the surprises started early at this year’s EAA AirVenture show, better known simply as “Oshkosh.” The night before the show’s official opening on Monday July 23, as Honeywell officials were laying out their vision of the future with their newly revitalized Bendix/King brand and ground gangs tied down the just-arrived Goodyear blimp at nearby Pioneer Airport, a tiny V-tail jet snuck in to Oshkosh’s Wittman Regional Airport and taxied to a well concealed parking spot.
Earlier, on Sunday morning, Cessna announced that after a year of studying the market, it is launching the newly named SkyCatcher light sport airplane (LSA), the smallest airplane in the prolific manufacturer’s stable and a return to the company’s roots as a maker of airplanes that train new pilots and aircraft buyers. True to the company’s heritage, Cessna’s SkyCatcher will sport the modern version of the Teledyne Continental engine that powers the Cessna 150, as well as a new Garmin G300 glass cockpit that helps pilots make a comfortable transition to the G1000 found in other Cessna move-up airplanes.
