Oshkosh 2009
The landing was the easiest of the six or seven previous entries, simply following the endless line of arrivals to a simple left 90 degree turn to runway 36 and a simple taxi to parking with most of the Ezes. Oh, there was a hitch, orbiting solo under a cool cloud for an hour waiting for the extended airshow to end before descending to Ripon and Fisk, and then holding over Green Lake for 45 minutes before being directed in.
Down the row Scott Carter was carrying on all week next to his spectacular new yellow Extra EZ (a Cozy, kinda). There was always a crowd around, including a film crew at one point. For some time a man with an accent had been trying to interrupt his antics to get a straight answer and finally in exasperation said to Scott, “I find it is appropriate to laugh at you.”
Someone commented on the EZ drivers and grey hair. I notice an increasing balance, including Matt Steinemetze’s fastidious LongEZ sitting under WhiteKnightTwo’s shadow on the ramp. Although he looks like a teenager to me, Matt is Scaled’s project engineer and program manager for the Virgin Galactic space program. Schubert will surely provide pictures in the next newsletter.
The Schubert and Hertzler forums were excellent as usual, with several Glasair trespassers taking notes in the audience. Schubert refused to define a speed gain on his cowl refinement. I told Terry that if I can claim getting five more knots on a coffee table (The Forward in the Sturgils’ Big Book of Canards), he should certainly claim 5 knots on his cowl.
It would have been very easy not to go to Oshkosh this year. I almost didn’t go. But it was again totally worth it. Listening to the random flow of conversations over the week fed my current interests surprisingly well, which include the textbook Physics For Future Presidents, and excursions through the Periodic Table of Elements. At one midnight skull session under the stars with a group of total strangers, I quoted one of the textbook’s statements that a chocolate chip cookie has more energy than dynamite. One of the robust participants asked “How big of a chocolate chip cookie is that?”
Burt’s non political paper/talk on global warming from the perspective of an objective data analyst was a highlight for me. Along the way he recognized Ken Swain being there in his VariEze for the 33rd year in a row. After the talk Burt signed my picture in the Canard coffee table book and said “I appreciate your work”. Another five knots for my list.
Oshkosh 2009 for me fittingly ended over coffee with Rob Martinson. I hadn’t seen him in a while and had some catching up to do. Oshkosh 1992 began with meeting him, and when he found out I was a new builder he pointed over at Charlie Airesman. So much for my previous purist intentions. Climbing out for home, again catching and passing a couple of dozen more socially acceptable aircraft, I look at where we were then and where we are now, and smile.
