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Vicky Benzing
Born and raised in California, Vicky Benzing has logged over 4600 hours of flight time. Her passion for flying started as a youngster while watching her uncle fly air shows in his Pitts Special and flying with him in his Cessna 180.
While in college, she learned to fly in her hometown of Watsonville in an antique taildragger. As a student pilot, Vicky learned to spin and roll the small Taylorcraft that she learned to fly in. After getting her private pilot license she went on to take aerobatic training from Amelia Reid, the legendary flight instructor who also taught Sean Tucker. Her aerobatic ambitions were put on hold for a time while she completed her PhD in Chemistry and pursued a career in the semiconductor industry. Since then she has earned her commercial helicopter and Airline Transport Pilot Ratings. She flies as a captain on her company's Gulfstream 100 when she is not busy as a patent executive.
In 2005, her interests in aerobatics were rekindled when she flew with air show legend Wayne Handley. Following that flight, she bought the Extra 300 that she is flying and began training in earnest. A student of Wayne's, Vicky now competes in aerobatic competitions through the International Aerobatic Club. In 2006 she won first place in the Intermediate category in both the Northwest Regional Championships (Oregon, Washington, Idaho) and the Southwest Regional Championships (California, Nevada, and Arizona), as well as winning numerous regional contests. She now competes in the Advanced category and won third place last year in the 2008 Northwest Regional Championships.
Vicky has a passion for everything airborne. In addition to flying, Vicky has also logged nearly 1100 parachute jumps and has competed in local, statewide, and national skydiving championships.
Vicky's airplane is a highly modified German-built midwing Extra 300. Powered by a Lycon customized experimental AEIO540 engine with a Lightspeed electronic ignition, and an experimental large diameter MT propeller, this aircraft is truly one of a kind. The Composites Unlimited wing with full-span ailerons provides a dizzying roll rate of over 420 degrees per second and because the ailerons extend all the way to the fuselage, the aircraft will continue to roll even at very low airspeeds.
Vicky is sponsored by Festo Corporation, a leading global manufacturer of pneumatic and electromechanical components and controls for the industrial automation market.
More information about Vicky Benzing.
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VFA-122 Super Hornet
Air shows are the best place to see a VFA-122 Super Hornet in action. The Tactical Demonstration, or "Tac Demo" team flies a two-seat F/A-18F as close to the the "edge of the envelope" as safety and prudence allows. The routine highlights the Rhino's maneuverability and slow-speed handling characteristics and has been very well received around the country.
In addition to high-performance demonstrations with a single aircraft, VFA-122 also participates in "Legacy" shows in which Super Hornets fly in formation with classic warbirds like the F-4U Corsair and F6F Hellcat. Legacy shows provide a unique comparison between where the past and present and provide some great photo opportunities.
Home of VFA-122
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John Collver
John Collver has an aviation career spanning more than three decades and over 14,000 hours of flight time in over 50 types of aircraft. His career includes time in the Goodyear Blimp, flying for television, as well as teaching and competing in the aerobatic arena. John currently has over 26 years and over 1,000 performances in the Air Show industry. In addition, John formally flew for the Northrop/Grumman corporation supporting the U.S. Military for over a decade.
War Dog was built in Texas in 1944. First stationed at MCAS El Toro, then six months later transferred to Miramar Air Station. Several years and numerous duty stations later, she was retired from the US Armed Forces. Her next duty assignment was with the Japanese Self-defense Force until 1974.
Due to be scrapped, as was the demise of many World War II warbirds, it was at this time War Dog was discovered and saved by Warbirds West in Compton, California. They sent her back to the states where she was completely rebuilt to its original condition. It was at this time John became her new owner.
War Dog's operational costs plus the numerous items related to ownership of a genuine warbird are constantly increasing. John estimates that War Dog's operating cost in the beginning was approximately $400.00 per hour. Today increased fuel prices, maintenance, parts and insurance are well beyond that. When you look at War Dog's logbook you can understand the operating cost increase. She has over 10,000 hours on her airframe and nine Pratt & Whitney Wasp radial engine replacements or overhauls by 1997. She is a tough airplane that still has plenty of flight hours left thanks to the meticulously detailed maintenance John regularly performs.
www.wardog-17.com/
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Garth Harley
Garth Harley is a local physician who has been skydiving since 1992 and has logged over 3,000 jumps. He is a tandem instructor at Skydive Monterey Bay and a two time veteran of the World Team of skydivers, which set new world records for largest freefall formation in 2004 and 2006, with 357 and 400 persons respectively linked together. Garth is also a Commercial Pilot and often fills in at Skydive Monterey Bay flying their Beechcraft King Air 200 jump aircraft.
Wayne Wright
Wayne Wright is a local area businessman and private pilot who makes the Watsonville airport his "home field." A licensed pilot for over 30 years, Wayne began skydiving only 5 years ago. In addition to flying his wingsuit for "sport and relaxation," Wayne is also a tandem instructor at Skydive Monterey Bay in Marina where enjoys sharing the thrill of skydiving with many first time jumpers.
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Eddie Andreini
Eddie Andreini is a heavy equipment contractor in Half Moon Bay. He flies all types of aircraft including the famed P-51 Mustang and many other warbirds, trainers and experimental airplanes. Eddie purchased a 1944 PJ-13D Boeing Stearman designed as a WWII trainer and completely restored it in to a beautiful and highly modified show stopper.
Watch Eddie turn and twist airplanes into unbelievable aerobatic maneuvers. He performs over 30 different aerobatic maneuvers in a 15 minute show.
He is the only pilot currently performing many of these maneuvers in the Stearman. Each season, Eddie has performed before over one-million people over the 30-plus years that he has been performing at air shows and coming to the Watsonville Fly-In & Air Show.
www.eddieandreiniairshows.com
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AV-8B Harrier
A Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier from MAG 13 stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma will appear at the fly-in.
Yuma Squadron Home
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Jessy Panzer
Jessy started flying in 1997 at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, AZ, the country's premier aviation University. Jessy's passion for flight runs in her genes, her father was a corporate pilot, but died in a plane crash when she was 7 yrs old. After school, Jessy worked her way up through the many levels of professional aviating, including flight instructing U.S. Air Force Academy graduates, in Colorado Springs, to flying Air Ambulance and charter flights in King Air's and Citation Jets out of Lincoln, NE. While in Lincoln, Harry Barr gave Jessy the opportunity to learn aerobatics for competitions and airshows. Preparation met opportunity when in 2005, Jessy was invited to be mentored by Sean D. Tucker, Bill Stein, and Wayne Handley on the "Stars of Tomorrow" aerobatic flight team. While on the "SOT" 2005 team, Jessy got experience flying air shows such as Pittsburg, PA, Dayton, OH, and the largest airshow in the world, EAA's Airventure in Oshkosh, WI.
Currently, Jessy is a corporate pilot for Fry's Electronics based out of San Jose, CA, where she flies a King Air-350 turbo-prop, a Sabreliner, and Gulfstream jets. Jessy is an ATP pilotwith over 4500 hours of flight time, holding 4 type ratings including Lear Jets, and also a Certified flight instructor in airplanes, helicopters, and seaplanes.
Jessy will be flying her Pitts Special bi-plane based at the Watsonville airport, and has been vigorously training for the Watsonville Air Show, with Bill Stein as her mentor and coach.
Visit her home page
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Evan Wolfe
Evan began flying with his first solo in 1959 using a 85 H.P. Aeronca Champ. His flight licenses and ratings include Commercial, Instrument, C.F.I.I, and type authorizated instructor for P-51 and T-28s, and a low-altitue aerobatic waiver.
His flight experience exceeds 1100 hours in a T-28B,C & D. Over 100 hours in P-51 and AT-6/NA 50. His total time is in excess of 3,700 hours.
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Monster Trucks
Fired Up is a 2006 Ford Ranger driven by Justin Cluster.
The 572 ci motor puts out about 1500 horsepower.
Shock travel is 26" in the front and 30" in the rear.
It has a Powermaster starter and a Coan Powerglide Transmission.
Justin started driving last summer, so he's got just over a year experience, but he's been part of our team since 1999, when Kelvin was still in the process of designing and building the truck.
Justin is 34 years old, single and lives in Watsonville, CA.
His hobbies include RC Cars, 4-wheeling, motorcycling and hiking.
Time Flys is a 1934 Ford Pickup driven by Kelvin Ramer.
The 565 ci motor puts out about 1500 horsepower.
Shock travel is 26" in the front and 30" in the rear.
It has a Powermaster starter and a Coan Powerglide Transmission.
Hot Wheels will be releasing a 1:64 version of Time Flys soon, and a 1:24 scale version of the truck in 2011.
Kelvin has been driving his own trucks for about 6 years, and was a fill-in driver for another team for 7 years before that.
Kelvin is 45 years old and lives in Watsonville, California with his wife, Jan-ette, son Ben, daughter Rosalee, and cat Snowball.
In his spare time, Kelvin volunteers at Linscott Charter School in Watsonville and loves to go on bike rides.
Kelvin is flying the Donate Life flag to support Organ Donation. One of his friends is currently awaiting a transplant, and Kelvin would like to ask everyone to become a donor.
Jon “Huggy” Huggins – Airshow Announcer and Ringmaster
On the mic, in his first year at Watsonville, will be Jon Huggins with ‘HUGGY.aero’. No stranger to airshows, Huggy has spent his ‘spare’ time the past 20+ years hanging around airshows as a flying performer, static display, and all-around aircraft bum. His interests include not only the popular civilian and military airplanes currently on the airshow circuit, but also the many spectacular classic warbirds and experimental aircraft flying today. In 2007 he decided to put his knowledge to use and started announcing airshows on the West Coast – receiving great reviews from the general public and seasoned performers alike.
Earlier this year, Huggy joined the Patriots Jet Demonstration Team as their backup announcer and media pilot in the L-39. He also was a co-founder of the Marysville’s new Commemorative Air Force Unit, the 1st Aero Squadron, and helped acquire their new SNJ. Additionally, Huggy is the Airshow Coordinator for the 2011 Beale AFB Airshow.
When he isn’t announcing an airshow, creating an airshow, or loitering around his local airport, he works full time as a USAF U-2 and T-38 Instructor Pilot in the 1st Reconnaissance Squadron at Beale AFB, and is one of only seven U-2 interview pilots.
Huggy is an Air Force Command Pilot with over 6000 military pilot hours; one of the highest time T-38 and U-2 pilots currently in the military, and has had the opportunity to fly over 90 different military and civilian aircraft.
As an aviation enthusiast, Huggy enjoys learning the history of just about anything aviation related, and loves to hear the personal stories of all pilots, famous or not. The breadth and depth of his aviation knowledge comes out on the microphone, and gives the crowd a unique insight to the spectacle in front of them.
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Watsonville Fly-in & Air Show appreciates your cooperation with the following:
NO ANIMALS (handicapped service dogs are allowed), NO COOLERS, NO GLASS CONTAINERS, NO BICYCLES,
NO SKATEBOARDS, NO ROLLER SKATES, NO MOTORIZED TRANSPORTATION VEHICLES, NO WEAPONS,
NO SMOKING in the event area.
For your safety, all persons and personal items will be subject to search upon entering the airport grounds. Please anticipate this safety measure at the entrance gates when attending the Watsonville Fly-In & Air Show.
Fly-In & Air Show Tickets Are Not Refundable
Should all or any portion of the Fly-In & Air Show be canceled due to inclement weather or for other reasons beyond our control on the date or dates for which an admission fee has been paid, the admission fee will be considered a tax deductible contribution to the Watsonville Fly-In & Air Show Inc., a non-profit 501(C)(3) community event.
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