My Final Oshkosh

tmcquinn

tmcquinn

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Jun 8, 2008
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106
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Cincinnati
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T.McQuinn
I haven't posted much on POA. Hi all. I don't know if this will be worth reading or just stream of consciousness spewing in lieu of therapy...

My first Oshkosh was 2002. Two attempts to camp at OSH were unsuccessful and we stayed at Fond du Lac, which isn't for me. I have been every year since and camped in the N40, though not without a few diversions while we waited for spots to open up. Today I'm starting to get the gear together. Knowing it's the last time saddens me more than it should. But this year is the end. I bought the Archer in 1997. I've been through the new engine, paint, leather, endless fixes, the whole nine yards. But it has to go. The Navworx ADS-B fiasco came just after I spent more than I was comfortable with on the hardware. It looks like it will have a happy ending but there's no telling what will pop up next. I think that having a sticky seat belt retractor turn into a $1400 bill was the last straw. I see these rotting hulks that belong to guys who won't admit defeat and I don't intend for mine to become one of them. Everything, and I mean everything, works and I'm selling it while it still can be enjoyed by someone. I'm not going to tie it down outside and watch it slowly fade to dust. This isn't a sales pitch. I have a buyer.

I hate camping and I mean I hate it. But there is something about camping in the N40 that is just magic. I will miss it. Yeah, I could drive and camp with the civilians but I just can't imagine that being an enjoyable experience. I'm going to miss the sunsets, the sunrises, the planes, the camaraderie, the adventure, and most everything except the inevitable storms. There have been plenty of things in this life that I didn't have the good sense to enjoy while they were still around but Oshkosh wasn't one of them. Each and every time I attended was great, minus the inevitable glitches and frustrations. And I have one more ahead of me to enjoy!
 
The cost of ownership isn't for everybody and there are flying clubs in Cincinnati.
 
You don't have to give up Oshkosh just because you are selling your plane. You can still attend, maybe rent a RV or have a trailer dropped off in the North 40 and then you're camping with more creature comforts. Or spring for a hotel sooner. But it would still be fun to go to OSH every year.

In terms of aircraft, there are alternatives, though none cheap. Newer may help delay some of the inevitable costs. Or going with an E-AB might allow you to do some maintenance and upgrades yourself without an LOA and make operations a bit cheaper.

Good luck to you, and enjoy OSH!
 
weilke said:
Do you need 4 seats ? Buy a reasonably priced RV8 and say good bye to paying $500 for a $60 Chrysler part.
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As someone I know says, they primarily use "NAPA's Aviation Department" for parts shopping.
 
FlyingElvii said:
As someone I know says, they primarily use "NAPA's Aviation Department" for parts shopping.
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I went into a NAPA auto parts store to buy a windshield sun reflector. The kid asked me what it was for and I said a Bonanza. He scratched his head and asked "who makes that"? I told him it was an airplane and he thought that was the coolest thing he ever heard.
 
I tried to get the lenses for my tip lights cleaned at Walmart. I took them off and the guys like "You need to bring the car here" I'm like "They are for a plane, where's your runway?"

Ended up taking to be a roadside guy... polished up clear as could be!
 
On another forum, we were talking about the cost of buying a 6" piece of radiator hose for a Rotax. From the distributor, the price would be well over 5 times the price of going to NAPA, O'Reillys, or Pep Boys to get the same piece of radiator tubing. But without an LOA, you're stuck. Unless you go E-AB (or E-LSA in this case), then NAPA is the ticket!
 
rtk11 said:
On another forum, we were talking about the cost of buying a 6" piece of radiator hose for a Rotax. From the distributor, the price would be well over 5 times the price of going to NAPA, O'Reillys, or Pep Boys to get the same piece of radiator tubing. But without an LOA, you're stuck. Unless you go E-AB (or E-LSA in this case), then NAPA is the ticket!
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Yes, stuck. Death by 1,000 sticks and pokes. I had a really good run for many years and could just pay it and enjoy the experience. Maybe something with "experimental" is in my future. Time will tell.
 
I've flown to Oshkosh and have camped in the N40 quite a few times.

FWIW - these days - I could certainly fly there but BTDT and I prefer to drive and camp in Scholler. It's nicer there - I can bring more supplies - and as a result I have a more enjoyable experience.
 
jesse said:
I've flown to Oshkosh and have camped in the N40 quite a few times.

FWIW - these days - I could certainly fly there but BTDT and I prefer to drive and camp in Scholler. It's nicer there - I can bring more supplies - and as a result I have a more enjoyable experience.
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Have a group of friends flying in on Sat and parking in the North 40 for a week. Many are staying in hotels and want people to camp at their planes, so that's what I am doing. I don't own and I can't afford to drop $3K+ to rent, and am still able to attend in a way that is apparently the most fun. I would have been just as happy camping in Scholler, tho. Seems absurd to say you are done with osh forever just because you're no longer an owner.
 
I am in agreement with many. One of the wiser men I know, Dr. Bruce Chien, likens GA to herpes. It never goes away. If you are tired of the expense of certification an experimental might be a good option. After your aircraft is gone you'll find yourself looking longingly into the sky. Money in the bank does nothing, its purpose is to make us happy.
 
Don't give up. You may come across someone like myself. I have a two seat experimental and would love to have another pilot and I fly into Oshkosh in it. I do not want to do this trip alone and would love to have a chance to share this experience with another like yourself. I am sure there are others like me looking for this same thing.

Tony
 
steingar said:
I am in agreement with many. One of the wiser men I know, Dr. Bruce Chien, likens GA to herpes. It never goes away. If you are tired of the expense of certification an experimental might be a good option. After your aircraft is gone you'll find yourself looking longingly into the sky. Money in the bank does nothing, its purpose is to make us happy.
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We shall see. That does strike me as a damn good analogy. If I get back in the money someday I might get another one but two seats, less fuel burn, and a lot more maintenance options would be a big draw for me. Few of my friends and family want anything to do with light aircraft so it's not like having 'experimental' stenciled on the side would give me pause.
 
tmcquinn said:
We shall see. That does strike me as a damn good analogy. If I get back in the money someday I might get another one but two seats, less fuel burn, and a lot more maintenance options would be a big draw for me. Few of my friends and family want anything to do with light aircraft so it's not like having 'experimental' stenciled on the side would give me pause.
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Do what everyone else does, stencil it on the doorframe.
Sell the Archer and go to OSH next year with the money for the replacement ready to wire. There are always EXPs for sale. Experts on every type are at the meeting and you won't have difficulties finding someone to look at a candidate plane with you. Also, you wouldn't have difficulty finding someone to fly out to a smaller field and give you a check out in the type.
 
JOhnH said:
I went into a NAPA auto parts store to buy a windshield sun reflector. The kid asked me what it was for and I said a Bonanza. He scratched his head and asked "who makes that"? I told him it was an airplane and he thought that was the coolest thing he ever heard.
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Apparently some people here think your plane will spontaneously fall out of the sky because you are carrying a NAPA purchased item in it. :eek: :rolleyes:
 
tmcquinn said:
More supplies AND a car would sure be a good thing.
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Have you looked into bringing a couple of equity partners on board? Not only does it lower the cost of flying exponentially, it helps to ease the bite when the inevitable big-ticket repair comes along.
 
FlyingElvii said:
Have you looked into bringing a couple of equity partners on board? Not only does it lower the cost of flying exponentially, it helps to ease the bite when the inevitable big-ticket repair comes along.
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I've seen it work but it's not for me.

I think that writing the initial post, the act of turning emotions into words, helped, ridiculous as it may sound. I feel much better today. I bought the thing thinking I would have it for 10 years and I've had it 20. Not really too high on the grief scale if you think about it...
 
FlyingElvii said:
Have you looked into bringing a couple of equity partners on board? Not only does it lower the cost of flying exponentially, it helps to ease the bite when the inevitable big-ticket repair comes along.
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Another benefit that comes to mind is that airplanes hate to be hangar bound for weeks at a time. Bad stuff happens internally. A few partners will help keep it "exercised" and avoid gunk buildup and dry rot.
 
tmcquinn said:
I hate camping and I mean I hate it. But there is something about camping in the N40 that is just magic. I will miss it. Yeah, I could drive and camp with the civilians but I just can't imagine that being an enjoyable experience. I'm going to miss the sunsets, the sunrises, the planes, the camaraderie, the adventure, and most everything except the inevitable storms. There have been plenty of things in this life that I didn't have the good sense to enjoy while they were still around but Oshkosh wasn't one of them. Each and every time I attended was great, minus the inevitable glitches and frustrations. And I have one more ahead of me to enjoy!
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I've camped in the North 40, and I've camped in Camp Scholler "with the civilians" as you put it. Scholler isn't "civilians" it's pilots just like you and me. And after several years in the North 40, now I park the plane in GAP instead of GAC, and I camp in Camp Scholler.

Camping under the wing is magical, yes... But Scholler has more camp stores, more showers, the rules are a bit more relaxed, and you still get the awesome experience of living aviation 24/7 and waking up to the sound of aircraft overhead. But now, I can camp next to my buddies with the travel trailer and generator and make margaritas, take a lot more stuff with me, and have an easy way to go off-field for supplies, better food, etc.

So, come on down to the "south side" (er, southwest I guess) and experience Oshkosh in a whole new way, that's just as good if not better. Even if you don't like it, it beats the hell out of missing Oshkosh entirely!
 
flyingcheesehead said:
I've camped in the North 40, and I've camped in Camp Scholler "with the civilians" as you put it. Scholler isn't "civilians" it's pilots just like you and me. And after several years in the North 40, now I park the plane in GAP instead of GAC, and I camp in Camp Scholler.

Camping under the wing is magical, yes... But Scholler has more camp stores, more showers, the rules are a bit more relaxed, and you still get the awesome experience of living aviation 24/7 and waking up to the sound of aircraft overhead. But now, I can camp next to my buddies with the travel trailer and generator and make margaritas, take a lot more stuff with me, and have an easy way to go off-field for supplies, better food, etc.

So, come on down to the "south side" (er, southwest I guess) and experience Oshkosh in a whole new way, that's just as good if not better. Even if you don't like it, it beats the hell out of missing Oshkosh entirely!
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I will come down there and take a look. I don't think it's for me but maybe I accidentally went through the 'bad side' of Scholler. Who knows, maybe after a few years of no OSH I'll see it quite differently.

Not sure what rules could even be more relaxed but if I've been missing an annual Woodstock I'm gonna be so ****ed...
 
tmcquinn said:
I will come down there and take a look. I don't think it's for me but maybe I accidentally went through the 'bad side' of Scholler. Who knows, maybe after a few years of no OSH I'll see it quite differently.

Not sure what rules could even be more relaxed but if I've been missing an annual Woodstock I'm gonna be so ****ed...
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Come down to Scholler on Tuesday night, and meet a bunch of us PoAers in person! There's another thread in this forum with details, if you can't find it just do a search for "jambalaya." Excellent food, excellent people.

I don't know all of the differences in rules, but one obvious one is that campfires are allowed in Scholler where they're not in the North 40, for obvious reasons.
 
I would really like to do that. The way they're filling up the GAC it'll take some luck for me to be there on Tuesday.
 
By the way you write, it sounds as though you're getting out of aviation altogether, once the airplane is sold. Is that the case? I hope you have an enjoyable OSH17!
 
Yeah, I'm out. We shall see. I could see a really good club tempting me or an EAB if I end up somewhere with a huge garage. But thanks, I am planning to enjoy it. The way GAC is filling up I have a feeling that I'll have to choose between waiting a couple more days or camping at another airport.
 
tmcquinn said:
I would really like to do that. The way they're filling up the GAC it'll take some luck for me to be there on Tuesday.
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There was plenty of space earlier, it looked like. Unfortunately, the EAA site is all kinds of FUBAR at the moment, so we can't even check the parking status page.
 
I really didn't think they would still be full today. Camping at Brennand and hoping for a lucky break.
 
tmcquinn said:
Yeah, I'm out. We shall see. I could see a really good club tempting me or an EAB if I end up somewhere with a huge garage. But thanks, I am planning to enjoy it. The way GAC is filling up I have a feeling that I'll have to choose between waiting a couple more days or camping at another airport.
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"Just when I thought I was out... they pulled me back in..." :)
 
denverpilot said:
"Just when I thought I was out... they pulled me back in..." :)
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You're right, I'm still not out. I'm keeping the Archer until the end of the month and I'm have a physical today. And if I pass, there isn't a cloud in the sky...
 
After having camped in the N40, I honestly think I'd have more fun at Scholler. Probably going that route next year.
 
Cajun_Flyer said:
After having camped in the N40, I honestly think I'd have more fun at Scholler. Probably going that route next year.
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Honestly, I don't mean to put Scholler down. It just isn't for me. I wish you a great time there.

And it would be just like me to change my mind next year, drive up, and stay in a dorm. I had a very good time this year.
 
Checkout_my_Six said:
they're air conditioned?.....I heard from someone that was there that they weren't.
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Some of the dorms are but not all the rooms. The A/C ones go early.

I've camped in Scholler as I drove the 2400 nm round trip to OSH the first 5 times I attended. Then I was finally able to "afford" to buy my first airplane, a mechanically sound but gawdawful looking 1961 Cherokee 160. I flew it to Oshkosh 3 months later and camped in the N40 for the first time. Stayed in the dorms one year at the insistence of an older pilot friend who came with me but didn't want to "sleep on the ground".

Enjoyed every Oshkosh I've ever been to (can't bring myself to use that awkward description - Airventure), the people, the planes, the gadgets (still have the little monochrome screen handheld Garmin GPS I bought at OSH '97), the stories, maybe even the variable weather challenges. But definitely prefer to fly in with my own plane and camp beside it.
 
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Hopefully you'll join a club or find a few buddies to fly with. Cold turkey is tough
 
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