We Are Back from Oshkosh Airventure 2010

A report from Oshkosh Airventure 2010
by Tine Tomažič

This year's Airventure was marked with bad weather and soft grounds during the first few days of the show, but escalated into a great event and finished as strong, although with lower overall attendance comparing to the previous year.

Main entrance to the Oshkosh Airventure area

 
Pipistrel was present with two displays this year, one at the LSA Mall (photo on left) and the other at the Ultralight Area (photo on right).

The aircraft on display were the Virus SW 100 (LSA Mall) and the Virus 912 alongside the winning NASA 2007 & 2008 racer (Ultralight Area). The team of Pipistrel's distributors (in alphabetical order) David Dixen, Robert Mudd, Vance Turner, Rand Vollmer and Dave White, led by Michael Coates was accompanied by factories' Tine Tomazic as technical assistance. Ray Lund unfortunately could not attend this year.


Distributors meeting

It was great to see how much better known Pipistrel's brand is in the USA, as people came to the stands already knowing what they are looking at. In previous years we had many more questions like: »Where do these aircraft come from? What is this, what is that etc...«, this year was profoundly different. Whether this has to do with the NASA Challenge 2007 and 2008 exposure, Taurus Electro, the upcoming revolutionary four-seater or all things combined is really not that important, the most important thing is that Pipistrel is recognised as one of the serious LSA and General aviation contenders, now also in the USA!

This year also marks Pipistrel's official entry into the LSA class, with hurdles previously caused by the lack of bilateral agreement now gone. Special Oshkosh pricing and 2010 Value Packs attracted lots of customers, who hardly believed the killer pricing and the level of equipment included in the Value Packs! The Oshkosh discounts are still valid for USA customers until 31 August 2010, so do not hesitate to contact our Pipistrel USA team for further information.

The NASA-awarded Virus SW 100 was the star of the Pipistrel's display and people could not believe the super-smooth finish and clean aerodynamic lines that make this 2-seat LSA so much more efficient than the competition. It was admired day after day and gathered crowds of people from all over the World. The displayed Virus SW 100 was fitted all leather interior and a double EFIS/EMS Dynon setup with full 2-axis autopilot, coupled to a Garmin GPS. A truly state-of-the-art level of equipment for a state-of-the-art aeroplane!


The two Virus-es at the Pipistrel's UL display drew admiration of the visitors

Electric flight and associated technologies were the primary focus of this year's Airventure. Tine Tomazic gave two lectures at the Aviation Learning Center on the Pipistrel's Taurus Electro, the World's First 2-seat electric powered aircraft, which is still the only 2-seat electrical aircraft in serial production. Tomazic's talks attracted quite a crowd on both occasions and it was great to see the audience expressing their enthousiasm about Pipistrel's endeavours to make electric flight a reality. Tomazic, together with Robert Mudd of Pipistrel USA were also interviewed on EAA Radio as a special appearance when the hosts visited the LSA Mall. Tine Tomazic also attended the World Symposium on Electric Aircraft, which was organised as part of the Airventure event. Authorities like Burt Rutan, Randy Babbit, Erik Lindberg and Bertrand Piccard all shared their views on the current state and future of electric flight. Pipistrel is happy to report that our goals with electric flight already now meet and exceed the expectations of these esteemed individuals and that the future of Pipistrel's electric range is bright! A memorable occasion was also the PADA's evening event, organised by Brien Seeley, also known as the president of CAFE Foundation, the organisation behind the 2007, 2008 and the upcoming 2011 NASA Green Flight Challenge, which Pipistrel is very much looking forward to.

At this point Pipistrel would like to thank Michael Coates and the entire Pipistrel USA team for the organisation and execution of the event, especially to Rand Vollmer and Dave White, our newest dealers who debuted at the Airventure for their job well done! Special thanks also go to Charles Dalglish and Roger (Virus 912) for their valued contributions to the show.

All in all the Airventure 2010 represents a great start into the LSA arena in the USA, while at the same time providing a quality insight in the world of electric time. Expect us there again next year!