By Emme Hornung
The EAA Aviation Museum Speaker Series continues to bring the many facets of aviation to life, and our next speaker is no different. On Thursday, March 19, at 7 p.m., join us to learn about the art of flying historic warbirds and vintage aircraft with CAF pilot Doug Rozendaal as he discusses his many adventures honoring history and the incredible airframes he’s flown along the way.
Doug Rozendaal, EAA Lifetime 359305, has more than 10,000 flight hours in nearly 250 types of aircraft with numerous ratings and certifications, though he comes from grounded beginnings. He cites his early days sitting in a tractor in central Iowa, watching DC-3s and Convairs fly over, as his aviation inspiration. While in college, he earned his wings. “I was driving home from the last day of finals in freshman year, and I stopped at the Nevada, Iowa, airport, a small airport with two short grass runways, and signed up for my first lesson,” he said. “The rest, as they say, is history.”
His first paying pilot gig was as a freight dog flying DC-3s as co-pilot hauling FedEx packages on the night routes in Iowa, before moving to the left seat of a Beech 18. His first visit to Oshkosh was in 1986 in between freight runs; “We jumped in the boss’s Baron, flew to Oshkosh, and slept on chaise lounges under the wing. That was my first Oshkosh, I’ve been to every one since,” he said.
Doug has represented the CAF in air shows at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. In 2024, he flew C-47 That’s All Brother and P-51C Red Tail.
In 1989, Doug joined the Commemorative Air Force, getting involved with the Minnesota Wing’s B-25 Miss Mitchell. He earned his B-25 type rating in 1992 and has been flying it ever since. He’s had the honor of flying Miss Mitchell over Jimmy Doolittle’s burial at Arlington, a C-47 over Richard Cole’s burial at Randolph, and C-47 That’s All Brother to Normandy to mark the 75th anniversary — among many other notable memories which he will dive into during his presentation.
In his time with the CAF, he became leader of the Red Tail Squadron, and after a generous donation from the Texas Flying Legends, Doug led the creation of Rise Above, a travelling exhibit with a mission to share the story and legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen. Doug also served on the CAF board of directors for 12 years, including two years as chairman, as well as serving as chairman on the safety committee at the International Council of Air Shows for several years. In 2025, he retired from serving as an FAA designated pilot examiner after 19 years
The Rise Above exhibit travels to air shows around the country, including being a regular fixture for many years at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh.
“It’s not about the airplanes. The airplanes are a tool we use to tell a story,” Doug said. “The history we forget, we’re bound to relive. And the mission of the CAF is to honor, educate, and inspire. The greatest way we can honor the Greatest Generation is by making sure their sacrifice was not in vain. And certainly not since World War II has there been any time in our history, where knowing history and recognizing the lessons of the past could be any more pertinent and important.”
“And also, it’s not just the history side of it. There’s a lot of kids out there who don’t have a focus. I know this firsthand because Sam ‘Razz’ Larson, the F-22 demo pilot, he told me he grew up going to the Quad City air show, watching me fly warbirds, and he wanted to be me when he grew up. Today’s he’s a Thunderbird. That’s rewarding stuff,” he said. “And for everyone one of those stories we hear, there’s hundreds of them that we don’t hear.”
Thursday’s presentation is free for EAA members and youths, and just $5 for nonmembers.
If you’re unable to attend, all Speaker Series presentations are recorded and will be available to members to watch here at a later date.