If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
OSH '08 Redux -- The Torch Has been Passed, Part II
(Continued...)
Wednesday, July 30th After sand-bagging (figuratively) yesterday, we hit it hard today, getting an earlier start on the show, and to get ready for our big HOPS Party. We also realized that we hadn't seen much of our son, who had made friends in Vintage and become nearly self-sufficient on the field -- except for that whole money thing. I had given him my credit card for his trip up, and agreed to pay for anything that we would normally buy (camping, food, etc.), but I figured it was time to repo the card before he went out and bought a 496 for the Ercoupe...so we hooked up with Joe early. For flying into Airventure, the Vintage folks give out a plaque with a picture of you and your plane -- a very nice touch, and something Joe will treasure forever, I'm sure -- so we went to pick that up. He also wanted a mug, and a shirt, and...you get the picture. Understandably proud of his achievement, we nevertheless had to put the brakes on some of his "wants", since everything came with a price tag on it. The Vintage guys tried to talk us into joining, but they weren't able to get their computer to accept us as a "family" membership, even though Joe is only 17. They weren't sure if it was because Joe was turning 18 so soon, or what, but it was aggravating, so I passed. We've been EAA members for 27 years, so that'll have to do, for now. We spent a long time in Vintage, hanging out at Joe's campsite, enjoying the day and trying to get over the weird feeling that the baton had been passed to a new generation. Joe had made a circle of friends in Vintage, and proudly introduced us to them all. We then wandered over to Addison Pemberton's awesome Boeing 40 -- the only one flying in the world. I tried to get close enough to say "hi" -- he and his family have stayed at the hotel before, and are coming back in a few weeks for an airmail reenactment -- but the mobs around the plane were such that we just kept moving. What an awesome airplane, and a great effort to get it flying again! There were dozens and dozens of Ercoupes on the field (including the oldest one, a 1941 military model) since the national fly-in had been held just a few miles away from OSH earlier in the week, and we really enjoyed strolling the rows, checking out the different models and mods that are available. We were gratified to note that our little 'Coupe (christened "Sweetie") stood up well against the group, and Joe puffed with pride whenever someone would stroll up to ask about "his" Ercoupe. That's one thing you rarely get in the North 40, and is something that is really fun about the Vintage camping area. There were rarely ten minutes without SOMEONE wandering up to ask questions about the 'Coupe, and there was often a line of folks gawking and taking pictures. It's an unusual looking plane, rarely seen anymore, so the public is naturally interested in it -- and they are REALLY interested to hear about a 17 year old pilot flying a 60-year-old airplane! By the end of the show Joe was getting a bit tired of the whole scene, but -- for the most part -- he was really in his element. Then, it was time to head back to our campsite for the Sixth Annual HOPS Party! As always, this event could not be staged without the direct support and assistance of this group's own Jim & Tami Burns, Montblack, and Jack Allison -- and we all went shopping to nearby Pick & Save for beer, pop, hard lemonade, and any number of snacks. Montblack took care of the food, buying a ton of pre-cut sub sandwiches from nearby Subway, and Tami supplied potato salad, too. A veritable feast was laid out, and then we waited... Soon, the airshow was over, and the people began to wander in. Getting to this party is never easy -- we're two miles from show center, in the middle of a giant field -- but come they did! Soon, hangar flying and a general celebration of the Oshkosh experience was well underway, with beers brought in from all over the country! We ran out of food (which Montblack promptly replenished) and a great time was had by all! A group of us stayed up till 1:30 AM, discussing everything and anything, and we were all happy when we at last toddled off to bed... Thursday, July 31st. That happiness didn't persist past dawn, however. It's not possible to "sleep in" at OSH, even with eye-shades and ear plugs, since the morning sunshine rapidly raises the in-tent temperature to blast-furnace levels. So, we toddled off to breakfast, feeling punk and not wanting to do much of anything but sleep. So, we made our way South of Aeroshell Square, to the forested area that surrounds the Theater in the Woods, found a shady spot -- and promptly fell asleep. It was a lovely day (in the shade), with a nice breeze and low humidity -- so sleep came easy. We all awoke refreshed, and proceeded with the show. This was the first time we'd ever done this at OSH, and really showed how picture-perfect the weather was! In fact, the weather has never been better at Oshkosh, and we were rarely too hot or too cold. Stranger still -- it NEVER stormed all week, although it did look nasty a couple of times. That's another first for AirVenture! The airshow today was simply awesome, with the Marine Corps V-22 Osprey making it's first Oshkosh appearance. I've always wondered about the military spending billions on this aircraft, but -- now that I've seen it fly -- I understand their reasoning. This thing is FAST -- way faster than a helicopter -- and can get the good guys in (and out) much faster. Speed is life, in that sort of thing, so the V-22 suddenly makes sense -- and what a fun thing to see fly! Then, the awesome F-22 Raptor did it's "usual" (if that word applies) flight demonstration. Words can't describe this aircraft's capabilities, and seeing one fly is simply breath-taking. As always, the crowd loved every minute of it. We trundled our way back to our campsite, now weary from four days of constant walking. Tonight was "Family Night", though -- Mary has several aunts and cousins in the area -- so we had a good dinner to look forward to! Unfortunately the group selected a fairly new "Applebees", which is mediocre under the best of circumstances, and was truly awful under the stress of the Oshkosh crowd. (We knew we were in trouble when we couldn't get water -- after requesting it three times...) In the end it didn't matter -- we were there to see family, not eat -- and a good time was had by all! Friday, August 1st Where did July go? Where did *summer* go? Amazing, how fast time moves in summer... We were up bright and early this morning, so I was able to take some nice sunrise pictures. Without the usual "Oshkosh deluge", Atlas was as dirty as I'd ever seen him, with the morning dew providing the catalyst for dust-induced mud to form each day. After four days, the filth was quite pronounced, and we had neglected to bring any cleaning supplies with us. All I could do was hope that the crud wouldn't build up to a depth where lift was no longer developed by the wings. After days of being on his own, Joe realized that Oshkosh was more than half over and we hadn't done our usual "Guy thing" of exploring the Warbirds, just the two of us. This has been a tradition with us since he was a little boy, and I was wondering if he was going to remember! While Mary and Bec went off to join in the "world's largest gathering of women pilots" on Aeroshell Square, I gladly forced my weary feet to endure another five miles of walking with Joe, as we strolled up and down the rows of Mustangs, Warhawks, Corsairs and Avengers. I couldn't help but marvel at how time has flown past, and noted that it wasn't that long ago that I was teaching him the history of the various warbirds, and describing the differences between a "C" and "D" model Mustang. Now, his knowledge easily matched my own, and exceeded it in certain areas. I've taught him everything I can about airplanes, aviation, and flying, and there is little else I can impart to him. Strolling up and down the rows, stopping to examine an intake here, a folding wing there, we were both comfortable discussing these aircraft as equals, both having flown in, both knowing what the other knows. I realized that -- with disconcerting suddenness -- my son had become a man, and I swelled with pride and a little sadness as we came to the end of the line. The torch had been passed again. Friday has become our traditional "Seaplane Base" day over the years, because they throw a traditional Wisconsin fish fry that can't be beat! Also, by this point in the week, we're more than ready to get away from the hustle, heat and noise of Wittman Field, and trade it for the quiet coolness of Lake Winnebago. So, that afternoon we rode the trams to the far South end of the field, caught a big yellow school bus, and rode 15 minutes to the seaplane base to spend time with our friends Markus, Jack, and Montblack. As always, the contrast was stunning. After a short walk through a darkened forest trail, we popped out onto the shoreline, waves lapping the beach, seaplanes bobbing at anchor in the little harbor. It was absolutely idyllic, and completely different from the rest of AirVenture. We found a quiet place to sit, and enjoyed an hour of quiet conversation, until.... We'd been watching darkening clouds approach, and suddenly the wind shifted. First it got much warmer, then it switched again and grew much colder! We could see shafts of rain in the distance, out over the water, and then the wind doubled in speed -- and then doubled again! A real storm was brewing, and we could see the whole thing from across the water. Then the PA system came to life, warning that a tornado had been spotted nearby, and that everyone should seek shelter. It was easy to spot the native Midwesterners, because we all immediately went to the shoreline to see if we could spot the twister! Nothing was visible, but the waves rapidly grew until they were tearing apart the rickety old piers that the coast guard was tied to, and the lake actually rose over a foot, driven our way by the increasing wind. It was fun to watch, and very unusual in that nary a drop of rain ever fell. The entire storm skimmed off to the North, leaving us (and, thankfully, Wittman Field) untouched. Within a half hour the weather had returned to normal, the lake was reverting to its glassy former self, and folks from outside the Midwest were left shaking their heads. The rest of us just smiled knowingly. The fish fry was awesome, as always, although they raised the price considerably to a whopping $13 per plate! Apparently Walleye Pike has gotten a lot more expensive (and they *did* provide huge portions) -- but $52 for a home-made cookout seemed a bit steep. Nevertheless, I loved every minute of it, since we can't get any kind of decent fresh-water fish in Iowa. Eventually we grew bored with the silence, and longed for the hub-bub of Wittman Field again -- but the seaplane base sure is a wonderful place to recharge your batteries after a week of craziness. We rode the bus back to the field, where they proceeded to drop us off at the more centrally located bus tower. This pleasant turn of events allowed us to check out Aeroshell Square, and to get a few more pics along the way, before retiring to our campsite for an evening cocktails and conversation, exhausted but happy. Saturday, August 2nd. We'd been closely watching the Prog charts since Wednesday, eyeing a system that was approaching from the Great Plains. At first predicted to be terrible, Sunday was then pronounced "good" by Flight Service -- only to be once again pronounced as "iffy" last night. So, with one more check of the progs, we decided to leave today after the airshow rather than wait for Sunday as planned. Discretion being the better part of valor, we also figured that it would be nice to have a day at home to scrape the topsoil out from under our nails, and have some time to check email, etc. But first, we had to get Joe launched. Having been on the field a whopping ten days, he was more than ready to head for home -- but was understandably nervous about flying out of OSH during the show. We sat down with the NOTAM and went over the possible variations, and I offered to fly with him -- but he ultimately declined my help, preferring to do the "whole Oshkosh enchilada" himself. By the time we met up with him at 9:10 AM he was fully packed and ready to go. To help with his useful load, we agreed to take his tent and a folding chair he had purchased -- every ounce helps in an Ercoupe -- and we spent a few nervous minutes going over the radio frequencies and procedures. Once satisfied that he was good to go, we left the 'Coupe and headed to the hangar buildings to hunt down Lightspeed's Alan Schrader once again, to work out a deal on a pair of Zulus. He agreed to swap out my old pair of Twenty 3Gs in exchange for a half-price deal on two new Zulus -- as good as it's gonna get -- and we headed back to the Vintage area so Joe could "test" one of the new headsets in the (incredibly noisy) Ercoupe. (Note: No ANR headsets had been found to work in the 'Coupe, due to it's very loud engine/wind noise combination. This is true in most airplanes of this type, from 'Coupes to T-6s, but Alan swore up and down that the Lightspeed Zulu would work perfectly in the 'Coupe -- so we wanted to test this assertion. Joe reported that they worked perfectly, by the way...) At last ready to go, the Vintage guys on scooters escorted him through the sparse morning crowds out to Rwy 36, his mother, sister and I proudly watching him all the way. Eventually, after a few minutes of waiting for arrivals, it was his turn to depart, and we heard the big 85 horsepower Continental wind up from a quarter-mile away. He trundled down the runway, gathering speed, and then levitated beautifully into a graceful right turn, coming to an Easterly course and staying South of the tower, just as briefed. He was off into a clear blue sky, alone, headed for home. Heart full, we headed back to Aeroshell Square, absent-mindedly snapping pictures and slowly working our way Northward. I couldn't concentrate, my thoughts being in the 'Coupe with my son, hoping that all was well on his 2.5 hour flight... We headed back to our site to break camp and get Atlas packed so that we could enjoy the airshow and then blast off for home. This unpleasant task always takes longer than setting up, but (for once) it wasn't ungodly hot, so everything went smoothly. Jack soon came around, and we decided to eat at Friar Tuck's one more time, given that we had only eaten their once during the week. While on our way to lunch Joe called to say he was home, safe and sound. It was with relief that we could enjoy our last meal in Oshkosh for the year, and enjoy it we did, spending a very enjoyable hour in the cool, air-conditioned darkness... After lunch we returned our bikes to Goodwill and walked back to the field to catch a North 40 bus for the first time all week. From there it was the usual tram to Aeroshell Square, and the short walk to the old control tower, where we spent an enjoyable few hours planted in the shade of that grand old structure, watching the show. I can't believe they're going to tear that building down (it would make a great bar, or observation area), as it has been in the background of our pictures for 26 years. EAA really missed an opportunity this year, as they could easily have sold tickets to tour the old tower for ten bucks a head. I'd have bought four of them, and everyone I asked agreed that would have, too. Soon, the airshow was winding down, and it was time to head back to the North 40. With heavy heart (and even heavier footsteps, sore as we were) we walked to the North 40, wondering how an entire week could go by *so* quickly. All the planning, all the months of dreaming, all the weeks of preparations seemed to take forever, yet -- as always -- the week itself went by in the blink of an eye. We sat in the shadow of our wing talking with Markus, and soon Montblack showed up to bid us farewell, too. I was nervous, wanting to get the show on the road while simultaneously never wanting to leave -- a strange mix of feelings, indeed -- but too soon the field was open and we had to start up. Hand shakes and hugs all around, we had our easiest departure ever, literally taxiing about three blocks, waiting a few minutes, and being waved off of Rwy 9, arcing smoothly out over Lake Winnebago behind Atlas' wonderfully powerful O-540. Despite the heavy load, we quickly overtook the aircraft ahead of us, reached the edge of Oshkosh airspace, and made a beeline for home... Thanks, all, for making OSH '08 our best, yet! Only 357 days until OSH '09! Hope to see you there! (Pictures to come!) -- Jay Honeck Iowa City, IA Pathfinder N56993 Ercoupe N94856 www.AlexisParkInn.com "Your Aviation Destination" |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
OSH '08 Redux -- The Torch Has been Passed, Part II
Jay Honeck wrote:
(Continued...) Wednesday, July 30th After sand-bagging (figuratively) yesterday, we hit it hard today, getting an earlier start on the show, and to get ready for our big HOPS Party. We also realized that we hadn't seen much of our son, who had made friends in Vintage and become nearly self-sufficient on the field -- except for that whole money thing. I had given him my credit card for his trip up, and agreed to pay for anything that we would normally buy (camping, food, etc.), but I figured it was time to repo the card before he went out and bought a 496 for the Ercoupe...so we hooked up with Joe early. Snip Thanks, all, for making OSH '08 our best, yet! Only 357 days until OSH '09! Hope to see you there! (Pictures to come!) Wonderful recap of your adventure, Jay. Must be quite emotional to see Joe flying and moving on. While my kids liked to fly, they never liked like I do. Thanks for the write-up! -- Regards, Ross C-172F 180HP KSWI |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
OSH '08 Redux -- The Torch Has been Passed, Part II
In article Ntulk.228230$TT4.147257@attbi_s22,
"Jay Honeck" wrote: Hand shakes and hugs all around, we had our easiest departure ever, literally taxiing about three blocks, waiting a few minutes, and being waved off of Rwy 9, arcing smoothly out over Lake Winnebago behind Atlas' wonderfully powerful O-540. Despite the heavy load, we quickly overtook the aircraft ahead of us, reached the edge of Oshkosh airspace, and made a beeline for home... Coincidentally, Jack and I were taxiing out of our campsite at the same time and watched Atlas cross the perimeter road. We paralleled each other on opposite sides of the clear zone to the deparature end of R09. We managed to get off ahead of you by having fewer aircraft ahead of us on the south side. We enjoyed a brief twenty minute flight to Dodge county Airport where we camped Saturday evening. We got in the tent just before the mosquitos made their appearance. Sunday morning we were up at 5:00 AM, packed and in the air at 5:45 AM, winging our way to Chicago Midway. While packing to depart I happened to look off to the western sky and watched a light show of cloud to cloud lightning dancing across a large buildup. Once airborne with the GPS 496 receiving weather, I noted that the buildups I had observed were from a storm over 75 miles away. One simply doesn't experience such clarity in the midwest, but such were the conditions on that day. We were cleared to land MDW R04L after the initial call to the tower 20 miles out. It was an in-and-out this time and only cost Jack $7.50 this time. Jack went out the land-side door with the shuttle driver to the terminal while I went out the airside door to my plane. Departure was right turn on course. Once the 496 had update the weather, I checked winds aloft and found that 6000 feet would give me a tailwind. Once clear of the CDAS I called Gary Tower for transition clearance and began my climb. Level at 6 and on course, I called South Bend approach for VFR flight following, dialed in my squawk and turned the autopilot on. The frequency was quiet, the ride was smooth and the groundspeed ranged from 135-140 kts. One hour thirty minutes later I was riding the OSU ILS to R09R. What a great day to fly. What a fantastic week we had at OSH. |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
OSH '08 Redux -- The Torch Has been Passed, Part II
On Aug 3, 10:13*pm, "Jay Honeck" wrote:
EAA really missed an opportunity this year, as they could easily have sold tickets to tour the old tower for ten bucks a head. I'd have bought four of them, and everyone I asked agreed that would have, too. I thought the same thing Jay, what a wasted opportunity! Was it even being used for anything? Imagine a radio piping in the arrivals and/ or departures and watching them from the tower. The very same tower that ATC had used for all those years. They would have made a mint. Brian N9093K |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
OSH '08 Redux -- The Torch Has been Passed, Part II
bdl wrote:
On Aug 3, 10:13 pm, "Jay Honeck" wrote: EAA really missed an opportunity this year, as they could easily have sold tickets to tour the old tower for ten bucks a head. I'd have bought four of them, and everyone I asked agreed that would have, too. I thought the same thing Jay, what a wasted opportunity! Was it even being used for anything? Imagine a radio piping in the arrivals and/ or departures and watching them from the tower. The very same tower that ATC had used for all those years. They would have made a mint. I toured the new tower in early June when it was in the latter stages of construction. No elevator at that time. The plan then was to use both towers. I attended AirVenture on Tuesday, it didn't look like there was any activity in the old tower cab. The techs I spoke with in June said the various communications and data lines to the new tower were temporary extensions from the lod tower, and new permanent lines would be installed after the convention. So I'd say the old tower was being used for something. Equipment in it would have to be kept operating, and there's always the possibility that some of those temporary connections might fail. |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
OSH '08 Redux -- The Torch Has been Passed, Part II
"Jay Honeck" wrote in
news:Ntulk.228230$TT4.147257@attbi_s22: www.AlexisParkInn.com "your aviation destination" SPAM noted. Bertie |
#7
|
|||
|
|||
OSH '08 Redux -- The Torch Has been Passed, Part II
I toured the new tower in early June when it was in the latter stages of
construction. No elevator at that time. The plan then was to use both towers. I attended AirVenture on Tuesday, it didn't look like there was any activity in the old tower cab. The techs I spoke with in June said the various communications and data lines to the new tower were temporary extensions from the lod tower, and new permanent lines would be installed after the convention. So I'd say the old tower was being used for something. Equipment in it would have to be kept operating, and there's always the possibility that some of those temporary connections might fail. That explains all the "FAA Techs" wearing BLUE shirts (as opposed to pink) that were streaming in and out of the old tower. We actually tried to walk in (Why not? We paid for the damned thing!) and were intercepted by a very friendly blue-shirted FAA dude, who asked what he could do for us. I then noticed there were scads of them in and around there. It makes sense that they were keeping the lines open to the new tower (and to FISK, I suppose?) and trouble-shooting connections out to the ground controllers at Rwy 27. They had a ton of hand-held radios in chargers in there... -- Jay Honeck Iowa City, IA Pathfinder N56993 Ercoupe N94856 www.AlexisParkInn.com "Your Aviation Destination" |
#8
|
|||
|
|||
OSH '08 Redux -- The Torch Has been Passed, Part II
On Mon, 04 Aug 2008 11:23:10 -0500, jeremy wrote:
Thank you for a nice tour of a place I have longed to visit and am glad your son has turned into a decent man in the process. I often wish my father had passed on his aeronautical knowledge from the 30's in a flying circus and aircraft evaluation in WWII, I probably would have turned out better as a result. Was he one of the pilots killed in the King Kong fly/shoot? -- ____________________ Alric Knebel http://www.ironeyefortress.com/C-SPAN_loon.html http://www.ironeyefortress.com |
#9
|
|||
|
|||
OSH '08 Redux -- The Torch Has been Passed, Part II
On Aug 4, 4:10*pm, "Steven P. McNicoll"
wrote: I toured the new tower in early June when it was in the latter stages of construction. *No elevator at that time. *The plan then was to use both towers. *I attended AirVenture on Tuesday, it didn't look like there was any activity in the old tower cab. *The techs I spoke with in June said the various communications and data lines to the new tower were temporary extensions from the lod tower, and new permanent lines would be installed after the convention. *So I'd say the old tower was being used for something. *Equipment in it would have to be kept operating, and there's always the possibility that some of those temporary connections might fail. Obviously things could fail... And the old tower is a likely good backup location. But of course a tour could have been conducted by an EAA volunteer, and in the event of a problem its simply a "sorry we're having communication issues, tour canceled..." My guess was that the FAA nixed it as nobody at the FAA would want the liability in the small chance something went wrong. It didn't hurt the FAA any to keep it their own private fiefdom. Other than the educational/public relations they could have garnered. Oh well. I would say, "maybe next year" but it sounds like it will be torn down by next year. Shame. Brian N9093K |
#10
|
|||
|
|||
OSH '08 Redux -- The Torch Has been Passed, Part II
In article
, bdl wrote: My guess was that the FAA nixed it as nobody at the FAA would want the liability in the small chance something went wrong. It didn't hurt the FAA any to keep it their own private fiefdom. Other than the educational/public relations they could have garnered. Oh well. Finally! Someone understands that the FAA, not the EAA owns the tower and determines what can and will be done with the old "Tower". |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
OSH '08 Redux -- The Torch Has Been Passed, Part I | Jay Honeck[_2_] | Piloting | 7 | August 5th 08 04:09 AM |
OSH '07 Redux -- Part I, The Arrival | Jay Honeck | Piloting | 13 | August 4th 07 01:41 PM |
OSH '07 Redux -- Part III -- The People & the Party | Jay Honeck | Piloting | 10 | August 4th 07 01:39 PM |
OSH '07 Redux -- Part IV -- The Wonders of OSH | Jay Honeck | Piloting | 8 | July 31st 07 10:42 PM |
OSH '07 Redux -- Part II -- The Week | Jay Honeck | Piloting | 25 | July 31st 07 09:50 AM |