From EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2026: interviews with Cirrus, Joby, the Seaplane Pilots Association, Skyfly, Factory Direct Models, SarahNautics, Samaritan Aviation, and Goodyear.
EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2026 Interviews
Hillel and Brian attended AirVenture this year. It was Brian’s first time, while Hillel has returned many times. Both recorded the following interviews:
Ivy McIver, Executive Director, SR Series Product on the Cirrus Aircraft TRAC10.
Lydon Sleeper, Head of U.S. Strategic Policy, Joby Aviation,
The MOSAIC final rule, an interview with the founder and CEO of Flying Eyes Optics, FAA guidance on certification of powered lift vehicles, new galleries opening at the National Air and Space Museum, a Delta pilot lands and gets immediately arrested, deer strikes in Alaska, and the NTSB investigation of a fatal flight in that state. Also, thoughts on recent moves to relocate the Space Shuttle Discovery from the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum to Space Center Houston.
Guest
Dean Siracusa
Dean Siracusa is the founder and CEO of Flying Eyes Optics. Dean, a pilot, started the company when he realized that existing sunglasses did not perform well with the increased clamping force of modern aviation headsets.
Flying Eyes temples are made of a patented material that allows the temples to conform to your head instead of curving around your ears. They’re easy to put on and take off while wearing a headset or helmet. The flexibility of the temple material and shatterproof polycarbonate lenses makes these glasses hard to break.
Hillel Glazer, our Aviation Innovation and Entrepreneurship Correspondent, interviewed Dean at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2025.
The Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification (MOSAIC) final rule was announced by U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy. The new rule makes changes to the Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) category and Sport Pilot privileges by expanding an alternative to experimental amateur-built aircraft. MOSAIC:
Removes the weight limit
Encompasses aircraft with higher speeds, more seats, and retractable landing gear.
Allows for new types of propulsion and modern avionics.
Allows aerial work with LSA, such as infrastructure and forest inspections, photography/filming, and agricultural surveillance.
Allows pilots operating under Sport Pilot privileges to fly a broader range of aircraft.
Reduces regulatory requirements by expanding the types of aircraft that qualify as LSA and the types of aircraft pilots can fly under Sport Pilot privileges.
Changes for sport pilots and light-sport repairmen take effect 90 days after the final rule publishes. Changes for LSA certification take effect 365 days after the final rule publishes.
Attendance for the week: approximately 704,000, the highest on record. More than 10,000 aircraft, 2,543 show planes, nearly 6,000 volunteers, and 962 commercial exhibitors.
Originally, certification of the new advanced air mobility (AAM) aircraft types, such as eVTOLs, had been worked under Part 23 regulations for light aircraft. In 2022, the FAA categorized them as powered-lift under FAR 21.17(b) regulations for special class aircraft. That category had no airworthiness standards and operating rules.
The FAA has now released an advisory circular “streamlining the certification process for advanced air mobility aircraft by releasing guidance for how manufacturers can meet the agency’s aircraft design and performance safety standards. It establishes a consistent, performance-based framework for manufacturers to follow. The FAA will carefully evaluate each proposed design to ensure it meets the agency’s rigorous standards.”
The AC defines powered-lift as heavier-than-air aircraft that use “engine-driven lift devices” or engine thrust for vertical takeoff and landing and low-speed flight. For lift during horizontal flight, they use rigid airfoils such as wings.
The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum opened five new galleries, the Lockheed Martin IMAX Theater and the museum’s redesigned entrance on Jefferson Drive along the National Mall Monday. The remaining galleries will open July 1, 2026, the 50th anniversary of the museum in Washington and in time for the United States’ 250th anniversary.
The National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., is located at Jefferson Drive between Fourth and Seventh streets S.W. and is open every day except Dec. 25 from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Admission is free, but timed-entry passes are required to visit. The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center is located in Chantilly, Virginia, near Washington Dulles International Airport and is open every day except Dec. 25 from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Admission is free, timed-entry passes are not required and parking is $15.
Alaska Airlines flight 231 flying from Anchorage hit several unfortunate deer while landing in Kodiak, Alaska. Damage was sustained to the 737’s landing gear. The FAA’s wildlife strike database shows more than 22,000 strikes reported in 2024.
After a nearly two-yesr investigation, the NTSB released its report of a fatal 2023 Piper PA-18 crash carrying moose meat and antlers. The Piper was loaded with 520 pounds of cargo, 117 pounds overweight. The aircraft also had a set of antlers strapped to the wing without the required FAA approval. The NTSB stated that the cause of the crash was the excess weight and the “unapproved external load” of the antlers, which “degraded takeoff performance and flight characteristics” leading to a loss of control.
A passenger onboard reports that 10 law enforcement officers, including Homeland Security Investigations officers, “stormed to the front” of the aircraft as soon as the Boeing 757 arrived and “grabbed/arrested” one of the pilots.
Boeing’s commercial market outlook, the AirVenture and Farnborough air shows, Airbus’ A321XLR certification, funding for FAA infrastructure, Embraer’s Eve flying taxi prototype, JetBlue’s unpaid leave offer to flight attendants, and first officers decline to upgrade to captain.
The global commercial fleet is projected to grow 3.2% annually.
The air cargo fleet will increase by two-thirds by 2043, to support 4.1% annual air cargo traffic growth.
The number of global routes served by commercial airlines has returned to 2019 levels, even though nearly 20% of them are new, illustrating the adaptability of aviation in a dynamic market.
Single-aisle airplanes will make up 71% of the 2043 fleet.
The global widebody fleet will more than double, with twin-aisles comprising 44% of the Middle East fleet.
It’s Opening Week for Two of the World’s Largest Airshows
EAA AirVenture Oshkosh is July 22 – July 28, 2024. EAA has about 300,000 members worldwide. AirVenture sees more than 500,000 attendees over the week-long event they call The World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration®.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) issued Type Certification for the Airbus A321XLR powered by CFM LEAP-1A engines. Airbus has a backlog of over 500 single-aisle A321XLR orders. Iberia is the launch customer and EIS is expected in November 2024. Airbus also has orders from Qantas, Icelandair, and IAG Group. Certification for the Pratt & Whitney GTF variant is to come next.
Twenty-six industry associations sent a letter to the Appropriations Committees, the Senate Commerce Committee, and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee asking for more ATC modernization funding. The associations represent business and general aviation, airlines, air traffic controllers and specialists, pilots and flight attendants, and manufacturers.
The groups note an uncommitted balance in the Airport and Airway Trust Fund (AATF) that could be used for the FAA’s Facilities and Equipment (F&E) account. “We… believe more must be done to not only maintain and sustain the ATC system but also to modernize it.” The Airport and Airway Trust Fund (AATF), also known as the Aviation Trust Fund, was established in 1970 to help finance the FAA’s investments in the airport and airway system, independent of the General Fund.
Embraer subsidiary Eve Air Mobility revealed their full-scale eVTOL prototype. The fixed-wing aircraft uses eight propellers for vertical flight and an electric pusher motor. The first prototype does not have a cabin or pilot. The final aircraft will seat four passengers and a pilot.
Eve was founded in 2020 and plans to obtain certification and enter service in 2026. Five conforming prototypes are planned for 2025. The company says they have letters of intent for 2,900 eVTOLs that seat four passengers and a pilot. Investors include United Airlines, BAE Systems, Thales, and Rolls-Royce.
A Transport Workers Union of America (TWU) memo says JetBlue is taking steps to reduce costs. Flight attendants should expect “significantly reduced” flying schedules during the October to March winter season and more time sitting on reserve, although they can take unpaid leave of absence. The memo also says that JetBlue plans to reduce the number of flight attendants working on transatlantic flights from the current five to just four for “the foreseeable future”. JetBlue plans to disable the privacy doors in its Mint Business Class on some planes and thus reduce the number of flight attendants required on these planes.
JetBlue founder and founder-CEO of Breeze Airways David Neeleman says there are many pilots, but they don’t all want the workload and stress of a captain. Neeleman said, “First officer pay has gone up so much that a lot of these people don’t want to upgrade to captain because it affects their quality of life.” American’s pilots union said that in 2023, 7,000 pilots declined promotions to captain.
Aviation training at the University of Maine Augusta, Boeing and Airbus orders at Farnborough, Delta TechOps LEAP-1B MRO, a fighter market forecast, an open fan engine demonstrator, dropping the KC-46 co-pilot, electronic bag tags from Alaska Airlines, airline pilots who decide to exit the plane, and rebalancing travel demand and airline capacity.
Aviation Training at the University of Maine Augusta
On the occasion of UMA’s introduction of their new Cirrus SR20, our Main(e) Man Micah speaks with:
Lt John Warren, Maine Air Guard KC-135 Pilot and UMA Graduate
Maj. Gen. Douglas A. Farnham, Adjutant General, Maine
Amber Kochaver, a recent Program graduate
Dr. Joseph Szakas, Interim President UMA
Greg Jolda, Aviation Program Director
Dr. Szakas flying the VR Simulator with Greg Jolda
UMA SR20 Being Admired – Gen Farnum and Greg Jolda
Note that UMA also offers a program for remote pilots flying small unmanned aircraft or drones. The 8-course UAS certificate program allows you to become a certified FAA remote pilot.
Experimental Aircraft Association president Tom Poberezny has died at the age of 75. Tom was EAA president from 1989-2010 and succeeded his father, EAA founder Paul Poberezny. EAA CEO and Chairman of the Board Jack Pelton said, “It is not lost on us that Tom’s passing occurred on the opening day of EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, the event he led into world prominence as its chairman beginning in the 1970s.”
At the 2022 Farnborough Airshow, Delta Air Lines ordered 100 Boeing 737 Max 10 jets with options for 30 more. All Nippon Airways ordered twenty 737 Max 8s and two 777-8F cargo variants.
Boeing received 172 firm orders at Farnborough while Airbus saw 85 orders. However, Airbus holds a much more significant backlog than Boeing and received a commitment for 292 jets from Chinese customers recently.
Delta TechOps will become a provider of MRO services for CMFI LEAP-1B engines. Delta TechOps provides support for Delta’s fleet of aircraft and more than 150 other aviation and airline customers worldwide.
Forecast International released a new study, “The Market for Fighter Aircraft” ($2050). The company projects over 3,855 fighters built from 2022 through 2031. In 2022 dollars, that represents $281.4 billion.
Airbus and CFM International are collaborating on an open fan (open rotor or unducted fan) engine architecture. The Flight Test Demonstrator is under CFM’s Revolutionary Innovation for Sustainable Engine (RISE) technology demonstration program. Testing is on an A380 with the engine replacing the usual #2 engine.
The Air Force’s Air Mobility Command is thinking about reducing crew size on Boeing KC-46 Pegasus tankers during dangerous missions. The concern is that a conflict in the Indo-Pacific region could involve a Chinese anti-aircraft missile attack. Tankers are particularly vulnerable. Reducing the number of airmen onboard a tanker would minimize casualties.
Alaska Airlines is selectively rolling out electronic bag tags that can be activated up to 24 hours before a flight with the Alaska Airlines mobile app. At the airport, touching your phone to the tag will display flight information. No check-in is required. The program starts at San Jose International Airport in California.
It was a disagreement between the two after a 90-minute weather delay. Following an announcement by the pilot, the plane returned to the gate. Live and Let’s Fly claims “a credible source” said the captain was arguing with ramp agents and barking orders.
Reportedly, after an explosion and smoke on a Vueling plane, the captain and most of the crew ran out of the plane leaving passengers to fend for themselves.
CEO Robert Isom told investors the surge in demand is outpacing staffing levels. Mainline route capacity should be sufficient in about a year. Regional routes could take two or three years.
Continued coverage of EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2021 with the National Air Transportation Association, teTra Aviation, Pod-A-Palooza, and EAA Radio.
National Air Transportation Association
Airplane Geeks Innovation and Entrepreneurship Correspondent Hillel Glazer speaks with Ryan Waguespack, Sr. VP of the National Air Transportation Association on the role of the association, the market, challenges, and opportunities. NATA represents airports, FBOs, and other aviation businesses and services with an emphasis on local, rural, and general aviation interests and benefits in aviation.
teTra Aviation
Hillel also talks with teTra Aviation CEO Tasuku Nakai and Engineer Koya Kuwamura to discuss their vision for eVTOL and UAM as well as their current product which they brought to Oshkosh. teTra is the winner of the “Pratt and Whitney Disruptor Prize” in the GoFly Prize competition awarded in Feb 2020. This is a great example of how competition can bring new participants with out-of-the-box ideas to create new markets.
Pod-A-Palooza
A group of aviation podcasters assembled for what has been the annual gathering called Pod-A-Palooza. That event at Oshkosh has been organized by different people over the years, most recently by Airplane Geeks reporter-at-large Launchpad Marzari. With his tragic passing, many podcasters and others wanted to get together and say something about our friend Brad. Thanks to Pipistrel Aircraft for letting us use their booth space.
EAA Radio broadcasts from Oshkosh during AirVenture. Max Flight was interviewed for a segment and we’d like to thank EAA Radio for making the recording available.
The group discusses first impressions of this year’s event, notable experiences after the first official day, and general thoughts about EAA AirVenture Oshkosh.
Interviews from the Spurwink Farm fly-in and pancake breakfast held July 11, 2021, at the Spurwink Farm Airfield in Maine.
Jim Brown’s Beech Staggerwing taking off
Jim Brown flew in with his Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing. This plane is the last model D-17S built for the military in 1944.
Max, Jim, Fiona, and Micah with the Staggerwing
Shawn Moody arrived in a Flightstar. Shawn talks about STEM initiatives and the Maine Blue Collar Scholarship program.
Micah, Shawn, and Max
Bunk Chase gives us some of the history of the event, which is sponsored by EAA Chapter 141 out of Limington, Maine. Bunk also explains the history of the EAA Young Eagles program.
Bunk (Illuminated from heaven), Max, and Micah
Mike Smith flew up from Stowe-Minuteman Airport in Massachusetts in his Sonex, which he built from plans.
Micah, Mike, and Max with the Sonex
Ron Edson, EAA Chapter 141 president, tells us about this builder’s chapter.
Airshow incident response, airport eatery, flight simulation, and the EAA Young Eagles Program.
Bunk Chase and Brix at an EAA Young Eagles Program event.
Interviews
Airplane Geeks reporter-at-large Launchpad Marzari speaks with Robert Yanacsek, the CEO of FROST (the Fast Response Operational Safety Team) on airshow incident response.
Next, Launchpad talks with Nana Palmer, the manager of Delta Charlies restaurant bar and grill at Dallas Executive Airport, KRBD. It’s an Eat at the Airport review.
Launchpad finishes up with Josh Harnagel Vice President of Marketing at Redbird Flight Simulations in Austin, Texas on integration with ForeFlight.
The AeroEducate youth aviation initiative from the EAA, pandemic effects on airline pilot employment and proficiency, FedEx plan to temporarily relocate Hong Kong-based crew, a 5G program and its effects on satellite-based navigation, Norwegian Air Shuttle plans a different strategy, conformal fuel tanks on F-18 Super Hornets, the first contractor-owned F-16 aggressors.
Guest
Ron Connolly, Director of Museum and Education, EAA.
Ron introduces us to AeroEducate, the new youth aviation initiative from the EAA for young people from 5 to 18 years old. The AeroEducate initiative encourages youngsters to explore aviation and possible careers in aviation. It’s an interactive, educational, and engaging experience that will officially begin later this year. Designed for both individual and classroom settings, AeroEducate was developed with support from groups such as United Airlines’ Aviate program and North Carolina State University’s school of education.
We also talk with Ron about Airventure Oshkosh and the EAA Aviation Museum, including some of the impressive exhibits and artifacts.
Prior to joining the EAA staff, Ron spent time with both the Milwaukee and Appleton Police Departments as a Patrol Officer and then as a Senior Sergeant. Since 2016 he has spent time as an Associate Professor at Marian University. Prior to that he was a technical college instructor at institutions like Fox Valley Technical College, North Central Technical College and Northeast Wisconsin Technical College.
Ron earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Mount Senario College. He also holds a Master of Science Degree in Organizational Leadership and Quality from Marian University and an Educational Doctorate in Leadership, for the Advancement of Learning and Service from Cardinal Stritch University.
Pilot recruitment firm GOOSE and FlightGlobal conducted a survey [PDF] to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting pilots. Almost half of all pilots are either looking for work or furloughed. Of those who are looking, GOOSE says, 80% said that they’d accept a cut in pay for a new job. Pilot Survey 2021 had input from 2,598 pilots from all over the world. Survey topics include pilot retention, pilot job security, employee engagement, pilot referral, stress, mental health and well-being, and the future of aviation.
A number of errors and mishaps are being blamed by pilots on the pandemic and recorded in the NASA ASRS (Aviation Safety Reporting System). AOPA’s Richard G. McSpadden Jr., senior vice president at the Air Safety Institute said, “The key to flying safely is frequency. You are not as sharp if you haven’t flown for a while.”
Hong Kong, the world’s busiest air cargo hub, plans to require a 14-day quarantine for aircrews. FedEx Express is concerned and the company says they will temporarily relocate Hong Kong-based pilots and their families to San Francisco. Other passenger and cargo airlines might be forced to reconsider their flights to and from Hong Kong.
Some aviation groups sent a request to the FCC asking it to reconsider its approval for Ligado Networks’ terrestrial 5G program. The groups are concerned about possible GPS interference. However, the FCC denied the “request to stay its unanimous decision,” allowing the Ligado Networks’ terrestrial 5G program to continue. Airplane Geeks reporter-at-large Launchpad Marzari describes the issue.
Norwegian Air Shuttle’s Board of Directors announced the airline will exit the low-cost long-haul market and focus on short haul routes within Norway and to “key European destinations.” Under the plan, 2,160 pilots and crew working at subsidiaries in the UK, U.S., Italy, Spain, and France will lose their jobs. Approximately half of that number are at Norwegian’s London Gatwick base.
In testing, the Navy identified unspecified “technical, structural, and sustainment” problems in a “carrier environment.” The Drive speculates that since “there is a specific link between [conformal fuel tanks (or CFT)] and the operation of CFT-equipped jets from its aircraft carriers, [that] could suggest the problems have to do, at least in part, with how the upgraded aircraft handle the stresses of catapult launches and arrested recoveries.”
The article continues, “Another possibility might be that the tanks have been found to block access to key sections of the aircraft when they are installed, requiring their removal to perform certain routine maintenance and other tasks, adding costly time and effort to those processes.”
Private contractor Top Aces provides red air adversary support and will now be the first to acquire fourth-generation fighters, starting with four ex-Israeli Air Force F-16s. These jets have combat experience from the 1980s. Three of them shot down Syrian MiGs during the conflict in Lebanon, and one of them participated in the bombing raid on Iraq’s Osirak nuclear reactor. The four F16s were transported from Ben Gurion Airport to Phoenix, Arizona on a Ukrainian-registered An-124 cargo aircraft.
Homebuilt
The tug is the homebuilt, not the Focke Wulf. Launchpad Marzari explains how he and a friend combined some decidedly non-aviation items into a functional tug.
Airplane Geeks Reporter-at-Large Launchpad Marzari and his new “snow tug.”
Airlines face downward booking trends and very large furloughs, flight training in a time of social distancing, airlines struggle to enforce face-covering policies, airports are responding to the pandemic, Boeing issues draft pilot training document for the 737 MAX, and Spirit Airlines steps up to help a family in need.
United Airlines sent employees a notice saying that 36,000 employees may be subject to involuntary furloughs. That would represent 45% of its U.S. front-line workers. Most of these (26,000) would be flight attendants and airport customer service and gate agents. Up to 2,250 pilots could be affected.
In mid-April, there were days when TSA checkpoint volume was only 4% of previous year levels. In May and June, the volume rose slightly and airlines started operating more flights. But now Covid-19 infections are spiking upward in many U.S. states and bookings are again dropping.
A few months ago, Redbird Flight Simulations started thinking about social distancing and flight training. They’ve developed a platform for flight instructors and their students that uses video conferencing technology and a web-based version of the Redbird Navigator flight simulator operating system.
Airline passengers are required to wear face coverings in flight, except when eating and drinking. Most do, but not everyone. Cabin crew have difficulty enforcing a mask policy since there is no Federal requirement, only a recommendation.
In July 2020, the U.S. Department of Transportation published a 44-page “Runway to Recovery” plan [PDF] subtitled “The United States Framework for Airlines and Airports to Mitigate the Public Health Risks of Coronavirus.”
DFW and American Airlines plan to roll out self-check-in for luggage and touchless restrooms at the airport. The airport is piloting three luggage self-check-in systems: Amadeus’s ICM, SITA, and Materna IPS. DFW is also testing new sanitization technology including ultraviolet light to kill germs before they circulate into the HVAC system.
Boeing has a draft of its new 737 MAX pilot training document. The Allied Pilots Association (APA) representing American Airlines’ pilots has a copy and they say the document is vastly more thorough than previous drafts. The APA is generally pleased with it but some concerns remain. Boeing’s latest draft includes some 10 documents and 200 pages.
A family was flying on Spirit Airlines from San Juan to Philadelphia when their 4-year-old daughter had a medical emergency. The plane diverted to Turks and Caicos so the girl could get medical treatment. (She’s fine.) But the family didn’t have the necessary documentation when they tried to leave the island. Plus international travel is shut down there. They were trapped but Spirit and others came to the rescue.
