As I walked around at the Camarillo show last weekend looking for something to read, a thought came to mind as to what was available instead, unprintable in this forum. Rubbish, garbage, two cent trinkets made in China, and not one vendor was selling any books or magazines. Sure there were cool T-shirts and some nice paintings, but I feel a sense of doom, that we in the USA have become so illiterate and dumbed down, that you cannot find any reading material at an airshow! There wasn’t even any magazines available at the Challenge Publications booth! WTF???? Remember when the CAF used to sell cool little books detaling the histories of their history and aircraft like “Fifi”? You also used to be able to pick up new and recent issues of their magazine called the Dispatch. But that’s all a distant memory. What seems to be available now is just nothing but toys and junk fit for your kids but nothing of interest to intellectuals. It’s sad and embarrasing, thank god I can just go to the UK and get some decent books at their airshows, as recent visits to Elvington and Old Warden in 2000 and 2002 have revealed. I’m embarrassed and ashamed, this is a total tragedy.
John Harjo
By: gbwez1 - 2nd September 2004 at 18:57
Get yourself into the FlyMarket at Oshkosh… books aplenty
By: trumper - 2nd September 2004 at 17:34
🙂 Could i just say please use your local library if you are lucky enough to have one locally,they can order books in from other branches as well.
Car boot sales,jumble sales ,charity shops,don’t just sniff theres some real jewels hidden away amongst the tat. 🙂
By: John Boyle - 2nd September 2004 at 17:20
All is not lost in the U.S. Last September I went to the “Dawn Patrol Fly-in” at the USAF Museum. There were a number of booths specializing in books and magazines specializing in WWI-era aviation.
(At a used book seller, I even picked up a copy of “Project Cancelled” by Derek Wood).
I suspect it depends upon where you go.
But at small events I agree with you, it’s slim pickens…. 😉
(I can’t believe I wrote that…I’ve been in Texas too long…..)
By: srpatterson - 2nd September 2004 at 16:46
I’ve got a nice store of books and kits ahead of this year’s “hibernation”…
Hibernation? What time of year would that be, then? Hell, I was ready to hibernate at Legends. Never been so cold at an airshow in all my life. First time I’ve worn gloves in the month of July!
Hibernation, indeed… 😉
By: danohagan - 2nd September 2004 at 15:33
I find that shows here in the UK are excellent for stocking up ahead of the “winter drought” of aviation! I’ve got a nice store of books and kits ahead of this year’s “hibernation”…
By: srpatterson - 2nd September 2004 at 15:27
I did buy my wife one of those red “remove before flight” t-shirts. 🙂
You are correct though that most of the vendors at airshows are just selling trinkets for the kids.
By: mmitch - 2nd September 2004 at 14:26
At a Large Model Show last year I was amazed to see the continuous parade of punters carrying large boxed kits back to their cars. I wondered how many got finished? Some of those vendors must have taken a month or more earnings in 2 days….
mmitch.
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September 2, 2004 at 11:02 am