minnesota - Midwest Flyer

Anthony Garcia
Jim LaMalfa
Jim LaMalfa Jim LaMalfa
The 2007 Experimental Aircraft
Association fly-in and convention,
EAA AirVenture,
Oshkosh, Wis., opened July 23 to
ideal weather conditions, fair skies
and mild temperatures. With the presence
of over 10,000 aircraft on the
convention grounds, EAA directs the
EAA AIRVENTURE - OSHKOSH
Bizjets, Biofuel & Batteries – EAA AirVenture-Oshkosh 2007
by Jim LaMalfa
The V-tail Eclipse Concept Jet was among the single-engine jets introduced at EAA AirVenture.
North American FJ-4B “Fury.”
B-25 Mitchell Bomber
Javelin Jet
10 MIDWEST FLYER MAGAZINE OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2007
overflow of people and aircraft to
nearby Austin Strauble International
Airport in Green Bay, Fond du Lac
County Airport in Fond du Lac, and
Outagamie County Airport in
Appleton. Some warbird pilots have
even used Twin County Airport in
Menominee, Michigan, as a base, 100
statute miles northeast of Oshkosh.
I walked through the convention
main entrance at 9 a.m and witnessed
none other than Tom Poberezny,
President of EAA and convention
chairman, with Dale and Alan
Klapmeier, co-founders of Cirrus
Design, introducing Cirrus Design’s
new Light Sport Aircraft, the “SRS.”
A growing number of U.S. and
overseas manufacturers of aircraft are
bringing on line aircraft to supply
anticipated needs of new pilots who
qualify for the Sport Pilot Certificate,
approved by the FAA. No medical is
required, only a U.S. driver’s license,
however, range and horsepower are
limited in aircraft of this category and
sport pilots may not fly in controlled
airspace or radar environments. EAA
dedicated an area just south of Aero
Shell Square for LSA so prospective
new sport pilots could inspect the present
and new models available to them.
The Klapmeiers described the new
Cirrus SRS, taking questions from the
GA8 Airvan
Quest Propjet
Enstrom Helicopter
press. The SRS components are made
in Poland, but assembled at the Cirrus
plant in Duluth, Minnesota. The light
sport aircraft comes equipped with a
glass cockpit, ballistic parachute, and
a Rotex engine, and will sell for
around $100,000.
Cessna’s new LSA, the
“SkyCatcher,” caught a lot of attention,
and sales were brisk, hitting over
400 on the second day of the convention.
SkyCatcher is made of riveted
aluminum, powered by a Continental
O-200D 100 hp aircraft engine, uses
panel mounted sticks, and comes
equipped with a Garmin 300 glass
cockpit and even an autopilot. Selling
for a bit more than $100,000, the first
two production models were acquired
by EAA for its aviation cadet and
Young Eagles programs.
Some general aviation aircraft that
date back to the late 1940s are being
dusted off and introduced to the LSA
market, such as the Luscombe
Silvaire. The classic little tail wheel
aircraft fits the LSA profile perfectly,
requiring just a shorter range fuel tank
to qualify.
Jim LaMalfa
Jim LaMalfa
Jim LaMalfa