PALM SPRINGS, Calif. — The FLYING Aviation Expo kicks off today, Oct. 15 and runs through Oct. 17.
The expo begins with a parade of planes, and includes a learn to fly seminar, and keynote speeches from FLYING’s editor-in-chief, Stephen Pope, John and Martha King, who founded the King Schools in 1975, Brian Shul, a retired major who was shot down near the end of the Vietnam War, and Phil Gonsalves, meteorologist general forecaster at NOAA.
On Friday, Oct. 16, from 9 am-10 am, Pope’s keynote speech, “Aviation Electronica,” will be co-hosted with George Bye of Bye Aerospace. The talk will explore evolving technologies that will change the way people fly. Attendees will hear from both men as they provide an exciting, first-look at the innovations on the horizon in electric aircraft.
Gonsalves’ “The Shelf Life of Weather Information,” will be held Friday, Oct. 16, from 10:30 am-11:30am. The talk will focus on how long weather information can be expected to remain valid and how this time span varies with different weather elements and scenarios. It will include descriptions of phenomena and the conditions that produce the phenomena, with an emphasis on phenomena more common in the Southwest U.S.
Saturday morning’s keynote, “Hangar Flying with John and Martha King,” will be held from 9 am-10 am.
Shul’s session on safety, “From Airplane Crash & Near Death to Safety Officer,” will be held Saturday, Oct. 17, from 1:30 pm-2:30 pm. Shot down flying close air support in Southeast Asia, he was forced to ride his aircraft into the jungle. Severely burned in the crash, he miraculously survived. Lucky to be rescued, Shul spent one year in hospitals and incredibly returned to flying jet fighter aircraft. The Air Force used Brian as a safety officer for many years, to pass on the valuable knowledge gained in his amazing experience. He culminated his Air Force career by flying the Top Secret SR-71.
The expo is expected to draw more than 5,000 pilots and aircraft enthusiasts to the event, according to organizers. The Expo is open to the public and will host a wide variety of aircraft, helicopters, aviation equipment, service, hands-on demonstrations and seminars.
More than 40 different types of planes including the TBM 900, SkyRunner, Cirrus, Pilatus, WACO, warbirds and more are expected to participate in the Parade of Planes.