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beige_alertI’m back from a week camped at Oshkosh. I’ll have photos eventually. Some first thoughts:
You need at least three or four days to see everything. An entire week is overkill, but I like spending the whole week there anyway. That way I’m sure to get some good weather, I like the chance to camp out away from home and work, and it really is worth being there on the last day (Monday), since so many of the interesting aircraft on Aeroshell square depart on Monday. I saw the Constellation start up, taxi out, and take off. I saw the F-4 start, take off, and do two flybys in afterburner. The C-130s left. Two T-38s. (I have a photo of a biplane, two high-wing tail-draggers, and a T-38 lined up waiting for takeoff. You see that kind of thing at Oshkosh.) Lots of other stuff left.
I knew the C-141 Starlifters were being phased out, but I didn’t know that they are all scheduled to be retired in only a year and a half, so this was pretty much the last chance to see a Starlifter. I also had no idea that the Starlifters got new glass cockpits.
For some days after the air show my brain keeps trying to interpret all loud mechanical noises as airplane noises. I’ll hear some loud engine sound and start trying to decide if it sounds more like a T-6 or maybe a P-51 before realizing that it is actually Chevy.
I got to try TIG welding, and I can really see how precise and controllable it would be if I knew how to weld. Even with zero prior welding experience I was able to produce something that at least looked like a weld.
I saw Steve Bennett slap together a VW engine in a few hours. Apparently at Sun and Fun he spends two days assembling an actual running engine, but this was just a non-running quick demonstration of assembly. John Monnett at Sonex is a big VW engine booster and sells his version of a VW aircraft engine as a kit. The idea of assembling an engine looks less intimidating having seen a bit of how assembly goes.
I brought Joyce up to Oshkosh on Friday night to join me for the weekend. It is nice to look at airplanes with her. It’s also nice to snuggle in the tent with her.
You need at least three or four days to see everything. An entire week is overkill, but I like spending the whole week there anyway. That way I’m sure to get some good weather, I like the chance to camp out away from home and work, and it really is worth being there on the last day (Monday), since so many of the interesting aircraft on Aeroshell square depart on Monday. I saw the Constellation start up, taxi out, and take off. I saw the F-4 start, take off, and do two flybys in afterburner. The C-130s left. Two T-38s. (I have a photo of a biplane, two high-wing tail-draggers, and a T-38 lined up waiting for takeoff. You see that kind of thing at Oshkosh.) Lots of other stuff left.
I knew the C-141 Starlifters were being phased out, but I didn’t know that they are all scheduled to be retired in only a year and a half, so this was pretty much the last chance to see a Starlifter. I also had no idea that the Starlifters got new glass cockpits.
For some days after the air show my brain keeps trying to interpret all loud mechanical noises as airplane noises. I’ll hear some loud engine sound and start trying to decide if it sounds more like a T-6 or maybe a P-51 before realizing that it is actually Chevy.
I got to try TIG welding, and I can really see how precise and controllable it would be if I knew how to weld. Even with zero prior welding experience I was able to produce something that at least looked like a weld.
I saw Steve Bennett slap together a VW engine in a few hours. Apparently at Sun and Fun he spends two days assembling an actual running engine, but this was just a non-running quick demonstration of assembly. John Monnett at Sonex is a big VW engine booster and sells his version of a VW aircraft engine as a kit. The idea of assembling an engine looks less intimidating having seen a bit of how assembly goes.
I brought Joyce up to Oshkosh on Friday night to join me for the weekend. It is nice to look at airplanes with her. It’s also nice to snuggle in the tent with her.
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Date: 2004-08-02 07:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-08-03 08:37 pm (UTC)