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  #21  
Old 08-02-2012, 10:03 PM
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Gash Gash is offline
 
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The best part about Oshkosh for me is my young son shaking me awake in the tent every morning yelling "Dad, listen to the P-51s taking off!!" It reminds me of going to Oshkosh when I was little and what's really important: being around lots of cool airplanes.
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  #22  
Old 08-02-2012, 10:24 PM
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Casey Stewart Casey Stewart is offline
 
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Well, Oshkosh is my summer vacation. This was my 8th year in a row, 3rd flying in. Sure there is stuff that bothered me and it has been voiced here, but so what. I go to see the people and their planes. I loved waking up to the sounds of planes flying around. I thrive on the "Make it up" plan. I would just start walking until I found something interesting or I bumped into someone. That is Oshkosh to me. Meeting the people and talking about planes. I wont be able to go the next 2 years and i will miss it. Dont worry though... Airventure 2015: Here I come
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  #23  
Old 08-02-2012, 10:25 PM
Bob Axsom Bob Axsom is offline
 
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Default Steven and others ...

Life is very short and you are a smart guy. I know you from racing. At least with the racing there is a technical and operational challenge but even that is something to walk away from when you've had the experience and find it lacking in appeal. If you are questioning why the product didn't measure up to the sizzle, well I think this is one of those times in life when we wish the snake hadn't talked us into eating that apple. If it is lacking in appeal for you, can you imagine how your wife feels? It has appeal to many, like golf, cooking and meditation.

What we liked most with our RV was travel to visit and explore new places and share the experience equally. Even as much as I have enjoyed racing I always enjoyed our trips together, totally by ourselves, best. Even the planning together was a great part of the experience that I will always remember. Always fun to get the new AAA TourBooks, charts, etc. to mine for points of interest in the area we were thinking about. We also enjoyed planning trips with other aviation families but that is something you can't just wish and make it so. We were in a flying club in southern California and one guy - Doug Bowles - started our fly-ins and it just emerged as a long running activity that was the high point in a good number of peoples lives. I still hear from those folks. Maybe some of your friends in Washington could get together and plan some trips.

Another activity that may appeal to you is joining the NAA and setting National and World Speed Records. Just pick two cities, that meet the distance requirements, register the attempt with the NAA and fly it. Bruce Hammer set a record a few years ago from coast to coast, I don't remember the cities.

As for me personally I don't expect to ever return to AirVenture.

Bob Axsom

Last edited by Bob Axsom : 08-02-2012 at 10:34 PM.
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  #24  
Old 08-03-2012, 08:38 AM
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RVbySDI RVbySDI is offline
 
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Default Vetterman Bad Lands

Stephen,
I am hopeful Mary and I can make it up to the Vetterman Bad Lands Fly-in Sept 6-9. Not sure how far that is for you but I am looking forward to it if I can swing it. I have never been in that part of the country. Maybe we will see you there.
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  #25  
Old 08-03-2012, 10:17 AM
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Neal@F14 Neal@F14 is offline
 
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Unsure if I will attend Oshkosh 2013 at this time unless something really big and compelling is happening. Will likely try for 2014... maybe some RV-14's will be finished on 2014

I just had to attend this year due to the Vans 40th anniversary deal, and the fact that this was the first year for me to fly my very own RV there (prior two years in a borrowed RV-8), and 6th year in a row altogether.

I was the only RV'er from my home airport to attend this year, In the past, usually we've always had at least 6 or more airplanes full of folks from our airport. This year there were only 3 airplanes from F14 at Osh.

I am planning to attend the next Petit Jean that is an easy flight from here, and definitely LoE since Weatherford OK is practically in my own backyard as well.
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Last edited by Neal@F14 : 08-03-2012 at 10:20 AM.
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  #26  
Old 08-03-2012, 10:55 AM
Tom Martin Tom Martin is offline
 
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For me the RV1 celebration and the Team RV airshow made this one of the best AirVentures in a while. I think I have been 12 or 13 times and each year has been a great adventure. To see those 12 RVs giving a demonstration in the air that shows what is possible with homebuilt aircraft, was one of the most positive things to happen for in our industry in a long, long time.
And to top that off I found many good stories in Sport Aviation this month and it has been a quite a while since I have done more then flip through the pages!
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  #27  
Old 08-03-2012, 11:23 AM
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LeeM_2000 LeeM_2000 is offline
 
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I don't go to Oshkosh for me. I absolutely hate crowds, porta-potties, gang showers, camping in the rain, and public transportation. I also hate that I have to fly there in a rented plane. However, I love going to Oshkosh every year with this guy.





Like most things, Oshkosh is what you make of it.
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  #28  
Old 08-04-2012, 05:48 AM
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f1rocket f1rocket is offline
 
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I kind of feel that way each year once I get home, but darn if that old feeling comes back every June. I tried to make it this year but my chemo treatments wouldn't allow it. I missed it, just the walking around and looking at all the different airplanes. There's nothing like it yet, but I wouldn't be surprised if the discontent grows into al alternative fly-in at some point.
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  #29  
Old 08-04-2012, 08:00 AM
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If I'd passed on AirVenture, I would have missed out on meeting a bunch of cool people and having some fabulous discussions with them.

You know, at the end of the day, that's why I fly in the first place. AirVenture is not incompatible with that mission for me.

The rest of the stuff at Oshkosh? Trivial. And I'm getting too old to get too concerned about trivia.
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  #30  
Old 08-04-2012, 09:04 AM
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ScottSchmidt ScottSchmidt is offline
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Default I will be there! Less than a year to go.

What a great year Oshkosh was. Where else can you see that many P-51's and see them flying throughout the day. The number of RV's was amazing. There are always some very cool new products that I don't get to see in person any other time of the year. You can't even compare Oshkosh to Sun n Fun or any other aviation event. First timers this year were just blown away. Everyone always says, "you can't see it all even in a week."

I had a great time meeting many many new people this year, sharing a bottle of Bourbon with friends and flying.

There is nothing in the world like it. The International crowd seems to grow each year and all I hear from them is how this is the most amazing event they have attended. "You would never see anything like this in their country. Everyone is so nice."
I loved what the Steve Miller band said, something like "this is the smartest group of people we have ever played to..." They did a great job too.

Oshkosh for me is always one of the best trips of the year when it comes to relaxing and quality time with the family. Hawaii, Belize, Mexico....they are all good but just not as relaxing and not the quality time together. My 10 month old woke up between 5 and 6 every morning and we would leave the trailer and go for a walk. I met more people and loved every minute with her doing that.

I don't really care about the politics, never had, never will. I am on the board at my airport and my standard answer is, "what is best for aviation". I think there are some great people who manage the event and I will write a letter to Paul, Tom and Rod and thank them for a great week and lots of fun.
There may have been a few more open spots in the big hangars but that is OK. I expect more open spots next year as companies who are trying to get into the moving map, EFIS, headset, iPad software space are converging to one or two companies. There will be another rush in a few years around a new set of technology.

I did meet a couple of people that did not seem to be having as good as a time as we were. Maybe it was the heat or just not being fully prepared for Oshkosh. This was my 17th year there. We have optimized our trip and this year was better than last year and next year will be better yet. I think next year I may try to buy one more site and set up a 25' pool, that would be cool.

I will do a trip write-up later this weekend on a couple of trips we did in July but there were many highlights for me this year Oshkosh. It has changed from being about the show to being about my family, friends and flying. That night show was incredible, best fireworks ever! We were there 10 days, 9 nights and I was sad to go. Here are just a couple of pictures of our camp and highlights for the year, more to come later.
Can't wait for Oshkosh 2013 and hopefully everyone will be healthy and we will all be there again drinking a very old bottle of Bourbon, calling friends at midnight wishing they were here and walking at 6am with my daughter and flying friends and new builders around.











Anna and Grandpa
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