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!

Greetings from Wisconsin

Greetings from the Southwest Wisconsin Airfest where we are sitting in the FBO, and I'm about to pay bills online and take care of e-mails before I get on my monkey suit and get ready to fly. We are on the fourth of five shows in a row (it was to be six, but the Front Range, Denver, airshow cancelled). Last night we flew a really well attended and fun twighlight show while the sun was setting. Today it's cool with a high overcast (a balmy day in Wisconsin:) and perfect airshow weather. The crowds are great and streaming in the gate. In dairy farming country, the shuttle busses are tractors and look really cute shuttling people across the pastures into the airshow.

We tried to get here on Thursday but after going around masses of weather in the southeast and midwest, we made it as far as Evansville - a favorite fuel stop - Indiana. We stayed at the Marriot on the field and went to the movies, Angels a Demons - a pretty silly movie but lots of action and well done graphic violence, sprinkled with history.

Today we are joined at the show by Vlado Lenoch, P51, Heritage Flight with F-16, Susan Dacy, Mike Wiskus, Greg Poe, Golden Knights and Leap Frogs.,.,.and it's just about showtime.

Monday we head to Ogden Utah and Hill AFB. I will be in the Mighty Cirrus SR22 Turbo. Chris will slug it out in 68PW.

Seen at Beaufort

Patty having Mexican food with Skip Stewart and Jurgis Kairys, aka "Tinstix of Dynamite" pilots!

A great little airport

Actually, not so little. We've been flying into RUQ, Rowan County Airport, just north of Charlotte recently and have received great service from the line crew and airport manager, Thad Howell. Thad has taken really good care of us recently and we appreciate it. If you are traveling cross country, it's worth taking your time to stop in for fuel and a rest stop. And, what's this we hear about there being an aerobatic box there? Something I need to look into!

Postcards from MCAS Beaufort

MCAS Beaufort hosts a great airshow every two years. The last time I flew here was in 2005 and it's very nice to be back. I've always enjoyed flying USMC airshows because the Marines have a great "get it done" attitude. Nothing is too difficult and everything is done with ease and a smile. El Toro used to be one of the huge (they called it "The Mother of All Airshows" - I wish I still had one of those t-shirts) USMC Airshows in Southern California and we would see crowds up to 2 million in a weekend.

At the show I'm joined by performers Skip Stewart and my old friend, Jurgis Kairis (from Lithuania). Skip and Jurgis each do their solos and then their "Tinstix" show with pyro by Rich's pyro. I am having fun flying a show with two aggressive and creative performers like Skip and Jurgis. It ups the ante for me, inspires me and makes me want to go out and kill snakes!! That's what Duane Cole used to call it when I was flying well - "She looks like she's out killing snakes". Unfortunate phrase because I like snakes and don't believe in killing them needlessly, but it does make a point.

Heading uphill at St. Augustine

Branson Airshow

The Branson Airport is the first privately-financed and operated commercial airport in the U.S. From it's web site: As a private enterprise, Branson Airport can do things municipal airports cannot. For example, it is able to offer exclusivity to airlines and vendors and develop unconventional revenue streams, such as offering naming rights and other sponsorship opportunities. It will also operate its own affinity program to attract air travelers to Branson.

It was pretty cool to be asked to do the ribbon cutting for the official opening of the airport, just before the night show on Friday. Friday's crowd was especially enthusiastic and the low thick ceilings and mist made the pyro and fireworks even more dramatic. The Aeroshell team were "dramatically lit" from behind when taxiing in and it was really awesome to watch. And, the Aeroshell Team did a totally kick ass job of flying in less than optimal conditions. A very impressive show.

This new airport was built on top of a mountain, so access to and from is limited to one beautifully designed road. The road had beautiful camber all the way up and down it. It would be a beautiful road to race on. Anyway, those stuck in traffic didn't appreciate the shape (or maybe they did?) of the road. Traffic wasn't really that bad. The people were allowed access to everywhere, even up to our hangars at times. It was interesting to see how many Amish/Mennonite families came to see the airshow.

Cool things at the airshow were: The number of professional entertainers/airshow pilots; the organizers; the entertainment fun-ness and the show we put on; being on top of a mountain; logistical challenges; good people.

See you at Beaufort MCAS

Solo

Chris Rudd, my new ferry pilot/crew chief, soloed today and I wasn't even nervous. As an instructor I don't believe in getting nervous. If the student isn't ready to solo or take their checkride, then you shouldn't send them off. I had great confidence in Chris after flying with him in a two seat Extra 300L a couple of times. After his flight, Denny, our operations man, poured a bottle of ice cold water on him. He didn't cringe at the cold because he'd been sweating...
Good job Chris! We are off to Branson on Wednesday. I fly the Cirrus, Chris in the Extra for his first formation cross country flight.

Sun & Fun 2009

Sun & Fun, our second show of the year, was fun, busy, exhausting, productive. The week started with the premier of "Over Africa" a documentary by Miles O'Brien of our Kenya Wildlife Service recurrency training program and made possible by the Lindbergh Foudation (www.lindberghfoundation.org) who generously supported this year's efforts. The film will be shown again in July at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh at Theatre in the Woods so do not miss it! We had a full house and I think the film was received very favorably. Cool too, was Sun & Fun made a big deal of Earth Day this year, and the Lindbergh Foundation's mission tied in perfectly with that.

I flew the airshow Thursday, Friday and Sunday. After flying one airshow this year at Cecil Field, the show felt better each day. We had a plethora (!) of monoplanes - Rob Holland, Gary Ward, Mike Goulian, Debbie Rihn, David Martin - et all...so it was fun to compare routines and the artistic approach of each vs the other. Flying the maneuvers is one thing, but it's all about choreography, and that is one of the hardest aspects of being a good performer.

I spent time at the Cirrus outdoor exhibit each day talking to friends, fans and prospective customers. We alternated between displaying our Extra 300S and our Cirrus SR22 Turbo. I spent time at Lycoming and had fun meeting all the kids and especially the Dominican Republic contingent (a large one). On Friday morning, Forward Vision, our newest sponsor, held a press conference about their amazing EVS-100. The EVS is Enhanced Vision System which lets a pilot see virtually everything in front of them day or night...too much to explain here but check out www.forward-vision.net to have your mind blown. I don't think there is a pilot out there who wouldn't want one of these units. I wouldn't mind having one for my car either:)

A good week.

NEXT AIRSHOW: BBG - BRANSON MISSOURI'S NEW AIRPORT

Have Airplane, Will Travel

Two shows down and many more to go, but we have a few available dates open for air shows. If you are having an airshow and need a kick butt performer, let us know!

Corkey Fornof

Working with Corkey. Corkey, who has been in the business longer than I have!, came up to St. Augustine to renew his low level card in the LoPresti Fury. He's doing a great job marketing this airplane for LoPresti through great marketing skills and beautiful flying. Corkey and I have a SPECIAL PLAN up our sleeves - something to do with the Antarctica....more to come:)

On the Equator

As seen in this month's issue of Plane and Pilot Magazine, inside front cover. One of my favorites, this picture was taken one morning while waiting for a Cessna 206 to pick us up and fly us to Nairobi. I am standing on the equator with Mt. Kenya at almost 19K just a few miles behind me. Simply beautiful.

Cecil Field Airshow 2009

The benefit Cecil Field Airshow is coming up April 18-19 in beautiful Jacksonville, Florida. The number of performers exceeds the number of stars in the sky, according to the Biggest of B's, Bill Beardsley Sr., and anyone who is anyone in the civilian world of airshow flying will be there to help support the cause....benefitting our friends Alan and Jennifer Henley and their children, Skylar and Brandon. Alan was injured in an accident at home and is struggling in a wheelchair and missing being in the cockpit of his T-6 leading the Aeroshell Team around the sky, while medical bills are mounting up. Alan is our friend and brother in our airhsow family and we hope to get a huge turnout so we can benefit him as much as possible.

There hasn't been a show of this proportion that I know of in the USA. Combine the numbers of performers with beautiful spring weather in northern Florida and the ingredients for a fantastic and memorable show are all there.

For some pre-airshow press see: (http://www.jacksonville.com/news/metro/2009-03-10/story/to_the_ozone_layer)

The performer party on Friday night, April 17, at Buffalos Cafe is open to the public, so come and join us (www.buffaloscafe.com) celebrate the beginning of a new airhsow season.

http://www.jacksonville.com/news/metro/2009-03-10/story/to_the_ozone_layer

Spring training

What do airshow pilots do in March? We train and get our G tolerance up for the airshow season. For me it means that I train every day, sometimes twice a day, in the box here at St. Augustine. I work up to pulling (positive or inside) and especially pushing (negative or outside) the hard G's that I push and pull in my airhsow routine. I find it to be a pretty predictable process and since I've been doing this for awhile, have a good feel for how long it takes to get conditioned for G's. Amazingly, after taking two or three months off from airshow or competition flying in the winter (a necessary indulgence) it takes about two months to get fully back into the swing of a hard G routine.

So, I will plod back out to the airport, strap on my Extra 300S, and continue with the process again. So far my eyes are not too bloodshot!

It's a beautiful day to fly in St. Augustine!

Upside Down in Charleston

Kenya Wildlife Service Pilots

Here I am with two pilots, George and Isaac, who I worked with to solo in the Super Cub at Kilaguni Airstrip this year. Both George and Isaac had soloed the Decathalon but needed to transition to the Super Cub so they could begin patrol work for the KWS. We had a great time flying and I was really proud of them!

Sheldrick Wildlife Trust

We visited the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Nairobi and saw this very young black rhino. The orphanage is run by Dame Daphne Sheldrick, a very beautiful and accomplished woman who has made this her life's work.

The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust was established in 1977 to honour to memory of a famous Naturalist, David Leslie William Sheldrick MBE, the founder Warden of Tsavo East National Park in Kenya.

The Trust has played an extremely significant role in Kenya’s conservation effort since it was founded in 1977, speaking out when necessary on controversial issues and stepping in unobtrusively and rapidly to bridge a gap or meet a shortfall that jeopardizes wildlife during times of Governmental economic constraints.

Daphne Sheldrick was the first person in the entire world to successfully hand rear newborn fully milk dependent African Elephant orphans, something that spanned 28 years of trial and error to achieve. By the year 2008 the Trust had successfully saved and hand-reared over 82 infant African Elephant calves, two from the day of birth. Currently, over 40 of the Trust’s hand-reared elephants are fully established and living free amongst their wild peers in Tsavo, some returning with wild born young to show their erstwhile human family.

Baby Elephant Butt

Kenya

I arrived back from Kenya with a stomach ache and slept for 36 hours, but am feeling much better and have even almost unpacked and gotten organized. You've got to love the feeling of being organized, if only to get it together for the next journey down the road.

The training sesssion with the KWS pilots was the best ever, thanks in part to the support of the Lindbergh Foundation. Rich Sugden and I worked with ten pilots from Monday to Friday with three airplanes - a Husky, a Super Cub and a Decathalon. Rich focused on flying with the Husky pilots and transitioned one Cub pilot to the Husky, with a solo flight. I focused on the Cub and transitioned two Deathatlon pilots to the Cub. And, most pilots were able to fly with me in the Decathalon at least once during the week. The airplanes stayed in good shape all week and we only had minor mechanical problems so that, combined with the enthusiasm of the pilots, made it the best training week ever.

The KWS pilots generally work alone or with one or two other pilots nearby, and rarely get together as a group, so one of the most enjoyable parts of the week was seeing the cameraderie and hangar talk.

Bill Clark set us up with a visit to the Ithumba Elephant Sanctuary and we were hosted by Warden Danny Woodley. It was amazing to see thirty young elephants come out to feed, drink, roll around in the mud and then splash themselves with red dust before heading back to their pasture. Baby bottles were lined up waiting for their entrance and we were able to feed them.

We also visited Daphne Sheldrick's orphanage in Nairobi, where the youngest of orphan elephants start their journey back to the wild. Again, it was fantastic to be able to touch and feel the elephants, but the biggest surprise was seeing a very young baby black rhino.

Lots to report, so more soon.

Good morning from an iphone at the east africa aero club

Its a beautiful morning at wilson airport on nairobi. Wilson is the gen aviation airport, kenyatta where the heavies fly in and out of. The aero club is a great place to stay right on thr airport and i just ordered breakfast, sitting outside. We leave for kilaguni in tsavo at 11 am this morning in the KWS Caravan amd get ready to start training tomorrow

Good morning from London Heathrow

Wakey wakey! The sun is coming up in London and I have a nice view of it from the Club Lounge in Terminal 5, the new glass terminal at LHR. Nice Club lounge with all amenities and a ton of beauteous duty free shops to - in this economy - window shop only. We are waiting to see when our friends Rich and Sue, coming from Jackson Hole and Miles and Sandy from the big Apple show up, as we're all on the same flight to Nairobi. John and Martha King left a day early and flew non-stop from LAX-NBO - YOWSA! Long flight. I hope they had some nice seats to hunker into. I love BA, one of my favorite airlines. The flight attendants are always lovely and the food is good. And, it's good to be in London, even if in Terminal 5, to see all the fashionable people. Living in Florida one tends to feel like one dresses in pajamas most of the time:)

Taking off

News of Kenya and our trip in a few weeks, unless I get access to a computer over there and can send updates...

Minutiae

MINUTIAE /mɪˈnuʃiə, -ʃə, -ˈnyu-/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [mi-noo-shee-uh, -shuh, -nyoo-] –noun, plural -ti⋅ae. Usually, minutiae. precise details; small or trifling matters: the minutiae of his craft.
Origin: 1745–55; < style="FONT-VARIANT: small-caps" href="http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=minute&db=luna">minute 2 + -ia -ia

This is what packing feels like. Where is my bat boy? My valet who takes care of these things? I've been here before, getting ready for Kenya six or seven times and even left a flight bag over there..but the e-mails pile up, the dogs stare at my suitcase...they know. Change the voice mail, check in to my BA flight online, get to Miami, endless errands in between...but once I get on the my flight to London, the iphone gets turned off, i plug in my headset and I'm on my way....to just flying, no e-mails, no cell phone, no tabloid headlines...and you know, when I get back nothing has changed,

Duluth Blues

Everyone asks me how cold it was in Duluth. Of course it was cold. It's January. It's supposed to be cold. And besides, living in Florida I look for some cold weather and a chance to get out my favorite sweaters and beret. But, for foodies out there, have to tell you one of my favorites restaurants is in Duluth - Bellisios. An Italian restaurant they have everything from fresh Walleye in the winter to great pasta dishes, and a fantastic homemade spumone for desert. Check it out next time you're there but save me a seat please.

Hello Baby....

As sad as I was to say goodbye to N2000M...was I excited to see N271SR, a Turbocharged G-3 SR22...sitting in the customer delivery bay. 1SR is silver with same color trim as my Extra, an Avidyne package with all the goodies, light tan leather seats, and being turbocharged - the option to keep the manifold pressure at sea level up to 25,000' MSL. It's so cool! This airplane is going to be an awesome tool for my team this summer at the high altitude airports we plan to operate out of. I flew it back to Florida with Cirrus instructor Chad Freidrich in order to complete my Turbo training certification. We arrived in St. Augustine last night at 10:30 pm, tucked it away and went home...but I had to go out to the airport again today just to look at it.

Bye bye N2000M

On Wednesday I flew N2000M back at the Cirrus factory in Duluth. This airplane has served as the PWAS support airplane for more than two years, 800 plus hours and many hundreds of cross country miles. I've hauled my dogs, my parrot Buddha, stuff, ribbon cut poles, supplies, suitcases and a few friends to airshows and events. I've flown it to the Bahamas from Florida two or three times. I've introduced a lot of people to Cirrus Aircraft by flying and letting them marvel at the interior and instrument package. Except for a little nose wheel shimmy early on, I had absolutely no squawks or problems with this airplane. It has just been brilliant and a joy to fly. So, it was a sad goodbye for me to see my trusty little airplane and business tool sitting on the ramp when we took off for Florida. Thanks N2000M. Thanks Cirrus Design.

Oh, and yes, it was really cold when this picture was taken:)

There I was in Las Vegas..

January

Well, I had no idea so many people read this "blog" but judging by the responses on my recent controversial issue, I guess a few people do. Does that mean I need to update it more often? More pictures? More poetry? More musings? Can I change the word "blog" to something else? For some reason I find it a pretty corny word. Online Journal or Onjo? Paragraphs and Musings or Pamu? Not enough entries or Nee. It only gets worse.

We posted our "tentative" schedule on our web site: http://www.pattywagstaff.com/ and it is rather tentative because we have dates open and would like to book at least five more airshows for the 2009 season. We have several airshows we are waiting to hear from and that look very solid. Money seems to be an issue. The airshows are having a hard time getting sponsors for their acts.

Backing up for a little airshow history, airshow performers or barnstormers used to be paid by the "gate." If they attracted a lot of people, they'd be sure to get paid (unless the promoter snuck out the back with the cash). I like the idea of the added incentive for the performer to bring people in. These days, and really for the best, the airshows generally have the money to pay the performers in advance and the money comes from local and national sponsors, so the "gate" or "ticket" money is gravy and profit for the airshow. In times of poor economy (today) airshows have a harder time getting sponsorship money to pay for the performers. On the other hand, local entertainment venues (eg airshows) have increased attendance during times of poor economy (again today!).

Then there's the issue of the "sponsored" act. We have a major sponsor, Cirrus Design, as do other airshow performers, but we also charge a fee and believe in charging the airshow a fee. Some performers don't charge the airshow a fee and build that cost into their sponsorship package. Therefore the airshows get a "free" performer which hurts performers (like me) who charge a fee. I call them "scabs" which may or may not be fair. Frankly, I don't care if it is fair. It hurts the rest of us.

Back to the schedule. We have a GREAT schedule this year! I'm so excited about going back to Pax River and Reno - well - I have only flown Reno twice in my entire airshow career, the last time being 1999, so am looking forward to that one. Beaufort MCAS is awesome and our organizer there is promising a tractor pull along with the regular lineup (not!); Branson is going to be a blast and is being held at the brand new Branson Airport. Cecil Field will host the Alan Henley benefit airshow and just about everyone will be there. Alan is our dear friend, lead pilot of the Aeroshell Team, who had an accident at home, and is dealing with paralysis issues. We are doing everything we can to make this airshow a success to raise some money for his staggering medical costs. Hill AFB is a first for us and one of the few shows we will have flown in Utah. Fargo is also a first for us - thanks Fang for helping us book this one! And, Dayton is always a top notch airshow and this year coincides with the National Aviation Hall of Fame induction ceremony which we love, love, love to go to.

So, along with a few other shows we are working on booking, we have a fantastic season lined up.

I'm heading to Kenya in a couple of weeks to give aerobatic and recurrency training to the Kenya Wildlife Service Airwing. Rich Sugden of Teton Aviation will be coming along to help with the training. We will each fly about 8 times a day in Huskies, Cubs, Cessna 180's and the Decathalon 5Y-KWP, and it's exhausting but rewarding. You definitely have to keep your eyes open for "game" on the runway - Giraffe, Zebra, Ostrich, warthogs, elephant, ETC. - Joining us will be Rich's wife, Sue, Miles and Sandy O'Brien, Knox Bridges and John and Martha King of King Schools. Other than Rich, Sue and I, the others are coming onboard as members of the Lindbergh Foundation (http://www.lindberghfoundation.org/). Miles is planning a little documentary and I'll keep you posted as to its status.

Okay, more blogging soon.

ICAS Convention

Here is a picture of me with some of my favorite women friends - Suzanne Asbury Oliver, Mary Ellen Bishop and Teresa Stokes, taken at the ICAS Banquet last night.

Sky

SkyIt's blue,
round and
invisible,
like love
it holds
you up,
lets you
go, gives
you peace
and freedom
and yourself
in places
you never
dreamed,
oh yes,
always dreamed
you'd be.
It's called
the sky
because you
see it as
others see
it in your
eyes.


John Fons
10.31.08

We are home

It was high time to depart from the dogcatcher casino and head home. My throat is scratchy and hurts from the dry synthetic air of the Rio and during the convention I only venture out to get into or out of a car. We did go to two fantastic restaurants. I'm almost afraid to talk about the first one in case it gets discovered....A friend of Italian descent of a friend recommended the "best Italian restuarant" in Las Vegas, Cafe Chloe. I'm a bit of a foodie (or at least my peasant tastes like to venture out once in a while) and can guarantee that this little non-descript unpretentious place off the main drag offers some of the best Italian food I've had. The next night I found myself going to a Thai restaurant. Anyone who knows me knows I do not eat at asian restaurants, especially if they are in strip malls, but the Lotus of Siam is probably one of the other best restaurants in the world, at least the free world at this point in time.

Okay, lots of bookings and interesting things coming up so stay tuned.

PWAS

Oh, there it is

Where is my suitcase now? Oh, there it is...Las Vegas baby...and the sun is just coming up over the mountains, morning light shining on the Palms but morning is just a continuation of the night before and before that because there are no clocks and the doors are hard to find. We're booking airshows for 2009 and it looks like fate will take us out west a few times next year. Schedule to be posted on http://www.pattywagstaff.com/ soon. More booking to be done this morning in the Rio convention hall.

the clocks have melted

and the doors are hiding

the slots are exploding

darkness is just a speck

inthe desert.

The elevators have shut down

w're locked out of the sidewalk

the streets are deserted

the slots in overtime.

The bars are greased down

and the dancers are sliding

Late night blues at the dogcatcher casino.