Tomorrow the adventure continues

 Saturday, July 29

Another week has sped by and it's hard to believe that Oshkosh will be over tomorrow and Dennis and I will be taking flight again.

There are so many highlights from this past week that I almost don't know where to start.

Probably the most significant aspect of Oshkosh, for me, has been the friends I've made by being a volunteer in the Ultralight/Light Sport Fun Fly area. There are so many cliches about Oshkosh being about the people more than the planes, and I wholeheartedly believe it. One example: I've been camping under my wing, in spite of torrential downpours, and my tent has been leaking more and more.

When the downpours became serious lightning storms, the other volunteers wouldn't hear of me staying in my tent. So they'd check the weather each night, and if the radar showed lightning storms, they insisted that I sleep in the Ultralight barn. (Where registrations and merchandise are sold.)

Other highlights:

1. the incredible variety of planes. Here are a few - and there are thousands!

I had to stop myself from posting all the photos I took.

2. The in-the-air activities

There are so many different things going on. During the day there are air shows. 

The only downside to the airshows is the ear-splitting sound of the military jets as they do amazing routines.

In the evenings, at the Utralight runway, (we have a900' grass strip,) there are STOL (Short Take-Off & Landing) demonstrations. This is Steve Henry, a STOL Champion many times over.

There are also Powered Paraglider and Powered Paramotor demonstrations. One feisty woman PPG instructor nearly convinced me that I too could carry a 50 lb. motor and prop on my back and learn to foot launch! One evening ended with five PPGs, all lit up, doing some formation routines. Here is one of them getting ready to take off.

Here's a PPG flying near a balloon.

3. The learning opportunities

There were over 1500 forums, workshops, and other learning activities. I gave one on our flight to get here...and other long distance flights I've made.

4. And there were just so many other fun things to see and do.

The folks who manufacture M&Ms are big supporters of AirVenture and their signature is all over.

There are trams, shuttles, golf carts, and charming VW bugs providing transportation, although most people walk, and walk, and walk, and walk.

The evening airshow on Wednesday ended with a huge fireworks display that lasted almost 30 minutes, and began with a PPG and a flag.

Now it's time to begin doing our route planning for our flight home. We leave tomorrow morning and I'm excited about the route, since we'll be flying the northern border and planning on stopping in Glacier National Park for a day or so.

I'll resume blogging almost daily - so I hope you stay tuned.