Oshkosh opens - AvWeb

EAA AirVenture 2017 Arrives To Blue Skies

By Mary Grady

Every summer, when July rolls around, the aviation world begins to lean toward Oshkosh, and by this weekend, the flow into Wisconsin was nonstop. EAA has worked hard as ever to be sure there are new things for pilots to enjoy, and two of the biggest will be at Show Central at Boeing Plaza — the B-29 “Doc” from Wichita, and the Blue Origin rocket, New Shepard, a reusable rocket developed by Jeff Bezos’ space company. Also from Blue Origin, a full-size mockup of the crew capsule, with room for six astronauts, will be on display. Events will showcase the 50th anniversary of the Apollo program and the 75th anniversary of the Doolittle Raid. And plenty of folks will be on hand to talk about the big issue of the day, ATC privatization.
It’s the 65th annual fly-in, and everything that flies, from hot-air balloons to warbirds to jets to rocket ships, has a place here. Every manufacturer who has a new product will showcase it here, and we’ll bring you the news every day with newsletters, video and podcasts, delivered to your inbox. We’ll be searching every corner of the show to find what’s new, what’s interesting and what’s important to pilots. And we’ll be posting on Facebook and Twitter too, so look for us there. The show officially opens Monday morning and runs through next Sunday.

Stratos VLJ Development On Pace

By Geoff Rapoport

The Stratos 714 VLJ (Very Light Jet) will be making its public debut at AirVenture 2017, as promised by company officials earlier this year. Carsten Sundin, the CTO and chief designer, said, “It has been a long road, with extensive designs and tests. The time invested has resulted in a true business jet performance that is within reach of an owner-operator for the first time.” The 714 is designed to carry six people up to 1,200 NM at 400 knots, which, if realized, will make the Stratos 100 knots faster and slightly larger than the Cirrus Vision Jet—though the Cirrus has the considerable benefit of being for sale now. Since the first flight in November 2016, the Stratos 714 has flown 37 times for flight testing and refinement. “We have been very pleased with the results of the initial flight test program,” said Stratos CEO Michael Lemaire. “We were able refine the flight controls, improving the feel, and the pilots who have flown the aircraft have given us great feedback.” Fans attending Oshkosh can see the jet fly on Tuesday afternoon (scheduled for 2:45 p.m.) or visit the aircraft on static display at space 370 (between the Grand Entrance and Building D).