Back from Oshkosh

[pmccarthy]

It was great, my first time at Oshkosh. It was interesting that Aussies are so prominent there, about 400 registered at the international tent. The nationalities are USA, then Canada, then Australia, then South Africa, the New Zealand ( or maybe they were ahead of SA), then everyone else. I only met one Pom and a couple of Europeans.

 

Thousands of aeroplanes and only two crashes, one fatal, a Breezy in a landing accident. The workshops on metalwork etc were very good. but it is good to be home in the land of decent coffee.

 

 

[Ultralights]

how dare you come back from Oshkosh and not post pics!

 

 

[pmccarthy]

 

OK suitably chastened

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[pmccarthy]

And a few more. Last pics are: half the Kyneton Aero Club contingent planning the next day's activities, and the results of a storm that blew through on Saturday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[David Isaac]

On ya PMC, I have yet to experience my first time. Maybe next year.

 

 

[Soleair]

Great, loved the pix, envy you the trip!

 

Did you see any of these?

 

http://fineartamerica.com/featured/jdt-mini-max-1600r-eros-single-engine-propeller-kit-airplane-7d11189-wingsdomain-art-and-photography.html

 

Sorry, tried to upload the pic but couldn't. . .

 

 

[Ultralights]

nice! thanks for posting

 

 

[cooperplace]

It was great, my first time at Oshkosh. . but it is good to be home in the land of decent coffee.

you don't like starbucks?

 

 

[Kyle Communications]

Most of the coffee in the USA is crap..it dripolator and liquid styrofoam for "creamer"......I am off there the beginning of November for work then a couple of weeks holiday...my wife is coming with me...she has been warned about the coffee

 

 

[dazza 38]

I really enjoyed Tim Horten's coffee in Canada. But I don't think they are big in the USA. I also would have liked to have real milk at places that seem to only use powdered whitener ( hotels) .

 

 

[Bandit12]

Looks like I will be going to Oshkosh next year - very excited!

 

 

[Kyle Communications]

I really enjoyed Tim Horten's coffee in Canada. But I don't think they are big in the USA. I also would have liked to have real milk at places that seem to only use powdered whitener ( hotels) .

In all the work I did in the USA and Canada the best coffee I had was in Ottawa..at a small little in shopping centre coffee shack...and even black it was nice. I was sitting in a place in San Francisco eating my cremated bacon and hard scrambled eggs drinking this terrible black coffee and thought to myself......why am I still here....it was the last time I worked in the USA.

 

 

[440032]

Honolulu Coffee Co.

 

Level 3, Ala Moana Center, Honolulu.

 

 

[Myrodd]

Thanks for the warning, I'll take some Maccona.

 

 

[eightyknots]

Most of the coffee in the USA is crap..it dripolator and liquid styrofoam for "creamer"......I am off there the beginning of November for work then a couple of weeks holiday...my wife is coming with me...she has been warned about the coffee

For some weird reason, both the Canadians and the Seppos are into adding flavours to coffee. I think it's a plot to hide the awful substandard coffee. They'll offer you hazelnut flavour (flavor!) or vanilla, etc. Don't fall for it, it makes the coffee taste worse in my opinion.

 

 

[Myrodd]

Yes I have a friend that wants to add vanilla to your coffee. I find bourbon works for me, but then there's that 8 hour thing.

 

 

[metalman]

you don't like starbucks?

I too just got back from the USA ,and Oshkosh , the coffee is awful,,,,,I went into a Starbucks and asked for an iced coffee expecting something similar to what we get here,,,,,,I got handed a large cup of cold black coffee ,,,with ice cubes in it! One of the few dozen GOTCHA moments we had. Funniest one was asking for a meat pie at a Kalamazoo ( yep it's a real place) gas station,,,,,,coupled with my very Queensland accent being hard to understand and the woman's shock that people would put meat in a pie was priceless ,a bloody funny moment!

 

 

[Myrodd]

They say that the US is the land of opportunity. Just have to setup a great coffee shop that sells meat pies (possibly Kangaroo) and makes Aussie style bread, because apparently their bread also tastes crap. (so I have been told).

 

 

[Myrodd]

The best coffee I have had, was in a little coffee shop in one of the market places in Pattaya, Thailand. They had this coffee bean roaster, and they'd roast green coffee beans a couple of times a week. If you were there on the days they roasted, you'd enjoy the best tasting coffee you will ever experience. So smooth, with loads of flavor and no bitter taste.

 

 

[Jaba-who]

Experienced my first oshkosh this year as well. Unbelievable!! Hard to know where to start in relating what it was like.

 

So much to see - was still finding new things on the Sunday after being there every day for a week.

 

It wasn't just the airshow either though they were spectacular, plenty of things you will never see in Oz because CASA would never allow them. Yanks love blowing up stuff and the pyrotechnics featured very heavily.

 

Lectures and forums on just about every subject you could think of. Trade displays on existing equipment, concept equipment and aircraft. The big new thing is angle of attack monitors with at least four different models on sale. Loved the google glasses slaved to an iLevel. Heads up display in the glasses with navigation, tracking, weather ( coming soon) and terrain in front of your eyes no matter where you turn your head.

 

Was impressed by the " One Week Wonder". They built a Zenair 2 seater in one week from crate to taxi/engine running with the help of 5000 volunteers each doing a few minutes worth under supervision.

 

Totally mind blowing aviation experience. I think I have to go back next year!!

 

 

[aj_richo]

"plenty of things you will never see in Oz because CASA would never allow them"

 

Yeah like standing next to a B17 starting up all 4 engines for a flight, no ropes or barriers just some safety officers keeping the crowd close but in control ... it was awesome

 

 

[Jaba-who]

Yep. Multiple different examples

 

Taxiways used by pedestrians, motor vehicles and aircraft ( the last two simultaneously) with simple requests by marshals to make way and move back behind a simple rope. And people actually do follow requests.

 

No 2.5 metre high chain link fences or coded gates between the crowd and the runway. Not a single ASIC or ASIC-like card to be seen.

 

Aircraft parked everywhere and crowds milling around them without somehow causing the wings to drop off or the world to stop turning.

 

Aircraft in flying displays crossing over the crowds in selected displays.

 

Aircraft with pyrotechnics and fireworks attached flying aerobatics in the dark in formation.

 

I have become convinced our society's (CASA 's) nanny state approach is plain outright wrong. We wrap everyone in cottonwool and teach them to become so dependant that no amount of cottonwool can stop the growth of stupid. Over there it was less rules and more think for yourself and amazingly when they learn how to assess risk people do it very well.

 

 

[Bandit12]

Don't know if I can read any more of this for fear of wetting myself with excitement! Have reasonable plans now to spend the week next year after doing a Route 66 roadtrip, then on to Canada for a conference. Might have to arrange an Aussie meeting point!

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

The coffee may be crap but i found the local boutique beer at the international visitors BBQ to be quite good.

 

I just about fell over backwards when i was told i could play with the Osprey.

 

I can still taste the bratz two years later.

 

'Scuse me sar could youse just move back a bit' works better than 'ifya don't get off the dirt mound youll be arrested' (narromine)

 

CASA needs tripping down the stairs.

 

 

[eightyknots]

I have become convinced our society's (CASA 's) nanny state approach is plain outright wrong. We wrap everyone in cottonwool and teach them to become so dependant that no amount of cottonwool can stop the growth of stupid. Over there it was less rules and more think for yourself and amazingly when they learn how to assess risk people do it very well.

I agree. Over-legislation in rife Down Under.

 

The page numbers of our law books have grown exponentially over the last two decades. The question is: are we, as a society, better off?