It’s that time of year again. Time for THE aviation event of the season… that I’m not attending. That’s right. Normally I’d be on the road somewhere near Chicago. This year I’m sitting at my dining room table, sulking. A few weeks back I broke my ankle. It is healing up well. But Osh is a lot of walking – 20,000 steps a day (or more). Sadly my ankle is just not up to it.

Fear not, however. My intrepid photographer Logan Lynch is boots (tennis shoes?) on the ground so I will still have plenty of photos and details to share. (Even though it’s going to kill me to see all the amazing aviation stuff that I’m missing.)

I’ve been thinking back over my many years at Osh and it occurs to me that there’s one aspect of Airventure that I haven’t written about much… the parties!As you know, Osh is more than a fly-in, convention and air show. It’s an aviation family reunion. There are gatherings and events happening all over the grounds all the time. Some are small gatherings of friends and aquaintances and others are major corporate shindigs that require an invitation. Here’s a look at some of the parties I’ve attended over the years.

Flying Magazine

This event ended when the magazine was sold a few years back. But at one time they hosted a pretty fancy gathering at a marina overlooking the lake. I just happened to score an invite from a friend one year. (OK, he was mostly using me for my car, but whatever.) People discarded their grungy Osh-wear and donned nicer duds. The catering was pretty good. Lots of media folk in attendance. Being merely a humble blogger I remember feeling a bit like a fish out of water. Still the setting was lovely and it was nice to mingle away from the dust and noise of the Airventure grounds.

Pipstrel Podapalooza

This gathering, which was held on the grounds at the Pipistrel booth, also no longer happens. It was organized by the lovely Launchpad Marzari who passed away in a flying accident a few years ago. If you had a podcast or if you listened to them, you were welcome. There was pizza and prizes and it was a nice time spent gathering with like-minded avgeeks.

Hartzell Props and Hops

This is my favorite Osh party, hands-down. It requires an invite so I make sure I RSVP every year. The catered food is really good. There’s live music. The atmosphere is casual and fun. Everyone who attends gets a signature glass which you can then fill with beer or cider or water or whatever. Oh – and the desserts are delicious. And yeah, people duck out of the tents when cool planes fly in. Because it’s what aviation people do!

Piper

This one is also invitation only. Some years I attend. Some years I don’t. The food is always good. They typically have seafood included in the buffet (shrimp cocktail and the like) which is pretty tasty. They also have music – usually a live band. It’s a nice event but I sometimes feel a little overwhelmed so I like to check out the aiplanes around their booth, then tuck myself in a quiet spot to enjoy the atmosphere.

Boeing

This is a big shindig held at the large Boeing booth just off Boeing plaza. You definitely need an invite for this one as they have people at all the entrances, checking the guest list and turning everyone else away. (To be fair, their booth is right at show center so there are a lot of people passing through who don’t even realize an event is going on.) Somehow I ended up there last year. Don’t ask me – I don’t know. I was with a group and next thing I knew we were in. This is the only party I’ve attended that was indoors with air conditioning. Very nice! Lots of people, lots of food and a chance to take a look at all of the displays in the Boeing booth.

But Wait… There’s More!

There are a few other events that I’m aware of but have never attended. EAA hosts a fundraiser dinner at their aviation museum called The Gathering. It is semi-formal and includes a silent auction. If you want to attend you can buy tickets – $250+ per person. Cirrus has a big party on the Sunday night before Osh begins. Strictly invite-only. Doubt I’ll ever get on the list. The UCAP podcast usually hosts their “Tiedown Party” in the North 40 every year. Despite my best intentions, I never make it over there, but I believe it is open to anyone.

You may be wondering how to get invites to some of these events. There’s no magic formula – I just happen to know people who know people. The best advice I can offer is to make your own party. Gather with friends and family. Enjoy time with each other and with airplanes. That is really what Osh is all about. No RSVP necessary!

Stay tuned for more Osh26 goodness. You can follow Logan’s adventures on Instagram: @lynchdronephotography and on Facebook: @Lynch Drone Photography LLC. I’ll be sharing some of his pics on my socials also – Instagram: @Talesfromtheterminal and Blue Sky: @jen-niffer.

**Author’s note: All my posts including this one were written by myself (and occasional guests) without using any artifical means. **