The "Official" EAA AirVenture 2010 thread

[Flyin Illini]

I might skip peoria on sunday and head up there.

[DenverWarbirdFan]

Just got word from my bud Will W. two MiG-21s arriving early Wed morning--a single seater and a two seater.

Did the 21's arrive today?

[Mike]

Anybody heading to the Whiteside County Airport this weekend for the DC-3 stuff? Looks like I'll be there Saturday for sure and maybe Sunday. I'm only a 100 miles away, so it's a short drive.

I'll be there Sunday and Monday.

Expect 'combat photography' - apparently there are 60+ EAA-accredited media, another 300 or so photographers plus Michael O'Leary coming!

[Tim Adams]

Anybody heading to the Whiteside County Airport this weekend for the DC-3 stuff? Looks like I'll be there Saturday for sure and maybe Sunday. I'm only a 100 miles away, so it's a short drive.

I'll be there Sunday and Monday.

Expect 'combat photography' - apparently there are 60+ EAA-accredited media, another 300 or so photographers plus Michael O'Leary coming!

Unless I'm missing something it's an open county airport. It should be open to anybody. I do have EAA media through my local chapter, but I can't pick that up until I get to OSH.

[Tim Adams]

I just found an article online and addmission is free at Whiteside. It is going to be nuts by the looks of it. They are expecting 10,000 each day this weekend.

[Don Parsons]

FW-190 not going to be there?

Please forgive me if this old knowlege, this thread is hard to keep up with.

The FW 190 has been taken off the aircraft attractions page. Does this mean it will not be there?

Also, as a side note. Real "Vintage" aircraft coming to Osh has been in decline for years. I'm not bringing mine this year. No grass runway, no place to get food at night, parking of Bonanza's/Cessna 182's/Mooney's in the Vintage area while airplanes made 30 years previous are parked in North Fond Du Lac. Then there's having to pay to have access to my own airplane. Why bother?

I've talked to HG and been invited to talk to Tom. It won't change anything so I haven't called.

[wwrw2007]

So on the Airventure website they show a PB4Y-2 in Aeroshell square. What plane is going to be there? I didn't realize any were actively flying yet.

[Flyin Illini]

Yes the FW-190 wont be there and yes there maybe still some Priveteers flying. There was a few used as fire fighters that maybe are still flying and supposedly a few were being restored.

[wwrw2007]

yes there maybe still some Priveteers flying. There was a few used as fire fighters that maybe are still flying and supposedly a few were being restored.

I realize that there are a few that are still considered airworthy I just didn't realize any were actually being flown and more importantly what plane is going to be at Oshkosh?

[AIRIC]

This is our 33rd straight, Zach, and in fairness, I think it's only about the last 5-6 years that it's been building back up. Before that, there was a steady decline in attendance for 5 years or so. EAA admitted that.

The last three have been super, but around 2005 we were considering ending our run. It wasn't a long consideration, but EAA was being pretty unfriendly to WOA types.

Now we have a number of good friends from Canada (that's a town in northern NY state) going for the first time, and it's looking awesome!

I will have security with me, so please don't approach me there.
Rich

Way to go Rich, now I will have to bring Miss Bern for security. Especially if Will Ward is going to be there

Eric

[Brad]

wasnt their talks of the cargo heritage flight at osh? anybody have an idea on which day if it is happening still?

Everything is finally coming together for the C-17. Unless I get in trouble between now and then, we will be arriving on Thursday around noon or so. The Cargo Heritage Flight is CANXd for the time being. Problems on both side, USAF and civilian. It might happen after all but I'm not holding my breath.

We will still be flying the demo on Thursday (short demo), Friday and Sunday, heading home on Monday.

[WarbirdRadio]

We're headed to Lethbridge tomorrow for the Alberta International Airshow...then it's on to Oshkosh. I can't wait! Hope to see you all there.

v/r
Matt Jolley

P.S. Check out the pics from today's adventure. http://www.warbirdradio.com/2010/07/update-from-idaho/

[Zachary]

FW-190 not going to be there?

Please forgive me if this old knowlege, this thread is hard to keep up with.

The FW 190 has been taken off the aircraft attractions page. Does this mean it will not be there?

Also, as a side note. Real "Vintage" aircraft coming to Osh has been in decline for years. I'm not bringing mine this year. No grass runway, no place to get food at night, parking of Bonanza's/Cessna 182's/Mooney's in the Vintage area while airplanes made 30 years previous are parked in North Fond Du Lac. Then there's having to pay to have access to my own airplane. Why bother?

I've talked to HG and been invited to talk to Tom. It won't change anything so I haven't called.

The oil cooler problems could not be overcome in time to get the 190 here. Unfortunate, but sometimes gremlins muck things up. On a side note, despite not having a grass strip, we still get some pretty unique vintage aircraft. No, it's not like Blakesburg or Brodhead, but we do well enough. Don, I don't understand why you complain on this thread, but then don't make the effort to actually voice your concerns to Tom P. Despite what you might think, he takes calls from members all the time, and takes into account their concerns. If it's not worth your time to talk to him, I don't see why it was worth your time to complain here. As you said yourself, why bother?

Zack

[richkolasa]

FW-190 not going to be there?

Please forgive me if this old knowlege, this thread is hard to keep up with.

The FW 190 has been taken off the aircraft attractions page. Does this mean it will not be there?

Also, as a side note. Real "Vintage" aircraft coming to Osh has been in decline for years. I'm not bringing mine this year. No grass runway, no place to get food at night, parking of Bonanza's/Cessna 182's/Mooney's in the Vintage area while airplanes made 30 years previous are parked in North Fond Du Lac. Then there's having to pay to have access to my own airplane. Why bother?

I've talked to HG and been invited to talk to Tom. It won't change anything so I haven't called.

The oil cooler problems could not be overcome in time to get the 190 here. Unfortunate, but sometimes gremlins muck things up. On a side note, despite not having a grass strip, we still get some pretty unique vintage aircraft. No, it's not like Blakesburg or Brodhead, but we do well enough. Don, I don't understand why you complain on this thread, but then don't make the effort to actually voice your concerns to Tom P. Despite what you might think, he takes calls from members all the time, and takes into account their concerns. If it's not worth your time to talk to him, I don't see why it was worth your time to complain here. As you said yourself, why bother?

Zack

Zack, not sure how old you are, but if you go back to I'd say from about 1996-2004 and talk to a lot of people, the opinions would echo this gentleman's. I've spoken to many a pilot of an antique/classic that was fed up with EAA's "management" of AirVenture.

The late Jim Wright was P.O'd that EAA didn't want him to fly the Hughes racer replica at Oshkosh. The Connie's didn't fly in the show the last 4-5 years that they attended. The general thought was that EAA was money-hungry and more interested in getting more McDonalds' set up than providing fuel for aircraft to fly. Remember, Oshkosh is not paying people to have aircraft there, but benefits from the aircraft being there. Fuel for the most interesting aircraft to fly seemed little to pay.

Like I said, it's grown and there has been a lot of progress in the "feel" of Oshkosh these last 5 years, but it's still too corporate to a lot of people.

Rich

[Zachary]

Rich, I get it, you've had problems with Oshkosh in the past. Maybe you still do. Seriously, I get it. This is starting to feel like you and I are the CAF and the NMUSAF! All I'm saying is, Don has the opportunity to talk to Tom P. about his concerns, and then doesn't do it, yet is still compelled to complain about it here, where it does no good. If you have problems with EAA, voice your concerns on the Oshkosh365 forums, where senior members of the EAA staff, including Tom P., read the posts. Or pick up the phone and call Tom. I'm just a peon in the scope of things at EAA, but I've been to enough meetings to know that complaints and criticisms of the organization and the event do get discussed, and more often than not, the organization tries to meet everyone's expectations. That being said, posting one's complaints about the Vintage division in a warbirds forum isn't going to accomplish much...

That being said, I'd still like to buy Don (and you) a beer, because I've enjoyed his photography (and yours) for several years now, and frankly, I'm done "defending" EAA in this thread. I didn't start the thread to talk about the failures of the past, but to discuss what's happening at AirVenture 2010. My only real complaint is directed at Mother Nature, who seems to really enjoy pissing on Oshkosh of late...enough is enough already! Bring your hip waders folks!