Voices of History: How Icom Radios Keep Warbirds Flying Safely at AirVenture 2025
At EAA AirVenture 2025, Icom radios play a critical role in keeping restored warbird aircraft operations safe and coordinated. Warbirds of America relies on Icom communication equipment not only for flight coordination but also for handling emergencies, weather events, and crowd management on the ground. Mark Shilobrit of Warbirds ATC – CIC shares firsthand insight into how reliable radio communications underpin the preservation of WWII and Korean-era aviation heritage.
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Key takeaways
Icom radios are essential to flight coordination and safety management at AirVenture's warbird operations.
Warbirds of America has used Icom communications equipment for emergencies, weather challenges, and on-field crowd management including lost children.
AirVenture traces its warbird showcase roots to 1964, when former military pilots began salvaging and restoring surplus aircraft.
For aviation enthusiasts, few sights stir the imagination quite like the thunder of restored warbirds filling the skies at AirVenture. What began in 1964 as a small group of former military pilots salvaging surplus aircraft has grown into one of the most celebrated showcases of flying history, preserving the legacy of WWII and Korean-era aviation. Yet this heritage comes with responsibility: maintaining safety, ensuring smooth operations, and bridging the gap between pilots and the public. That’s where reliable communication becomes critical.
Organizations like Warbirds of America have long relied on Icom radios not just for flight coordination, but for managing emergencies, weather challenges, and even lost children on the field. To explore how tradition meets technology in preserving this living history, we turn to Mark Shilobrit of Warbirds ATC – CIC, who brings firsthand insight into the vital role of communication at AirVenture 2025.
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