Sunday, October 18, 2009
Milwaukee Air & Water Show Fundraiser
If you are in the Milwaukee area, please consider attending this event to help support next year's Air & Water Show.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Perfect Gear Up Landing
This pilot is an example of how to stay cool and get the job done when things go bad.
Monday, October 05, 2009
New England and Canada Cruise 2009 - Part 2
Day 4 - St. John
We pulled into the dock at St. John, New Brunswick early on Tuesday morning. The sky was overcast and threatening rain. We didn't have a shore excursion planned for the day but, while Georgia slept late, I got off the ship for a walk along the waterfront. After seeing the sights and taking a few pictures I made it back to the ship just as the first raindrops were coming down.
We spent most of the day just relaxing on the ship and sightseeing from our balcony. The heavy rain finally stopped in the late afternoon and, with a couple hours left before we sailed, I made one more quick trip ashore to see more of the town. I wish we could have done more in St. John but the weather just wasn't cooperating with us.
For the first time since the night we sailed, we made it to the dining room for dinner.
Day 5 - Sea Day
Wednesday was a sea day and a welcome chance to just relax and enjoy the ship. It was a full day of doing nothing and liking it. The only notable event was that we saw four dolphins alongside the ship while we having lunch. They made a few jumps, probably to look the ship over and then swam off again.We returned to the dining room for dinner but had the table to ourselves as Rodger and Denise didn't come down.
Day 6 - Halifax
Halifax, Nova Scotia was our last port of call for this cruise. Georgia and I spent a week in Nova Scotia on our honeymoon seventeen years ago. We were looking forward to our last shore excursion to Peggy's Cove.
Our tour bus made the scenic drive along the coast to the small fishing village. Nova Scotia is a beautiful part of Canada and we were surprised at how little this area has changed since we last visited. Peggy's Cove itself is virtually unchanged. No development is permitted in the village so it looks the same from year to year. Once you see it, you know why it should stay this way for as long as possible. It is the iconic maritime fishing village.
What has changed though is the number of visitors. When we were last here, we had the whole place virtually to ourselves. Now the town gets hundreds, maybe thousands, of visitors every day. The large number of cruise ships visiting Halifax is what has made the difference. There were three other ships in port the day we were there. Despite the crowds, Peggy's Cove should be part of any visit to Nova Scotia.
We had a couple hours to walk around, take photos, and shop. The weather could not have been better. The blue sky with a few puffy white clouds was a lovely background for photos and the temperature, while only in the 60s, was just right for walking around. We thoroughly enjoyed our time there.
From Peggy's Cove we rode a few minutes to the Whaleback Restaurant for a lobster lunch.I'm not a big lobster fan but this lunch was good.
Our last stop was at Acadian Maple Products for a talk about how maple syrup is made and a few minutes for more shopping. Then it was back to the ship for the last time.
This was the second elegant night of the cruise (we missed the first one when we were so late back to the ship in Portland) so we dressed up and went down to the dining room. Our table mates were there too so we had a pleasant dinner.
Day 7 - Sea day
Friday was our last sea day and our last full day on the Triumph. We slept in, had a late breakfast then went to the cruise directors debarkation talk. A last trip through the ships shops then lunch in the Paris dining room rounded out our morning.
We spent the afternoon relaxing and packing before, as Denise said, we had our "last supper" in the dining room. We rounded out the evening with final packing, put the luggage outside the cabin and turned in early. We would be in New York about 7 AM the next day.
Day 8 - Home
I was up early and watched from the balcony as we sailed into New York Harbor and tied up at Pier 92. I went up on deck to get breakfast then brought a tray down for Georgia. By 8:45 AM we were off the ship, through customs and in the terminal. The only problem was that I could not find our luggage. The bags were all arranged by zone numbers and we were supposed to be in Zone 2. Not only didn't I find our suitcases in Zone 2, I couldn't find any luggage with a number 2 tag on it. I looked over the sea of luggage and realized I was going to have to search it all. Almost an hour later, I found the first of our bags - in Zone 23. I found the second in Zone 24 and the last one in Zone 26. All three of them still had the Zone 2 tags clearly visible. Apparently, to these dock workers, any zone with a 2 in it was close enough.
With suitcases finally in hand, we left the terminal and located one of the Carnival provided buses to LaGuardia. We handed the luggage and Georgia's scooter over to the bus driver and got on. After a short wait for the bus to fill up, we were on our way and soon at the airline terminal. Again, there was no problem with gate checking the scooter. Except for the shore excursions, the TravelScoot worked out very well for Georgia. We will certainly take it on other trips.
We had another shorter than scheduled flight and arrived early in Chicago. We called a cab and were home before 5 PM. Another wonderful cruise behind us and we are already planning the next one.
We pulled into the dock at St. John, New Brunswick early on Tuesday morning. The sky was overcast and threatening rain. We didn't have a shore excursion planned for the day but, while Georgia slept late, I got off the ship for a walk along the waterfront. After seeing the sights and taking a few pictures I made it back to the ship just as the first raindrops were coming down.We spent most of the day just relaxing on the ship and sightseeing from our balcony. The heavy rain finally stopped in the late afternoon and, with a couple hours left before we sailed, I made one more quick trip ashore to see more of the town. I wish we could have done more in St. John but the weather just wasn't cooperating with us.
For the first time since the night we sailed, we made it to the dining room for dinner.
Day 5 - Sea Day
Wednesday was a sea day and a welcome chance to just relax and enjoy the ship. It was a full day of doing nothing and liking it. The only notable event was that we saw four dolphins alongside the ship while we having lunch. They made a few jumps, probably to look the ship over and then swam off again.We returned to the dining room for dinner but had the table to ourselves as Rodger and Denise didn't come down.
Day 6 - Halifax
Our tour bus made the scenic drive along the coast to the small fishing village. Nova Scotia is a beautiful part of Canada and we were surprised at how little this area has changed since we last visited. Peggy's Cove itself is virtually unchanged. No development is permitted in the village so it looks the same from year to year. Once you see it, you know why it should stay this way for as long as possible. It is the iconic maritime fishing village.
We had a couple hours to walk around, take photos, and shop. The weather could not have been better. The blue sky with a few puffy white clouds was a lovely background for photos and the temperature, while only in the 60s, was just right for walking around. We thoroughly enjoyed our time there.
From Peggy's Cove we rode a few minutes to the Whaleback Restaurant for a lobster lunch.I'm not a big lobster fan but this lunch was good.
Our last stop was at Acadian Maple Products for a talk about how maple syrup is made and a few minutes for more shopping. Then it was back to the ship for the last time.
This was the second elegant night of the cruise (we missed the first one when we were so late back to the ship in Portland) so we dressed up and went down to the dining room. Our table mates were there too so we had a pleasant dinner.
Day 7 - Sea day
Friday was our last sea day and our last full day on the Triumph. We slept in, had a late breakfast then went to the cruise directors debarkation talk. A last trip through the ships shops then lunch in the Paris dining room rounded out our morning.
We spent the afternoon relaxing and packing before, as Denise said, we had our "last supper" in the dining room. We rounded out the evening with final packing, put the luggage outside the cabin and turned in early. We would be in New York about 7 AM the next day.
Day 8 - Home
With suitcases finally in hand, we left the terminal and located one of the Carnival provided buses to LaGuardia. We handed the luggage and Georgia's scooter over to the bus driver and got on. After a short wait for the bus to fill up, we were on our way and soon at the airline terminal. Again, there was no problem with gate checking the scooter. Except for the shore excursions, the TravelScoot worked out very well for Georgia. We will certainly take it on other trips.
We had another shorter than scheduled flight and arrived early in Chicago. We called a cab and were home before 5 PM. Another wonderful cruise behind us and we are already planning the next one.
New England and Canada Cruise 2009 - Part 1
Day 1 - New York
Our day started early. I was up at 3:30 AM and got Georgia up at 4:00 to be ready when our cab arrived at 4:45. Since Georgia broke her foot last December, she has had a problem walking. Detached tendons in her left foot make it very hard for her to balance properly. When we went to Hawaii in the spring, we used a wheelchair to get around on the ship and on shore excursions. After we got back, she bought a light weight mobility scooter to make travel easier. It worked well at Oshkosh and on short trips but this was the first time we took it on a cruise or on an airliner. Georgia had called the airline and made sure the TravelScoot could be gate checked. It would be fine but, we needed to be at the check-in desk two hours before the flight.
We got to O'Hare in plenty of time and, as promised, the scooter was no problem. Georgia rode it to gate before o it was placed in the cargo hold of the MD80. Our flight was right on time and a stiff tailwind even got us to LaGuardia Airport a half hour early. The scooter was waiting for us at the gate when we got off the airplane. Unfortunately, our luck with it ran out there. Despite assurances from the disability people, our cruise planner and the shore excursion people at Carnival Cruise Lines, the staff was using 10 passenger vans for the transfer from the airport to the Carnival Triumph and they told us they couldn't take the scooter. We ended up waiting at the airport for almost two hours until they finally switched to a full size bus that had room for it and the many waiting cruisers. Still, it was worth the wait has it was a great help to have the scooter on the ship.
Once on ship, we got lunch on the Lido deck then went to out cabin. Our luggage was already there so we got unpacked before the ship sailed. We watched from our starboard side balcony as the ship left the pier and sailed out of New York Harbor. As we passed the Statue of Liberty, we heard faint singing from the forward part of the ship. It grew louder as voices joined in and soon we realized that the passengers out on the upper decks were singing "God Bless America."
After the statue, we went down to the Paris Dinning Room where we met our new table mates Rodger and Denise. They were excellent company on those nights we all made it to the dinning room. Dinner was very good, as usual. After getting up early and spending a long day traveling, we were ready to relax in our cabin for a while and turn in early.
Day 2 - Boston
The ship wasn't due to dock in Boston until 2 PM giving us a chance to sleep in a little on this first full cruise day. When we did wake up, it was to an overcast sky with rain in the forecast. We got breakfast on the Lido deck then attended the cruise director's port talk. Jorge Salano is the funniest cruise director we have sailed with so far. He had everyone in the crowd laughing at each event he conducted. His previous life as a stand up comic is still serving him well.
After the port talk, we stopped at the shore excursion desk for one last check to be sure the scooter was going to be OK on the excursions. To our surprise, and despite everything we had been told before the cruise, the manager told us that no scooters were allowed on any shore excursion. We would have to take one of the ships wheelchairs. Even when we showed him that Georgia's scooter took up no more space and weighed about the same as a wheelchair, he refused to even consider it. So, we hurried to guest services and got a chair for our afternoon in Boston and Salem. Carnival needs to get their information straight so that everyone on shore and aboard the ships is on the same page when it comes to access for the disabled..
Georgia and I both have Salem ancestry so, as avid genealogists, we were looking forward to a chance to see the old cemetery and look for family gravestones. Unfortunately, it was starting to rain as we arrived in the town. Georgia and some of the others were smart enough to stay on the bus at the cemetery. I, and a few others, decided to brave the light rain. That light rain quickly turned into a downpour discouraging any idea I had of inspecting the graves. A quick look around and then back to the bud was all we could do. Even that short stop left us soaked to the skin.
Our next stop was the Witch Museum. Salem was so ashamed of what happened during the witch hysteria of 1692 that, for over two centuries, the people of the town did everything they could to forget that part of their history. It was not until 1992, 300 years after the events, that a memorial was dedicated to those who were killed. Today the pendulum has probably swung too far the other way. The town is full of businesses capitalizing on the witch trials. There are some attractions that try be historically accurate though and the Witch Museum's presentation, while dramatic, is pretty true to history.
On the way back to the ship, our driver and guide gave us a great bus tour of Boston. By the time we boarded the ship we were way to late for dinner so we grabbed a slice of pizza on the Lido deck.
Day 3 - Portland
Today's excursion was the longest of the cruise. Our group was the first off the ship in the morning and the last back on that night. We traveled from Portland, Maine into the state of New Hampshire and to the base of Mount Washington, the highest peak in New England at 6,288 ft. It known for it's extreme weather, holding the record for the highest wind gust measured at the Earth's surface, 231 MPH. The mountain is located in the Presidential Range of the White Mountains.
We saw the best fall colors of the whole trip on this tour. We were a week or so too early for peak color but what we saw was still good. The two and a half hour drive to mountain took us through some lovely Maine and New Hampshire countryside. Unlike the day before, the weather was beautiful. A mostly clear sky and temperature about 70.
We arrived at the Mount Washington Cog Railway station about 11:30 AM. The "Cog" was the world's first mountain climbing cog railway and, as it has for 140 years, still carries passengers to the top of the mountain. Over those years the railway has switched from wood burning steam engines to coal fired steam and, while they still run a couple steam trains, is now making the conversion from steam to bio-diesel engines. The experience of riding up a mountain aboard a train is still the same as it always was though. Before boarding the coach, we were handed a box lunch to eat during the hour plus ride to the top. It is only a two and a half mile trip but the train climbs very slowly. At Jacob's Ladder, the steepest part of the climb, the train is going up a 37% grade and the front of the passenger coach is twelve feet above the rear.
Once we got to the summit, we had an hour to enjoy the views and explore the mountain top. There is a visitors center with a snack bar and gift shop and the famous Mount Washington Observatory. A viewing platform is on top of the building and provides the best views on the Presidential Range and the sides of Mount Washington itself. The ride back down is a little quicker than the trip up but no less exciting. Here is where the brakeman earns his pay using the hand wheels to brake the coach and keep it on the tracks.
We made it back to the ship just before the sailing time of 6 PM so skipped dinner in the Paris Dining room again in favor of the Lido deck buffet. It was a long day but a wonderful excursion.
Our day started early. I was up at 3:30 AM and got Georgia up at 4:00 to be ready when our cab arrived at 4:45. Since Georgia broke her foot last December, she has had a problem walking. Detached tendons in her left foot make it very hard for her to balance properly. When we went to Hawaii in the spring, we used a wheelchair to get around on the ship and on shore excursions. After we got back, she bought a light weight mobility scooter to make travel easier. It worked well at Oshkosh and on short trips but this was the first time we took it on a cruise or on an airliner. Georgia had called the airline and made sure the TravelScoot could be gate checked. It would be fine but, we needed to be at the check-in desk two hours before the flight.We got to O'Hare in plenty of time and, as promised, the scooter was no problem. Georgia rode it to gate before o it was placed in the cargo hold of the MD80. Our flight was right on time and a stiff tailwind even got us to LaGuardia Airport a half hour early. The scooter was waiting for us at the gate when we got off the airplane. Unfortunately, our luck with it ran out there. Despite assurances from the disability people, our cruise planner and the shore excursion people at Carnival Cruise Lines, the staff was using 10 passenger vans for the transfer from the airport to the Carnival Triumph and they told us they couldn't take the scooter. We ended up waiting at the airport for almost two hours until they finally switched to a full size bus that had room for it and the many waiting cruisers. Still, it was worth the wait has it was a great help to have the scooter on the ship.
Once on ship, we got lunch on the Lido deck then went to out cabin. Our luggage was already there so we got unpacked before the ship sailed. We watched from our starboard side balcony as the ship left the pier and sailed out of New York Harbor. As we passed the Statue of Liberty, we heard faint singing from the forward part of the ship. It grew louder as voices joined in and soon we realized that the passengers out on the upper decks were singing "God Bless America."
After the statue, we went down to the Paris Dinning Room where we met our new table mates Rodger and Denise. They were excellent company on those nights we all made it to the dinning room. Dinner was very good, as usual. After getting up early and spending a long day traveling, we were ready to relax in our cabin for a while and turn in early.
Day 2 - Boston
After the port talk, we stopped at the shore excursion desk for one last check to be sure the scooter was going to be OK on the excursions. To our surprise, and despite everything we had been told before the cruise, the manager told us that no scooters were allowed on any shore excursion. We would have to take one of the ships wheelchairs. Even when we showed him that Georgia's scooter took up no more space and weighed about the same as a wheelchair, he refused to even consider it. So, we hurried to guest services and got a chair for our afternoon in Boston and Salem. Carnival needs to get their information straight so that everyone on shore and aboard the ships is on the same page when it comes to access for the disabled..
Georgia and I both have Salem ancestry so, as avid genealogists, we were looking forward to a chance to see the old cemetery and look for family gravestones. Unfortunately, it was starting to rain as we arrived in the town. Georgia and some of the others were smart enough to stay on the bus at the cemetery. I, and a few others, decided to brave the light rain. That light rain quickly turned into a downpour discouraging any idea I had of inspecting the graves. A quick look around and then back to the bud was all we could do. Even that short stop left us soaked to the skin.
Our next stop was the Witch Museum. Salem was so ashamed of what happened during the witch hysteria of 1692 that, for over two centuries, the people of the town did everything they could to forget that part of their history. It was not until 1992, 300 years after the events, that a memorial was dedicated to those who were killed. Today the pendulum has probably swung too far the other way. The town is full of businesses capitalizing on the witch trials. There are some attractions that try be historically accurate though and the Witch Museum's presentation, while dramatic, is pretty true to history.
On the way back to the ship, our driver and guide gave us a great bus tour of Boston. By the time we boarded the ship we were way to late for dinner so we grabbed a slice of pizza on the Lido deck.
Day 3 - Portland
Today's excursion was the longest of the cruise. Our group was the first off the ship in the morning and the last back on that night. We traveled from Portland, Maine into the state of New Hampshire and to the base of Mount Washington, the highest peak in New England at 6,288 ft. It known for it's extreme weather, holding the record for the highest wind gust measured at the Earth's surface, 231 MPH. The mountain is located in the Presidential Range of the White Mountains.We saw the best fall colors of the whole trip on this tour. We were a week or so too early for peak color but what we saw was still good. The two and a half hour drive to mountain took us through some lovely Maine and New Hampshire countryside. Unlike the day before, the weather was beautiful. A mostly clear sky and temperature about 70.
We arrived at the Mount Washington Cog Railway station about 11:30 AM. The "Cog" was the world's first mountain climbing cog railway and, as it has for 140 years, still carries passengers to the top of the mountain. Over those years the railway has switched from wood burning steam engines to coal fired steam and, while they still run a couple steam trains, is now making the conversion from steam to bio-diesel engines. The experience of riding up a mountain aboard a train is still the same as it always was though. Before boarding the coach, we were handed a box lunch to eat during the hour plus ride to the top. It is only a two and a half mile trip but the train climbs very slowly. At Jacob's Ladder, the steepest part of the climb, the train is going up a 37% grade and the front of the passenger coach is twelve feet above the rear.
Once we got to the summit, we had an hour to enjoy the views and explore the mountain top. There is a visitors center with a snack bar and gift shop and the famous Mount Washington Observatory. A viewing platform is on top of the building and provides the best views on the Presidential Range and the sides of Mount Washington itself. The ride back down is a little quicker than the trip up but no less exciting. Here is where the brakeman earns his pay using the hand wheels to brake the coach and keep it on the tracks.
We made it back to the ship just before the sailing time of 6 PM so skipped dinner in the Paris Dining room again in favor of the Lido deck buffet. It was a long day but a wonderful excursion.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Waukegan Air Show - 2009
Warbirds from the Warbird Heritage Foundation Museum, located on the field, were on static display. Several of them also performed flybys before and during the air show.
The Sky Knights Sport Parachute Club based at East Troy Airport in Wisconsin opened the show with a skydiving demo and flag presentation. All four jumpers made perfect stand-up landings right at show center. The flag was escorted by the Aerostars three ship formation team.
Dave Dacy from Harvard, Illinois who flew his Super Stearman in both a solo act and then later with wing walker Tony Kazian on the outside of the airplane.
Mike Vaknin in his Extra 300L, Herb Baker and his T28C named “Ditto”, Bob Davis with his Sukhoi 29, Mike Love in the Yak 52, and Jim "Fang" Maroney in his deHaviland Super Chipmunk all performed high energy solo routines.
The Aerostars in their Yak 52TW aircraft and the Hoppers four ship L-39 Albatross jet team provided the precision formation flying. Paul Stender wowed the crowd with his 300+ mile per hour jet powered Dodge Ram truck and
the jet powered outhouse comedy routine.
This was an excellent show and plans are underway to make the 2010 edition even bigger and better so, let's hope the hard financial times that forced the cancellation in 2008 are behind us for good.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Waukegan Airshow this Saturday
Don't forget the Waukegan Airshow is coming up this Saturday - September 19. Gates open at 10AM and the show starts at 1PM.
See you there!
See you there!
Saturday, August 29, 2009
I'm Still Here
I know that I have been lax about posting lately. I have been busy at work and with my new project. As some of you already know, I have been trying my hand at freelance web content writing over on eHow. So far, it has been going well but takes a lot of time to get it off the ground. Hopefully, as I get more established, I will be able to spend less time on it.
No flying recently but i hope to get back to that soon too. Then there is the next cruise coming up later this month. So many things on my plate and so little time.
No flying recently but i hope to get back to that soon too. Then there is the next cruise coming up later this month. So many things on my plate and so little time.
Monday, August 17, 2009
AirVenture 2009 Video
Here is a wonderful video from AirVenture 2009 that is making a big splash on YouTube and beyond. I don't know the young man who created it but he did a great job.
Weekend Road Trip
Georgia and I decided Friday night that we would make a spur of the moment trip to the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana to do some genealogy research. We got on the road about 6:30 Saturday morning and arrived at the library just before noon. We lost an hour for the time zone change so it was actually just a four and a half hour trip.
We spent a productive afternoon in the family history book section. Georgia wanted to look at a particular book about her ancestors, which was the main reason for the trip, but I found some new information to add to my tree too. The ACPL has the second largest genealogy department in the country, after the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, so we try to get there every year. It always pays off for us.
We left the library at closing time and checked into the Hilton just down the street. The desk clerk recommended a couple nearby restaurants for dinner and we chose to get pizza at Toscani. Try it if you are in Fort Wayne. It was very good.
Our drive back on Sunday was no problem, until we got to Chicago. The Air & Water Show was on but I thought we had timed it right to get through without much traffic. We almost did but, just as we neared the loop, it started raining hard. Traffic slowed to a crawl and, to make it worse, people decided to leave the airshow because of the weather. It ended up taking us a good hour to go the next 10 miles or so. But, we made it home safely so the trip was a success all around.
I haven't had any time for flying lately. My work load at my job has been heavy. I was scheduled for today but there is a good chance of thunderstorms this afternoon so I rescheduled for Thursday. Hopefully that will work out.
We spent a productive afternoon in the family history book section. Georgia wanted to look at a particular book about her ancestors, which was the main reason for the trip, but I found some new information to add to my tree too. The ACPL has the second largest genealogy department in the country, after the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, so we try to get there every year. It always pays off for us.
We left the library at closing time and checked into the Hilton just down the street. The desk clerk recommended a couple nearby restaurants for dinner and we chose to get pizza at Toscani. Try it if you are in Fort Wayne. It was very good.
Our drive back on Sunday was no problem, until we got to Chicago. The Air & Water Show was on but I thought we had timed it right to get through without much traffic. We almost did but, just as we neared the loop, it started raining hard. Traffic slowed to a crawl and, to make it worse, people decided to leave the airshow because of the weather. It ended up taking us a good hour to go the next 10 miles or so. But, we made it home safely so the trip was a success all around.
I haven't had any time for flying lately. My work load at my job has been heavy. I was scheduled for today but there is a good chance of thunderstorms this afternoon so I rescheduled for Thursday. Hopefully that will work out.
Monday, August 03, 2009
AirVenture 2009 - Part 2
We spent the rest of the morning visiting vendor booths. In particular, I wanted to see the latest GPS units and Electronic Flight Bags that are available. A couple vendors really stuck out for me. The Anywhere Map SST has some very nice features especially when the optional UltraTaws high resolution terrain package is added. For a smaller unit, the Anywhere Map ATC surprised me with how easy to use it is and how readable the screen is. With the addition of Pocket Plates 3, it is a very usable IFR tool. Newly announced at the show was MaxNav for the ATC which adds high resolution sectional charts.
The other handheld GPS manufacturer that impressed me was Bendix King. Their new Av8or Ace EFB looks like it can do everything I would need. The base map, approach plates, low and high enroute charts and taxi diagrams are all georeferenced so the aircraft position is displayed on the chart. In addition, this unit can interface with IFR certified panel units including the Bendix King KLN94 and the Garmin GPS 430/530. In that configuration, the Ace displays the course and waypoint information loaded into the panel mounted GPS.
Both Anywhere Map units and the Av8or Ace support XM weather and Zaon traffic avoidance displayed on the screen. I suspect I could be happy with any of the three systems but, the Bendix King would probably be my first choice.
We also visited the Bose and Lightspeed displays so that Georgia could try on some headsets. She liked the feel of the Lightspeed Zulu the best. Maybe a new headset is in her future? She has been using my original Flightcom 4DLX. We saw a lot more products, too many to include everything here, before going to Saturdays airshow.
The helicopter took off, flew toward Lake Winnebago and was back in just a few minutes. It flew down the runway dropping water over about a half mile of ground.
At the end of the showcase, a camera helicopter flew along the flightline getting pictures of the crowd for upcoming films about AirVenture. We all got to be "extras" for a few minutes.
You won't see this many vintage fighters, reconnaissance airplanes, bombers and trainers in the air at the same time anywhere else.
The days airshow featured: Liberty Parachute Team - Skydiving/Parachute, AeroShell Team - (4) T-6's, Kirby Chambliss - Edge 540, Collaborators - 4 Ship, Mike Goulian - Extra, Greg Koontz - Decathlon, Misty Blues - Skydiving/Parachute, David Martin - Extra, Gene Soucy - Showcat Solo, Sean Tucker - Pitts. Again, this was a non-stop, action packed airshow. Every year, AirVenture attracts the very best airshow performers. They volunteer to come to Oshkosh because it represents a major achievement in their careers. These really are the best of the best.
We spent Saturday night in Oshkosh and had dinner at Friar Tuck's. We can recommend it to any AirVenture attendees. I like the prime rib sandwich while Georgia prefers the Reuben. Then, on Sunday morning we left to make the drive back home. The hotel is right off the end of runway 27 and, as we loaded the car, we watched the string of airplanes leaving for home too. They came over in a constant stream with less than 30 seconds between them as they fanned out across the country - until next years AirVenture.
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