Has anyone been or planning on going to oshkosh

[Guest watto]

:thumb_up:I recently had a look at the EAA Oshkosh site and watched the very inspiring video for those who have never been an although I cannot go this year I want to plan for next year.

 

Has anyone here been or would you be interested in being part of an Australian contingent to attend next year, it would be great to hook up with some American or Canadian aviators whom would like to be a part and allow us to actually fly in with them to truly experience the spectacle.

 

Any idea's guys

 

The Recreational Flying Oshkosh contingent!! 2010.

 

Watto

 

 

[Guest Brett Campany]

Apparently Qantas do an Oshkosh special flying fellow enthusiasts over in a 747 from Sydney every year.

 

I think the flight there and back would be just awesome to be on!

 

 

[Guest watto]

Wow, that sounds like a plan!!

 

Watto

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

I went last year and had a ball. It is the best. So much to do and see. great people friendly, helpfull, no rude security, no fences on the flght line. plus more aircraft on display than we have in the entire country. every year they make more improvements to the site. The forums and workshops are tops. There is a tour group every year but Qantas have not been there since the Oshkosh Express in the eighties. ( the locals still talk about it.) Highlights for me was my flight in the B17g, being taught how to fly a control line model at 'kidsventure' (something i missed when i was young). meeting a couple of my 'heros' and well actually it is easier to say what was the downside and that is the onsite food and not enough time to cover everything and the mixed emotions of thinking that as far as aviation is concerned that maybe i was born in the wrong country. again in 2010 for sure. I plan to get dressed up in period and fly in the Ford Tri Motor just for fun and catch up with my Lazair forum buddies.

 

go thru the Announcments section for who is going this year

 

Ozzie

 

 

[Guest watto]

Sounds like a blast Ozzie, I have enquired with flight centre but they say it will be another couple of months before they can get the rates.

 

I was so inspired by the video on the EAA web site and as you say, no invasive security and barriers, I went to go back to my ac at Bundy last week and as I do not have the required plastic tag I was made to prove to this young man that I actually owned an ac, when I went to leave on the monday morning everything was wide open and the taxi drove me out to the runway and all the way up to my plane, so stupid and inconsistant, we need to have more of the Oshkosh atmosphere here at our events including camping with our aircraft as they do.

 

I am looking forward to it already.

 

Watto

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

watto check this i shot it fom the nose of the B17 note the runway we are flying down is 3 mile long

 

 

[Guest watto]

Thanks Ozzie, that looked like an experience for all the senses.

 

 

[skydog]

Oshkosh visit

 

Watto

 

Best thing to do with your pants on except Skydive!!!

 

I have been twice and absolutely love this event. Cant say too much about what it offers and how well its run and I will go again.

 

If its too expensive consider 'Warbirds over Wanaka' which though obviously small gets very good raps.

 

I wrote an article about my last visit to Oshkosh in the RA magazine and lodged it in this site under blogs a while ago under skydog if you want my impressions in detail.

 

Cheers:boring:

 

 

[dunlopdangler]

Yeah, we are planning to do Oshkosh next year as well, going in a small group and doing a bit of sightseeing...

 

 

[Guest watto]

Yep I think my mind is made up and we will have to be there!

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

That B 17 footage is magic Ozzie, and a Sperry bombsite to boot. I did a couple of SAR sorties in the nose of a Neptune when I was in the airforce. (10 sqn Townsville) it looks similiar but it wasn't a B-17 ! Only one thing better than a radial engine, and thats four of them !! At the risk of sounding really old (I'm not) I did Oshkosh in 87 and I thought I had died and gone to pilot heaven...................................:gerg: :thumb_up:

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

You can look at all the footage and read books about the aircraft they used in WW2 but until you see them up close and even ride in them you can't apppreciate just what those men went thru. i came away with a few mixed feelings. could i go into battle in one. can't honestly answer that question. i have the greatest respect for those Vets. i am looking forward to going back.

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

I bet they kept those 30 cals ready to go Ozzie, and oh the chute handy just in case !!

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Ozzie, whilst were on classic Bombers, I'm reminded of my old mate Jack Chapman who I flew with in California. Gone now unfortunatly, Jack had been a gunner originally on B-25s, which he didn't like cause he reackoned the twin tail shook too much. And then he went to the 'new' B-29 Stratofortress which I think is still one of the best looking bombers ever designed. He was a gunner in the air, and a maintenance chief when it was on the ground.

 

He was on the island of Tinian in the Pacific when they loaded the first atomic bomb on the 'Enola gay'. Said they had a big ditch dug which they parked it over to load the bomb. He said it was a big joke at the time because the word on the island at the time, was that this one bomb was going to end the war !!. Remember the B-29 at the time was new and unproven as a bomber, unlike the rest, all of which had proved themselves many times over by then. This big shiny new 'high altitude bomber' hadn't done much at all yet.

 

Jack and his wife jean, both in thier 70s when I knew them, owned a Eipper MX which they shared and flew the ring off, every chance they got. When Jack got emphasemia real bad, he would run out of steam pretty quick, and wasn't doing much flying any more. He would just help Jean fuel up and get airborne. He loved the Lazair and had seen it fly on the field before by the previous owner, who had passed it onto me. When I got it flying he really wanted to get in tha air and fly with it.

 

We gave him a double dose of puffer, and made sure he had one tucked away for the flight. We strapped him into the MX and away he went, with me following in the Lazair. We got to altitude and we flew along together for about five minutes. He had had enough by then, and went back and landed.

 

It may have been one of his last flights as I don't think he lasted long after that.

 

Jean continued to fly the old MX with all the club members kicking in to help her with refueling etc.

 

Jack had one of the original pairs of G3 Raybans, which had been invented for the B-29 crews because of the high altitude glare. They had beautifull green lenses, bit smaller than now with gold frames. He used them when he flew the MX. I asked him to will them to me, but he probabily got buried with them on !!..................