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Oshkosh Anecdotes

Anyway, it rained just a little, but we had to conduct an emergency evacuation of the HBC building during the storm because one of the guys (nameless to protect the guilty) cracked a fart that was a far more menacing problem than the raging storm.

Now we know why the certified guys don't like us. :rolleyes:
 
One thing my wife forgot to buy on the way home (she drove and I flew) was a bunch of sweet corn. The corn they grow here in the South tastes like cardboard.
 
Thanks to the Osh volunteer line crew!

After a great week at Osh, I loaded up the plane, pulled it out into the grass taxi lane, and the line guy on the moped ok'd me to start the engine. As I ran the boost pump, I thought "uh-oh" not much juice. Ever hopeful, I knew I only needed the starter to give me a half-blade to fire up. Nothing. Not even a click from the starter. My 9am departure evaporated into thin air.

The line guy summoned the "Battery Guy". Battery Guy and I strung a charger and an inverter, basically connecting my battery to a minivan battery in a manner that would make Mr. Volta either proud or afraid, not sure which. After 15 minutes or so on the charger, we gave it another go. Nothing. Not even a stir from the starter. We flipped the charger to starting mode and got a slight stir from the starter, but no joy.

Mr. Battery Guy was fantastic, but now realizing that I needed to replace my battery, my situation was handed over to "Cart Couple". Cart Couple have a fantastic story. They met each other at Oshkosh as volunteers many years ago, and at some point there was a proposal and a wedding. Today they continue their tradition of volunteering at Osh every year, coming all the way from Florida to do so. Cart Couple helped me with the treasure hunt. Can I find a battery at Osh? Aircraft Spruce - all sold out. Umpteen other places never heard of a PC680. As I was hunting for Concorde, hoping they'd have a similar size replacement, I checked at Wicks. Score! They had my battery in stock, and the price was as good as anywhere. Thank you Wicks.

I asked Cart Couple to swing me by ACS again so I could buy some wrenches to remove the dead battery. (Note to self: stock more tools in the plane!) Instead they swung me by a secret volunteer lair where we found donuts, water, and a socket set! That might sound *kinda* good as you read it, but for a guy who'd been out in the hot sun trying to get an airplane to come to life, well, water and donuts were nectar and ambrosia. It was a much needed recharge for me, if not my battery.

Field changing the battery was interesting. Swapping a battery is an easy thing, but with sweaty hands, hot sun, and no step stools, it's harder than you'd think to remove a battery from the tray. The last time I did that was in the cozy comfort of my basement. The 'trick' for me was to install the terminal bolts just a few threads in. This made for something to grab, and with a few grunts the dead battery was out and the new one quickly in.

By now, my plane, which had been sitting dead in the grass taxi lane for 3+ hours, had attracted the attention of much of the nearby line crew, so I had a nice size audience as I got in for another go. "Clear Prop!" With a couple turns of the blade, we were back in business. My 9am departure had turned into an afternoon departure, but thanks to the fleetness of the RV, there was still plenty of daylight left to get back home.

Cart Couple vehemently refused to accept my tip, even with me trying to sneak it into their backpack. I hope I can find them next year.

Thanks Cart Couple, wherever you are!

Postscript: Why did my battery die? Well, other than the obvious fact that it wanted to die at Oshkosh, it was 5 yrs. old. I'd say it was a hard five years, having gone through many charging cycles as I built the plane, debugged a panel, and then put it in 'normal' service for 3+ years. I may now opt to change it at every other annual or every 3rd annual.
 
Fellow aviators at the show....

I wonder how many barn swallows had a nervous break down during the event?

They seem to like some of the forum buildings for their family obligations and appeared quite agitated at all the commotion. Fortunately they were kind enough not to empty their lavs on anyone, at least I did not observe any such activity. :)
 
OK, who the heck did Wisconsin hire to design the new road exits from Highway 41 in Oshkosh and the Appleton area? Did they go back in time and find a European designer from the 17th century?! And what in heaven?s name possessed them to think that traffic circles were a good idea?! I have come far closer to death this past week driving around town and mixing it up with folks who don?t understand them than I have in recent memory in ANY experimental aviation activities?.
Seriously. Both my wife and I grew up in NJ which used to be the traffic circle capital. They were everywhere. And little by little, one by one, almost all of them have been removed or altered over the last 30 years or so because NJ traffic planners came to realize that they just don't work. I guess it was stupid of me to assume this was common knowledge. So you can feel my pain when I tell you that more than few native NJ slang words were heard in the car as I narrowly dodged getting t-boned several times while trying to make it back to the hotel in one piece.


On a more positive note, this was my second Oshkosh and my wife's first. She had a blast. And it looks as though I'm finally going to become a builder in the foreseeable future. When your wife looks at you and tells you that we can fit a build into our budget and that more importantly she WANTS you build, well, you kind of sort of have to listen. ;)

Not sure what its going to be yet, but I'm leaning toward a 9. I want a go places plane more than a go upside down plane so it kind of fits. And while faster is always fun, the numbers I've read from owners (+140kts/6-7gph) seem like a really good compromise that will fit our mission well.

Not sure yet when we'll pull the trigger. We've got some debt that I'd like to shed before we make the leap. And I've got a few projects that I'd like to tackle before taking on something that will take over my shop space for such a long time. But its no longer if, now its when and that's a really big deal for me.
 
...The Van's rep stating that he had NEVER heard of a -10 that had dual Com radios and that he doesn't understand why anyone would ever want more than one...:eek:
 
A special Oshkosh

As usual, Oshkosh was a time to reunite with old friends and make some new ones. Finally got to meet a few on here who lurk but don't post much.

Many things made this trip memorable, but the highlight of the week was really about our son. After a couple of tours with the USMC in lovely Afghanistan, it was nice to see him again. We had last enjoyed his company at Christmas '09.

I thought back to his first Oshkosh trip with me when he was about 8 years old. His only question was, "Will Chuck be there?" It took a minute to register, but it finally dawned on me that "Chuck" was none other than Chuck Yeager.

I assured him that Chuck would likely be there and that we might actually see him.

The first morning, after consuming the Breakfast of Champions (little white doughnuts, naturally), he wanted to race straight to the Mustangs. There were about 8-10 Mustangs already parked, and the convention wasn't scheduled to start for a couple more days. The dew was still on the grass and we were the only visitors to the area that early in the morning, or so I thought.

As we wandered around the venerable old Mustangs, Joe in awe over their size and beauty, I spied one other admirer a few planes away. An older man was gently touching the prop of a P-51. As we walked closer, I realized that it was Chuck Yeager.

Long story short, he got to shake Yeager's hand and was a happy camper all week.

Fast forward to Oshkosh '11. Joe still has a fascination for Mustangs. While I would give my poor feet a break by sitting by Smokey for awhile, he would wander over to the warbird area and lust after the big, fast planes that drink a lot of gas.

Shortening another long tale, as often happens at Oshkosh, someone talks to someone who knows someone and the next thing I know, Joe is in the back seat of a P-51, headed for a short hop down to Fond du Lac!

Gunfighter_01s.jpg


The pilot gave Joe a great ride that he will never forget. Kinda neat to see it come full circle over the years.

I agree that the direction that Oshkosh has taken over the last decade or more is not what I would have chosen, and I can now envision not going to Oshkosh every year or, at the very least, not putting my plane on display. That said, having the opportunity to see some of my very best friends from all over the country is ... priceless.
 
Don (Hall),

I made a battery handle from a piece of 10" nylon webbing and two big grommets. Put the terminal bolts through the grommets and you can lift the battery out of the tray (relatively) easily. I carry it with me when traveling, just in case.

greg
 
...
The Bonanza driver had been coming to OSH for years and had no idea you could build planes. Apparently he always flew in with the Bonanza gang, hung with them all week, and then left. ...

I wonder what he thought the 'E' stood for in 'EAA'. :confused:
 
I wonder what he thought the 'E' stood for in 'EAA'. :confused:

Expensive?

Had a great time. Chatted with Mike Melvill and Sally for probably half an hour. Loved Sally's tale of offering a "space" M&M to one of the firefighters covering the SpaceshipOne flight. He said "thanks" and promptly popped it in his mouth. Ummmm...oops. (they later auctioned them for thousands of dollars each).
 
You gotta love this --- We departed on Wed morning with a frantic breakdown between storms, and a "Get in the cockpit" flurry as another storm hit. The preflight and everything with the plane was great (good ole checklist). Leaving in a rain storm was a little odd as we two in the fllight were the only planes out there. The volunteers and FAA folks were great and we departed on 18. We did pass a little shower or two, but were in the open soon, and a little later with 30 knot headwinds, were approaching the Chicago area, when I realized I was barefoot! Sue had em in the back, and with autopilot on, I manged to get my shoes on! Good Grief!
 
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Wednesday departures were sketchy, to say the least. We hoped to go at least 3 times and chickened out before we finally found an acceptable hole about noon. Every departure before that was scrutinized intently to see how far downrange they could get and still be visable. As it turned out, it looked much worse from the ground.
 
According to twitter on Wed morning....

looks like it's multiple VFR airplanes, not IFR rated, caught by decreasing wx at #KOSH. #OSH11 declaring emergencies to get back. @liveatc

----------
For those who don't speak twitter (and I barely do): There were people listening on liveatc.com and heard multiple emergencies being declared. VMC -> IMC

Phil



Wednesday departures were sketchy, to say the least. We hoped to go at least 3 times and chickened out before we finally found an acceptable hole about noon. Every departure before that was scrutinized intently to see how far downrange they could get and still be visable. As it turned out, it looked much worse from the ground.
 
"If the tent is a rockin', the wind is blowing like heck."

........ along those lines.

Has anyone else noticed that we seem to have a herd of RVers that have kids born in late April? We do and I didn't notice it until I started talking to other RVers this year. It seems like all of our QB kids were born within a week of each other. Do the math.
 
Highs & Lows

Highs:

1. Without a doubt meeting this young Recon Marine and giving him a tour of the DHC-8 was the highlight of the week.

http://soldiersangelsgermany.blogspot.com/2011/02/wounded-marine-i-wasnt-going-to-let-my.html

2. Talking with RV owners.

3. Meeting a ton of good people who said "thank you" and supported what we do with the DHC-8.

4. FiFi!

5. Talking airplanes with Harrison Ford.

Lows:

1. Wearing nomex in the sun.

2. Not getting to walk around and being tied to my display.

3. Rude non-pilots who visited on the weekend (I'm talking to YOU guy-who-stuck-gum-in-my-plane.)

4. Wearing nomex in the sun.

5. Not getting over to the RV display.

I've been wanting to visit Oshkosh for a long time. I can't wait to come back on my own time and just hang out and explore.
 
According to twitter on Wed morning....
For those who don't speak twitter (and I barely do): There were people listening on liveatc.com and heard multiple emergencies being declared. VMC -> IMC

Phil

I can imagine! I watched a VFR TriPacer 150 plunge headlong (with all the fury an airplane like that can manage) into the side of a black cell throwing rain and lightning at us. ...That was one of the launch "windows" we chickened out of... As he disapeared into the murk mere seconds after clearing the airport boundary we wondered if he regretted his decision.
 
One of my highlights was my first time volunteering - several shifts as a Welcome Wagon driver. It was great, and we helped out a lot of tired people.

It was also my first year flying the RV in and out of OSH.

Can't wait to do it again.
 
They are going to try and turn the EAA into another AOPA.

Which is pretty much why I dropped AOPA membership. Also, some of the editorial editions to Sport Aviation in recent years kind of suggested that's the direction they wanted to move.

That's fine. Their choice. It struck me this year how much, other than seeing friends, I *didn't* miss Oshkosh. As for seeing friends, I'm thinking a flying RV can take care of that little problem. :p

Oh, and the cow poster. I really wanted another cow poster.
 
Seriously. Both my wife and I grew up in NJ which used to be the traffic circle capital. They were everywhere. And little by little, one by one, almost all of them have been removed or altered over the last 30 years or so because NJ traffic planners came to realize that they just don't work. I guess it was stupid of me to assume this was common knowledge. So you can feel my pain when I tell you that more than few native NJ slang words were heard in the car as I narrowly dodged getting t-boned several times while trying to make it back to the hotel in one piece.


That brings back memories!!! Picked up my learners permit in Berlin NJ, Rt 73/70 I think, on the way home I get my first chance to drive! Approaching is the 4 mile circle, I'm doing 60-65 mph...Only thing I can remember is hearing my Dad yell hit the brakes hit the brakes slow down!!! I can tell you for a fact that a 1976 Ford LTD can indeed power slide through a NJ circle and make the first exit WITHOUT slowing down!!:cool:
 
...Which is pretty much why I dropped AOPA membership. Also, some of the editorial editions to Sport Aviation in recent years kind of...

Funny - that's why I dropped EAA! I may not get a lot from the content of their magazine, but I can respect the fact that at least AOPA is being true to thier mission statement.
 
Which is pretty much why I dropped AOPA membership. Also, some of the editorial editions to Sport Aviation in recent years kind of suggested that's the direction they wanted to move.

That's fine. Their choice. It struck me this year how much, other than seeing friends, I *didn't* miss Oshkosh. As for seeing friends, I'm thinking a flying RV can take care of that little problem. :p
That's why I almost dropped my EAA membership and will think long and hard about it again next year.

Oh, and the cow poster. I really wanted another cow poster.
Nora so wanted me to get another one for our son's room but I never saw them. Oh well, he will have to be happy with the hat Sean Tucker signed for him. :rolleyes:
 
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walking to the HBC shower trailer Sunday night and seeing something trundling down the furrow between the rows of airplanes. Hmmm, what is that? Got within about 15 feet and realized it was a skunk! And it was lifting it's tail.... Oh, I would have been very popular in the tent...
 
walking to the HBC shower trailer Sunday night and seeing something trundling down the furrow between the rows of airplanes. Hmmm, what is that? Got within about 15 feet and realized it was a skunk! And it was lifting it's tail.... Oh, I would have been very popular in the tent...

...Must have made it a long way, because I smelled that thing all the way down in VAC one night...
 
Beautiful RV-12 paint job!

Any body know the story about this beautifully painted RV-12?

IMG_1083.JPG


I'm guessing its owner never has to say, "No, it's not my husband's airplane." :)
 
VAF takes on the original Wright Flier

After three years as a CFI on the Wright Flier simulator at the Federal Pavillon, I can confirm that VAFers generally do better than the average person walking through. The best I've ever seen is Mike Seager. No kidding, he was amazing! But, others of our colleagues have tackled the challenging simulator with mixed success. Here's a few photos:

IMG_1100.JPG

Don McNamara

IMG_1103.JPG

Don's son (John?)

IMG_1107.JPG

My favorite pilot, Iron

IMG_1113.JPG

And, our leader.....Krash Reeves

Doug wanted me to mention that he flew the simulator with skill and quite a bit longer than Danny King. :eek:
 
Hi Louise

Hi Louise
Yes, John Slemp, a skillful aviation photographer took some dramatic pictures of the plane & owner.
He is in my chapter 690 & I will include his email address so you can find out more, & it was great meeting you and Paul. John's email is: [email protected]
Blue Skies
Jerry
 
Any body know the story about this beautifully painted RV-12?

IMG_1083.JPG


I'm guessing its owner never has to say, "No, it's not my husband's airplane." :)

Just ask Doug who painted his scooter. That will be the guy who painted this airplane.
 
After three years as a CFI on the Wright Flier simulator at the Federal Pavillon, I can confirm that VAFers generally do better than the average person walking through...
Thank goodness you didn't take a picture of me flying between all those houses before finally crashing into what I can only guess was a school house full of kids.
 
More Highlights

Second time at Oshkosh. First time staying at Camp Scholler.

Highlights for me:

Listening to Burt Rutan talk about his retirement and the Bi-Pod.

Seeing Chuck Yeager climbing into a Mustang of the Ford persuasion.

Seeing a sea of RVs and looking forward to the day I can fly my own in.

Introducing Jeff my long time friend and Oshkosh travel mate to the art of homebuilding for the first time. He was floored. Son of a Voodoo driver and budding pilot. Perhaps we can bring him over to the darkside... err... bestside of aviation.

Getting our own private "airshow" at Camp Scholler during Friday's windstorm as tents, canopies, and small dogs took flight.

Watching the EAA helicopters keep flying their circles DURING the wind storm.

Getting the finger from a local at the aforementioned traffic circle north of Exit 116.
 
Any body know the story about this beautifully painted RV-12?
I'm guessing its owner never has to say, "No, it's not my husband's airplane." :)

I'm glad you posted that pic. I heard about this plane while I was at AirVenture, but I never did see it.
 
Canard Driver?s definition of ?RV?

Overheard at OSH:

Canard Driver: Do you know what RV stands for?
RV Pilot: No
Canard Driver: Ramp Vermin
 
The Good, the Better and the Interesting

As always Oshkosh is where I get my life's batteries recharged. For me, airplanes are secondary to the people. Here are some reflections from 2011.

1) Arrived Saturday. Got to Ripon with my head on a swivel completely prepared. Not an airplane in sight. Confirmed my location, still no planes. "Red and white RV, rock your wings. Proceed to Fiske on the railroad tracks." Finally I see a couple Cessna's far ahead. At Fiske, "RV continue for a right base for Runway 9." Landed and was guided in by Jeff Point and crew. No real challenge.

2) Great to see so many friends we only get to see once a year. Rhonda still hasn't bought me a beer:mad:

3) Met people from China, Israel, South Africa, Argentina, Japan, Ireland, England and other countries while hanging around my plane.

4) Finally met one of my VAF heros, Dan Horton. His knowledge is amazing but I keep in the back of my head that he is a used car salesman.:cool: Thanks Dan for all you do for the RV Community.

5) I'm betting that RV12 builders spend more time in the porta johns than others to check out the pop rivet quality of the construction.

6) Having Rick Gray as a Judge for the RV's and Rockets is akin to have Dracula watching over the blood bank. Just not right.:(

7) Ratch and Deb's bar and restaurant is one of the best kept secrets in Oshkosh. Jeff's home base for food and beer.

8) SOS brothers talent is getting better each year. Then the thought occurs to me that those girls are somebody's daughter. But I come to my senses and remember that they are not MY daughter so it's okay;)

9) Storms arrive ten minutes quicker than you can get to your plane to get the canopy cover on.

10) The Tram system was woefully poor this year. Especially the Red Tram. Some money needs to be spent to pave the turnaround areas. They get flooded every year to a quagmire.

11) Listening to Bob Hoover speak.

12) Saw a deer romping through the camp grounds probably scared sh*tless.

13) Saw the Roush racing trailer get blown over in the big wind. Luckily nobody hurt.

14) Spent lots. Bought the Approach Systems wiring hub for the new 7. Bought another years supply of glass cleaner:eek: Maybe a food processor next year.

15) Bob Collins failed to show for his annual obligation to buy dinner for a group of us. Gotta buy twice next year Bob!!

16) Saw buddy Glenn use a bottle of Scotch that was a gift to pay Jeff Point on their annual bet. Regifting a bottle of Scotch, that is low:D Glenn won a portable Comm radio in a drawing. Enjoy your Christmas present Michael.

17) Motivated to get the new 7 done for next year and the turbine powered helicopter as well.

18) The Lt. Dan band was great. The lead singer girl was excellent and very HOT!!! I'm getting a closer seat next year.

19) Aaron Tippin was great too.

20) Thanks to everyone for supporting JDair. Met lots of great people picking up their orders. Again, people first, airplanes second.

This was a fun year. Can't wait for next year. To quote Rosie, "Keep pounded those rivets."
 
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I had another special moment at Oshkosh this year worth relating ...

My paint scheme mimics VF-84, the former Jolly Rogers F-14 squadron. On the right canopy skirt are the names CDR Tom Blackburn and LCDR Roger Hedrick, the CO and XO of the original Jolly Rogers squadron of WWII, VF-17. They had a larger kill tally than the famed Black Sheep squadron of Pappy Boyington.

Back in '94, EAA invited the remaining pilots of VF-17 to Oshkosh to commemorate their service and I had the privilege of meeting them and having them autograph my old Yankee and my copy of the book written by Tom Blackburn. It was a special Oshkosh for me.

This year, a man about my age came up to me while I was cleaning the morning dew off of Smokey and introduced himself. His last name immediately rang a bell, as it was the same as one of the VF-17 pilots whom I had met back in '95. Sure enough, this gentleman was the nephew of that pilot!

He hung around for some time and told me stories that he'd heard about his uncle's adventures with VF-17. I often wondered if anyone remembering VF-17 would drop by, and especially any extended family members.

I would imagine that all of the VF-17 pilots have gone west by now, so it was nice to have a family member appreciate the recognition of the Jolly Rogers paint scheme.
 
16) Saw buddy Glenn use a bottle of Scotch that was a gift to pay Jeff Point on their annual bet. Regifting a bottle of Scotch, that is low:D Glenn won a portable Comm radio in a drawing. Enjoy your Christmas present Michael.
I wasn't going to bring that up, but since you did... that night was the hardest that I laughed all week, good stuff. I started planning my revenge right then and there, until I came to my senses and realized that the Cubs were never going to win a game again, so I wouldn't have to worry.
 
Had a similar moment like Don's

My Dad was a Marine mech and aircrewman in VMB 413 stationed on Emirau flying B-25's raids against the Japanese stronghold at Rabual. He came home with two Air Medals and a tatoo on his arm as a reminder of those days.

On Monday I was hanging around the the Warbird line when the Devil Dog B-25 taxied in. Naturally went over to take a look. Imagine my reaction when I saw the Devil Dog nose art that exactly matched my Dad's tatoo!

Met all the caretakers of the Devil Dog (including Mark Fredricks of Rocket fame). Bought a bunch of t-shirts for my family and will present them on my Mom's 86th birth day in a few weeks, along with a history of Dad's service and lots of pix of that beautiful airplane, including one of me in the cockpit.

This kind of stuff can only happen at the worlds biggest family picnic, with the worlds coolest toys - Osh Gosh!

PS- loved meeting Don and his son John, US Marine extordinaire! Thanks Don.
 
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oh yea

Thanks again Jeff Point for helping us put together the RV Navy commemorative parking. We had me, Don, Jim Gray, Andy Gault and a few others. Big fun. Thanks guys.
 
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You thought you were in Oshkosh..

....but maybe not.

I was looking for something else and ran across this bit of trivia.....the Oshkosh city limits are a crazy quilt on and around Whitman Field. The upper section of this photo (including the North 40 and the EAA Museum) is inside the city limits, while the lower part (including Celebration Way, Aeroshell Square, and the four indoor display buildings) is Winnebago County:

So, if you slept in HBC you were not really in Oshkosh.

Send me $20 and I will not tell your wife ;)

ndn5ar.jpg
 
effects of Osh

So all the big cats leave Osh all sych'd, go home and sell thier stock to buy that new toy. Thank you Mr Banker.:D
 
Tony's Tail

Ben and I purchased Tony Spicer's RV-3B from the insurance company following its demise in the Sun n Fun tornado. We're currently in the process of rebuilding it. Tony wanted to keep his crumpled vertical stabilizer, so I packed it with our gear on the way to OSH so I could give it to him in person. On Tuesday he told me he'd be at the Sonex booth, which happened to be right next to the Van's booth, where the RV-3 builder's meeting was to occur at noon. So, I figured why not walk it down to the Sonex booth on my way to the meeting-- a little conversation piece. (Probably a pretty good opportunity for a photo caption contest-- some chick walking through the crowd with what could only be the last remains of her homebuilt! :eek:)

Well, I got to the meeting where a dozen or so RV-3 builders stood in a circle. They saw me approach and sort of parted the circle with a gasp in recognition of the turquoise-colored artifact in my hands. I set it on the ground in front of me because I was tired of carrying it, and proceeded to tell the story.

A little while later, the group broke off to head for the beautiful RV-3B "Hack Job", and I scampered over to the Sonex booth with my artifact in hand. I found a woman in the booth and told her I had something for Tony, and she got all big-eyed and led me over to him. Tony and I chatted for a little while, and then the woman said, "You know, I saw that over there on the ground with a bunch of people standing around it-- and my first thought was they were having a prayer meeting!!" ;)
 
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