Oshkosh '06 Redux

Maybe I missed it, but all of the previous posts about OSH '06
(including my own) have been about the problems encountered en route to
and from the Big Show. In all the controversy, the show itself has
been barely mentioned! Time to rectify this:

The Big Bombers
The purported theme of the show, the "Big Bomber Reunion", was mildly
castrated by the annual absence of "Fifi" -- the CAF's B-29
Superfortress. This year, so the story goes, they had engine
troubles.

The remaining bombers put on an impressive show, however, with the
British Lancaster (one of just two left flying in the world) leading
the way. EAA managed to get three B-17s, a B-24, several B-25s, and
the Lancaster in the air all at once, which made the traditional
"bombing runs" better than usual. And the "Missing Man" formation,
made entirely of big bombers, was worth the price of admission.

Strangely, although it put on a great solo flight demonstration early
in the week, the B-1 Lancer did NOT participate in this "reunion
flight". THAT would have been a cool "Heritage Flight" to see!

The Raptors
In my opinion, the most amazing display at the show was the incredible
performance put on by the two USAF F-22 Raptors. To say they stole the
show might be a bit much, but everyone (and I mean EVERYONE) was gazing
skyward with their mouths hanging wide open as the Raptor pilots
demonstrated one impossible maneuver after another.

Suffice it to say that vectored thrust combined with a better than 1:1
thrust-to-weight ratio, combined with computerized fly-by-wire
controls, makes for an astonishingly maneuverable aircraft. Nothing
else in the inventory comes close.

The Eclipse Jet
When Vern Raburn first announced the VLJ Eclipse Jet at OSH, a few
years ago, I must confess to laughing. I thought "another fool being
parted from his money", and never thought we'd hear from THAT loon
again.

Well, they received partial certification for that danged thing at OSH
'06, with first deliveries scheduled for next month. To say I'm
surprised is an understatement, but I've never been more glad to be
wrong. If their vision of air taxies serving smaller airports comes
true, airports like mine will be revitalized, and we won't be spending
any more time wringing our hands about closing airports.

Light Sport Aircraft
The LSA revolution is just getting underway, and to see Cessna's entry
into this vital new market was truly gratifying. There are an amazing
number of LSAs already on the market, and -- after decades of the same
old "Piper/Cessna/Beech" -- it's really exciting to see them all.

Cessna's New GA Plane
I missed the overflight, but I saw pix of the new Cessna. It looks
like an updated Cardinal, and word on the field was that it is made
from composites and aluminum.

All I can say is: 'Bout time!

XM Weather
Last year, XM weather was the new-fangled kid on the block. This year,
the distinctive black "XM Satellite Radio" flag was hanging at nearly
every booth. The technology is expanding with astonishing speed, and
to see it incorporated into so many pieces of software is really cool.


RV World
Van's RVs continue to build their commanding lead over every other
home-built aircraft, and they were at the show in force. The many
variants, the many modifications, the many personal touches, and the
incredible array of cool paint jobs and interiors made me want to own
one in the worst way. RVs are simply cool -- I sure wish they'd build
one for me.

The North 40
Every year, it seems, the people in the North 40 get friendlier, and
the beer gets colder. This year, in addition to the Wednesday Night
Party, we were pleased to be invited to several other shin-digs (sadly,
none of which we were able to attend), and spent every night after the
air show sitting with interesting people from all over the world whilst
sampling many different brands of excellent barley pop. To say it was
a little bit of heaven would not be an exaggeration.

I don't care what anyone says, the REAL Airventure -- for us, anyway --
happens every year in the North 40.

Bob Hoover/Chuck Yeager/Bud Anderson
Again, perhaps for the last time, it was possible to see and hear these
three living legends together at OSH. Every year Hoover gets more
rickety, Yeager gets more crotchety, and Anderson gets more humble --
but they are all clearly in decline.

If you want to see and hear these true American heroes, I would plan on
attending OSH '07. Their time is short.

Goodwill Bikes
Last year, we revolutionized our OSH experience by buying four bicycles
at the nearby Goodwill store, riding them all week, and then donating
them back to Goodwill in exchange for a tax write-off.

This year, we did the same thing, but so did hundreds of our fellow
campers. Goodwill had obviously planned ahead and sent every
able-axled bike to OSH from all over the Midwest -- including ones that
should have been scrapped -- so our experience this year wasn't quite
as positive.

My first bike had a permanent flat rear tire, the left pedal crank
literally fell off my second bike, and the chain on my son's bike broke
while he was towing me back from the show.

Still, once we got four working bikes, they worked like a charm. We
didn't ride the perimeter bus even once this year -- a new record --
and the time and energy we saved was immense.

Best of all, it's for a good cause.

Seaplane Heaven
After days spent hiking the flight line, we spent an entire day out in
the peace and cool quiet of the seaplane base. My kids are finally
old enough to enjoy just SITTING, and being able to let my mind wander,
and NOT fight crowds, is just fantastic. There was a
hovercraft/ground effect flying thingy giving flight demonstrations
that was very cool, and if I lived on an inland lake, I'd buy one in a
heartbeat.

And watching a giant Grumman Albatross thunder across the water,
struggling to get up on the step, is a sight we just don't see in
land-locked Iowa every day. I get chills thinking about it.

Oshkosh '06 was everything I've come to expect from Airventure, and
more. True, it couldn't possibly match the amazing '05 show, when
SpaceShipOne and Global Explorer attended -- but that didn't diminish
it in the least for me. We spent a full week on the field, and
actually managed to see everything we set out to see, for once. It was
marvelous, and I'd go back tomorrow, if they'd let me.

Oshkosh is a state of mind, for me, not an airshow -- and I'm happiest
when I'm there. After my feet and sunburn recover, I'll know I will
begin anew counting the days to OSH '07!
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Oshkosh is a state of mind, for me, not an airshow -- and I'm happiest
when I'm there. After my feet and sunburn recover, I'll know I will
begin anew counting the days to OSH '07!

Here Here! I've been going (most years) since 1986. There's just something
about the environment that makes you want to live there (although we have to
have jobs, I guess). Great people, great times. And I hear that they have
a neat party in the North 40 on Wednesday nights, but I just like to spend
my time hiking then (maybe I'll find you next year!)

jf

In article . com,
"Jay Honeck" wrote:

and the chain on my son's bike broke
while he was towing me back from the show.

are you SURE you want to admit that? :-)

--
Bob Noel
Looking for a sig the
lawyers will hate

"Jay Honeck" wrote:

mildly castrated

Tee-hee!

"This will only hurt a little..."

Jay Honeck wrote:

Maybe I missed it, but all of the previous posts about OSH '06
(including my own) have been about the problems encountered en route to
and from the Big Show. In all the controversy, the show itself has
been barely mentioned! Time to rectify this:
snip

Thanks, Jay, for the smallest taste of the largest US aviation fly-in.

--
Peter

and the chain on my son's bike broke
while he was towing me back from the show.

are you SURE you want to admit that? :-)

Trust me, that chain had not seen any oil since the Disco days... :-)

(Thankfully, he was riding a girl's bike, or he'd have been singing
soprano after that chain suddenly broke!)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

These are the major reasons that if I do attend OSH, I prefer to drive. The
one and only time I flew in was in my Extra, with a friend along as an extra
pair of eyes. This was on a Saturday before the show started, but the
controllers were all in place. We got sequenced behind a DC-3, which
approaches around 30-40k slower than us, which quickly created a bad
situation. Our choice was to continue the approach nose high, blind, and way
behind the power curve or do some pretty radical side slip to see on short
final, neither of which were particularly good choices.

Finally, after landing we taxied in and shut down, and a somewhat confused
looking volunteer walked up to us, and then as he walked away he went right
through the left wing site gauge, which of course broke. These cost over a
grand to replace, not including the prep and paint work. He just shrugged
his shoulders and walked away without saying a word.

To me, the most interesting part of OSH are the people you get to meet,
hanging out with the performers or the people in the North 40. Airplanes and
technology are OK, but waiting in line to ask one question at the Garmin
booth about some vaporware that they've promised for two years (like WAAS
for the 530 series) gets old after a while. The same goes for seeing the
warbird airshow- sounds good, but how many passes and chandelles do you
really need?

So, for me, it's an opportunity to catch up with old friends and make some
new ones, along with learning something new about the flying experience. I
could care less about the Eclipse jet (can't afford one and Honda's going to
crush them anyway). Also, will never fly in again (too much at the mercy of
my own or someone else's bonehead move), and would never park my plane there
either. (people standing on wheel pants, scratching canopies, etc).

It's all about people sharing the same interests and passions.

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
ups.com...
Maybe I missed it, but all of the previous posts about OSH '06
(including my own) have been about the problems encountered en route to
and from the Big Show. In all the controversy, the show itself has
been barely mentioned! Time to rectify this:

The Big Bombers
The purported theme of the show, the "Big Bomber Reunion", was mildly
castrated by the annual absence of "Fifi" -- the CAF's B-29
Superfortress. This year, so the story goes, they had engine
troubles.

The remaining bombers put on an impressive show, however, with the
British Lancaster (one of just two left flying in the world) leading
the way. EAA managed to get three B-17s, a B-24, several B-25s, and
the Lancaster in the air all at once, which made the traditional
"bombing runs" better than usual. And the "Missing Man" formation,
made entirely of big bombers, was worth the price of admission.

Strangely, although it put on a great solo flight demonstration early
in the week, the B-1 Lancer did NOT participate in this "reunion
flight". THAT would have been a cool "Heritage Flight" to see!

The Raptors
In my opinion, the most amazing display at the show was the incredible
performance put on by the two USAF F-22 Raptors. To say they stole the
show might be a bit much, but everyone (and I mean EVERYONE) was gazing
skyward with their mouths hanging wide open as the Raptor pilots
demonstrated one impossible maneuver after another.

Suffice it to say that vectored thrust combined with a better than 1:1
thrust-to-weight ratio, combined with computerized fly-by-wire
controls, makes for an astonishingly maneuverable aircraft. Nothing
else in the inventory comes close.

The Eclipse Jet
When Vern Raburn first announced the VLJ Eclipse Jet at OSH, a few
years ago, I must confess to laughing. I thought "another fool being
parted from his money", and never thought we'd hear from THAT loon
again.

Well, they received partial certification for that danged thing at OSH
'06, with first deliveries scheduled for next month. To say I'm
surprised is an understatement, but I've never been more glad to be
wrong. If their vision of air taxies serving smaller airports comes
true, airports like mine will be revitalized, and we won't be spending
any more time wringing our hands about closing airports.

Light Sport Aircraft
The LSA revolution is just getting underway, and to see Cessna's entry
into this vital new market was truly gratifying. There are an amazing
number of LSAs already on the market, and -- after decades of the same
old "Piper/Cessna/Beech" -- it's really exciting to see them all.

Cessna's New GA Plane
I missed the overflight, but I saw pix of the new Cessna. It looks
like an updated Cardinal, and word on the field was that it is made
from composites and aluminum.

All I can say is: 'Bout time!

XM Weather
Last year, XM weather was the new-fangled kid on the block. This year,
the distinctive black "XM Satellite Radio" flag was hanging at nearly
every booth. The technology is expanding with astonishing speed, and
to see it incorporated into so many pieces of software is really cool.


RV World
Van's RVs continue to build their commanding lead over every other
home-built aircraft, and they were at the show in force. The many
variants, the many modifications, the many personal touches, and the
incredible array of cool paint jobs and interiors made me want to own
one in the worst way. RVs are simply cool -- I sure wish they'd build
one for me.

The North 40
Every year, it seems, the people in the North 40 get friendlier, and
the beer gets colder. This year, in addition to the Wednesday Night
Party, we were pleased to be invited to several other shin-digs (sadly,
none of which we were able to attend), and spent every night after the
air show sitting with interesting people from all over the world whilst
sampling many different brands of excellent barley pop. To say it was
a little bit of heaven would not be an exaggeration.

I don't care what anyone says, the REAL Airventure -- for us, anyway --
happens every year in the North 40.

Bob Hoover/Chuck Yeager/Bud Anderson
Again, perhaps for the last time, it was possible to see and hear these
three living legends together at OSH. Every year Hoover gets more
rickety, Yeager gets more crotchety, and Anderson gets more humble --
but they are all clearly in decline.

If you want to see and hear these true American heroes, I would plan on
attending OSH '07. Their time is short.

Goodwill Bikes
Last year, we revolutionized our OSH experience by buying four bicycles
at the nearby Goodwill store, riding them all week, and then donating
them back to Goodwill in exchange for a tax write-off.

This year, we did the same thing, but so did hundreds of our fellow
campers. Goodwill had obviously planned ahead and sent every
able-axled bike to OSH from all over the Midwest -- including ones that
should have been scrapped -- so our experience this year wasn't quite
as positive.

My first bike had a permanent flat rear tire, the left pedal crank
literally fell off my second bike, and the chain on my son's bike broke
while he was towing me back from the show.

Still, once we got four working bikes, they worked like a charm. We
didn't ride the perimeter bus even once this year -- a new record --
and the time and energy we saved was immense.

Best of all, it's for a good cause.

Seaplane Heaven
After days spent hiking the flight line, we spent an entire day out in
the peace and cool quiet of the seaplane base. My kids are finally
old enough to enjoy just SITTING, and being able to let my mind wander,
and NOT fight crowds, is just fantastic. There was a
hovercraft/ground effect flying thingy giving flight demonstrations
that was very cool, and if I lived on an inland lake, I'd buy one in a
heartbeat.

And watching a giant Grumman Albatross thunder across the water,
struggling to get up on the step, is a sight we just don't see in
land-locked Iowa every day. I get chills thinking about it.

Oshkosh '06 was everything I've come to expect from Airventure, and
more. True, it couldn't possibly match the amazing '05 show, when
SpaceShipOne and Global Explorer attended -- but that didn't diminish
it in the least for me. We spent a full week on the field, and
actually managed to see everything we set out to see, for once. It was
marvelous, and I'd go back tomorrow, if they'd let me.

Oshkosh is a state of mind, for me, not an airshow -- and I'm happiest
when I'm there. After my feet and sunburn recover, I'll know I will
begin anew counting the days to OSH '07!
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

"Viperdoc" wrote in message
...
snip good stuff
It's all about people sharing the same interests and passions.

Here!Here! It's about people and friends. The BEST airshows that I have
seen at OSH have been viewed while sitting, beer in hand, in the N40 talking
with friends and occasionally looking up when being overflown by a group of
warbirds, an aerobatic act, or even by departing GA aircraft. The common
factor to these great events is people and friends. The airplanes are
simply our excuse.
Jim

Jeff wrote:
Oshkosh is a state of mind, for me, not an airshow -- and I'm happiest
when I'm there. After my feet and sunburn recover, I'll know I will
begin anew counting the days to OSH '07!

Here Here! I've been going (most years) since 1986. There's just something
about the environment that makes you want to live there (although we have to
have jobs, I guess). Great people, great times. And I hear that they have
a neat party in the North 40 on Wednesday nights, but I just like to spend
my time hiking then (maybe I'll find you next year!)

jf

Perhaps next year GPS coordinates will have to be published as soon as
the N40 base of operations has been established. (Strobe lights might
work, too) ;-)


Randy (wish he had been there. Maybe next year.)

I don't know about strobes or coordinates, but I posted this Sunday
afternoon just a few hours after their arrival:

"For those that are going to the Rec.Aviation.*.* party Wednesday night, Jay
and Mary's parking/camping spot is # 558 in the North 40 on the NORTH side
of 9/27 on the departure end of 27 fairly close to Friar Tucks."

I was afraid that many people would be busy packing or already on their way.

Jim



"Randy Aldous" wrote in message
ps.com...

Jeff wrote:
Oshkosh is a state of mind, for me, not an airshow -- and I'm happiest
when I'm there. After my feet and sunburn recover, I'll know I will
begin anew counting the days to OSH '07!

Here Here! I've been going (most years) since 1986. There's just
something
about the environment that makes you want to live there (although we
have to
have jobs, I guess). Great people, great times. And I hear that they
have
a neat party in the North 40 on Wednesday nights, but I just like to
spend
my time hiking then (maybe I'll find you next year!)

jf

Perhaps next year GPS coordinates will have to be published as soon as
the N40 base of operations has been established. (Strobe lights might
work, too) ;-)


Randy (wish he had been there. Maybe next year.)