Oshkosh!

[Mark Worthington]

Are there any other forum members who plan to attend the Experimental Aircraft Association's annual fly-in and convention at Oshkosh, Wisconsin this year? It's being held 27 July through 2 August this year. You can view the EAA Airventure 2004 web site here:

http://www.airventure.org/

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Oshkosh event, it can be summed up in one word: awesome! There are almost 15,000 aircraft on the field (home-built, general aviation, warbirds, ultralights, antiques, etc.) and there's a huge on-site camping area. There's an air show every day, and just watching the different aircraft take off and land is enjoyable. The facilities are first-rate and it is an extremely well-run event. There is crossover appeal from airplane builders to car builders because there are hands-on workshops where you can learn to weld, rivet, and paint, and many tools and hardware available either new and direct from manufacturers (usually with a healthy Oshkosh discount) or used from the 'fly market". I'm going to keep my eyes open for an inexpensive bore scope, a 37-degree flaring tool, and maybe a welder. I'm bringing my two boys who absolutely loved it when we last went three years ago.

So if you like to build stuff and/or if you like airplanes, you should try to attend Oshkosh at least once in your lifetime. If any forum members plan to attend let me know and maybe we can meet up.

[SpyderMike]

I was thinking about it, but I need to keep working on the plane or it will never fly.

Mike

[Chuck]

I'll be there. I helped a friend complete his RV7A and first flight was 3 weeks ago. He is using a Superior FADEC engine. First flight was event free and he is now flying off his 40 hours. We plan on flying it to Oshkosh.

[Hershal Byrd]

I Love Going To Oshkosh !!
From 1972 to 1995 I don't believe I missed more than five of them. Mark is right it is AWSOME ! Even if you don't like airplanes there is plenty of other things there to do.
Chuck as you may well know, flying into Oshkosh is a blast. Don't forget to report over the gravel pit and follow the aircraft in front and keep it tight.

Hersh [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]
[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[Ron Earp]

I might be up there! I finished up my private and our club is taking all of our planes up (only seven) and I'm thinking of piloting one myself. VFR only would be a challenge, but we've no choice as the free aircraft are VFR anyhow! I'll let you know how my schedule looks as the time grows closer.

I had a really fun time last weekend just flying to Burlington here in NC (about 60 miles away). They had an antique fly-in and the pattern was full of cool planes, including one Hawker Hurricane that was from Canada if I'm not mistaken. Oshkosh would be fantastic!

Ron

[Mark Worthington]

Well, EAA AirVenture is upon us and I'm off to Oshkosh in a couple days. If anyone here is going and you'd like to meet up somewhere send me a PM and I'll give you my cell phone number.

[Chuck]

Mark,

Didn't see your post until I returned from Oshkosh yesterday. Flew in a RV 7A that I helped build over the past year. Fawless flight but the weather was a factor. Powered by a Superior IO 360 with FADEC. Now it's time to order my RV 8!!!!!!!

See you next year?

[Mark Worthington]

Sorry I missed you, Chuck. I really liked that new RV-10 they were showing; there was a constant stream of people getting into and out of the cockpit mock-up that Van's had on display.

I picked up a nice new TIG welder at the Lincoln Electric display and a bunch of other neat tools in the Fly Market, including a really nice set of high-moly drill bits (fractional, numbered and lettered). I also checked out and fell in love with the Zenith STOL aircraft that were there. Hershal had turned me on to Chris Heintz's airplanes a few months ago (damn him [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] ) and now I have it in my head that I'll be building a 701 or maybe even an 801 after my RF project is complete.

Probably not next year for me, as I seem to be on a once-every-three-years pace for Oshkosh.