Features Operations
Oshkosh is Still the Biggest Show

‘EAA AIRVENTURE 2003’ may be the official name, but it is still
‘Oshkosh’ to me. While Farnborough or Paris may be more glamourous, OSH
is bigger, an annual celebration of flight in all its aspects. This
year was a special OSH as it was “Celebrating a Century of Powered
Flight” from July 29th to August 4th at Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

As
a straight industry trade show and convention, what blows me away is
all the new stuff. I want to touch on the new jets, personal aircraft
for business and pleasure, new bush aircraft for the north and the new
sport aircraft for sheer recreation.

The Eclipse is still the
biggest new thing in personal transport; while it will not complete
certification until 2006, at least it will have the more powerful Pratt
& Whitney Canada engines. Cessna’s new entry-level jet, the
Mustang, a little heavier and a little pricier, will also use the
P&WC. The Adam 700, based on the 500 for faster development, will
go with the currently available Williams as will the singleengine
Diamond Jet. If you cannot wait for this new stuff, Cessna and Raytheon
have their entry-level products, if you have $5 million or so. And have
you ever heard of the Paris Jet? Of all the dream machines from the
1950s to the Eclipse, this was the only one actually certified. Built
by Morane-Saulnier as a military trainer similar to the Canadair Tutor,
it was developed as a four-place personal jet. Beech saw two through US
certification way back in 1955. Now a California company, Aircraft
Source, is rebuilding and updating Paris Jets for under half a million
dollars.