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Oshkosh 2017 Observations

vernon smith

Well Known Member
I flew SW Airlines into Mid Way Tuesday and made the three-hour drive north to Fond Du Lac, arriving a little before noon. There is a shuttle bus service between the Fond du Lak airport and Oshkosh every hour so I caught it and rode north to Wittman Field, a 30-minute ride right to the entry gate. I don’t know if there is a best way to get to Oshkosh during this time period but I assume none of them that are remotely affordable are good. When you pack a scadillion people into a small space with limited road access the result is never good. The way I did it seemed to work as well as could be expected.

I thoroughly enjoyed the event but my reason for going was more educational than observational. I spent most of my time in exhibitor’s tents and forums with little time spent watching the never ending activities in the skies. I’ve been going to the Reno Air Races for years but Oshkosh is a very different animal. Multiple times more commercial displays and attractions with a much younger crowd. Reno is truly hard core with the emphasis on performance and racing. If you are taking the family go to Oshkosh.

Here are some armature pictures with even more amateurish comments below the pictures;

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The main military attraction was the B1B heavy bomber, very impressive up close.

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Here is the bomb bay in the B1 which is huge with two bays, the legendary rotary bomb dispenser has been removed.

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The greatest generation had Betty Grable and Lauren Bacall on the noses of their airplanes, here is what todays PC air force sports :^ )

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The airplane the Air Force has been trying to mothball for the last fifteen years and Congress wants to keep in service until 2100.

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The Wart Hog’s six thousand rounds per minute Gatling gun. I wonder if the LED landing lights were on the “A” model?

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Blue Horizon was a last minute show to one up Space X in their ongoing knife fight for space PR and media attention. Elon Musk is probably planning on returning one of his first stage rockets to show center at Reno in September. I have not figured out how to insert a picture into this web site higher than wide without it displaying sideways, but I’m still working on it.

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All the Blue Horizon reps on site wore identifying shirts so I asked one what temperatures they were seeing on the bottom side of the returned booster. The reply was “the engineers never talk about things like this”. OK, fifty thousand folks per day are supposed to ogle at it but the temperatures that discolored the bottom are classifies?

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The Europeans (England soon to depart) sent their new heavy transport, the only foreign governmental display I saw. It’s a great looking airplane with impressive counter rotating six blade propellers. Like most new military aircraft it’s had a troubled development cycle but is now operational.

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I have no idea what this is but it’s certainly an experimental and must be one of the neatest looking planes at Oshkosh. There were many there that looked just like it and must all cruise at 350 kts plus.

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I thought this was an interesting way to display the interior structure of a biz jet as well as the capabilities of the vinyl wrap sign shop technology.
 
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More observations

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As previously stated Oshkosh is very commercialized, to the point that several of the ?platinum? sponsors have little to do with aviation. However, they bring great displays and pizzas like the Ford emergency rough terrain fire truck. I thought this was unfortunate to a degree, when these guys show up with their huge displays and army of earnest young employees, the rest of the displayers get over whelmed. In the long run, I do not think this will serve the interests of the EAA well.

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The rest of the pictorial is devoted to the US Governmental displays and participation which I found interesting and instructive. While the thrust of it was certainly self-promotional it was also very well done and professional. I talked to many of the representatives from the various displayers and all were enthusiastic and pleasant. As expected, this building did not draw huge crowds so it was not difficult finding someone to talk to. Above is the NOAA booth (aviation weather) They had live wide screen displays of up to date weather for the entire country in their booth and were more than glad to give you a weather education.

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NOAA has equipped several of the national carrier?s airplanes with special weather analyzers that transmit real time weather data to stations around the world which provide up to the minute weather data to NOAA. This gives them the capability to monitor real time weather seconds after an airliner flies through it.

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The National Traffic Safety Bureau had a rather macabre display. While their mission is certainly critical and helps develop improvements in aviation safety their picture wall of serious and fatal crash sites was not inviting to study and discuss with the representatives. It was more like a Halloween house of horrors.

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The Border Patrol guys were there in full force, probably had fifty percent of the building which was about fifteen thousand sq feet. They also had the neatest stuff to show off. Boats with three, three hundred HP outboards pushing the inflatable hull to 60 mph, helicopters, and lots of guns . As you can see there is a large recruitment effort to all this.

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Their top of the line heli was a European machine which surprised me. With all the cooperation between the Feds and the American defense industry I found this an anomaly.

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Here is the boat they use to run down near shore smugglers. I know first hand the trouble the pot smugglers gave the feds in the nineties with their Cigarette go fast boats in the Florida coastal waters. This looks like their answer.
 
Thanks for posting. You found many things that I did not on my visit; one day simply isn't enough!
 
What, no NASA displays? NASA used to have a dedicated building with several volunteers available. Were they not there this year?
 
NASA was there. It was my 12-year old daughter's favorite building. She wants to be an astronaut, and I'm sure she'll do it!
 
Blue Horizon was a last minute show to one up Space X in their ongoing knife fight for space PR and media attention. Elon Musk is probably planning on returning one of his first stage rockets to show center at Reno in September.

As I told more than a few folks, the event I want to see at Oshkosh is a rocket falling from the stratosphere, lighting off, slowing, and landing just on the other side of 18/36....just like the science fiction of my childhood.
 
As I told more than a few folks, the event I want to see at Oshkosh is a rocket falling from the stratosphere, lighting off, slowing, and landing just on the other side of 18/36....just like the science fiction of my childhood.
Wish there was a like button. I'd select it for this.
 
I still get tired of getting run over by golf carts and gators, even in the areas where they are supposed to be restricted during show hours. Worst part of the show.
 
Some general observations:
Pluses:
Seeing my old friends and meeting new ones (++++)
New HBC Pavilion (+++)
RV Social (thanks to DanH and the Sponsors for another successful bash!)
Veteran's Breakfast (best breakfast I had at OSH)
Van's RV banquet (I've attended more rubber chicken dinners over the years than I can count but the food was very good).
Food at Thunder Bay (Celebration Way) (a pleasant surprise)
Jeppesson giveaways (we got hats, a microfiber polishing mitt, and a solar powered battery pack)
Lemonade that my Alma Mater flew up and served in nice University logo'd cups
Prime Rib sandwich at Friar Tucks (++++)

Minuses:
Food at Tail Winds Café (Formerly Aces) (quality really took a hit this year IMO)
WiFi in HBC (mediocre at best for us--better everywhere else)
Non-aviation vendors (just annoying)

Overall the weather was very nice. We survived the T-storms Saturday night and the downpour on Wednesday night in good shape -- our new tent (a Cinch 4-man pop-up) was bone dry after both events.

Walking in the Veteran's Parade was way cool. The Blue Angels was somewhat anti-climatic. I'd seen the Thunderbirds dozens of times so was excited to finally see the Angels but I guess I was expecting something really out of this world - it was good but not knock my socks off good.
 
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Minuses:
Food at Tail Winds Caf? (Formerly Aces) (quality really took a hit this year IMO)
WiFi in HBC (mediocre at best for us--better everywhere else)
Non-aviation vendors (just annoying)

Although after all that walking, I did appreciate the fancy massage chairs and fancy rocking chairs. If you did not try them, you missed out! Just wish I could afford a PC-12 which could carry one home for me. :)
 
Another Air Venture in the books

Some of my favorite moments: lunch with Apollo 13 astronauts, the new pavilion dedication on Friday, seeing all the old friends and making new ones.
A special gift from Paul Dye. (I'll post a picture later)
Jerry, Jim Lovell, Paul Dye
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Jerry & Fred Haze
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Pavilion in full swing
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Some of my favorite moments: lunch with Apollo 13 astronauts, the new pavilion dedication on Friday, seeing all the old friends and making new ones.
A special gift from Paul Dye. (I'll post a picture later)
Jerry, Jim Lovell, Paul Dye
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Jerry & Fred Haze
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Pavilion in full swing
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Jerry,
Nice walking with you on the Veteran march.
Glad they walked us on the show line.
My 2 Navy buddies really enjoyed it and we're very moved
By the whole march.

Boomer
 
Loved- Old and New Friends! New HBC pavilion! Friendly and Helpful Volunteers! Cool Weather! Air Show every afternoon! RV Social! Sunday Evening Beer Tasting! Lycoming Engine Disassemble and Assembly Class! Our bigger better tent didn't leak!

Disliked- First night mosquitos ate us up! Couldn't stay longer!
 
Although after all that walking, I did appreciate the fancy massage chairs and fancy rocking chairs. If you did not try them, you missed out! Just wish I could afford a PC-12 which could carry one home for me. :)

That's what we had Advil and beer for! ;)

We did find the EAA Member Oasis by accident -- that was a nice place to stop and cool off.
 
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As Promised

This Medallion was given to me by Paul Dye as a token of his appreciation. I thank you Paul for being a good friend.

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My first trip to Airventure...

I don't have any previous Osh experiences to compare it to but I had a blast. I flew up in formation with a friend in another RV. Survived the swarm of bees. Landed on the green dot. (Did not like being taxied the length of RW27 in rough, Soggie grass). Had great neighbors camping next to me. Met so many interesting people. I work in the entertainment business and we do large scale public events. At the end of any of our shows, it looks like a bomb went of inside the venue and for many blocks around the venue. Pisses me off. I can never get my head around how someone can just throw their trash on the ground. Oshkosh is 180 degrees out of phase from that and I love it. Just a
higher class of people and a breath of fresh air. Makes me want to be better, smarter, kinder. Thanks to everyone who helped make this amazing event a reality. I hope I am able to come back many more times...

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Hey Jeff

Really a pleasure to meet you and hangar fly about everything from planes to bluegrass. Blue skies my friend.
 
Great meeting you Jerry!

Really a pleasure to meet you and hangar fly about everything from planes to bluegrass. Blue skies my friend.

Feel free to pop in here on your way through middle TN. I love talking airplanes and music... Tailwinds and Blue Skies to you!
 
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1. The new pavilion in HBC was much liked and appreciated. A few more charging stations would be most welcome.
2. The rerouted red tram is a good idea. The bus stop on the NW corner is a good idea. Adding another stop on the SW corner by gate 34 would make it that much better.
3. The Homebuilder's Dinner on Thursday is the best food deal all week.
4. The guy that owns SOS Bros is a financial genius.
 
OSH '17 was great for me. My family finally came with me. While it changed my OSH experience (i.e. no time for forums, workshops or window shopping), it was highly enjoyable for all of us, including my wife.

Regarding the self-landing rocket booster on display. I was in the middle of taking a picture of my 3 and 5 yr old touching the base of a steel leg of the beast (i.e. something that had been to space and back), when we were told "No Touching!" There were no signs, and what they were touching was, by no means, fragile, so I asked, "Why? Hasn't this thing been to space and back 5 times? What harm could they possibly do to it? No answer, other than, "sorry, no touching."

Oh well. I guess the rule I always tell them about airplanes (look but DON'T TOUCH anything) also applies to rocket boosters. ;)
 
"sorry, no touching."

This is all my opinion and will surly be irritating to those who thrive in the silicon valley environment but these guys are playing both sides to the middle. For them it's a necessary game that inevitably leads to situations like this. They were at Oshkosh to promote the sale of Amazon stock, period. Their current stock holders are all in agreement with this strategy.

Their reps on site (while I was there) made no effort to engage in conversation (sales) so the only reason left is security. Sorry to say, but the effort was aimed at Wall Street and the press, not the attendees. If I were an Amazon stock holder I would consider it the right approach.
 
Many thanks...

A very special thanks to Jim & Deborah Lane who stayed over until Monday to help close up shop and to all the volunteers and especially those who came up early to lend a hand in Homebuilt Camping, it is very much appreciated. and
a special thanks for the person who left the 3 bottles of Black Butte Porter under the Pavilion.
 
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