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Embry-Riddle Plans Full Slate of Activities for EAA AirVenture

High-Tech Aircraft and Jet Dragster on Display at Exhibit Space #397-401

Daytona Beach, Fla., July 20, 2009 -- Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University will have an exciting presence at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wis., this year. Sponsored by the University, award-winning aerobatic pilot Matt Chapman will thrill the crowds as he performs in his CAP 580 aircraft, the Embry-Riddle Eagle. In addition, visitors to the Embry-Riddle tent can examine the powerful Embry-Riddle Jet Dragster and meet its driver, Elaine Larsen, one of only three women in the world competing in jet-powered drag racing.

Also on display will be two high-tech Embry-Riddle training aircraft, a Diamond DA-42 and a Cessna 172, both equipped with a Garmin G1000 glass cockpit and an ADS-B collision-avoidance system, a new technology developed by Embry-Riddle and its partners. Tweens and teens are invited to climb into the aircraft, operate the controls, and speak with Embry-Riddle flight instructors.

In two pre-registered activities, Embry-Riddle professors will conduct aviation workshops for female high-schoolers, while Embry-Riddle alumnus and entrepreneur Jamail Larkins will speak on aviation careers to middle-school and high-school students.

Matt Chapman Performs in Air Show

Aerobatic pilot Matt Chapman will perform at EAA AirVenture July 28-31 and Aug. 2 in the Embry-Riddle Eagle, a CAP 580 with a custom-modified 330-horsepower Lycoming engine. It can reach speeds in excess of 240 mph, pull up to 10 g’s, and roll at a rate of 400 degrees per second – all within a few feet of the ground. Chapman has appeared on ESPN, The Learning Channel’s “Amazing America,” and SpeedVision. When he’s not performing at air shows, Chapman is an airline captain.

Weather permitting, Chapman’s aircraft will be displayed at the Embry-Riddle tent. He’ll sign autographs there at 10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. on July 27, July 28, July 31, and Aug. 1 and at 10 a.m. on July 29 and July 30. For more information on Chapman, visit http://mattchapman.com.

Embry-Riddle Jet Dragster on Display

The Jet Dragster on display at the Embry-Riddle tent is one of two designed and constructed by Embry-Riddle aerospace engineering and aviation maintenance students in tandem with the staff of Larsen Motorsports, led by Chris Larsen. Powered by a Pratt & Whitney jet engine, the record-breaking vehicle accelerates from zero to 60 mph in less than a second and reaches a top speed of more than 300 mph. The dragster is a feature attraction at air shows and drag-racing events during the year.

Driver Elaine Larsen will be stationed at Embry-Riddle’s exhibit space July 27-30 to sign autographs and talk about the Jet Dragster. Visit http://www.lmsjets.com for more details on the team’s exhibition and racing schedule.

Jamail Larkins Speaks on Aviation Education and Careers

Aviation entrepreneur and air show performer Jamail Larkins will speak at EAA AirVenture on July 31 during the third annual “Lunch with Embry-Riddle” for middle-school and high-school students. The program kicks off the fifth season of the DreamLaunch Tour, in which Larkins visits schools across the nation to spark young people’s interest in aviation youth programs and aviation careers.

Now 25 years old, Larkins started flying at age 12, completed his U.S. solo shortly after his 16th birthday, flew his first aerobatic air show performance at age 18, and then earned a bachelor’s degree in aviation business administration from Embry-Riddle. He has appeared on the David Letterman show and has been profiled by USA Today and other national news media.

For more information on Larkins and the DreamLaunch Tour, visit http://jamaillarkins.com.

Embry-Riddle Professors Conduct Aviation Workshops

The EAA’s three-day Women Soar / You Soar program for high school girls at EAA AirVenture will run July 26-28, offering aviation career exploration, discovery, inspiration, and fun. Female Embry-Riddle faculty members Chris Meigs and Heidi Steinhauer will lead workshops scheduled for the morning of July 27.

Meigs, an assistant professor of aeronautical science, will introduce the girls to aircraft basics, flight controls, basic flight data, and weather. She’ll then assist the girls in a flight-planning exercise and show them how to use a computer flight-simulation program. At the conclusion of the session, Meigs will discuss aviation’s female pioneers and heroes.

Steinhauer, an assistant professor of engineering, will teach the girls the basics of flight by guiding them in the construction of glider versions of the first supersonic aircraft, the X-1. The girls will then test their models and fly them in a precision-landing competition for prizes.

After the workshops conclude, the Embry-Riddle professors will accompany the girls to the Embry-Riddle tent to watch that day’s air show.

Also at the Embry-Riddle exhibit space, from July 29 through Aug. 1, representatives of the University’s Women’s Center will be on hand to answer questions about Embry-Riddle and to quiz visitors on their knowledge of women in aviation history for prizes. The Women’s Center offers a friendly setting where female Embry-Riddle students can tap into services and programs that promote personal, academic, and professional achievement.

Please stop by Embry-Riddle’s tent at EAA AirVenture for details on undergraduate and graduate degree programs, certificate programs, and many other educational options offered by the global leader in aviation/aerospace education.

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the world's largest, fully accredited university specializing in aviation and aerospace, offers more than 30 degree programs in its colleges of Arts and Sciences, Aviation, Business, and Engineering, educating students annually in undergraduate and graduate programs. Embry-Riddle educates students at residential campuses in Prescott, Ariz., and Daytona Beach, Fla., through the Worldwide Campus at more than 130 campus centers in the United States, Europe, Canada, and the Middle East, and through online learning. For more information, visit www.embryriddle.edu.

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