filling up. This must be connected to the record airshow attendances this year. When the going gets expensive people don't travel overseas as much and start appreciating local entertainment venues, and aviation events in particular because they seem to be much less expensive than other events. Keep it up - let's go flying!

The airshow Goddess decided this year I would only fly on the perfect weather days, Wed, Fri and Sunday. I'm always glad to get my first Oshkosh flight out of the way..you know, it's easy to get ramped up flying in front of a million of your closest friends. By Friday I felt great when we had an all female airshow (except Aeroshell Team - what were you doing up there?! Oh, and a couple of pilots - Gene Soucy and Kyle Franklin flying their ladies on the wing. Next time ladies get a girlfriend to fly you!) But seriously, you know we love you guys and glad you were there to see what an all female briefing is like - uncontrollable! The show was great! Everyone's routine was cut shorter this year to fit more performers in, something I've been supporting for years, so we each had about 8 minutes...and with all the pilots in the sky it seemed just right. I was delighted with my 8 minutes to rage around the skies. Yee haw!

There is always a lot of other stuff going on at AirVenture...for eg., we showed Miles O'Brien's movie "Over Africa" to a big crowd at Theatre in the Woods on Tuesday night. After the movie Miles had a panel discussion with Q & A with myself, John & Martha King and Rich Sugden who each participated in the training program this year. I was able to get my favorite message to pilots - and everyone in the U.S.A. in - about freedom...what is so important about freedom? That when you lose it you have to fight your way out of jail to get it back. I've flown all over the world and can tell you that pilots in the U.S. have the most freedom of anyone in the world, don't give it up!! Fight for everything you have.

This was the second time Over Africa was seen publicly, first at Sun & Fun and has brought attention to the Kenya Wildlife Service (www. kws.go.ke) and their conservation work. Flying low and slow over large areas of land, looking for poachers, saving elephants, rhino, et al...not an easy task and the poachers are winning this year. Sadly between drought and poaching, more elephants are reported dying this year than in recent years past. Go to Africa, go to Kenya in particular, and experience it first hand. Do it at least once in your lifetime. You owe it yourself and tourism dollars help KWS continue their work. Also, we are hoping to have another training session next year.

Cirrus Aircraft had a fun party on Sunday night. I invited lots of airshow friends! Brent Blue hosted his famous and fabulous rubber chicken party (now a Young Eagles fundraiser)on Monday night and with some help I "celebrity" bartended. Great crowd and a well behaved one!

The house we've been renting for the past four years was ours again. Sitting on farmland to the west of Oshkosh we have the most peaceful spot for a week and thank EAA and our hosts for this. It is the most peaceful place in the world and we can sit outside watching airplanes on the Ripon arrival - one of the arrows is right across the road. It's fabulous. It seems we always have a house full of airline types, including this year Yoshi Tanabe, captain for All Nippon Airways, in his first visit to Osh. He had a little adjusting to do by sleeping on the couch (large and comfortable) and generally being part of the frat house atmosphere my boys create. Very fun. I'm thinking we should host an international visitor for their first visit to Oshkosh every year. I've invited Solomon Nyanjui, head of KWS Airwing, to join us next year. Solomon, are you coming?!

Great week and thanks to many for making it so - Flying Magazine we love you! Piaggio, it was fun to visit. Lycoming, always a great crowd and your engine is purring (roaring) along.... My other favorite sponsor, Champion Aerospace. They bought Slick Mags! Bose for fixing our headsets! Sarasota Avionics - you rock! National Air and Space Museum for being there. EAA for making it all possible.

So I leave you with something to ponder:

The Edge... there is no honest way to explain it because the only people who really know where it is are the ones who have gone over. Hunter S. Thompson

Thank you for visiting.

It's nice to see old friends

National Aviation Hall of Fame

Last weekend, in addition to the Dayton Airshow (great airshow!) we attended the National Aviation Hall of Fame dinner and banquet. Congratulations to the inductees - Eileen Collins, Russ Meyer, Jimmy Stewart, and Ed White II. Go to: http://www.nationalaviation.org/ for more about this great organization. Here I am with Dorothy Cochrane and Denise Decker on Friday night at the US Air Force Museum.

Oshkosh Schedule

Here is our *tentative Oshkosh personal appearance and misc. schedule....subject to *change!

Sunday, 26 July 6 pm Party at Cirrus Exhibit (invitation only)

Monday, 27 July 7:30 pm Bill Barber Award, Theatre in the Woods

Tuesday, 28 July 10-11 am Autograph Signing at Cirrus Exhibit

Patty's Extra on display!

11:30 am Able Flight Wings Ceremony, Fly for Life Tent,

Aeroshell Square

8:15 pm Showing of "Over Africa" documentary about Kenya

Wildlife Service training, Theatre in the Woods

Weds, 29 July 8:30 am Visit to Civil Air Patrol Cadets

10-11 am Autograph Signing at Cirrus Exhibit

1 pm Autograph Signing at Lycoming Engines Exhibit

3 pm AIRSHOW! Patty flies!

Thurs, 30 July 10-11 am Autograph Signing at Cirrus Exhibit

Patty's Extra on Display!

11:30-12:30 Autograph Signing at Champion Aerospace booth

Fri, 31 July 8-9 am Women in Aviation Breakfast, Nature Center

10-11 am Autograph Signing at Cirrus Exhibit

10:30 am Women in Aviation Group Photograph

1-2 pm Autographs at Lycoming Engine Exhibit

3 pm AIRSHOW! Patty Flies!

Sat, 1 Aug 10-11 am Autographs at Cirrus Exhibit

Patty's Extra on Display!

1-2 pm Autographs at Champion Aerospace booth

Sunday, 2 Aug 2 pm AIRSHOW. Patty Flies!

Be there!

RIP

Rest in Peace Chandy Clanton
Rest in Peace Gary Miller

Update

If you have looked at our schedule, you'll notice we have a few weeks off from airshows, right in the middle of the season. Nice! It's a good time of year to take a breather, spend time in my office, with my dogs and birds and riding horses....and of course, practice in the mornings before it gets too hot. The water in the ocean is finally warm and it's good to cool off every day at the beach. The beach is Ripley and Cassidy's favorite thing in the world, so I can hardly say the "B" word without huge excitement. Ripley's pretty brave and not bad on a surfboard. She also loves to chasing balls into the water and then burying them in the sand. If I don't mind saying so, my girls are pretty darn cute:)!

Man, I sure miss my motorcycle this time of year. The Ducati has a new home, hopefully with someone who rides it more than I did.

Our next airshow is coming up in Dayton. This will be really fun not only because we'll be back on the circuit, but the Fumaca de Brazil - Brazil's official formation team - will be performing. Also, we always look forward to the National Aviation Hall of Fame banquet on Saturday night.

So....here I sit early this Wednesday morning with my calendar trying to put our Oshkosh schedule. It's quite a logistical challenge...but that's my life - Logistics are US. I will post our schedule on our newsletter and here on the blog when I figure it out all, so you can come and say hi at OSH.

Things we look forward to at Oshkosh -

flying

visiting the Civil Air Patrol cadets

The Rubber Chicken Party (Young Eagle Benefit...)

Seeing friends

Seeing fans

flying

being around airplanes

beautiful airplanes

watching airplanes

sitting under the wing of an airplane watching airplanes...

After Oshkosh we have a week to sleep.

100 Years of Airshow Flying

I had the pleasure of participating in a media event in NYC celebrating the Wright Brothers first public exhibition flight, flying the Wright A Flyer up the Hudson River in front of a million spectators, during the Hudson-Fulton Celebration in 1909. With me in the picture is Tom Crouch, Senior Curator at National Air & Space Museum and to his right, Amanda Wright Lane, grand-neice of Wilbur and Orville Wright and Wright Family spokesperson.

Racing the Jet School Bus at NAS Pax River

Check out the size of the flame!

It is now official

Shawn "Airshows R Us" Dorsch of Charlotte, NC., with his first Official "Pole Holder" T-shirt. Can't wait for the next airshow Shawn!

Future Pilots Go to Airshows!