EAA 119 Guest Speaker Program for the 45th Annual Watsonville Airshow and Fly-In, May 22nd-24th, 2009

2:00PM Friday May 22nd

Bill Stein on Formation Flying

This is an opportunity to hear learn about formation flying from one of the best.

Bill Stein has logged over 3,500 hours of aerobatic and formation flight. Bill began flying aerobatics when he was still a student pilot and has been dedicated to perfecting his skills ever since.  Since 1995 Bill has performed at air shows all across the United States and has entertained millions air show fans.

Bill’s passion for precision flying is evident in his dazzling air show routine.  He trains every day so that his skills stay razor sharp, and to maintain the all-out energy and excitement he puts into his air show sequence.  Bill’s experience includes competitive aerobatics and years of flying on the world famous Red Baron Stearman Squadron. Bill also gives back to the air show community by mentoring new air show pilots including coaching the “Stars of Tomorrow” team which have performed at many prestigious air shows including the EAA AirVenture Air Show.

12:00PM Saturday May 23rd

Alan Brown - Skunk Works & the F-117

Alan Brown, former Director of Engineering at Lockheed will be speaking on the history of the famous Lockheed Skunk Works and the development of the F-117 Stealth Fighter.

Alan Brown retired in February, 1992, as Director of Engineering at Lockheed Corporate Headquarters, His two principal concerns there were the promulgation of Concurrent Engineering and Stealth Technology throughout the Corporation, He has given invited papers on both these subjects at national and international levels.

From 1975 to 1989 he was a member of the Lockheed Advanced Development Projects, colloquially known as the "Skunk Works", He served first as the deputy program manager for the Have Blue low-observable research aircraft, He then became program manager and chief engineer for the F-117A Stealth Fighter from initial concept until the first production aircraft was built, 1978 to 1982, and from 1982 to 1989 was Director of Low Observable Technology.

He joined Lockheed in 1960, starting in the physics laboratory of the Lockheed Missiles and Space Company in Palo Alto. He moved to the aircraft company in Burbank in 1966, working on propulsion installation on the Supersonic Transport and the FX and VSX aircraft (which later became the F-15 and S-3A respectively), and was engineering manager for the Lockheed group at Rolls-Royce on the L-10ll commercial transport program.

He began his aeronautical career with an engineering apprenticeship at Blackburn Aircraft in England from 1945 to 1950. After obtaining a Diploma of the College of Aeronautics, Cranfield, in 1952, he worked at Bristol Aeroplane Company as an aerodynamicist prior to going to the United States in 1956. He worked as a research associate and lecturer at the University of Southern California, and as a research associate at Wiancko Engineering Company before joining Lockheed.

1:30PM Saturday May 23rd

Ben Scott and Addison Pemberton - Reenactment of the 1920 Transcontinental Air Mail Flight from JFK to SFO

Addison Pemberton grew fond of old airplanes while growing up in San Diego California. His family aircraft was based at Gillespie field filled with antique airplanes owned mostly by PSA and American airline pilots. Addison started flight training in the family Cessna 170B with missionary pilot and family CFI friend at 15 years old in 1969 and soloed at 16 and worked up through private, INST, COM, SEL, MEL, SES, CFI and A&P ratings as fast as time and money would allow.

Addison finished college in 1976 and started work as an engineer in the family flight test and wind tunnel instrumentation business Scanivalve Corp. He started buying up duster Stearman parts and old airplane projects with half of every pay check through out the late 1970s and 1980's. With a few Stearman projects under his belt and other fun old airplanes, a search for an antique airplane with historical significance began. This lead to a 1931 Stearman Sr Speedmail which flies today. This period of time also planted the seed for the Boeing 40 project.

Addison has acquired over 10,000 flying hours with over 5000 behind radial engines and over 9600 in tail wheel aircraft. He enjoys giving flight instruction in the "old stuff" and has had the privilege of teaching wife (of 26 years) Wendy and two sons along with countless friends to fly safely over the last 30 years. He currently operates a collection 6 antique and older aircraft as well as an aircraft restoration facility as a side hobby from Felts field in Spokane Washington.

12:00PM Sunday May 24th

Bill Randolph - Flying Around the World in an RV-8

In 2004 at the age of 76, he started building an RV-8 and in 2005 flew it around-the-world solo, flew over 27,400+ nautical miles of which 16,000+ was over water, flying 163 hours covering 30 countries on six continents. He was arrested four times, detained and locked-up twice, had an aircraft fire and was intercepted by fighters over the Mediterranean.

Quote : "It simply shows that old geezers can still do a thing or two!"

1:30PM Sunday May 24th

Gary Plomp - Restored Propliners and Their Role in Early, Post WWII Corporate Aviation

Garys' passion for aviation was forged as a young boy at Meadows Field in Bakersfield watching the great propeller driven airliners arrive and depart.

The Convairs, Martins & F-27s of United & Pacific Airlines provided an inspiration, and read the aviation books with great intensity, building the models of civilian and military aircraft that were a common sight in San Joaquin Valley skies in the early 1960s. His parents would take him to the Edwards AFB open house where he was treated to the sights & sounds of the military & research aircraft that today, only exist in history books and memories!

His family moved to Watsonville in 1966 and with the local airport a bicycle ride away, he was able to further enhance his interest in aviation and airplanes. He gleaned a lot of information from the legendary WWII vets, luminaries and "airport bums" who often provided an opportunity to fly aboard some great airplanes including golden age and warbirds throughout the area.

Among several highlights throughout the years include flying aboard the final flight in 1971 of a Douglas B-18 "Bolo", a P-51 Mustang ride and barrel rolling a Lear 24!

In the late 1960s and all throughout the 1970s, he attended airshows and was involved in promoting and assisting at several such as the defunct Gathering of War birds in Madera and the Watsonville Fly-In. In addition, he was perfecting skills as an aviation artist with pencil and pen & ink as a medium.