Wittman Regional Airport: For fifty-one weeks a year, it is nothing more than a normal, sleepy, class D airport, but for one week a year, it becomes the busiest airport in the whole world!
My name is Daniel Onofryton, and I am a recent graduate of Shadow Mountain High School in Phoenix, Arizona. Throughout high school, I was passionate about aviation and by my 18th birthday, I had earned my Commercial Pilots License with an Instrument Rating.
This summer I had the opportunity to go to Wittman Field in Oshkosh for EAA AirVenture, not as a visitor, but as a MEMBER of Team Chambliss. This was a dream come true for someone who got started in flying by watching the Red Bull Air Race on television. I graduated from following the Red Bull Air Race on TV to begging to watch it in person. I even went to Windsor, Canada, and San Diego, California, to watch them live.
My week in Oshkosh began at the house that Kirby had rented. I met the entire crew for the first time. (Kirby, Jason, Grant, and Justin) They were all so welcoming and instantly made me feel part of the Team. As I headed to the airport, the first order of business was cleaning both show planes and taking them to the GoPro and Piper venues, just a few of the Team Chambliss sponsors.
This is where I learned one of the most important aspects of being an aerobatic pilot in the air show business. The Team must maintain great relationships with the sponsors. Kirby Chambliss takes his sponsorships very seriously. If it were not for the sponsors, none of this would be possible, I made sure I went the extra mile and ensured that there were no bugs on the leading edge and that the propeller was adjusted to the proper angle. As the planes would be sitting in front of the sponsors booths, their pristine look would reflect upon both Team Chambliss and the sponsors. Kirby even keeps in contact with many of his past sponsors, and has a great network of support.
One of my most rewarding experiences was watching Kirby fly and observing the reactions of the spectators in the crowd. Just to think that I was part of a team that could bring such joy and amazement to kids and adults alike made all the work worth it.
The Team did surprise me during the week, and I was given the opportunity to fly in the two-seat Edge 540 with Jason. We shot a promotional video with GoPro, so Kirby did all sorts of aerobatics around us. The coolest part occurred when Jason and I flew upside down, and Kirby did rolls around us. That was the flight of a lifetime!
~By Daniel Onofryton
