July 26th, 2010 - AirVenture 2010

A taxi picked me up at the Super 8 at 8AM, then promptly had a flat tire.  The taxi -- a minivan -- had no spare tire!  So it took awhile before another taxi showed up and took me to the airport.

Over the past week, on the few times I had access to the Internet, I had read ominous rumblings of Wittman Field at Oshkosh being "flooded" and a real mess.  Later I would hear the nickname for this year's AirVenture:  "Sloshkosh".  Yesterday -- Sunday -- Wittman Field had actually been closed to all aircraft! 

This morning before takeoff I got the latest 9AM update.  Wittman Field was still closed but they "might" start letting showplanes land around noon.  Fond Du Lac had filled to capacity and was now closed.  I decided I would fly in the vicinity of Oshkosh, land at one of the outlying airports and wait it out.  Bruce was flying commercial into Milwaukee this morning and would have a rental car. 

Red Wing airport after takeoff with the Mississippi River in the background.

 
Over Wisconsin, farmland has been replaced by forest. 
 
Initially I was going to land at Wautoma Airport, about 25 miles west of Oshkosh.   Then I decided to land at Brennand Airport which is between Oshkosh and Appleton.  When I flew over Wautoma, I could see about 30 planes parked there, and tents next to planes.  They were obviously waiting for Oshkosh to open. 
 
As I reached Lake Poygan, a big lake northwest of Oshkosh, I tuned in the AirVenture approach frequency.  I was surprised to hear planes over Fisk being directed to contact tower for landing on 27 and 36, including some RVs.  So I figured I may as well have a go at it.  I changed course for Ripon.
 
Approaching Ripon, I could see multiple planes leaving Ripon in single file along the railroad tracks, heading towards Fisk.  I could see others arriving at Ripon.  It was on!  I made a wide turn and inserted myself into the queue.  I ended up behind a Champ which is not a particularly fast plane.  But he was able to fly 90 knots per the Notam so it wasn't a problem.   The RV has such good slow-speed characteristics that 90 knots is no big deal.  Even 70 knots is very doable in an RV. 
 

Over Fisk I was directed to follow the Champ east along the East-West road and change to the tower frequency for 36.  The picture below was taken heading east over the East West road.  Wittman Field is in the distance in the center of the picture.

I landed on 36, held up my Homebuilt Camping sign, and was directed by one wand-waving ground controller after another until finally I was following a ground handler on a Moped to the last row in the homebuilt parking area.  I had not transmitted on the radio the entire time.  Per the Notam, I was in receive-mode only, with the exception of a wing-rock or two.  By 11AM, I was at the big show.  Things happen fast once you get to Ripon. 

I was amazed at how many RVs were already parked. 

On the internet forums, a surprising number of pilots don't like flying into Oshkosh because of the number of planes and the intensity.  For me, it's exhilerating and fun.  I get satisfaction from preparing well, knowing the procedure, and excecuting them properly. 

 
At the Mecca. 
 
This Fokker DR-1 Triplane, along with a DR-7 and DR-8, flew to Oshkosh all the way from the Vintage Aero Flying Museum near Denver, Colorado. 
 
The DR-7.  It was a real treat to see the DR-1, DR-7 and DR-8 fly during the airshow. 
 
Bruce in front of the S.E.5a.  It wasn't until I returned from Oshkosh that I realized that this plane was featured in the August issue of Sport Aviation magazine.  This plane is a scratchbuilt re-creation from original drawings of the famous World War I fighter.  The builder, Jack Kearbey, spent 11,900 hours on the project -- almost four times what I spent on my RV-7 kitplane.  He even cut the ash and walnut wood used on the plane from trees on his own property! 
 
I finished building a Xenos left wing for Bruce about a month ago and have started the right wing. 
 
Bruce talking with the pilot who flew this Xenos to Oshkosh from the Southwest.  The pilot was very complimentary about the Xenos's flying qualities.  There are only two homebuilt Xenos's flying so far. 
 
Sean Tucker's new ride:  a Challenger III.
 
An immaculate Caudron C.460 Rafale replica built in 2009.  This particular aircraft was displayed at the 2009 Paris Air Show.  It has a 260 horsepower engine and cruises at 210mph.  Only three Rafale's were ever built, for a 1934 air race. 
 
I always like to stop by the Nuvite tent and watch them polish. 
 
There were three Baby Ace's at Oshkosh this year. 
 
Bruce checking out the panel on this Baby Ace.
 
We talked with the pilot of this RV-7 who's flying it around the world over a period of three years.  Link 
 
Not one but two Delta Dykes this year. 
 
This was my favorite RV paint job:  a very classy gold and scarlet. 
 
This one got my vote for best RV nose art.  Both the Royal Canadian Air Force RV and this RV-8A were very close to where my RV was parked oddly enough. 
 
I saw this RV-7 on floats a few years ago. 
 
My RV was in the last row, looking out over a sea of RVs. 
 
Looking to the southeast, you can see the new Control Tower. 
 
A Titan with a Blue Angel paint job. 
 
You may remember, at last year's AirVenture, Mike R. proposed to Karen on the Ford Trimotor -- in flight!  Link
 
This year, they actually got married on the North 40 area underneath the Bonanza tent! 
 
Many family and friends attended. It was a nice, simple ceremony. 
 
Yours truly with Bride and Groom. 
 
A big Predator unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). 
 
Here's a nice project for sale.  90% done!
 
The Van's booth area is always packed. 
 
The star attraction at this year's AirVenture were the DC-3s.  They had over twenty of them show up.  It was awesome to see all of them fly over in loose formation. 
 
The polish job on this DC-3 was awesome.  I can't imagine the manhours required to keep a plane with this much surface area polished.   (Photo taken by Bob Collins)
 
I didn't think F-4 Phantoms were still flying but here one is.  It was kind of neat seeing the F-4 and two A-4s fly in close formation.  (Photo by Doug Reeves)
 
For obvious reasons, I enjoy watching RVs flying around in formation.  This is Stu McCurdy's Falcon Flight putting on a show.  (Photo taken by Doug Reeves)
 
A German Focke-Wulf 190 and Japanese Zero were supposed to be at AirVenture this year.  I heard the FW-190 couldn't make it for maintenace reasons, but didn't see the Zero, until I was walking to Mike's wedding and I saw the Zero flying during the airshow.  I never saw it close-up.  Here's a photo from the EAA website. 
 
I noticed Doug Reeves's  -- owner of the Vans Air Force website -- RV-6 outside the Garmin tent. 
 
He just upgraded his panel with all the latest Garmin avionics.  He also redid his interior.  His plane is really looking sharp.  It's a real showplane. 
 
I went over to check out this AWACs P-3 owned by the Customers and Border Patrol Agency.  One of the pilots looked familiar.  After looking at his nametag, I realized it was the Bull Ensign of VP-45, back when I did my department head tour.  Of course, he's the equivalent of a Commander now.  It was good to see him and catch-up on old shipmates.  He gave me a personal tour of the venerable P-3 -- now sporting a glass cockpit.  But most of the P-3 is the same as I remember. 
 
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