EAA on Monday morning opened this year’s AirVenture event with the introduction of a new Innovations Pavilion right at the center of the show, just off Phillips 66 Plaza. “We’ve been working on this for a long time, and we’re glad to get it launched,” EAA chairman Jack Pelton told AVweb. “We were expecting a big presence from NASA and other government entities that had to pull out, but we’ve filled it up with other technologies. We’re going to continue to expand and develop this.” Companies like Lockheed Martin and Boeing have a large presence in the hangar, but smaller startups with new ideas also have space. “We held a competition and gave away 15 free spaces to entrepreneurs,” said Elissa Lines, of EAA. “Our goal is to empower that innovative spirit and showcase new ideas.” Several new airplane designs, new engines, alternative fuels, and emerging products such as a Go-Pro camera mount and a “smart glasses” head-up display are on exhibit this week.
The pavilion also provides space for a series of talks about new technology in aviation. Speakers on the schedule include Tine Tomazic, of Pipistrel; Carl Dietrich, of Terrafugia; Alan Klapmeier, of Kestrel; “jetman” Yves Rossy; aircraft designers Greg Cole and Jeremy Monnett; and many more, talking on topics from alternative fuels for GA to new aircraft design to business and entrepreneurship. The speaker schedule is posted online at the AirVenture web site.
