Arlington, VA – The National Aeronautic Association announced that world-renowned aerobatic pilot Patty Wagstaff won this year’s Katharine Wright Award for her many years of dedication to flying.
The award is given each year to a woman who made a personal contribution to the advancement of the art, sport and science of aviation and space flight over an extended period of time. The award was named in honor of Orville and Wilbur Wright’s sister, Katharine. She used money from teaching to purchase supplies for her brothers’ experiments, nursed Orville back to health after he crashed in Fort Myer, Virginia, contributed ideas to their experiments and trials and acted as a public figure to endorse the safety of flying and the Wrights' aircraft.
Wagstaff is most famous for her work in aerobatics, and is recognized as one of the most skilled aerobatic pilots ever to fly. From 1985 to 1996, she was a six-time member of the U.S. Aerobatic Team. She was also the first woman to become a U.S. National Aerobatic champion, a feat she achieved three times.
The Katharine Wright award is one of many honors Wagstaff has earned in her career. In 1997 she became an inductee of the Women in Aviation International Hall of Fame. In 2004, she was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame. In past years, NAA bestowed Wagstaff with the Stinson Award (2002) and a Tissandier Diploma (1996). Her plane, the Goodrich Extra 260, is on display at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, where it has resided since 1994.
Her impact on aviation goes beyond just her awards and achievements in aerobatics, however -- she has done a great deal of philanthropic work as well. For the last five years Wagstaff has traveled to Kenya to help train members of the wildlife service in flying. Her efforts have helped the service become more efficient in reducing poaching in the African country. Wagstaff has also given her time to Challenge Air; a non-profit group that gives special needs children the opportunity to fly.
NAA is a non-profit, membership organization devoted to fostering opportunities to participate fully in aviation activities and to promoting public understanding of the importance of aviation and space flight to the United States. NAA is the caretaker of several major aviation awards and it certifies all world and national aviation records set in the United States. For additional information about NAA and its mission, log on to www.naa.aero.
The Paris Airshow at Le Bourget Airport (where Lindbergh landed in 1927) happens every other year alternating with the Farnborough Airshow in the UK. Last year we flew the Raytheon T-6A at Farnborough and this year flew the Raytheon T-6B. The T-6B variant of the airplane has upgraded avionics (read: beautiful all glass cockpit!), a HUD (heads up display) and hard points on the wings for weapons or fuel tanks. This is a great airplane and Patty was thrilled to fly it.
Temps and pressures were good for most of the show with only one rainy day and even then most of us were able to get our "high shows" in. The first four days of the show are considered "Trade Days" only, with everyone who is anyone in the military and defense sector of aviation and aerospace, either with a chalet, an exhibit, or just in attendance. This show is huge and attracts people from all over the world. One of our favorite things to do was to stand at the fence near our T-6B on static display and just watch people. Friday through Sunday are "Public Days" and while the shows don't change (the show goes every day), it's really "airshow" time. We saw some of the largest airshow crowds we have ever seen.
Airshow routines in Paris are limited to 6 minutes, and that's from takeoff to clearing the runway. No "air starts" allowed, so time is tight. Once cleared into position, the tower gives a 30 second and l0 second count, so at 10 seconds you are starting to bring in power to conserve ever second. Paris gives the pilots a 500' hard deck, or lower limit, to which they can fly and airspace at Le Bourget is super tight because it conflicts with Charles de Gaulle International Airport and local neighborhoods.
Our routine this year consisted of a roll on take off, a simulated weapons delivery dive as an opening maneuver, into a roll and a half on the vertical up line with a full down down; a loop with roll on top, half cuban 8, 8 point roll, kerry repositioning turns, inverted pass and photo pass.
The week before the airshow starts is validation and practice week for all the pilots. After each flight we go to the Bureau Presentation de Vols and get a de-brief. When the Airboss says you were too low or too far outside the box, there is no argument because your entire flight has been tracked by radar and sits on a laptop computer for you to view! Very informative, instructional and frankly refreshing because there are no arbitrary guessing games about violating airspace. Either you're in or you are out. We like it, and think it's a fair and equitable way to play the airspace box game.
The big difference flying at Paris or Farnborough or one of the other Aerospace trade shows, like Dubai, Singapore or Fidae (Chile), is that aircraft are being flown mostly by factory demo pilots who are flying the aircraft for potential sales. Keep the airplanes within the G limits and from there the demos are usually no holds barred. Some of our favorite international demo pilots were flying - the Super Hornet flown by Ricardo Traven. Ricardo is the chief test pilot for the Super Hornet and based at Pax River and puts on an awesome airshow. Lockheed had a Block 50 F-16 on display doing some wild stuff and the Russian Su-27 was flown by Sergei Brogdav and put on another impressive display. Other big fighters included the Rafale, Mirage, Tornado, and the Typhoon. Military trainers included Raytheon's T6-B flown by yours truly; the Aeromacchi 346 flown by test pilot Olinto Cecconello of Italy, and a couple of others. And, smaller aircraft like the Cap 232 were flown by French pilots, including our old friend (and competitor) Catherine Manoury.
Lots of business was conducted, great flying, and lots of great French (but, of course) wine, champagne, and fromage were consumed during the Paris Airshow and we hope to be invited back next time!
Patty with Raytheon pilot JD O'Malley
Patty with F18 pilot Ricardo Traven and Sukhoi Design Bureau pilots, Sergei Brogdav and Sergei Melnikov
Patty, Steve & Suzanne Oliver and Jimmy Wynbrandt, plus three dogs, Pax Oliver, Cassidy and Ripley Wagstaff, all piled into the PWAS Baron last week and flew up to Epps Aviation's 40th Birthday Party. It was great to see Pat and his family, and 600 other close friends, including airshow pilot Deb Gary, artist Sam Lyons and his wife Mindy, Connie and Ed Bowlin, Henry and Mary Lowe from Macon, Georgia, and the list goes on. Here is a picture of Patty with Pat Epps. Happy Birthday Epps!
Patty spent the week training for the upcoming Paris Airshow at Le Bourget Airport in Paris, France. Le Bourget Airport is the airport that Charles Lindbergh landed at on his big cross country across the Atlantic and hosts one of the largest air and trade shows in the world every two years, alternating with Farnborough in the U.K. Patty will once again be flying the Raytheon T-6A in the airshow, demo-ing it's great handling qualities and superb performance for both training and operational use.
Patty with JD O'Malley of Raytheon Aircraft, taken at St. Augustine Airport.
Patty really enjoyed her first flight in the Cirrus SR22 at the St. Augustine Airport. Charlie Hood, Cirrus Representative for Florida and the Bahamas, went flying with Patty recently and they had blue skies and a good flying. We were really impressed with the workmanship, the flying characteristics and the load workload aspects of the airplane. It was the first time we'd flown with a side stick on the left, but found it very intuitive and easy to fly. Great airplane and we hope we get a chance to fly it again! Thanks, Charlie.
Patty is back in the air and has been flying every day for two weeks breaking in her new engine....a Lycoming 580. This is one torque-y engine! With more Horsepower than the 540, we really notice the vertical lines, the increased take off performance and overall HP........
Pictured here is the beautiful new 580 and Patty and her Extra special mechanic, Gene Powers, after its first flight. Champagne for everyone!
As many of our fans noticed, Patty was at Sun & Fun, but wasn't flying the airshow....a strange set of circumstances for an airshow pilot! After knee surgery from a fall from a horse about two months ago, she decided to give herself plenty of time to recuperate and take no chances, so has not flown her first two airshows this year. But, she did enjoy a fantastic Sun & Fun. The weather was nothing less than spectacular, if a little cold! We remember years past when it's been too hot, so it was wonderful.
Patty spent time at sponsors Champion, Aeroshell and Tempest booth and was really lucky to spend time with two favorite German friends, Walter Extra (yes, the genius behind the Extra series of aircraft) and Gerd Muhlbauer who makes the MT propeller. Walter was flying an Extra (of course) in the airshow, so that was a rare treat.
Airshow pilots we had fun with this weekend included Steve & Suzanne Oliver, the Oliver Aerial Entertainers, Matt Champman (great airshow Matt!), Nicolai Timofeev (great show Nic!!), Skip Stewart, a relative newcomer who puts on an entertaining show in his little black and red Pitts; Eric Beard in his Yak 54, the Red Eagles, and the one and only Aeroshell Team. The night show on Saturday night was literally a blast, featuring Steve Oliver, Bill Leff, Eric Beard, Manfred Radius and a jet car. We think night shows add a great deal to the airshow venue.
We visited with our favorite baby, Skylar Grace Henley and appreciate Whit Maclamore's incredible hospitality toward all the performers.
Thanks for everyone's hospiality.
We can't wait to start flying and look forward to our next airshow at Tyndall Air Force Base in Panama City, Florida.
Patty at Sun & Fun with our biggest fan, Cal Wagner.
We are really excited about this year's Sun & Fun fly-in and Airshow, and seeing our fans and friends. If you would like to meet Patty and get a signed autograph from her, please find her at one of her sponsors' booths:
Patty and friends met in Kenya for another year's training program with the pilots of the Kenya Wildlife Service (www.kws.org). There have been some changes at KWS. Major Solomon Nyanjui is now acting Director of the Airwing and there are a number of new pilots who are being trained for KWS work - low level patrols in national parks across Kenya. Patty was joined by good friend Bill Clark, who works hard every year to secure funding for this project and for many other things for the KWS; his friend, Israeli pilot Zviker Ozer; and our friend from Alaska, Marcus Paine whose flight school Unusual Attitudes trains pilot from all over Alaska to be more aware and more competent.
Our students were eager and ready to go early each morning, and this year we had use of a Super Cub (5Y-KWY), a Husky (5Y-BGR) and the Super Decathalon (5Y-KWP). Students George and Kennedy, Kenneth, Samuel, Ken, John and Moses, worked on soloing the taildraggers, slips, short field landings and take offs and general airwork, including some aerobatics. Short field take offs were sometimes accomplished over Zebra or warthogs, and short field landings turned into go arounds many times when Giraffe, impala or ostrich were on the runway!
In addition, we saw old friend - Joe O'Brien, Irish Consul and head of Pegasus Flight School; Michael Nicholson, charter pilot and KWS volunteer pilot; Anthony Kiroken, deputy chief pilot of KWS, and Julius Leperes, Chief pilot of KWS. Thank you Susan of KWS for all of your help and for taking the guys shopping!
And, thank you Mark Ross for helping Patty with her shopping needs! We are always excited and happy to see Dennis Mathews at MatBronze Gallery and Foundry. Dennis is a wonderful bronze artist and inspiration for most of our gifts for friends back home.
We felt we had a very successful training mission and enjoyed working with this group of pilots so much...and hope for another year of training in the future.
Kenya is now part of us. Once you have spent time in Africa, you never forget it.
Virginia Aviation Safety Week 2005 Presents Patty Wagstaff
Patty Wagstaff flies one of the most thrilling, low-level aerobatic routines in the world today.
Flying before millions of airshow spectators each year, her breathtaking performances give spectators a front-row seat view of the precision and complexity of modern, unlimited hard-core aerobatics. Her aggressive smooth style sets the standard for performers the world over.
Patty’s first flying lesson was in a Cessna 185 floatplane and since then she has earned her
Commercial, Instrument, Seaplane and Commercial Helicopter Ratings. She is a Flight and Instrument Instructor and is rated and qualified to fly many airplanes, from World War II warbirds to jets.
Patty’s skill is based on experience:
She is a six-time member of the U.S. Aerobatic Team;
The highest-placing American with gold, silver and bronze medals;
Three-time U.S. National Aerobatic Champion; IAC Champion;
Inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 2004
Six-time recipient of the “First Lady of Aerobatics” Betty Skelton Award;
The first woman to win the title of U.S. National Aerobatic Champion;
Patty has won the gold, silver and bronze medals in National & International Competition;
She has flown air shows and competitions on five continents and in such exotic places as Russia, Argentina,Iceland and Kenya;
In March, 1994, her airplane, the Goodrich Extra 260, went on display in the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum in Washington DC.
Patty received the air show industry’s most prestigious award, the “Sword of Excellence,” as well as the “Bill Barber Award for Showmanship” and is the 1996 recipient of the “Charlie Hillard Award.”
For more information, please visit the Virginia Department of Aviation calendar of events at www.doav.virginia.gov.
May 2, 2005 - Virginia Aviation Museum (RIC), 5701 Huntsman Rd., Richmond, VA
May 3, 2005 - Manassas Airport (HEF) - Capital Aviation, 10660 Aviation Lane, Manassas, VA
May 4, 2005 - Suffolk Airport (SFQ) - Fighter Factory - 240 Airport Court, Suffolk, VA
May 5, 2005 - Roanoke Airport (ROA) - Piedmont Hawthorne - 22 Waypoint Dr., Roanoke, VA
Special thanks to: The Aviation Speakers Bureau - www.aviation speakers.com
Sponsorship by: EAA, Sporty’s, Sierra Aviation, Dulles Aviation, Colgan Air, Capital Aviation, Fighter Factory, Virginia Aviation
Museum, Virginia Department of Aviation, Richmond FSDO, Washington/Dulles FSDO, Aviation Adventures, Hampton Roads
Chapter 99’s, FlightQuest, Piedmont-Hawthorne - Roanoke
For the fifth year in a row, Patty is going to Kenya. She will be working with the Kenya Wildlife Service Airwing giving bush, recurrency and aerobatic training in their Super Decathalon. She is really looking forward to seeing her friends in Kenya at the East Africa Aero Club, the KWS Airwing, Bill Clark, Mark Ross and everyone at the Kilaguni Lodge.
In the meantime, donate to your favorite wildlife organization and SAVE THE ELEPHANTS.
After working for Patty Wagstaff Airshows, Inc for the past five years, I am taking some time off to help build a new house with my husband.
I want to Thank all of you for your help and kindness over the past years.
I have met some of the nicest people and also enjoyed working and talking with you. The people I have met during my employment at PWAS will truly be memorable for years to come.
It's been a pleasurable experience working for PWAS. I wish all of you good fortune and again Thank you for having me be part of your team too.
Thank you all.
Milly Huggins
Milly and husband Paul at Patty's NAHF 2004 Induction
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