Oshkosh -- the Touchstone of our Lives

EdFred said:
I haven't been there. The description of the place was given to me by a 1%'er. I left out the other less than complimentary adjectives she used to describe you guys.
Click to expand...

Well if you haven't been there then your opinion is completely worthless.
 
Cavorter said:
Well if you haven't been there then your opinion is completely worthless.
Click to expand...

I don't need to have my testicles smashed with a hammer to know that it isn't a pleasant experience.
 
EdFred said:
I don't need to have my testicles smashed with a hammer to know that it isn't a pleasant experience.
Click to expand...


You seem to be overly preoccupied with sausages and berries.

:rofl:

Not that there is anything wrong with that.
 
Ed's comments got me to thinking. And where ever he's getting his information is whacked.

Every significant female aviation author, pilot, photographer, and speaker is at OSH and all are (like everyone else there mostly) extremely gracious, interested in meeting fans, and just hanging out enjoying the airplanes.

It's just weird his friend says that's not what is going on.

I was just counting and easily 90% of the female aviators I've met were at OSH. The other 10% run every local organization including our latest Colorado Pilot's Assn president.

When we were running the podcast, female interviewees were, without exception, more organized and more dedicated to their aviation causes or businesses than the males.

Just observations...

Women are doing the interesting stuff in aviation.

Jo Hunter, Karleen Petit, our "own" Zyola Mix, Lynda Meeks, Sarah Rovner... Man that list could go on for days. All met at OSH. And at OSH when things are quiet you get a chance to really ask them a bit about what made them get into aviation and why they're so passionate about what they do.

Not surprisingly, the answer usually was a mix of "it's the aircraft, stupid", and a real care for the people. Something you rarely get from the males doing the same stuff.

With the guys, you often wondered if they just bumbled into it.. Some of the make book autjor's "elevator pitches" for their publications are downright awful.
 
See you guys there! Do you normally put any POA get-togethers together while you're there?
 
ebykowsky said:
See you guys there! Do you normally put any POA get-togethers together while you're there?
Click to expand...

The Wednesday night HOPS party is the focal point for POA and anybody else who wants to be there.

At one time when we were over on RecAviationHomebuilt we had a standing lunch meeting at the base of the tower at noon. THat might be a nice tradition to start up again.

Jim
.
.
 
denverpilot said:
It's so much more than that. I once thought similarly.
...
It's nearly impossible to explain. But if you ever do go, stay on the field. The off site stuff is fine but you miss out on something.

...what better way to wake up in the morning, every morning, that the sounds of radials and Merlin's... multiple... departing in formation for morning sunrise photo shoots?
...
If you're in Scholler you'll hear them a little fainter, but you'll know it's time to get moving when the helicopters start 'round the pattern and the early bird ultralight guys are a buzzin' over.

And it doesn't stop all day long for a week.
Click to expand...

First, Jay that was a great post. Second, DeverPilot what a perfect way to capture the feeling of OSH.

I've been taking my kids (when we are living in the US) for years. They grew up every summer there. My wife went once or twice, but for me it is a week of Daddy and kid time.

It is not an airshow, though we usually go once or twice. It is not a fly in, though we have flown in a hand full of times. It is not just a camp ground, though we've camped many times. It is simply a wonderful experience. There is always something to complain about (I do that well), but in the end the EAA has earned my lifetime membership and I've never been a member of a chapter.

There is something there for everyone. Want to build, go to a seminar on riveting, welding, building with wood or composites. Want to buy, walk the line and talk to the owners. Need to upgrade, visit the vendors. Looking for some used parts, hit the Fly Market. Want to visit with friends, stop by Jay's place any afternoon and have a few beers (Jay loves his Shiner Bock) and watch the traffic. Want some comedy or a concert, they have that too (though I have to admit that I've never made those events ... too many people). Want to see antiques, walk the line. Just about everything aviation related is there ... go and enjoy.

There is always something to complain about, it is the human condition. That said, if you are willing to dodge a few Gators and pay too much for crappy food and cold drinks a few times, there is an amazing amount of treasure hidden on the grounds one week a year.
 
I'm always amazed that there are people on an aviation forum who will make disparaging remarks about the world's premiere aviation event.

And I'm not referring to our annual *****-posts about golf carts running up on our heels, or the greasy food. I'm referring to people who actually condemn the event itself. How in the HELL does one condemn a week-long, lovingly assembled by a thousand volunteers aviation event like Oshkosh?

Of course, there were folks at Woodstock who had a miserable time, too. After all, the crowds were huge, and the portapotty situation sucked. But I doubt the complainers were serious music lovers.
 
Jay Honeck said:
I'm always amazed that there are people on an aviation forum who will make disparaging remarks about the world's premiere aviation event.

And I'm not referring to our annual *****-posts about golf carts running up on our heels, or the greasy food. I'm referring to people who actually condemn the event itself. How in the HELL does one condemn a week-long, lovingly assembled by a thousand volunteers aviation event like Oshkosh?

Of course, there were folks at Woodstock who had a miserable time, too. After all, the crowds were huge, and the portapotty situation sucked. But I doubt the complainers were serious music lovers.
Click to expand...

Some people just aren't happy if they don't have anything to complain about.
 
Jay Honeck said:
I'm always amazed that there are people on an aviation forum who will make disparaging remarks about the world's premiere aviation event.

And I'm not referring to our annual *****-posts about golf carts running up on our heels, or the greasy food. I'm referring to people who actually condemn the event itself. How in the HELL does one condemn a week-long, lovingly assembled by a thousand volunteers aviation event like Oshkosh?

Of course, there were folks at Woodstock who had a miserable time, too. After all, the crowds were huge, and the portapotty situation sucked. But I doubt the complainers were serious music lovers.
Click to expand...

Haters gotta hate.
 
Hey I love pizza, but I don't like it covered in dog ****.

If the crowds aren't there, I'd wander around and look at stuff. It's also why I don't live in the city, and as much as I love coasters rarely go to the amusement park.
 
Jay Honeck said:
Of course, there were folks at Woodstock who had a miserable time, too. After all, the crowds were huge, and the portapotty situation sucked. But I doubt the complainers were serious music lovers.
Click to expand...
Ha! That's how I describe Oshkosh to non-aviation people - 'Woodstock for Pilots'. Probably better called 'Woodstock for the General Aviation Community'.

But they fixed the port-a-potties - cleanest I've ever seen!
 
EdFred said:
Hey I love pizza, but I don't like it covered in dog ****.

If the crowds aren't there, I'd wander around and look at stuff. It's also why I don't live in the city, and as much as I love coasters rarely go to the amusement park.
Click to expand...

Well...

What happened here is that there is a pizza party and you decided to come in here and **** on the pizza. Big difference. But it is good that people like you stay away from Oshkosh. We don't need whiny glass-half-empty types spoiling it for the rest of us. By all means stay away. :rolleyes:
 
EdFred said:
Hey I love pizza, but I don't like it covered in dog ****.

If the crowds aren't there, I'd wander around and look at stuff. It's also why I don't live in the city, and as much as I love coasters rarely go to the amusement park.
Click to expand...
I hate big cities. I live on an island where I can walk to the store, the bank, the beach, and the bar. When I'm in my barber's chair, I'm still connected to my home WiFi.

But Oshkosh isn't a big city, or a crowd. It's a gathering of people who think, see, and breathe aviation, just like me. For one week out of the year, I'm amongst people who don't identify me as "that guy who flies those little airplanes".

Oshkosh is family. Oshkosh is home.
 
EdFred said:
I haven't been there. The description of the place was given to me by a 1%'er. I left out the other less than complimentary adjectives she used to describe you guys.
Click to expand...

:rofl:

And you called me stupid? :rofl::rofl:

How can you hate an event that you haven't even been to? Never mind, your EdFred. :rolleyes:
 
Last edited:
EdFred said:
Hey I love pizza, but I don't like it covered in dog ****.

If the crowds aren't there, I'd wander around and look at stuff. It's also why I don't live in the city, and as much as I love coasters rarely go to the amusement park.
Click to expand...


If the crowds aren't there, there's no reason to set up the stuff for you to look at. Ha. Sorry but they probably can't afford to set up all that stuff for just you.

They could, I suppose, but your admission ticket would be really expensive. ;)

I'm not a big crowd guy either, but it kinda just goes with the territory. I head somewhere across the sea of people and find someone I want to meet or talk to or just look at. LOL. I don't spend any time noticing if sweaty Bob is there. I know there's probably 100,000 sweaty Bobs.
 
Geico266 said:
I've been going to Airventure since it was held in Rockford, IL, back in the 60's. Kyle has it right, OSH is way more than aerobatic routines. Its the forums to learn new things and brushup on old skills. Meet and learn from industry experts instead of relying on outdated old fart info. See the latest and greatest innovations for home built aircraft.

There is a reason experimental are the most successful segment of aviation now, and OSH is the reason why.
Click to expand...

Isn't asserting that OSH is mainly about experimentals kinda like saying that pregnancy is only about sex?
 
denverpilot said:
If the crowds aren't there, there's no reason to set up the stuff for you to look at. Ha. Sorry but they probably can't afford to set up all that stuff for just you.

They could, I suppose, but your admission ticket would be really expensive. ;)

I'm not a big crowd guy either, but it kinda just goes with the territory. I head somewhere across the sea of people and find someone I want to meet or talk to or just look at. LOL. I don't spend any time noticing if sweaty Bob is there. I know there's probably 100,000 sweaty Bobs.
Click to expand...

Yeah, the cons of sweaty Bobs far outweigh any pros of going there for me. Or anywhere. You guys have no idea how much I loathe crowds. It's not a fear, it's not being uncomfortable, it's that people are ****ing stupid when they start herding. Hell, I even hate going to the grocery store anytime before midnight. And that's just a handful of clueless idiots. That's going to be multiplied a thousand fold? No ****ing way. I don't care if people there love aviation. The people are what ruin it. That goes for amusement parks, fairs, concerts, you name it. More than about 25 people per acre present and it [whatever the activity] goes to ****.

I don't have to go anywhere where those conditions are met to know I'll hate it.
 
F01LA said:
Hmm, I've loved aviation and airplanes for as long as I can remember, but I'm not sure I'd like Oshkosh. Flying out of a grass strip and sharing a flight with a friend or two are my ideas of a good time. I went to an airshow recently and enjoyed it, but the crowds and the heat and the somewhat repetitive acts made me glad it was for a fairly short time. I'm just not sure I'd like all airplanes, all the time for days at a time. Maybe I should give it a try, but other things take priority. :dunno:

One thing I would enjoy is sitting near the end of the runway, listening to the radio, and watching the planes come in.
Click to expand...

Jay Honeck said:
Oshkosh is NOT an airshow. It's a convention of like-minded people.
Click to expand...

This. Oshkosh isn't really about the planes for me, though I do spend the daytimes wandering around looking at planes, listening to planes, touching planes, smelling 100LL and Jet-A fumes, and tasting... not planes. :rofl:

That's all fun, but Oshkosh is really about the people. It's a city full of 600,000 of my closest friends. :D It's not crowds of random Joe Publics, it's crowds of PILOTS. Ed, I've seen you at Gaston's and 6Y9 - those are gatherings of PILOTS (except the public part of 6Y9) and I've seen you have fun. Oshkosh is the same thing only bigger. I now have friends that I see for one week a year, and it is my favorite week of the year - And I don't much like crowds either, because crowds are usually made up of just people. Pilots are generally awesome people, and when you get us all in one place... Man, there's nothing like it. Every year I leave Oshkosh wishing that life could be like that all year long.

And yes, everyone showers and there is PLENTY of really nice "scenery". Hot chicks apparently know where to find their sugar daddies. :D
 
Jay Honeck said:
I'm always amazed that there are people on an aviation forum who will make disparaging remarks about the world's premiere aviation event.

And I'm not referring to our annual *****-posts about golf carts running up on our heels, or the greasy food. I'm referring to people who actually condemn the event itself. How in the HELL does one condemn a week-long, lovingly assembled by a thousand volunteers aviation event like Oshkosh?

Of course, there were folks at Woodstock who had a miserable time, too. After all, the crowds were huge, and the portapotty situation sucked. But I doubt the complainers were serious music lovers.
Click to expand...

I find it amazing that people make disparaging remarks about PEOPLE who enjoy subway and a holiday inn or just don't enjoy the same activities as yourself.
I've made no disparaging remarks about the event or the attendees. It's just not my cup o tea.
 
bartmc said:
bye bye, Jim, Jimmy. Or is it Joanne? Ya never know in California.
Click to expand...

The boys in South Carolina
Don't know how to use a v@g!na
They use possums and snakes for their solace
Their kids have scales
And prehensile tails
So grow up stupid and clueless.


.
.
 
What a great post! We're coming back for year 2! :)

ETA:

I do not like crowds or camping and I still loved my time at OSH last year and really look forward to it this year.

Also, there is nothing wrong with not liking something, but the negative comment seems ****ty when someone has obviously poured out their feelings into a (very eloquent) post. I suppose that is lost on the commenter.
 
Last edited:
FlylikeaGirl said:
What a great post! We're coming back for year 2! :)

ETA:

I do not like crowds or camping and I still loved my time at OSH last year and really look forward to it this year.

Also, there is nothing wrong with not liking something, but the negative comment seems ****ty when someone has obviously poured out their feelings into a (very eloquent) post. I suppose that is lost on the commenter.
Click to expand...
Yeah, that happens a lot around here... posting like boys.
 
Jay Honeck said:
I'm always amazed that there are people on an aviation forum who will make disparaging remarks about the world's premiere aviation event.
Click to expand...

I was gonna stay out of this, cuz I don't like to wizz in people's pool. I thought the reflection in the OP was real nice, and I'm glad that the OP is happy, and excited about OSH event.

Don't know, and don't want to debate that this is the world's premiere aviation event. If you say it is, that's fine, some might argue.

I've been a handful of times, going back to the late 70s. I've seen the changes, I've enjoyed my time there, but I gotta be honest - my life doesn't revolve around Exp aviation. My life doesn't revolve around any kind of aviation. I enjoy flying, and working on vintage planes. I enjoy boating and working on vintage boats. I enjoy driving and working on exotic cars, motorcycles, etc. Gear head with no singular passion.

In my teens I made a half dozen dune buggies in SoCal. I thought that's what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Got pretty good at it too. But - it faded, and is not the center of my existence. I still have a buggy, but it's not running - no shock.

I'll go back to OSH, even though I loathe their bending over to the feds. I think that's the worst of the worst thing I've ever heard about the event. I would rather see it cancelled or run completely by private volunteers with no air show than pay the feds. My best solution was to move it to Windsor airport in Canada. I'm betting they would have given us the key to the kingdom, and the feds would lose it all - but, I digress.

Certainly can understand those who hate crowds, particularly crowds of men. Some of us are veterans and can relate to that. Some people just don't do well in crowds. Also, after a few years, listening to the same stories, by the same old farts just gets -- old.

So, I won't be attending. Enjoy, spend, fly safe, and return home richer in memory for having been. I'll go back some day. Not soon, not for the full week, but eventually I will get back there and it'll be somewhat fresh again. Hopefully, the squeezbox/organ guy will still be on the corner north of vintage, but maybe not. Maybe Icon will sell a plane, but maybe not.
 
Last edited:
docmirror said:
Gear head with no singular passion.
Click to expand...

That is why you feel as you do. And there's nothing wrong with that!

For those of us who breathe, eat, drink, and live aviation, Oshkosh is far more than just another crowded gathering of sweaty old men.

:)
 
Wait, there are no women there? This is going to be my first time there. Nothing but sweaty old men? Please tell me this is a joke!!! I may have to reconsider going now!

:hairraise:
 
vince said:
Wait, there are no women there? This is going to be my first time there. Nothing but sweaty old men? Please tell me this is a joke!!! I may have to reconsider going now!

:hairraise:
Click to expand...
Don't worry -- there will be thousands of women there, hundreds of them pilots! :)

And, on weekends (when the NASCAR crowd arrives), there will be a few dozen super hot chicks, wearing stiletto heels (cuz, like, no one told them they'd be walking on soft ground) and eensy-weensy short shorts and tank tops. With no hat.

They will be the uber-sunburnt ones, hanging on their muscle-shirted, hat-on-backwards boyfriends, whining like a creaky door... lol
 
I remember reading Jay's posts in rec.aviation.* back in the 90s. He and Mike Rapaport (MU2 guy) were the two people I specifically remember from those days. I was/am mainly a lurker.

I went to OSH 2 or 3 times when I lived in Chicago (always day trips). This year, I'm going for 3 days.

I spend pretty much all of my "free" time (ie not working or attending to family stuff) reading or doing something about aviation. Since I'm not within "day-trip" range any more, I just cannot dedicate a full week out of every year to go.

I've got three weeks of vacation, a taste for international travel, and a 4-year old so it's just not practical to dedicate one entire week every year. Plus, my wife is not THAT into it. She'd go for a day, that's about it.

My favorite part of Oshkosh is seeing all the vendors and new products. After all, there are very few places, other than online, where you can shop for aviation products anymore.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top