Common Cause
Trek to Oshkosh
It’s that time again; pack your bags and fly to our aviation mecca for renewal. AirVenture 2010 is but three weeks away, and it’s not too late to tell your boss you’re tired and need a break. It’s easier than most people think: get the NOTAM, pack some camping gear, and fly in. Of late, it has not been crowded, and there’s room for one more plane. You will be amazed at the length and breath of general aviation, and feel for yourself the energy of the flying community, notwithstanding all the gloom and doom published in the media. See for yourself.
So, you fly to Ripon intersection, and listen to the ATIS enroute. Follow the railroad tracks to Fisk, and listen to ATC. They see you, ask you if you see the plane in front of you, and tell you to follow that plane to KOSH. That’s it, almost. To help with expanding our community, fly in with a friend, a family member, a kid, a reporter, anyone who is NOT a pilot (yet). No sales pitch needed; just let them see for themselves what GA is all about. Pitch a tent under your wing, greet the folks around your tiedown site, and watch the landing traffic put on a show. A cold drink helps.
Walk the rows of parked planes, and talk with the owners. Stroll through the exhibitor halls and window shop. If they don’t clearly advertise a price for their products, keep on walking. But you will see things you didn’t know you wanted, and your mother never told you about. Walk around the outdoor displays and see the state-of-the-art in aviation, whether it floats, flies, hovers, or STOLs. And when you get to the LSAs, ask why they cost so much. Ask about their excellent accident rate. Ask if they are willing to bargain on the price, always a measure of their willingness to make a sale.
Make a point of visiting the warbird area, where more than 50 DC-3s should be parked in rows. If they fly in formation, it truly will be an ‘aluminum overcast’. Walk through the experimental homebuilt area and witness the dedication, skill, and excellence of individuals. If they can do it, you can do it. In the afternoon, get a front row seat for the best airshow you will ever experience; it goes on for hours. When done, you will be tired and amazed.
Need a change of pace? Hop the bus to the seaplane base, and enjoy the shade and the floats. Or walk over to the EAA Museum, and enjoy the air conditioning. Walk around to the rear, and behold a perfect replica of a vintage airfield, complete with grass runway and hangers. Inside those hangers are the jewels of aviation: old planes, old engines, and some old pilots. Are you a rotorhead? Hop a ride around AirVenture at 400 ft AGL in a MASH helicopter. I did this when I was six, and I never forgot, so I became a pilot; funny how things get started. You never know where the road will lead.
The trip to Oshkosh, whether for a day or a week, is our chance to renew our aviation energy and expand our knowledge of the community. We get to see what everybody else is doing, aviation outside our little piece of it, and appreciate the largeness and freedom we enjoy. Sometimes we forget, sometimes we get discouraged; this is our chance to see the bigger picture and recharge our batteries. Some folks come every year; for others, this is a once-in-a lifetime goal. Make this the year you come.
Common Cause: So many things nowadays are overstated, oversold, and under delivered: EAA AirVenture is not one of them. Each year it gets bigger and better. It is a place to see, to learn, to discuss, and to move forward. Learn a new skill, confront the FAA, meet old friends and make new friends: this is what makes Oshkosh special. It is vast and all encompassing. You get to pick and choose…..make a choice, be there now.
Fly safe. See you in the North Forty.
Mike Sullivan
CFI, CSMEL at KHEF