I’m skipping Oshkosh this year, as I’ll be in England with the family. That’s OK, as you really don’t need to attend every year. In fact I find that I enjoy Oshkosh more if I don’t go every year, as I tend to forget all the BS that you have to put up with.

For the spectator I would encourage you to go Tues-Friday, as you’ll get to see everything and avoid the weekend crowds. Mark V is correct that many warbirds leave by Friday or Saturday, mainly because we’ve usually been away from home the weekend before flying formation practice somewhere and our wives start to look for us.

The only reason to fly a warbird at Oshkosh is to see old friends. You don’t get paid, and it’s not easy even getting reimbursed for fuel. If you do get a fuel reimbursement it’s based on a complicated formula calculated according to what type aircraft and which show you fly in. The last check I received was a joke compared to what the flight really cost (and the check bounced).

The next problem is that flying in the show eats up most of your day, after you go through all the briefings and pre-flight, so many guys will only fly one day. When we try to fly for fun, or do a photo shoot before or after the show it usually turns into a cluster f*ck getting out and back in. Last year, on the flight we did with Mr. Tweed, our flight returned to the airport only to be put in a holding pattern for 30 minutes over Lake Winnebago. We finally had to call min fuel and inform the controllers we were going to have to divert to Fon Du Lac. They did get us back in to OSH, but it was close.

Oshkosh is hard work…I’m happy to be sitting this one out for 2005.

Steve

Hi O.D.

That photo is from a photo shoot we did in Anoka, MN. These photographer types just don’t like to wear helmets. We usually just stick them in the back and tell them not to touch anything.

BTW, do you have your passengers sign a waiver?

Oh God, you didn’t try to speak French again, did you Melv? A few glasses of Champagne and Melvyn sounds just like Maurice Chevalier.

I didn’t know Frenglish was a language.

I’d love to see the photos Daz, if you can post them…

Gnome and I are workin’ on comin’ up to AKL..

TNZ

There goes the mess bill…

Great job Dave, that really gets me fired up for the trip.

I hope we have some others from the forum join us as well, as you and Setter have lined up a fantastic visit.

See you next week.

Steve

LASIK

The best thing that modern medical science has ever done for me. Stunning.