Oshkosh Wrapup!

[LeadingEdge]

Article written by: Mike Bargman

As most of you know, the EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association) holds an annual event in Oshkosh, WI at Wittman Regional Airport every year at the end of July leading into August. AirVenture 2006 was fantastic this year from what I could see. This show can draw up to 25,000 aircraft and over 800,000 people during the course of one week. Aircraft attending the show range from powered parachutes, to the F-22 Raptor. I made my 3.5 hour Trek to Oshkosh on Sunday morning, bright and early. Oshkosh is a smaller city that sits on the southwest end of Lake Winnebago, WI.

How does one know that one is getting near Oshkosh? A sight that many don’t see is the swarms of aircraft in the air at one time during the show. Did you know that on each runway, are giant colored dots painted in different colors? When there are multiple aircraft inbound to a runway, the controllers instruct each aircraft to land on a certain “dot” on the runways. Interesting huh? Also, pilots do not talk to the controllers while inbound and outbound. The pilots are instructed by controllers by using the type and color of aircraft to give instructions. For instance, I flew into Oshkosh in a grey and white Cessna 172. When I reached the first checkpoint, I heard “Grey and White Cessna, rock your wings please…”. After I rocked my wings, the controller followed with “Okay…follow the yellow RV-4 ahead. He’s at your 2 o’clock, one mile. Rock your wings to acknowledge”. Wings rocked…that’s the kind of chaos that ensues at Oshkosh, yet there are little if any accidents or close calls. It’s very well orchestrated. The volunteers are excellent and courteous. Parking attendants, security, aircraft controllers, ground crew and support crews are all mostly volunteers. It’s incredible. When arriving, you’re greeted by the sounds of overflying helicopters giving rides to curious children, the Ford Tri-Motor taking off and landing giving tours of the airport site all day long. Not to mention the occasional scream of an F-16 or antique F-86 or Mig fighter jets. The supersonic snap of a well tuned Pratt and Whitney radial on a North American T-6 on take off or a Stearman giving a Young Eagle the rare experience of open-cockpit flying.

The EAA has a program called “Young Eagles”. Young Eagles are given the chance to experience flight for free, by any EAA member willing to donate his aircraft time and fuel to share aviation with a child under the age of 17. To date, since 1992, the EAA has flown over 1.2 million Young Eagles, myself being # 532,872 on the list. I took my ride when I was 16 years old, way back in 1997. The one millionth Young Eagle flew with General Chuck Yeager (Ret). How cool would that be? A once in a lifetime chance to fly in the same aircraft as the man who broke the sound barrier a half a century ago…

With all the hoopla going on with events and exhibitors showing off new products, electronics, aircraft, and clothing, the EAA manages to put on a nice air show at the end of the day. The air show consists of a cast of many top-notch pilots from Patty Wagstaff and Jim Leyland to Dave Dacy and Sean D. Tucker. Barnstorming acts by Gene Soucy and his beautiful wing walker, Theresa Stokes (Got to meet her in person this year when she walked by the booth), high powered military jets and antique warbirds all show off their grace and skill during the show, wowing and making the jaws of every spectator drop to the ground. I do have to say, I see a lot of hovering and high-alpha stuff in the routines of the real good pilots. Looks like their looking to us for tips! I saw some attempted rolling harriers, hovering, slow rolls, pop-ups and such…wow! Looks really neat when a full-scale aircraft is trying things that we’ve been able to do for years…

For me, the show stopper this year was a surprise demo by the new F-22 Raptors…Guys, if you’ve never seen this aircraft in person, be prepared to gasp when you see what this big powerful machine is capable of. Thank goodness they’re on our side, because these jets can TURN and BURN. Sounds cliché, but you’ll know what I’m talking about when you see one in person. Positive power to weight ratio, massive control surfaces and thrust vectoring can throw this thing around like it’s doing 3D…a real sight to behold.

I’m sorry I didn’t get many pictures. After all, I was stuck in our booth most of the day working and couldn’t get out much, but these are the few I could get. If you’ve never been to AirVenture…you should go at least once in a lifetime just to see it. You’ll never see such a wide spectrum of aircraft in one location ever in your life. It’s an incredible place to be for the week. Enjoy!

Sincerely,

Mike L. Bargman


More information concerning the EAA AirVenture can be found at http://www.airventure.org/ .

[50%plane]

great writeup!!

[Wayne]

Great article Mike!

[Big J]

Good job, Mikey.

[ilovemetro]

and you used the picture i took for the main page!!

[Mike Bargman]

I wish I could have gotten around the show more and taken more pictures and had a chance to take in more. I really wanted to see the museum and see what additions they've put up. I know Spaceship One is there now...I might stop for a while when up there at the end of August for a get-together. Maybe even see a friend in the process...

[ilovemetro]

	Quote: Originally Posted by Mike Bargman
	I wish I could have gotten around the show more and taken more pictures and had a chance to take in more. I really wanted to see the museum and see what additions they've put up. I know Spaceship One is there now...I might stop for a while when up there at the end of August for a get-together. Maybe even see a friend in the process...

i have a few pics from the museum that i can rescale.. just of like 2-3 planes though, ill do it if you want them.

[madmax]

Eric!!!! MY APOLOGIES!!!!!!!!! I forgot to add your name, will fix right now. If you have any photos that you took, please post 'em here! Thanks dude!

[ncsanik]

here are some pic that i took.

[Tired Old Man]

Oh my! An actual Avro Lancaster up close and in person. Thanks for sharing the pictures!!!

[Boulder]

Great stuff Mike,

I will make that show someday...

[JayB]

Theres a pretty good vid of Mancuso and Chapman on the EAC site..

http://www.airventure.org/video/