Sling shot

The trip, which departed on Sunday, July 10, included stops in Ghana, Angola, Cape Verde, and Barbados; included a long leg over the Atlantic; and took approximately 72 flight hours. Weather en route delayed the group, but that didn’t dampen the excitement of their arrival.

Torrance, California-based Sling Academy co-CEOs Matt Liknaitzky, Wayne Toddun, and Jean d’Assonville, as well as Sling employees, pilots, and curious onlookers, watched as the flight of three landed to the north and taxied toward the homebuilt area. Liknaitzky and EAA volunteers marshaled the aircraft into the grass where they were met with whistles, cheers, and clapping. As soon as the engines shut down, the pilot doors were rushed with family, friends, and photographers.

Number one in line was N915HW, piloted by Linda Sollars, who smiled as she climbed out of her airplane.

Sollars, an airline pilot and A&P mechanic, previously owned a Cessna T210 but didn’t fly it much when she went to the airlines. Now with more time to fly GA than when she started her career, Sollars started the hunt for something new and made a list of must-haves in her future aircraft. At the top of that list were a modern engine and modern avionics.

“When Sling finally built the high wing, I recognized it instantly as my plane,” said Sollars, Sling’s first high-wing production customer. Sling Aircraft was founded in South Africa and previously produced and sold exclusively low-wing aircraft such as the Sling TSi. Mike Blyth, the aircraft’s designer, flew with Sollars from South Africa to Barbados.

“Building it, flying it, and maintaining it are three different things. So, I built it, [Blyth] helped me really fine-tune the flying part, and now I got to learn how to maintain it,” Sollars said with a laugh. “It’s a spectacular journey and just a crazy, great, group of people.”

The second aircraft was piloted by one of Sling’s directors and partners James Pitman, and his friend, Matt Cohen, a recently certificated private pilot who began the trip with about 25 hours in his logbook. Cohen is paraplegic, and the aircraft was equipped with hand controls.

The third aircraft is in the tailwheel configuration, and was piloted by JP Schulze, known on social media as the Candourist. Schulze plans to continue from Oshkosh and fly around the world. [email protected]

slingaircraft.com

News from Osh

Tom Poberezny mourned

EAA AirVenture opened on July 25 with somber news that Tom Poberezny, who led the Experimental Aircraft Association for many years, died hours before the start of the show that he built into a world-class event. News of Poberezny’s death at age 75 prompted a missing man formation and tributes from friends and colleagues who shared stories of his numerous contributions to general aviation and EAA. Chairman from 1989 to 2010, Poberezny succeeded his father, Paul Poberezny, in the role. Paul Poberezny and wife, Audrey, founded EAA together in 1953.

Piper celebrates 85 years
Ever since William T. Piper introduced the iconic yellow Piper Cub in 1938, Piper Aircraft has been synonymous with training aircraft. So it was fitting that students, instructors, and company interns and apprentices celebrated the company’s eighty-fifth anniversary at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, with a picnic on the wings of Piper aircraft such as the venerable Archer and Pilot 100i.

Blackfly maneuvers over Oshkosh
The Opener BlackFly’s two twilight flights were the highlights among a few showings by personal electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2022. Opener’s Version 3 vehicle was on display and flew in the night airshow and the Twilight Flight Fest. In 2021, the BlackFly hovered only; this year it added maneuvering.

AbleFlight pilots receive wings
Six new sport pilots received their wings during a special wing pinning ceremony at EAA AirVenture. All six pilots use wheelchairs on account of accidents, illness, or combat injury. They are scholarship recipients who earned their sport pilot certificates through a program sponsored by the nonprofit Able Flight.

AFTA debuts at AirVenture
AOPA presented seminars and provided Q&A opportunities at EAA AirVenture on the AOPA flight training program known as AFTA (AOPA Flight Training Advantage) to more than 150 participants, according to Dan Justman, vice president of You Can Fly programming.

aopa.org