Matt Younkin will be returning to Battle Creek this year in the beautiful Beechcraft 18, an old cargo/airliner aircraft. You will not want to miss this act as it is a performance that will shock everyone in attendance, even those aviation buffs. If you don't think an old 1940s style airliner (that was also retrofitted for military cargo purposes) can't perform aerobatics....then think again!
Matt Younkin is the son of airshow legend Bobby Younkin and the grandson of Jim Younkin (a well-known plane designer and aircraft replicator). Bobby Younkin is a name well known in Battle Creek, having performed here last in 2003. Bobby developed some of the most unique airshow acts in the world, including aerobatics in a Learjet as well as a Beech 18. While Bobby is no longer with us, Matt keeps his legacy alive by continuing to fly his father's aerobatic performance in the Twin Beech 18. Matt, who has been flying since Age 14, has over 3000 hours of total flight time in over 75 different types of aircraft. He presently resides in Siloam Springs, Arkansas with his wife Michelle and Daughter Kimmy. Matt Younkin was the 2012 recipient of the Bill Barber Award for Showmanship.
The Younkin's family Beech 18, named "Miss Ellie", was built in 1943 by the Beechcraft Corporation in Wichita, Kansas (built as an AT-7C for military service). The airplane went into service with the Army Air Corps, being based at Houston's Ellington Field. It was re-designated to the C-18S when the Army transferred ownership to the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA). The plane has seen tons of owners over the years until Younkin Airshows, Inc. purchased it in 2000 as a replacement to Bobby's original Beech 18. After Bobby's untimely death in July 2005, the plane spent two years in retirement in Tullahoma, Tennessee before Matt debuted his version of his fathers Twin Beech routine at Sun-N-Fun 2007 in Lakeland, Florida. "Miss Ellie" is the mascot for Younkin Airshows and the nose art/name of the Beech 18 because, with the exception of the paint scheme, is essentially the same as when it was sold from military surplus in 1945. It's a true warbird and a large aircraft performing aerobatics. So, of course the mascot would be an elephant.
Don't miss Matt Younkin performing in the LARGEST CIVILIAN AEROBATIC PLANE on the airshow circuit, ending with the amazing "Elephant Waltz", a maneuver you will not see anywhere else. It is truly a spectacle to believe. This SHOW-STOPPING performance will be performed July 1 - 4.