AirVenture 2021 - RVs

RVs were everywhere at this AirVenture.  I'd estimate that the Homebuilt Camping area was 95% RVs.

Here a polished one taxiis out early in the week.
   
One of the more unusual paint jobs.  Kind of like an easter egg.
   
One of the amazing airbrush paint jobs.
   
When I first saw this RV-8, I thought someone had moved my plane!  Other than a painted vertical stab and a nice logo, the paint scheme is identical to mine.  I talked with the owner briefly and showed him a picture of my 7.
   
I didn't see too many RV-3s -- after all, only 243 or so were built -- but here is one.
   
I liked the U.S. Navy paint scheme on this RV-8 that was in our homebuilt camping section.
   
RVs were parked in many vendor booths.  Here, Mark B.'s RV-8 is parked in the Synergy Air booth, where he built it in their builder assist program.   Mark won an Exceptional Workmanship award for this plane at this year's EAA AirVenture.
   
Parked next to Mark's RV-8 at the Synergy Air booth was this outstanding RV-14.
   
I like the tail art.  Green and mustard yellow isn't a combination you would think goes well together but on this plane it works.
   
Awesome panel.   But even with the loaded panel, the pilot is using the iPad.
   
Very cool lighting on the wingtip corner.
   
The Vans Aircraft Company booth had lots of planes this year; the place was always packed.  I bet the Vans employees were talking to potential customers  non-stop the entire day.
   
Vans flew most of their static demo planes out Wednesday prior to the storm, but they were back Thursday.
   
And there is the great man who started it all, Richard "Van" VanGrunsven.  Van founded Vans Aircraft Company in 1973.  A friend of mine talked with Van at the RV Social on Monday evening and asked him what he felt when he saw the Homebuilt Parking and Camping areas filled with RVs.  Van said it amazed him every time he sees it.
 
Over 10,000 RVs have been built to airworthiness, quite an accomplishment when you consider how much effort it takes to build one.   Van's dominates the homebuilt market.  I think I heard that their sales are 250% what they were two years ago.
   
I recognized this RV-8 right away.  It's Paul Dye's Valkyrie.  Paul was a long-serving NASA Flight Director (and recently wrote an excellent book about his experiences), is Editor at Large for Kitplanes magazine, built this RV-8 that has over 2,000 hours on it, built a fire-breathing RV-3B named Tsamsiyu, and built a SubSonex jet, just to name a few of his accomplishments.
   
A loaded RV-14 in front of the Garmin booth.
   
Regretfully I missed a 24-ship RV flyover early in the week.  But here are some great pictures of the RV flyover by Anne Taylor.
   
This outstanding picture from above really captures how many planes were at Wittman Field early in the week.  And this is only half the grounds.
   
 
   
The 24 formation pilot, all (I think) from west of the Mississippi River.  Unfortunately, RV formation flying on the east coast has sort of died out.
   
I attended a Forum given by Greg Hughes and two other long-standing Vans Aircraft Company employees.  Even though I have built an RV, the forum was interesting and I learned a few things.
   
The EAA Museum has really done the RV story right, with the original RV-1 hanging from the ceiling over the first RV-3 and RV-4.
   
I passed this very colorful RV-10 taxiing out on Saturday.
   
 
   
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