adventure

OSH25 – Fisk Arrival and a Hot Night

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Photo by Logan Lynch

My coverage of Airventure continues! The weather was nice… mostly. The airplanes are amazing… always! And adventure is everywhere.

Tuesday

The day began in the most awesome way possible – we went flying! Mike (Flying and Life Podcast) decided to take his airplane out for a spin and he took me and Logan (my intrepid photographer) along. This meant I had to get up early. And I had to skip donuts. But it was soooo worth it!

Aerial view of the South 40

Mike camped in vintage near the South 40 so I hopped a bus and met him near his plane. Logan helped push it out of its parking spot and we all hopped in. Taxiing at Osh is almost as fun as flying (at least from the passenger perspective). It is cool to see Boeing Plaza from the airfield point of view. Also, until you fly you may not appreciate all the marshallers and ATC personnel out on the field, moving things along.

What a wind farm looks like from above.

We departed from 18R. The original plan had been to fly over Airventure but a layer of haze prevented that. So we flew around a bit then headed to Green Lake to get in line for the Fisk arrival. Mike got to “rock his wings” and then we headed in to land back on 18R. In case you were wondering, it’s quite a turn to final!

Flight path

After we landed we taxiied down to Mike’s campsite and parked the airplane back where it had been. I can now say I’ve flown the Fisk arrival as a passenger twice. Can confirm – it’s an amazing experience no matter how many times you do it.

A video overview of the flight!

The rest of the morning was spent in warbirds then back down to Mike’s plane to watch the air show. We were just off the end of the runway where we got some pretty great shots of the action – particularly of take-offs and landings.

Photo by Logan Lynch

Wednesday

The day kicked off with rain. I had hoped to get to the media center before it arrived but I was riding the struggle bus and just couldn’t get my act together. So… I was pretty wet by the time I got there. But I dried out quickly, helped along by donuts and coffee.

Photo by Victor Andrew Karrels – his first time using a “real” camera and taking pics at Osh. And he’s better than me already, dang it!

The rest of the morning was spent wandering through the Fly-Mart as well as the exhibit hangars. The Fly-Mart is an aviation-themed flea-market where you can find anything from aircraft parts to airline seats to memorabilia. They also have non-aviation items. I always check out the car-related booths to see if there is anything for my 1954 MG.

Photo by Victor Andrew Karrels

In the afternoon I attended a forum presented by the Airline Dispatchers Federation (ADF). Several of my friends were participating so I was pleased to see a large crowd in attendance. The rest of the day I spent dodging the heat – in the Lifetime Member Oasis (where there are free drinks and snacks plus AC and nice potties) and in the Media Center.

Drone tribute to Rob Holland.

The evening brought the first night air show of the week. In many ways it is the crown jewel event of Airventure. Even if you don’t care anything about aviation, you are going to love the night show. Every year I think EAA will not be able to outdo the prior year. And yet every year they manage. This year they added lasers to the already spectacular line-up of aircraft, drones and fireworks. If you can only visit Airventure for one full day, make that day Wednesday. I promise you won’t regret it.

The night show has it all!

That’s it for me for Osh 2025. I hope to be back next year and I really hope I see YOU there!

Osh24 – Wrap-up

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A very small fraction of the night show

For me Osh 2024 ended Thursday morning as I packed up and headed home a couple days earlier than planned. My spirit really wanted to stay, but physically I just couldn’t. That said, I’m super glad I was able to attend for as long as I did.

Fireworks and Drones

One of the highlights of Airventure is the night air show. There are two of them, actually – one on Wednesday and one on Saturday. Every year the audience is left in awe by an amazing display of flying and fireworks. We walk away convinced that there’s no way EAA can possibly top it. And then somehow they do. This year they added drones. I envisioned extra twinkling lights in the sky perhaps forming some patterns. But this was so much more!

Rosie!

The drones created pictures which highlighted and complimented the spirit of Airventure. We saw Rosie the Riveter, an A-10, a tribute to the 100th anniversary of the Canadian Air Force and a reenactment of a Coast Guard rescue. At the same time fireworks were going off and planes with more fireworks were circling above. It was mind-blowing – truly one of the coolest celebrations of aviation I have ever seen.

Drones and fireworks

My early departure meant that I didn’t get to see some things that I was really looking forward to. I didn’t get to see the Canadian F-18 or the full Snowbird performance. The Thunderbirds and Blue Angels did additional fly-bys, which I missed. Thankfully, I had a correspondent on the ground who stayed through the end of the day on Saturday and he was able to capture some of these things for me to share.

The Thunderbirds break over the B-52 on Boeing Plaza. Photo by Logan Lynch
The Blue Angels in formation. Photo by Logan Lynch
Canadian Heritage Flight! (Wow – that F-18 is GORGEOUS!!!) Photo by Logan Lynch
Wow. Just… wow! Photo by Logan Lynch
OK – that’s just showing off! And we love it! Photo by Logan Lynch
Harrier!!! So sorry I didn’t get to see this! Photo by Logan Lynch
Otto Pilot made an appearance! Photo by Logan Lynch
Cloud 9 indeed! Photo by Logan Lynch
Water cannon salute for the Honor Flight. Photo by Logan Lynch

We P In C

If you’ve been to Airventure before then you know that there are a lot of porta potties. I mean A LOT. Some are very basic. Some are fancy with running water. Not sure how EAA does it, but they manage to keep them all quite clean and not stinky. I usually go out of my way to avoid porta potties, but Osh is the one place I’m willing to use them. That said, if I can get to the real toilets with running water and sinks in Hangar C, I prefer to go there. Usually they are air conditioned as well, which makes them extra-enticing. (The AC was broken this year, sadly.) I’m not the only one with a preference for C so we decided it would be amusing to make t-shirts to celebrate our choice.

We P in C! Photo by David Abbey.

About Camping

Let me start by saying that I know people who stay in Camp Scholler every year and they love it. They enjoy the vibe and being near the Airventure grounds and with their friends. It’s an affordable option for those who enjoy camping. However, it just isn’t for me. I don’t mind sleeping in a tent/my car or schlepping to the showers, but being crowded in with so many people all around was not my cup of tea. That said, if I ever get a camper with a shower and toilet that can allow me to bring my bike then I might try it again. In the meantime, I hope I can get back into the dorms next year.

A small portion of Scholler.

Only at Osh

Airventure is filled with opportunities to see and do and learn things that you can’t anywhere else. I have to give a big shout-out to Logan for not only taking lots of pics for me, but for making the very most of his time at Osh. He spent an entire afternoon on a photo tower. He set up right in the middle of Boeing plaza to capture the night show, then ran over to capture pics of the fireworks over the Lancaster. His pics will be featured in the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum’s upcoming magazine. And he got a personal tour of the Lancaster from the Director of Marketing. Wow!

Inside the Lanc. Photo by Logan Lynch

Well, that’s it for this year. As always, I miss Airventure already and am looking forward to Osh25. Hope to see you there!

Photo by Logan Lynch

OSH24 – Mid-Week Report

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Conditions have been perfect for vapor! Photo by Logan Lynch

Confession time: I’ve been sleeping in my car. I folded the seats down, shoved my air mattress through the hatch and crawled in. On the down side it was a little cramped, but on the plus side I could not hear the guy behind me snoring all night. Another bonus is I didn’t have to worry about where to sleep when my tent broke during a brief bout of wind and rain on Tuesday.

Did I mention vapor? Photo by Logan Lynch

Monday started with a visit to the Textron media event. We found out that they have updated the panel in the Caravan, so Mike asked if he could take a look. In short order, Alex Hunt, Senior Technical Marketing Advisor introduced himself and walked us out to the airplane.

On the way he asked our names and where we are from. When I answed he said, Oh! I know you!” Apparently he’s seen some of my pics and he especially loves my 1954 MG. Needless to say I was quite surprised and very flattered. Aviation is a small world, my friends! The new panel on the Caravan is indeed quite lovely. The paint is nice too. So is the paint on the King Air that they brought with them.

Surprise visit from the Bone! Photo by Logan Lynch

The rest of Monday was spent watching the air show, spending time at the Lifetime Member Oasis, and checking out the planes on Boeing Plaza. The day wrapped up with the Props and Hops event hosted by Hartzell Propellor.

Love me some Corsair in the morning! And a movie star at that!

On Tuesday we began the day in the Warbid area where I found my friend Old Crow. The plane used to be based at the airport where I worked and it was always a highlight of my day to see it. I found out that it left the airport shortly before I did. It has been donated to an aviation museum in Florida.

Hawg vapor! Photo by Logan Lynch

We worked our way back to show center in time to see the Avro Lancasfer arrive. Belonging to the Canadian Heritage Museum, this is apparently the only flying Lancaster left in the world.

Photo by Logan Lynch

The absolute highlight of the day was watching the Italian Demo Team – the Frecce Tricolori – do a small demo for us before heading on to their next event. 11 jets flying together in formation with precision and grace. It was truly stunning. I am SO glad I got to see them. Truly an “Only at Osb” moment!

Photo by Logan Lynch

Wednesday kicked off with a Tram Tour of the Warbird area. I’ve always wanted to take the tour and let me tell you – it is worth the wait. Great way to see the amazing airplanes that have played such a pivital role in shaping our world today and learn a little bit about them.

Seen from the Warbird Tram

Tonight is the always-fabulous night air show. Details about that coming on the next post. Thanks again to Logan Lynch for all the amazing photos!

Seen from the campground last night – a preview of tonight’s show!

Osh24 pre-game: I almost didn’t make it!

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Photo by Logan Lynch

Back in mid June I crawled into bed one night and realized that I was freezing. Which was strange because it had been a very warm day. It only took a moment for me to realize that I had a fever. My very first thought was, thank goodness this is happening now! I’ll have plenty of time to recover before heading to Airventure.

Wrong!

I felt kinda lousy for about a week and a half, but by July 4th I felt good and was relieved to have recovered well before Osh. Then a week before I was to leave I started feeling poorly again. I told myself it was just allergies, but then I felt worse. I realized my trip to Airventure was in serious jeopardy so I booked an appointment at Urgent Care. The doc diagnosed me with bronchitis, prescribed antibiotics and told me not to worry – I’d make it to my vacation.

Sunday afternoon plane spotting.

Don’t pack with a fever

I started the meds right away but I have to tell you, that night I felt worse than ever. I tried to do some packing but I had no energy and ended up on the couch. It really looked like my Osh trip would have to be canceled. I went to bed early and prayed I’d wake up feeling better. Friday I called off work and slept in. By the afternoon I started feeling human again. I double-checked the stuff I had packed the night before (don’t ever pack when you have a fever – I had shoved some very strange items into my suitcase) then I loaded up the car and headed to Lafayette IN where I stopped for the night.

Saturday afternoon plane spotting

Camping

I woke up Saturday feeling tired but better so I decided to continue on to Osh – and here I am! I met up with friends, spent some time at the North 40, then met up with Mike Karrels and went to find a camping spot at Camp Scholler. That was… an adventure. I’ve been in the campground before and I knew it was huge. But it is more than huge – it is ginormous and it was already really full. We drove around a good 15 minutes before finally finding a spot to pitch our tents. If you are also camping and would like to find us… actually, don’t bother trying. We’re practically at the Seaplane base. Or as Mike likes to say, we’re at the corner of 24th and really far away. LOL!

Photo by Logan Lynch

I’ve been feeling a little better every day. My tent has been up over 24 hours and it hasn’t collapsed yet! Yay! On the down side, I’ve developed sun sensitivity from the antibiotics and am having to be really careful about sun exposure. Not an easy task at a large outdoor event.

Photo by Logan Lynch

Pre-game

Sunday afternoon was spent watching arrivals. As always we saw a lot of really cool planes. It is impossible to come to Osh and NOT see cool planes. Even though this is my 10th year, I’m still surprised by the variety.

My favorite moment was when the B-52 arrived. I’ve seen them on the ground many times, but I have never seen one in flight, nor have I ever seen one land. And I had no idea about the parachute! (Please don’t take away my avgeek creds!)

Parachute deploying… Photo by Logan Lynch

This will probably be a short week for me, but I intend to pack in as much avgeek goodness as I can while I’m here. Stay tuned!

Parachute deployed!

Changes

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When I walked in the door of the airport nine years ago, I was sure that this was the last job I’d ever have. I couldn’t imagine ever wanting to work anywhere else. There were airplanes outside the office – what more could an avgeek like me want?

But I’ve learned that what happens inside the office has a huge impact on how I experience what happens outside the office… or if I experience it at all. Eventually it reached the point where I barely noticed the airport around me. Finally I made the difficult decision to move on.

I could go into the gritty details of all the things that led to this decision. However, I think it would be a lot more fun to look back at some of the amazing adventures I got to have. It is hard to rank them, but I’m going to try. Cue the countdown theme music!

5. Visiting ARFF

Back in 2019 my deparment took an afternoon off to head next door and visit our friends over at the ARFF station. For those who don’t know, ARFF stands for Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting. They are the crews tasked with responding to emergencies on the airfield. We got to tour the station, see where they sleep, eat and train. We also got to sit in the fire trucks. Your inner three-year-old is absolutely correct: fire trucks are cool! The ARFF team did a demonstration for us, including how they are able to penetrate the skin of an aircraft to spray foam or retardent on the inside.

4. Time on the Taxiway

Photo by Andrew Stricker

In late 2017 Delta began to recieve the first A350s into their fleet. The plane itself was still fairly new having entered service only a couple of years before. Designed primarily for long-haul flights, it isn’t the sort of plane that would be used at my airport. However, Delta decided to fly in as part of a series of acceptance and training flights. I, of course, had plans to be on the garage so I could get plenty of pics. Imagine my surprise when one of the Operations Managers appeared at my desk and asked if I’d like to ride out onto the airfield and watch from there instead. Would I? Are you kidding me? We parked on a taxiway and I got to watch the plane land right in front of me. It was amazing! And then when it was time to depart we parked on a different taxiway off the end of the runway so the plane took off right over us. Again, amazing.

3. Time on the Runway

The first time I ever went on one of the runways as an airport employee I was in a passenger shuttle. Someone from airfield maintenance was driving around trying to find one of the pavement sensors. Since then I’ve been on the runway many times. I worked at the water station during the Runway 5Ks which was located about half-way down Runway 28 Right. I was even allowed to drive a shuttle up and down that runway. (What on earth were they thinking?!) The runways are the heart of any airport. They are central to the airport’s existence. As a non-pilot who doesn’t travel that much, being able to be on the runway and get close to the lights, the markings and yes, the pavement sensors, was a real treat for me.

2. Four ATC Towers and a Tracon

The Airport Authority manages three airports which have four towers between them. I had the pleasure of visiting all four. Two are contract towers – one at the cargo airport and one at the general aviation airport. One is a former ATC tower, now used as a base of operations during snow events. And one is an FAA tower with a tracon. Being able to visit these facilities and see the controlers at work was quite an adventure. Seeing several types of towers at multiple airports with different levels of traffic gave me a much better understanding of the ATC system. And let’s face it – ATC towers are cool. I could never get tired of the view.

1. Working on the De-ice Pad

Of all the amazing avgeek things I got to see and do while working at the airport, this was hands-down the most exciting and unexpected. In the fall of 2016 I was approached about whether I’d like to train to assist on the de-ice pad. Uh… are you serious? Heck yes!!! At the passenger airport the Operations Department is responsible for managing the flow of traffic into and out of the pad on frosty mornings and during snow events. This is done by driving an airport vehicle around the pad and communicating with pilots, ATC and others via the radio. As a humble accountant I never in my wildest imaginings ever thought I’d get to do something like this. I got to tell pilots what to do. And they listened to me! I got to drive around on the ramp. And somehow everyone survived!

So, what’s next for me? That’s a good question. I’m taking some time to decompress. Then I’ll be doing some part-time freelance bookkeeping work for a friend while I look for my next big adventure. If you know anyone who is looking for an accountant with avgeek tendencies (or an avgeek with accounting tendencies), let me know.

And what about the blog? The blog will definitely continue. You can take me out of the airport, but you’ll never take the airport out of me. Interesting things are going on at airports everywhere and I have nearly a decade of experience that will allow me to bring them to you with a critical eye. Plus I have stories still to tell and plenty of aviation adventures ahead. Stay tuned!

I’ve left the airport, but my Spirit remains! Seriously. I left this plane at my desk. No idea what my co-workers have done with it. If you fly out of gate 21 let me know if it is still in the window.

Osh 23! Pre-game and Day 1

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I love planes with growly face.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! No, not Christmas. It’s Airventure 2023! My happy place. Where I can geek out over aircraft and no one thinks I’m strange. (At least, not for geeking out over aircraft.)

Dragon Lady

I arrived on Saturday and spent the bulk of the afternoon as well as most of Sunday sitting along the runway in the North 40. Not sure how busy this runway is normally, but during Osh it is incredibly busy. Lots of people flying in for the show plus lots of warbirds. Of course, lots of flying means lots of “interesting” landings, lots of go-arounds and sometimes also an incident or two.

Once such incident involved a Cessna 180 amphibian with landing gear issues. I’ve heard a couple versions of what happened – some say the gear didn’t come down until late and some say it came down but didn’t deploy properly. I didn’t see the plane until it was down and rolling out along the runway. It was apparent that it was at an odd angle – nose tilted down. At first I was afraid it would fall forward and smash its prop onto the ground. It stopped on the runway and the pilot reported that he believed he had a flat tire and he was unable to move off the runway.

Of course everyone on downwind and final for the runway had to go around. The airport then shifted to single runway ops while ARFF, the Airport Operations department and a dozen EAA personnel surrounded the plane to figure out what to do with it. Eventually they had several people sit on the back of the pontoons to lift the front of the plane. They were apparently able to lower the front gear and pin it in place. It was towed off the runway but later we saw it taxiing under its own power over to the FBO.

I wandered over to Boeing Plaza Sunday evening, expecting to see the usual display of military might. What I saw instead made me wonder if someone had spiked my drink. First thing to come into view was the Dream Lifter. I had seen pictures of it before, but it is far more impressive (and oddball) in person. It looks like someone wrapped a large metal blanket around a 747.

As I walked past the Dream Lifter my eyes beheld a sight even more bizzare – the Super Guppy. At first glance it doesn’t look like an airplane. It doesn’t look like it can fly at all. It is the ultimate “Frankenstine’s Monster” of airplanes. Bulbous head (that opens sideways on a hinge), wings that seem too short with propellors that appear to have been stolen from a C-130. It’s preposterous. Ridiculous. An abomination. And yet… kinda cool.

Those two planes alone were enough to make me question my sanity. But then I saw the F-16. A lovely airplane, as all F-16s are. But this one was YELLOW. You read that correctly. Yellow with blue trim. I took a million pictures of it because my brain hurt and I wanted to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. I wasn’t. That plane is as yellow as the sunflowers in my yard. But the color doesn’t make it any less mean.

Couple of fun facts about Osh so far:

– There were 2,143 airplane operations at KOSH on Sunday. This is on par with last year, which saw record-breaking attendance.

– EAA currently has around 280,000 members. I must say, I’m proud to be one of them. Not only does EAA throw one heck of an aviation party, but they are also strong advocates for general aviation,

So what’s next? Well the week is young and there is a lot of aviation magic still to come. I’ll keep you posted.

A350

Wings, Wheels and Wow!

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Ah, summer! The pace is slower and it’s time to relax, right? Not in my world! Sure, I’m able to spend some time chilling on the porch swing, but I’m also super busy with all the fun events that come along with sunshine and warm weather. This year those events include an air show at the cargo airport, a ginormous car show and, of course, Airventure at Oshkosh.

We found out a couple of years ago that the cargo airport was going to host the first air show in the area since 2007. That’s kind-of a big deal! An outside company handled most of the details, but airport staff still had a lot of work to do to prepare for all the planes and attendees. Fortunately, I had no responsibilites whatsoever – all I had to do was show up with my free ticket and enjoy!

The show was completely sold out for both Saturday and Sunday. It was strange to see so many people at an airport that is usually rather quiet. I didn’t expect there to be many static displays so I was pleasantly surprised to see F-35s, F-16s, a C-5, a C-17, a C47 and an A-10. The air show performers were amazing and included the likes of Mike Goulian, Rob Holland and Mike Pietsch.

There were also various warbird flight formations, the F-22 Raptor Demonstration Team, a jet truck and STOL drag racing. I’ve seen STOL competions many times, but STOL drag racing was new to me. It was basically a STOL competion with flying back and forth between two points. It was actually a lot of fun to watch. The air show wrapped up with the power and precision of the Blue Angels. For being the first air show in the area in such a long time I’d have to say they did a pretty good job. Rumor has it they plan to come back again next year.

The next big event involved wheels rather than wings. The Good Guys Hot Rod Association came to town bringing with them over 6,000 very cool old cars. I was under the impression that the show was for American cars only. When I found out any make could attend, I really wanted to take our 1954 MG TF 1500. It’s a beautiful old car, but it is NOT a hot rod. The MG surrounded by hot rods is like Dame Judy Dench hanging out with Motley Crue – kinda crazy but also totally awesome.

Just getting to the show was a challenge. For one thing, we don’t take the car on the highway. Ever. It is too small, too open and too low to the ground. Plus it has no seatbelts. We had to make our way to the event via back roads and side streets. Figuring out where to pick up our registration and actually get into the show was also a challenge. Once we sorted it out and joined the queue to enter the show grounds… woah! People lined the streets to watch the cars come in. I realized right then that car people love cars – even small British roadsters with only 69 horsepower.

After we got inside we found a spot to park and began the completely overwhelming process of trying to see as many of the cars as we could. We walked through the lot we were in and the lot next to it. Then we saw more cars ahead so we walked through there. Then we saw multiple covered display areas so we walked through there, which emptied us into another lot with more cars… OK, what the heck is this place? Osh for cars? Actually, that’s exactly what it is.

The show area stretched on and on and on. In addition to all the show cars there was an auto-cross course, a vendor area with everything automotive for sale, food trucks everywhere and a flea market. And a craft area. And even MORE cars on display inside. Did I mention Osh for cars?

The only downside is that a line of storms rolled in so we left earlier than we would have liked. We got stuck in a downpour a few minutes later. Fortunately we had the top up and the side windows in. Unfortunately the windshield wipers don’t work. We disconnected them last year, because they liked to run randomly for no reason and refused to turn off. Fortunately we can manipulate the wipers manually. Unfortunately, the wipers are useless, which is another reason why we disconnected them. All in all it was an excellent adventure and we will definitely be back.

Speaking of Osh, in just a few days I’ll be headed to Airventure 2023. I’ll be blogging, as usual. I’ll also be posting tons of pics and videos over on Twitter (@Jen_Niffer). At least, I’ll post as many as Mr. Space X will allow. If you still have an account, give me a follow. Otherwise you can find me on Instagram (@talesfromtheterminal). If you think I should join Threads, comment here and let me know. Maybe I’ll set up an account and drop some content there also. Hope to see you in Wisconsin!

Osh 22 Wrap-Up

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I looked at my Apple Watch fitness challenge for August and nearly fell over – I need to walk 171 miles this month to achieve the goal. What? Where in the heck did it come up with such a ridiculous goal? Then I realized that I walked 60 miles in 6 days during the last week of July, which apparently convinced my watch that I’m suddenly into massive amounts of walking. No, I’m not. It’s called Airventure. Even with riding trams and buses as much as possible, I still walk a lot. Everyone knows Osh is a marathon. Well, everyone except for my watch.

Osh is always an epic adventure and this year was no exception. The weather was perfect. The crowds were large. The aircraft were impressive. My feet are still tired. In a week that features one amazing event after the next, it is hard to single anything out as better than the rest, but here are a few of my favorites.

Hawkeyes!

I’ve never seen a Hawkeye in person before, so standing on the flight line as two of them flew in was definitely a special moment. I always love seeing something new! The also performed during one of the airshows.

F-18 Growlers

I can hear some of you now: “But Jenn – F-18s are nothing new. They’ve been doing airshow demonstrations for years. They aren’t special.” I know. I don’t care. I just like F-18s!

MiG-29

I nearly passed out when a MiG-29 showed up on Friday. Talk about something I never thought I’d see! It arrived with a team of L-159s and a business jet, all painted in variations of grey and white cammo. The planes belong to Draken International, founded by Jared Isaacman. The bizjet and L-159s landed fairly quickly but the MiG put on a bit of a show. First time I’ve witnessed a plane use a parachute upon landing.

Memorial Brick

Glen Towler knew pretty much everyone at Airventure, which was why he was known as the “Mayor of Oshkosh.” He traveled all the way from New Zealand to attend every year. Sadly, Glen passed away from cancer in May. Thanks to generous donations by friends, a memorial brick was unveiled by the Brown Arch. It is a fitting tribute to someone who loved the place so much.

Mid-day at the Oasis

Airventure unveiled a new perk for Lifetime Members this year – the Oasis. It’s a building just off the main walkway along the flightline where Lifetime Members and one guest each could go to relax, grab a snack and use the potty trailer. It was really, really nice. It quickly became our go-to meeting location and we often spent time there recharging batteries and resting our feet.

Night Air Show

The night air shows are always spectacular. Every time I see one I think they can’t possibly get any better. Airplanes with lights and sparklers at night? Amazing! Fireworks? Super! Airplanes with sparklers and fireworks at the same time? Jaw dropping!!

Maverick!

We wrapped up Osh 22 by attending a showing of Top Gun Maverick at the Fly-In Theater. Later estimates indicated an attendance of roughly 7,000 people. All I know is that the place was packed! The event kicked off with a fly-over and a presentation by Kevin LaRosa, the aerial coordinator for the movie. Kevin had never attended Osh before and admitted to being a bit blown away by the whole event. I had seen Top Gun Maverick twice in the theater, but seeing it again with a huge crowd of aviation enthusiasts was something special.

The end of Osh always makes me a little sad. It’s hard to say goodbye to my friends, most of whom I only see at Airventure. My feet are happy for the break, though. And, of course, it is never too early to start thinking ahead to Osh23. Hope to see you there!

Quick OSH22 Update

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Hello readers! You might be wondering why I’ve only done one blog post so far at Airventure 2022. Don’t worry – there’s more coming! In the meantime, however, I am posting a TON of content over on twitter. No twitter account? No problem! Just click here to check out all the action.

Old Crow, the Dragon Lady and 20K Steps per Day

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If you’ve been reading this blog for awhile then you know: I’m a stalker. No, not people. I stalk airplanes. And when it comes to Osh there’s one airplane in particular that is the object of my attention: Old Crow. There are actually two airplanes with that name. I stalk the silver one.

I came by this obsession honestly enough. First of all, Old Crow is a P-51 Mustang. That automatically makes it amazing. Secondly, this particular plane (a tribute to the one flown by Bud Anderson) was originally owned and refurbished by Jack Roush of NASCAR fame. I actually had the extreme good fortune of spending an hour or so chatting with Mr. Roush in his motorhome at a race in Richmond a few years ago. We mostly talked about cars, but I couldn’t help noticing the P-51 models that he had on display.

Thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, Old Crow lives at least half the year at my airport. The current owner keeps many of his toys at the FBO. (In fact, this gentleman’s airplane collection is one of the best things about working where I do.) It is not unusual to see Old Crow out and about, which is always the highlight of my day. Sadly, I’m always watching from a distance – usually the top of the parking garage.

However, at Oshkosh all that changes. Old Crow usually sits on display with the rest of the mustangs in the warbird area. I can walk right up to it and say hello. I can take a close look at that big propellor, marvel at the Merlin engine, and rest in the shade of its magnificent wings. Getting to visit with Old Crow is always a highlight of my visit to Osh.

In other news I finally got to see the U-2 yesterday. Oh my goodness what an airplane! It did several loops around the field and a couple of low passes. This particular one has two cockpits. Can you imagine what a ride along would be like? Wow! (Check out the Mythbusters episode in which Adam gets to do just that.)

For those of you wondering, my current step count after three days of the show (and two days of pre-show) is 86,371. This is actually a little bit lower than expected. That’s in part because the show was cut short yesterday due to bad weather. I’ll see if I can make up for it today. After all, I have a mustang to stalk!