• Aerostar Barnstorms Oshkosh
• FAA Purchases FlightViz™ Data Visualization Software System
• Eaa Young Eagles Program Reaches 700,000 Young People Flown

Aerostar S.A of Bacau Romania is making its debut at the EAA International
Convention and Sport Aviation Exhibition at Oshkosh (July 26 - August 1) with
a strong showing of three aircraft, two of which have only flown for the
first time in the past five weeks.

Not only is this the first appearance by Aerostar at Oshkosh, it is also the
first time ever that a Romanian company has displayed at the show.

Aerostar will be displaying the brand new IAK-52TW tail wheel version of the
popular IAK-52 aerobatic trainer as well as a production example of the
IAK-52W westernised version of the standard tricycle undercarriage aircraft.
Also displayed will be the brand new Aerostar 01 ultralight.

As well as exhibiting its aircraft Aerostar is using Oshkosh to promote
itself to the American market, to continue business arrangements with US
customers and to identify new opportunities for co-operation.

>From 2000 onwards Aerostar supplied Worldwide Warbirds with the first 10
L-39ZA jet trainer aircraft delivered into the USA and the company is keen to
demonstrate to the American market its capability not only to supply
aircraft, but also in terms of the manufacture of components and provision of
services. Included in this offering is Aerostar's ability and willingness to
supply spares and maintenance/repair services for former Eastern-bloc
military jet trainers and fighters such as the L-29, L-39 MiG-21 and MiG-29
that are in service in the USA.

In addition to its light aircraft construction activities, Aerostar is also
noted for its years of expertise as being the primary overhaul/maintenance
and repair company for the majority of the Romanian Air Force's inventory of
military jet fighters and trainers. In recent years the company has been
upgrading 110 MiG-21 fighters for the Air Force in collaboration with Elbit
Systems of Israel and has also upgraded the MiG-29 Sniper in partnership with
Elbit Systems and EADS.

Working alongside Aerostar at Oshkosh will be the company's distributors and
dealers that have been appointed so far. These are:

· Gesoco Industries - George Coy - East Coast dealer for the IAK programme
· Aerostar of America - John Bernache - (Vermont) - distributor for the
Aerostar 01
· Wild Blue Aviation - Richard Painter (Seattle, Washington) - West Coast
dealer for the IAK programme

Aerostar is keen to use its participation at Oshkosh to source potential
dealers for the central area of the USA.

Also joining this team at the show will be Red Star Aviation Pty Ltd - dealer
for the Aerostar 01 and IAK programme in Australia and New Zealand.

For further information contact:

Note to Editors

IAK-52W - is the latest version of the popular IAK-52 aerobatic trainer, over
1800 of which have been built by Aerostar at Bacau since 1976. The IAK-52W
(westernised) incorporates new features and equipment allowing more
compatibility and easier maintenance and spares provision, whilst retaining
the aircraft's noted aerobatic qualities (+7/-5g).

IAK-52TW - is a tail wheel variant of the IAK-52W, the first flight of which
took place on July 2. The IAK-52TW has been developed by Aerostar together
with Gesoco Industries. Gesoco identified specific customer requirements
while Aerostar carried out the structural modifications to the aircraft. As
well as incorporating the same features of the IAK-52W, the new variant
includes a more powerful 400hp M14PX-DK engine, an integrated fully
retractable landing gear and a tail wheel that is steerable from the paddles
jointly connected to the rudder. The aircraft also features dimensional
changes to the cabins to accommodate taller pilots and rounded wing tips to
give a World War 2 'warbirds' feel to the design. This aircraft is being
promoted into the 'warbirds' market with the main target markets being the
USA, Canada and Australia.

Aerostar 01 - is a new side-by-side two seat ultralight of all metal
construction that made its first flight from Bacau on May 31. Powered by a
Jabiru 2200 piston engine with a wooden two-bladed propeller, the Aerostar 01
has a maximum speed of 170km/hr, a maximum ceiling of 3,000m and a 750km
range. The aircraft will be available either ready to fly or in kit form.
Planned production rate is 40-50 units a year.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has purchased FlightViz data visualization software for its Aviation System Standards (AVN) program. FlightViz is the industry-leading data visualization software, developed by Boulder, Colorado-based SimAuthor, Inc., that allows users to create multi-faceted, three-dimensional animations of actual flight or simulator data.

AVN develops, flight inspects, and publishes all instrument approach procedures for the FAA. They will be using FlightViz data visualization software in two ways. The first will be to enhance their approach procedures development process. They expect that the ability to visualize data from their own aircraft, as well as data gathered from outside sources, will revolutionize the way they implement criteria and develop and amend approach procedures. FlightViz will enable them to better recognize potential problems and determine the changes that would most effectively solve those problems.

AVN will work closely with Flight Standards, which develops and refines the criteria for approach procedures, and they expect FlightViz to add a new dimension to that process as well. The different possible variations in criteria that Flight Standards considers for an approach can be animated to create "what if" scenarios. This will allow AVN staff to check and validate procedures under development before resources are used to flight check and publish the procedures.

Secondly, AVN wants to use FlightViz to enhance their internal Flight Operations Quality Assurance (FOQA) program. Using FlightViz, AVN will develop ways to analyze flight data from their own fleet of approximately 33 aircraft, looking for trends that should be addressed before they become safety problems.

According to Jon Phelps, AVN's director of safety and quality assurance, FlightViz visualizations will be used for more than analyzing data; they will be used to educate. "It's difficult to illustrate ideas with data," he said. "It's always easier to describe situations or problems if you can visualize them." He feels that FlightViz will prove to be an effective tool to communicate with their flight crews, management, the FAA as a whole, and their external customers.

Steve Lakowske, president and CEO of SimAuthor, said, "Aviation Systems Standards has been investigating data visualization technology for some time as a way to improve their approach procedure development process. We are very pleased that they have chosen FlightViz for such a critical element of their business."

Located at the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, AVN has total responsibility for managing and administering instrument approach procedures development; the Federal Aviation Administration's flight inspection program, aircraft operations, and aircraft maintenance; and the United States Air Force's flight inspection missions.

FlightViz delivers high-resolution, graphics-oriented visualizations of actual flight and simulator data. This interactive, easy-to-use, Windows-based software can display flight data in a variety of ways. Users can virtually re-enact a flight or simulator training session with synchronized 2D and 3D displays showing fully articulated models of aircraft, actual runways, and surrounding terrain. They can view a flight from inside or outside the cockpit, and they can display navigational charts and a full range of functional cockpit instruments - all synchronized and all visible on the same screen. Typical applications include Flight Operations Quality Assurance (FOQA), airport familiarization, simulator/training brief and debrief, and classroom training. FlightViz users in the global aviation market include many major international, domestic, and regional airlines, as well as the U.S. military, and several U.S. and international government agencies.

For more information about SimAuthor, Inc. and FlightViz, visit the Web site at www.simauthor.com. More information about the FAA's Aviation System Standards program can be found at www.mmac.jccbi.gov/avn.

Robert Morrison, a 13-year-old boy from Durham, Calif., became the 700,000th young person introduced to flying through EAA's Young Eagles Program, which is designed to spark aviation in a new generation.

Morrison was flown on June 9, 2001 (International Young Eagles Day) by volunteer pilot Shirley Weinbaum of Chico, Calif. Weinbaum is an EAA member and volunteer who has flown more than 35 Young Eagles since 1998.

"Reaching 700,000 Young Eagles is an achievement that is nothing short of astounding," said Steve Buss, Executive Director of the Young Eagles Program. "It's a huge credit to the EAA pilots and ground support volunteers who made it possible. Each time we pass one of these milestones, our goal of flying one million young people by Dec. 17, 2003, becomes less of a dream and closer to reality. We're going to reach that goal and open the possibilities of flight to more than a million kids."

The Young Eagles Program was created by EAA in July 1992 to provide free demonstration flights to one million young people by the 100th anniversary of flight in 2003. Over the past 12 months, more than 100,000 young people were given free demonstration flights. More than 28,000 volunteer pilots have flown the 700,000 Young Eagles on five continents. Every day, at the current rate, an average of 285 young people become Young Eagles.

The Young Eagles Program, which began at the 1992 EAA Fly-In Convention at Oshkosh, has already registered more than 41,000 Young Eagles in 2001 - a record total for the first six months of any calendar year. As of July 4, 2001, total Young Eagles registrations had topped the 704,000 mark.

"I have so much fun with this program," Weinbaum said. "When I take the children up, it's always neat to see the excitement in their faces. It's a wonderful program not only because it introduces young people to flight but it allows us to reach kids we've never been able to reach before."

The Young Eagles Program has already crossed social, economic and disability barriers to become the largest youth aviation education program ever conceived. Flights range from pilots who fly single missions with a young person to large flight rallies that included dozens of aircraft and hundreds of young people at a single site.

A Young Eagles exhibit at the EAA AirVenture Museum in Oshkosh, supported by Phillips 66, includes the "World's Largest Logbook" of all Young Eagles and volunteer pilots, as well as the count of Young Eagles worldwide. Also included are shirttails from Young Eagles who have followed their aviation dreams and made their own first solo flight. Flying tradition dictates that the flight instructor cuts the shirttail of the student pilot after the initial solo flight, indicating that the new pilot can fly on his/her own.

"Although Robert Morrison's flight stands out as the 700,000th young person touched by Young Eagles, every flight is important," Buss said. "It's an opportunity to show each young person involved that the world of flight is open to them and we encourage them to explore it. In addition, the Young Eagles program has brought many families out to their local airport and given them a new understanding of the importance of aviation in their own communities."

Young Eagles is a program of the EAA Aviation Foundation. The EAA Aviation Foundation was founded in 1962 and is dedicated to aviation education, preservation and research. Its headquarters are at the EAA Aviation Center in Oshkosh, Wis.

Young Eagles Flight Facts

• The Young Eagles Program was launched in July 1992. Since then:
• More than 700,000 young people have received an airplane ride through the Young Eagles Program
• 700,000 Young Eagles represents approximately 140 young people flown for each public use airport in the country
• 700,000 Young Eagles represents 7 young people flown for each school in the United States
• More than 28,000 EAA members have volunteered their time and aircraft to participate as Young Eagle Flight Leaders (pilots)
• The average number of Young Eagles flown per pilot is 23. Individual numbers range from 1 to more than 2,100!
• On average, 285 Young Eagles are added to the World's Largest Logbook every day of the year.
• Flight Leader experience levels range from private pilots to Airline Transport Pilots (ATP).
• Young Eagle flights have taken place in nearly every type of aircraft including standard factory-builts, antiques, classics, warbirds, aerobatic, jets, helicopters, balloons and gliders.
• Airports utilized for the Young Eagles Program range from private grass strips to major metropolitan airports
• An estimated 304,347 Young Eagle Flights have taken place
• On average there are 2.3 Young Eagles per flight
• 608,694 take offs and landings have occurred
• 101,449 flight hours (or 6,086,940 minutes) have been logged by General Aviation aircraft participating in the Young Eagles Program (20 minute average flight)
• More than 1,115,939 gallons of aviation fuel has been donated by EAA members, participating FBOs and associated program participants (based on 11 gallons per hour average)
• Fuel sales have generated an estimated $2,622,456 (based on an average price of $2.35 per gallon). This does not include the other costs (oil, brakes or tires) directly involved in flying.