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AirVenture 2001
by Maurice H. Witten
On Thursday July 26, 2001, Paul Jefferson motored to Hays Kansas
to join in the journey to Oshkosh, WI where the world’s largest
air show is held for one week each summer at the end of July which
sometimes includes the first few days of August. This event is
hosted by the EAA (Experimental Aviation Association). Paul and
I intended to get a 5:30 am start from Hays but thunderstorms in
Kansas prevented us from launching until after 8 am. We flew in
my Cessna 182 (N125MW), affectionately called Five Mike Whiskey
for short. Our first stop was at the McPherson KS airport where
we picked up my good friend Keith Anderson. This trip marked the
sixth trip to Oshkosh for Keith and me. We average going to this
outstanding air show about every other year.
We circumvented several rain showers in Kansas
by heading north to Nebraska. We landed at Tecumseh NE to check
on a low cloud cover. The airport was unattended but a call to
the police dispatcher put us in touch with a member of the local
airport advisory board. After a wait of a few minutes a 4X SUV
arrived. It was the local pharmacist. He said he was the chair-
person of the Airport Advisory Board and that they took turns pumping
gas from the locked gas pump. After fueling us he asked if we would
like to ride into town to get lunch. Paul, being always hungry,
thought that would be a good idea. On the way in to town the pharmacist
said that he would just let us use his 4X and to just leave the
keys in it when we went back to the airport. I asked how he would
retrieve his vehicle. He said “Oh, my dad is playing golf now.
When he finishes, I’ll have him run me back out”.
In due time we were on our way and flew
to Fond du Lac Wisconsin which is at the “Foot of the Lake”. Here
we got on a shuttle bus that delivered us to Oshkosh. On most trips
to Oshkosh Keith and I have tented under the wing of the airplane.
This time we stayed at an acquaintance’s home. They put up a tent
trailer in their backyard near their house. That way we could use
the indoor plumbing. Our host had a “continental style” breakfast
for us each morning.
Here are a few of the pictures that
I took of the trip:
The three “flyable” World War II Flying Fortresses (B 17s) were
at the air show. These are two of them.
Bob Hoover is one of the greatest ever air show performers. He
is the only one I have ever seen who can do numerous aerobatic maneuvers
in a twin engine Shrike Commander, maneuvers that are typically
done only in a single engine aerobatic plane. This is his last
year. He is retiring from the air show circuit. I have seen him
perform several times but this time I got his autograph on a tee
shirt and on a photograph of his plane.
For one week, Oshkosh is the world’s busiest airport. Some 1300+
airplanes make it to Oshkosh. I have to follow a 32 page set of
instructions to approach and land at the Wittman Airport. I studied
diligently before we had left Kansas!!
My Texas nephew Paul and me beside Five Mike Whiskey where we had
to park on the grass at the Fond du Lac airport.
This Vickers Vimy was flown in to the air show. In fact it has
previously flown on a 4000 mile trip to Australia.
The “Centennial of Flight” will be held in 2003 at Kitty Hawk NC,
100 years after the Wright Brothers made history by making the first
manned, controllable, and sustainable (powered)
flight. Even though it only lasted 12 seconds with Wilbur at the
controls, it was the first time that this had been done. A replica
of the 1903 Wright Flyer is being built and will be flown at the
exact time of day on December 13th in 2003 at Kill Devil
Hill that this achievement was accomplished in 1903 at the same
hour and location. It will be a very special event and celebration.
The return flight
on Sunday July 29 was not uneventful. I planned
a refueling stop for gas for the plane and food for Paul at Iowa
City IA. Incidentally, Iowa City is the home of The University
of Iowa, the institution where I earned my Ph.D. degree. On touch
down I realized that the roll out was not right. I quickly discovered
that the left main tire had blown. It was a warm afternoon. The
airport mechanic was not available, he was “at the air show in Oshkosh”.
I made a few telephone calls to a mechanic at the Cedar Rapids
airport. Fortunately, the Iowa City mechanic returned soon thereafter
and was able to get Mike Whiskey back into flying condition.
The rest of the trip was uneventful. Paul and I arrived back in
Hays about 10:30 Sunday evening after dropping Keith off at McPherson.
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