Pop-up to Oshkosh

[HandyDan]

Discovered today that AirVenture is a National Park.  This is the first airplane acquired by the National Park Service.  Isn't it a beaut?  The night airshow was simply awesome.  They had planes with fireworks and special lights on the planes and did aerobatics in the dark.  This is something most people will never see and it is a sight to behold.  There were six female parachute jumpers that were decked out in lights.  when they jumped, all you could see was the lights on their suits.  However, some of the lights never stopped falling and came all the way to the ground.  People thought maybe a chute didn't open, but actually, the jumpers were dropping glow sticks.  After a sailplane, a biplane, a helicopter, and a team of planes all did their aerobatics, there was a big fireworks display followed by a night bombing of the runway.  There was a wall of fire that you could feel the heat from quite a distance away.  Today I went looking for vintage motorhomes.  Found quite a few.  I'll try to post some pictures in the morning after I upload them to Photobucket.  I found the Partridge Family bus and a three decker firetruck converted to a motorhome.  There is a bus with two VW camper vans on top.  Really strange.  Tomorrow the Disney movie Planes premiers here at 8:30pm,  I plan to be there at the Flyin Theater.  There will probably be a couple of thousand people but the screen is an outdoor screen 5 stories high and there is lots of room on the grass.  Just bring a lawn chair.  Ford Motor Company is providing the movie and popcorn for free.  What a deal

[PwrWgnWalt]

Hi Dan!

Have been enjpoying reading about Oshkosh (OSH) and everyone's memories/experiences... brings back some of mine, too!
Have taken my sons 3 times - 2000, 2001 and 2009, and wife once - 2010.  Flew out from Montana in '09 in loose formation with a buddy, Steve; he in his Cessna 170B and we in my Archer. The boys and I always camped out next to our plane (Piper Archer II) in the North 40, and we'd spend the week being mesmerized by all things aviation. We still talk about the various pyrotechnics and things we saw.  Wife and I got to see the night airhow in 2010 - I hear its even better now!  May have seen LJ-TJ in the past, as I always hung around the Warbirds area.  Have met some real legends - Chuck Yeager, Bud Anderson, Burt Rutan (Space Ship One), Gunther Rall, Tex Hill, Jeff Dunham, Harrison Ford and lots of other interesting air-folk.

Dan, I do recommend the Bell helicopter ride - or at least my #2 son sure liked it!  #1 son & I opted for a flight in the (1929?) Ford TriMotor in '09... what a ride!  Video of my landing in '09, and various OSH pics, are on my facebook page (Walter McIntosh).  For the week of the Airventure, OSH is the busiest airport in the world!

Met some friends in the RV area (Camp Scholler?) in 2001... twas nice to get into some A/C !!!    I recall all the interesting and widely varied types I saw there, usually on our way to the Ford Fly-In theater in teh evening!  I am still amazed at how all those RVs get into and out of OSH in orderly fashion!

Well, enjoy Oshkosh - it is a real treat and testament to freedom!  Couldn't go this year due to using most of my vacation for Boy Scout Jamboree this past month (in WV), but hope to get back in a year or two.  Looking forward to more pics...
- Walt

[HandyDan]

The 3 decker fire truck picture was all blurred but I got this bus with the VW campers on top.  Next to it is the Partridge Family bus.  I went around the campsite taking pictures of vintage motorhomes, but there were just too many to choose from.  Here are a few.  I suppose I should be posting some pictures of airplanes since that is why we are here.  I'll see what I can do.

[DaveVA78Chieftain]

:)rotflmao :)rotflmao :)rotflmao :)rotflmao :)rotflmao :)rotflmao :)rotflmao :)rotflmao :)rotflmao :)rotflmao :)rotflmao :)rotflmao :)rotflmao :)rotflmao

[maxximuss]

That's awsome I love the pic's looks like allot of really cool stuff to see.

forgot to mention I always loved vintage war planes. Use to build lots of models of them when I was a kid.

[HandyDan]

Tonight was the world premier of "PLANES" the Disney movie at the Flyin Theater.  I have never seen so many people at a movie before.  There could easily have been 10,000 people there.  They let us set up our lawn chairs and "claim our space" at 5:00pm.  The movie started at 8:30.  Luckily, Rick and I had selected a good spot and went out for dinner.  When we got back it was getting to be about 7:45.  The crowds were already building.  We went in and claimed our seats while the throngs of people kept coming and coming.  They finally had to start turning people away because every inch of the six acres was filled with lawn chairs and people.  The movie was great.  The little Mexican plane was a riot.  You will love his attempts at wooing women.  I won't spoil the show by telling the plot, but if you liked CARS you will love PLANES. The director and producer were on hand and showed some behind the scenes clips on how the movie was made.  They already announced that there will be a sequel: PLANES - Fire and Rescue. To be released in 2014.  Lots of adult side quips that the kids won't understand so don't think it is just a kids movie.  Adults will love it, too.
Dan

Edit:  This is a picture at 5:00pm
The next picture is at 7:45.
Then triple the number of people by 8:30

[HandyDan]

Son and I left Oshkosh Saturday morning.  It was a nice day with large puffy clouds.  Had no problems on the road.  Made it back to the Kansas City area in 10 hours.  We are home now, unpacked and clothes washed.  Came back with bags full of literature the exhibitors gave out.  I have everything from maps of the Bahamas to Alaska fishing industry.  I have brochures on Honda generators, Honda outboards, Honda motorcycles, and Honda Jets.  Ford was quite heavily represented and I have a Ford straw hat, every Ford vehicle brochure, and Ford History with a dvd of Henry Ford.  The FAA sends you home with tons of literature on medical prescriptions allowed or disallowed, runway incursions, airport signage, communications procedures, and etc., etc.  Just an idea of what I hauled home to put in the trash.  I did get some T-shirts to prove I was there.  I sat through a Continental Motors seminar so I could get a fleece picnic blanket.  The Helicopter Association gave us a handful of little flashlights and ball point pens.  They had a bushel of them and needed to get rid of them before the show closed.  Shell Oil gave me a sample bottle of interior leather cleaning cream, a large poster, a personalized luggage tag, and a couple of patches.  I have enough catalogs to order anything in the world.  Isn't free enterprize wonderful?
Dan

[LJ-TJ]

While I have a passion for Airplanes one of the great adventures at Oshkosh for Lauren and I was to walk the camp ground and seek out the what EAAers would travel to Oshkosh in. It was a hoot as you have shown us pictures of. Lauren and I flew the Warbird Airshow for many years.

[Ken1]

Vary nice to read your report on Oshkosh.  My brother and I maid a number of trips to Oshkosh in various vintage aircraft during the early 80s.  It bring back great memories of tenting under the wing of our Cessna 170.

[HandyDan]

Glad you liked it.  I just got a phone call from my son and his wife asking what days do they need to submit for vacation time to go this year.  We are going to stop at Brodhead, WI for the pre-show to Oshkosh.  They have an antique flyin/dinner activity each year right before Oshkosh starts.  It actually is the Petenpol homebuilt convention but the antique people kind of overrun the place.  The whole airport is a museum.

[LJ-TJ]

Good people draw good people.