One of the beautiful things about Oshkosh is the self-deception: Stand in the middle of the crowded grounds, teaming with people and aircraft, and you can enjoy the momentary illusion that aviation is actually a popular, well-attended activity.
The illusion gets harder to maintain each year because age (and time spent working beside Paul Bertorelli) forms an ever-thickening cynical crust. This year should have marked a brightening in the aviation outlook—there were major product announcements from $515,000 diesel-powered Skylanes to $1000 combo ADS-B/GPS/AHRS units that turn your iPad into a handheld glass panel and fit in your pocket (see page 17). But it was notably lacking in what Oshkosh is almost always good for: people.
