And Be Nice To Them. They're With Zoom
I've got to say, we have an impressive lineup of editorial,
audio, and video talent joining us this year for AirVenture 2010,
and our goal is to bring you the best possible coverage of
aviation's premier event in the U.S.
Covering an event like Oshkosh properly would be impossible
without some great help brought on specifically for the event. We
have an experienced crew of stringers who'll be roaming the grounds
of Wittman Regional Airport looking for the interesting, unusual,
compelling, and sometimes the downright odd. Here is the crew who
has volunteered their time to join us to bring you everything
Oshkosh.
Chris Batcheller
Chris is on his second tour with ANN at AirVenture.
Chances are if it cost money and takes a long time to get, Chris
probably has it. Chris is an Aircraft Engineer from Embry-Riddle
Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida. He is also an
Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic and has previously held Inspection
Authorization.
Chris Batchellor
Chris is also a 1200 hour commercial pilot with Flight
Instructor, Instrument Instructor and Multi-Engine Instructor
tickets. He has worked on and flown a wide variety of aircraft
including turbine engine powered experimental aircraft, the Pilatus
PC-12, King Air 90 Series aircraft, Cessna Skymaster, Cessna 310,
Piper Cubs, Taylorcrafts, and the run-of-the-mill single engine
Cessna and Piper Aircraft.
Chris has worked for Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University,
Aurora Flight Sciences, Cessna Aircraft and he currently works for
Textron Marine and Land Systems (TM&LS) in Slidell, LA.
TM&LS produces wheeled armored vehicles for the U.S. Army and
also a variety of specialized military marine vehicles including
the U.S. Navy's LCAC hovercraft. He has worked at TM&LS as a
Lead Propulsion Engineer for advanced hovercraft concepts and he
currently is a Black Belt in the companies Six Sigma program.
Chris currently resides in Slidell, LA with his wife Denise and
his son Mitchell (of B-25 fame), and his Daughter Piper. He says
his special interest areas are "Stuff that burns fuel at a high
rate. Anything that he can take a picture of with off camera flash
and make it look cool. The P-51 crowd. Cessna. Cirrus Jet.
Air-to-air photos."
Dan Billingsley
Dan was born in Milwaukee, WI and says that must have some cosmic
connection to why he is drawn back here to look at airplanes each
year. Dan's folks moved to Arizona when he was two years old and he
attended K-12 in the Phoenix area. He spent 4 years in the Air
Force to see the world and was stationed at Davis Monthan AFB,
which is located in the far-away city of Tucson. He was a cop and
kept Commies from stealing the planes <g> and spent his last
year in Alaska, enjoying the fishing and hunting.
Dan Billingsley
Dan graduated from Northern AZ University in 1990 with a
BS in Education, and later my MS for Educational Leadership. He
recently secured a Principal Endorsement for the state of AZ. Dan
says his plans are to enter administration soon. His teaching over
the last 20 years has been at the high school level in the Career
Technology arena: electronics, autos, woods, photography, and
computer applications. For 5 years he worked as the district
Vocational Director and Tech Coordinator.
Dan is married to his beautiful wife Wendy and has one son ...
an engineer on an oil tanker. He owns and operates a glass business
as well www.azshowersolutions.com.
When he's not teaching or installing shower doors, he works on
building a Kitfox IV. He says he's had this project for 4.5 years
and plans to have her flying by Christmas. Dan's his passion for
flying started when he was a young kid making control line Cox
planes and says his dream came true 8 years ago when he got his
private ticket. He is also a moderator on www.teamkitfox.com and enjoy living
the dream!
Robbie Culver
Robbie Culver is an aviation enthusiast, instrument-rated
private pilot, and former skydiving photographer currently living
in Naperville, IL with his wife and son. Robbie's work has been
published online and in print, and he maintains a photo web site at
chicagoskydreams.com.
Robbie Culver
Robbie is joining ANN for a second straight year at
AirVenture. He holds a private pilot certificate with an
instrument rating, and 1000 hours PIC. Robbie also has 3000
skydives, about 2000 of which he wore multiple cameras. Robbie says
his special interests are Warbirds and the North 40.
Will Elder
Will is a student at the University of North Carolina
School of the Arts, School of Filmmaking who anticipates graduating
Spring of 2011 with a BFA in filmmaking and a concentration in
cinematography. Before college, Will began shooting
b-roll for the Prince William County Media Services. Since
attending school he has worked on numerous student productions, as
well as a feature length documentary titled, "And We Will
Dance."
Will Elder
In the summer of 2009 Will worked on an independent feature
film titled "Road to Nowhere", which premiered at Cannes 2010, and
earlier this summer, he worked on the film "Hop", scheduled to be
released in 2011. Will also does a lot of photography, and
just recently had aerial photographs published in the spring issue
of Rails to Trails' magazine.
Will also has photographs featured in their 2010 calendar. "My
dad is a pilot, so I have been surrounded by aviation since I was a
baby," he says. "I love the opportunity to mix my passion for
videography and photography with my experience in aviation."
Will says his special interests include photography, piano,
hockey, 70's and 80's music, films/movies, seaplanes.
Mike Gallagher
Mike is new to the ANN crew this year. Originally from the
Chicago area, Mike now resides in Central Illinois with his wife
Michelle and 2 1/2 year old son Sean. This will be Sean's 3rd year
at AirVenture! Mike's professional background started with a degree
in broadcast communications and photography from Columbia College
in Chicago.
Mike Gallagher
Mike worked as a professionally as a medical photographer, and
has experience in radio and voice-over. Mike moved into patient
care as a critical care nurse, specializing in open heart intensive
care. After 15 years taking care of patients, Mike earned his
Master's Degree in nursing and taken his experience into the
classroom as a professor of nursing at a Central Illinois
college.
During the summer months, Mike is a contributing editor for a
print aviation publication covering airshows and air racing. His
first visit to Oshkosh was in 1987 and has been covering AirVenture
as media since 2006. While at AirVenture, Mike will be shopping for
a new LSA.
Deborah Grigsby (Smith)
Deborah is also new to the ANN crew this year. She is
a Colorado-based writer and photographer who specializes in
editorial and photojournalism assignments. With more than 25
years experience as writer, photographer, and public information
officer, Deborah is experienced in a wide gamut of topics to
include aviation, mobile technology, homeland security, strategic
communication, social media, emergency operations, and disaster
preparedness.
Deborah Grigsby-Smith
Deborah’s work has appeared in numerous national
publications including GX Magazine, Airman Magazine, Soldier
Magazine, Air Force Times, Homeland Security Magazine, Airport
Journals, and she has had multiple stories picked up by network
wires.
Deployed to Iraq in 2003, Deborah designed, edited and delivered
the first military newspaper to serve coalition forces in the
Middle East. Her work there earned her the 2003 Air Force Print
Journalist of the Year, the 2003 National Guard Print Journalist of
the Year, the 2003 Dave Super Award, and 2003 Air Force Best
Deployed Newspaper.
She makes her home in Englewood, Colorado with husband Barry
Biggs, and cat Mr. Kitty. Their deck is conveniently located on
base leg to KAPA.
Deborah is attracted to loud noises and shiny things.
Maxine Scheer
Maxine Scheer has returned to ANN for a fourth consecutive
year to provide coverage of Oshkosh, bringing specific interests
and experience in government policy, aviation and aerospace
education and workforce development, and clean technologies.
Maxine Scheer
Maxine has honed her over 25 years
experience in the aviation industry on the infrastructure side,
having worked in airport management, airport development and
construction management. Her airport assignments have taken
her as far west as Manila and as far south as Tierra del
Fuego. She attended Embry-Riddle's Daytona campus and earned
a B.S. in Aeronautical Studies and a private pilot certificate.
"My passion for coming to Oshkosh is rooted in my belief that
the aviation industry has much to offer to the many industries that
are looking for developing and harnessing passion and innovation,
and to the desperate needs of improving the U.S. education system",
says Max. "The true spirit of Oshkosh stands head and shoulders
above many other events in the transportation industry. There is
much to learn about harnessing spirit of Oshkosh to improve
education and economic growth for our Nation."
Maxine lives in Los Angeles with her husband Arnie, and two
young sons, Marcus and Matthew. She consults to public
transportation agencies and global engineering and consulting firms
responsible for leading many large transportation and
infrastructure initiatives in California and around the world.
Ben Schreiner
Joining the Aero-TV crew at Oshkosh for the third time,
Ben Schreiner brings years of experience from a variety of
different fields. Having graduated from Indiana University with
degrees in both Philosophy and Telecommunications, he continued his
vision of video development through his own production company,
Puma Video Productions.
"I enjoy working in a number of different production styles,"
Ben says. "I'm always willing to take that next opportunity to
explore a new world through video."
Ben has certainly proven that range of expertise over the years.
He worked for five years at the Bloomington, IN PBS affiliate,
WTIU, as a camera crane operator, director, technical director and
editor on a variety of productions including "The Friday Zone," and
"The Weekly Special." In addition, Ben has worked extensively with
the N.C.A.A., N.B.A., and W.N.B.A. as a camera operator, covering
both the Indiana University basketball teams as well as the
Indianapolis Pacers.
"Sports Photography has always fascinated me; the exciting
atmosphere of the crowd is thrilling to capture," Ben says. "Most
of all, I love the challenge of tracking the fast-paced action. You
really have to be in-tune with the movement of a game to keep up
while still maintaining well-framed shots and critical focus. I'm
sure that experience will prove beneficial at the air shows!"
Ben's love for aircraft goes back to his childhood and he
still dreams of becoming a pilot someday.
Geoff Sobering
Geoff's parents tell him his first word was "plane", pointing out
their 11th floor Chicago apartment window at airliners landing at
Midway. He started photography as a hobby as a
teenager. At the same time he was also taking classes in
film-making and graphic-arts, getting a very broad introduction to
photographic processes, technology, and applications. In
high-school he had a part-time job in the advertising department of
Macy's doing graphic arts and became very familiar with the tools
and processes of photo publication.
Geoff Sobering
Geoff almost pursued a degree in photojournalism and photography
at Rochester Institute of Technology, but instead headed into the
physical sciences. During college and graduate-school photography
temporarily took a backseat to academics. After graduation he
merged his his life-long interest of aviation with photography.
Geoff is also an avid sailor and iceboater. He regularly
photographs regattas - most enjoyably hanging out the door of a
helicopter. An active member of EAA Chapter 1389, he is
looking forward to starting toward his pilot's license at Morey
Field (C29).