As part of Goodyear’s 2009 100th anniversary of its involvement in aviation tires, two “legends of the air” will be appearing together July 29 at the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. Billed as “The World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration,” the event is an aviation convention complete with an airshow, more than 2,000 aircraft on display and the chance to meet and greet numerous accomplished aviators.
Pilots Bill Brennand and Michael Goulian will be guests of Goodyear at the company’s exhibition area on the grounds of Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh. The free autograph session will take place at Booth B2131 on Wed., July 29 from 11 a.m. to noon.
Goodyear has a storied heritage in air racing that continues to this day as it is the 2009 Official Global Supplier of aircraft tires for the Red Bull Air Race World Championship.
Viewed as the premier airplane racing circuit in the world, the Red Bull run has attracted tens of thousands of fans in the United States, Europe, South America, Australia and the Middle East. All 15 competitors in this year’s series fly aircraft equipped exclusively with Goodyear aviation tires.
Goodyear’s history in the sport goes back to 1909, when racing pilots at the International Air Races in Reims, France, selected the Goodyear Wing “Aeroplane” tire for their planes.
In the 1940s, Bill Brennand made his name by competing in many of the popular air racing events of the day on Goodyear Airwheel tires.
Brennand burst onto the competitive scene in his first race, the 1947 National Air Race in Cleveland, where he took first place in his class. He took first again the next year in Miami and again in Cleveland in 1949.
The Oshkosh native was inducted into the Wisconsin Aviation Hall of Fame in 1995. His style and popularity set the stage for the current generation of racing pilots and air show performers, including Mike Goulian.
The 39-year-old Goulian has been in the performance aviation business since he was 18. Like Brennand, he flies only with Goodyear tires on his aircraft. Both his custom-built Castrol Aviator Extra 330SC for air shows and his Edge 540 for Red Bull Air Races are equipped with the company’s Flight Custom III and Flight Special II tires.
Goulian has been a member of three U.S. World Aerobatic teams and is a past U.S. National Aerobatic Champion.
For more information, visit www.goodyearaviation.com.
