This will be my eighth consecutive Oshkosh and I honestly can't remember one that I've been more excited about. I've never been interested in the "demented bee" type air show acts, but there's always plenty of other variety out there. This year I'm looking forward to the Boeing Model 40, the rocketplanes, the Osprey tiltrotor, the Boeing Dreamlifter, the jetpack (and if that ain't in the classic spirit of EAA, I don't know what is), and the Pitcairn autogyro. This is also my first Oshkosh as a homebuilder, so I am looking forward to attacking the exhibit areas with a whole new perspective. And Jeff Dunham performing at Theater in the Woods is outstanding. But as someone has already said, it's really about the people you meet.

Like many Oshkosh too me, are the people we meet and hang out with. Since going to Oshkosh in the 80?s as a kid, I?ve found it to be the best yearly event I?ve been too. There are so many nice, knowledgeable people, along with the aviation legends that speak or will speak to us individually about our shared passion. I just couldn?t think of a year when I couldn?t at lease make it one day. I understand many live too far to make this cost reasonable, but my year plans around going too my yearly vacation at Oshkosh.

I am very disappointed to not be going this year.
 

I was planning on the trip up to about 1 month ago, but my home work has got in the way. (landscaping, lawn mowing, veg. garden and the war with the moles). I didn't get the conditional inspection done and have a lot of improvements that I was wanting to do this time.
So I to will be taking time off for OSH, but staying home and working on my plane.

Hope to join in the fun next year.

Kent

This is kind of a depressing thread. This will my 1st time ever, a month before my big 50. Last year my wife asked me where I wanted to go on vacation this year, and I told her the only place I wanted to go was Oshkosh for Airventure. We started looking for a room the day after Oshkosh ended last year, and we got a room at the Comfort Suites in Ripon. I had to pay in full last September, with no refunds for any reason. I'm stoked! I've been waiting a long time for this, and I won't be able to go every year, but I do want to go at least once in my plane when it's finished.

I'm working on my canopy and panel now, my engine arrived yesterday. I have lots of questions to ask, people to meet and pictures to take.

I hope I will always look forward to things like this.

On the positive side..........

There will still be 200-300,000 people going, versus the 10 or so from this forum, that won't! :D

L.Adamson

Oshkosh has evolved
 

Sorry to hear you aren't going Bob.

I am new to EAA and Oshkosh (3 years) and I think it's the most amazing aviation convention I have ever seen. You can hear incredible people speak, see beautiful/historic/well built planes, lay your hands on the newest avionics or kit, watch great airshows, check out new production planes, dream a little and just generally be surrounded by people who get it -- why flying is so darned incredible and airplanes/spacecraft/RC models heck anything that flies so interesting and exciting.

Rather than segmenting us into homebuilders and production guys, nose wheel guys and tail wheel guys, kit builders and scratch builders, jet guys and prop guys or some other divisive categorization, OSH brings everyone who loves aviation together to enjoy, share and generally be with your peers, teachers, heros and friends.

I hope I don't lose my love of the event or get bored by the overwhelming variety it offers.

Were it to revert to a fly-in of similar homebuilts, it would lose its appeal for me. Heck I even like the non aviation displays. I'm really looking forward to checking out what Ford and Roush have on the line this year, and I would like to check out the John Deere tractors and Honda bikes.

Personally, I am stoked (again).

Sure the airplanes are cool, but I look forward to seeing my friends. With several of us camping out again this year, great times will be had by all. Bob, if you do make it, I hope you'll stop by for a beer or two... or... :D

Sorry you aren't going this year Bob but I cant wait! So I thought I'd change the mood of this thread and list a few reasons why I'm going.

I'm going back to Osh because...

...It's the only place and time on earth I can be an Aviation geek and 300,000 other people will consider me 'normal'

...I can smile and have a blank stare for hours gazing at my favorite warbird and nobody cares

...I can eat Brots and drink beer for a week and consider that a healthy diet

...I can sit for hours listening to WW2 Vets tell their stories and be as enamored as a kid in a room full of enamored kids

...I can have mosquito bites, sunburn, sore legs, heartburn, a stiff neck and still have a stupid grin on my face when I get back to camp and show my wife my prized clump of steel tubes I welded together while all the time wreaking of avgas, perspiration, brats and beer and have the gall to say 'lets go out for brats and beer honey!!'

What are some reasons the rest of you go to Osh??



PS: Oh what the h*** Bob, you know what your gonna miss, just go!

Okay Bob,

Pity party is over. Time to put fresh AA's in the tape recorder, grab a couple of steno-pads, a good supply of your favorite writing instruments, and prep the plane. BTW, Most of us guys this is our vacation, you get to go and it's a freakin tax write off! If you don't go think of the taxes you'll pay next April 15th! Did you ever think of that? Hmmmm? Be glad I'm here to remind you! :rolleyes:

This reminds me of another reason to go! FOOD! BEER! WAR STORIES! AIRPLANES! & FOREIGNERS! Where else can you hang out with Aussies, New Zealanders, Brits, Cannucks, Bahamanians, Israelis, Californians, Europeans, South Americans galore, and fellow North Americans. The international flavor of this event is unlike anything else in the world, and it is right here in the US once a year.

I'm getting goose bumps just thinking about it. :D:D:D

Hope Im not stepping over the line
 

Bob

We will miss you; I think that this says it all.


?I've let Van's know that I will not be organizing or subsidizing any aspect of the RV BBQ at Oshkosh this year, and that I'm going to try to get back to the days of hanging out with a few close (at least for one week) friends, taking in the show and generally getting back to the grassroots of my homebuilding life.?


I think if I had done all the work you have in the past years and when it was my time to rest a little no one picked up the ball I would feel a little discouraged too. Too many of us want to have a good time but will not get involved enough (myself included). We want to leave it to others. I met you for the first time last year at the BBQ and was very impressed with the BBQ and how it was organized. My wife and I had a great time and hoped to attend this year,s BBQ. Guess that will not happen. It has to be a let down when no one else wants to pick up the ball. I will apologize for my wife and myself on that.

If for some reason you do decide to drop in we would love to meet up with you and maybe grab dinner and some good conversation. We do hope to see you there.