John K. Moody, Widely Considered The Father Of The Ultralight Movement, Will Be At EAA AirVenture

When it comes to studying history, aviation is unique. So much as happened in such a short time that it almost looks like some sort of rapid motion film. ANN associate editor, Earl Downs, said it this way, “By the time I was 6 years old I knew I wanted to be a pilot, and that decision was made while Orville Wright was still alive. Aviation history is not just the past, we are still living in it.”

Such is the case with John K Moody, commonly credited as being the father of ultralights. We often look back at ultralights as occurring in a certain period of time of aviation history yet the guy who brought it about is not only still vertical, he still flying.

EAA reports that Oshkosh 2015 will help commemorate 40 years since his first flights in the Icarus II powered hang glider in 1975. It’s just one of the great attractions this year for the ultralights area at EAA AirVenture – the Fun Fly Zone – located at the far south end of the flightline at Wittman Regional Airport.

Moody, a charter member of the EAA Ultralight Hall of Fame, will be featured in the Wednesday night air show flying his weight-shift Easy Riser straight and level over Runway 18/36. He will also fly an Easy Riser and American Aerolights Eagle during the morning and evening flying periods on the ultralight area’s grass strip. On Saturday, July 25, Moody will reflect on 40 years of ultralights at his presentation in the Ultralight Forum Tent beginning at 11:30 a.m.

The Fun Fly Zone is truly descriptive of what this type of aviation is all about. The area is EAA AirVenture home to not only ultralights, but also light planes, rotorcraft, light-sport aircraft, powered parachutes, electric-powered aircraft, weight-shift trikes, and hot air balloons. Daily flying from the grass runway allows spectators great opportunities to observe these fun flying vehicles up close.

The Fun Fly Zone ultralight runway is where you can get up close to the many daily aircraft operations, including morning and evening ultralight flying, homebuilt rotorcraft flights, as well as scheduled special flight activities.

(John Moody pictured with his American Aerolights Eagle earlier this year at Sun ’n Fun. Image by Timm Bogenhagen and furnished by EAA)

FMI: www.eaa.org