June is upon us, and with it comes eager anticipation for the general aviation event of the year, EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. After months of seemingly endless cold weather and extended hours of darkness, we’re on the brink of epic times with lifelong friends.
AirVenture (July 21-27) is a massive fly-in where over 10,000 airplanes arrive for a weeklong celebration of all things aviation. It’s best experienced as an airplane owner. There’s nothing quite like waking up beneath your own wing to the sound of P-51s taking off in formation only a few hundred feet away. “Bad” days are still fantastic, even when they involve heavy rain or clouds of mosquitoes so thick they deserve mention in METARs.
- READ MORE: EAA AirVenture Oshkosh NOTAM Now Available
It’s not lost on me how fortunate I am to be able to experience this, and I don’t take it for granted for one second. Having experienced the event first as a renter, long before I bought an airplane, I think I appreciate it that much more.
I took my first trips to Oshkosh when I was a student pilot and later, a new private pilot. In those days, I was working at a local bicycle shop, dutifully transferring almost all of my take-home pay into my account at my flying club. When I learned that other members had plans to make the trip, I worked as much overtime as possible to afford my share and happily tagged along.
There, the reality matched the hype. Suddenly, I was standing in the presence of obscure aircraft types I’d only ever seen in books. The landing light on a 5-mile final could be anything from a World War II-era warbird to a supersonic military jet to a Beaver on floats, and the anticipation was as magical as the reward.
On top of the airplanes, the crowd was like nothing I’d ever experienced before. Everyone is in a great mood at Oshkosh. If you strike up a conversation with the person standing in line next to you as you wait for your bratwurst, chances are good you’ll walk away with a new friend and an invite to that evening’s underwing soiree.
After enjoying my first few trips to Oshkosh as a renter, I entered a long-lasting period of my life where I was neither an owner nor a renter. For over a decade, life took a different path, and I was simply an enthusiast. But this didn’t stop me from being creative and getting my Oshkosh fix however I could.
Typically, I did so by determining which of my friends were flying in on any given year and mooching off of them. I’d load my camping gear into my car, drive to Oshkosh, and stash my vehicle in a vacant lot across from the airport. From there, I’d hike into the North 40, locate my airplane owner friends, and set up camp beneath their wing.
It was still a grand time. Formation takeoffs of various warbirds would still wake me up, and I’d still spend my day wandering the grounds, discovering aircraft types I’d never seen, and meeting new airplane friends. I’d still dream of ownership, envisioning the day I’d be privileged enough to fly my own plane in. But in the meantime, I was loving life.
My first trip to Oshkosh in my very own airplane was as epic as I had envisioned, and the entire week felt surreal. There I was, at long last, camping beneath my own wing. With me were some of my very own Oshkosh moochers, celebrating my airplane acquisition alongside me in their tents beneath my other wing.
I’ve now flown into the big event for four consecutive years, and with the exception of the year my plane was on display at the Garmin exhibit to display the new instrument panel, I’ve always made a point to invite friends to join me for the fun. Whether they ride with me or meet me there, I always try to gather at least one friend to set up their tent with me—ideally as their first Oshkosh experience.
Thus far, it’s been hugely rewarding to share the experience with the newcomers and see it through their eyes. Even when introducing seasoned airline and corporate pilots to the event, hearing their awestruck impressions and seeing their wide eyes takes me back to my own first trips, when I could scarcely believe what I was witnessing taxi past, right in front of me.
It’s a moral obligation—an ambassadorial requirement of sorts, where, as an aircraft owner, it is my duty to thoroughly welcome newcomers to the magic of GA in general and to Oshkosh in particular. It’s one I’m honored to fulfill.
This year, I’ve invited a coworker from the United Kingdom. Despite having a lifetime of experience flying for the Royal Air Force and later, flying business jets all around Europe, he’s never made it to Oshkosh. Upon learning this, I informed him to bring only himself and to leave the rest to me. I’ve got plenty of sunscreen and bug spray, and I’ve got a spare tent, sleeping bag, and pad for him to use.
He thinks he’s the one coming out ahead. Little does he know, I’m the lucky one, sharing the experience of a lifetime and reliving my own magical first visits, all at once.
