Oshkosh Pt. 2

I just realized that I'm about 4 months away from Oshkosh and I still haven't finished updating about my last trip!

Jokingly, I have said many times that Oshkosh was an aviation "summer camp" for adults and there's actually some truth in there as well. It ended up being more expensive than I anticipated, however, the education I received while I was there was invaluable.

Before I left, the organizers posted the schedule of events on the Airventure website. I printed it out and created a schedule of forums/events that I wanted to see while I was there. I even scheduled times to eat because I knew I just might be wrapped up in everything that I might forget to eat. Once I arrived, and especially as the week went on, I threw the schedule out the window. One thing I found was that you can learn more from one person than you could ever learn in a forum. A couple that I wanted to see were on engine-out procedures from someone who lost their engine and tips on how to get started in home building. Well, I have my mom to talk to about losing your engine in flight and I have my home building buddies to give me tips on building your own airplane. Some of the speakers/forums were great - the Tuskeegee Airmen, the WASP and aerobatic pilots. However, the best part was just sharing time and acquiring knowledge from others who share the same love you have for aviation.

That was my favorite. Since I basically came up there alone, I was more motivated to reach out and talk to people. If you know me at all, I can be kind of shy at first. Not so with aviation. Mention an airplane and I'm chattering away like a chipmunk on espresso, talking to the other person like they were an old friend. It was fantastic because you had the best ice-breaker questions in the world to ask the person riding beside you on the bus or your neighbor in the campsite -

"Where are you from?"... "Are you an aviation enthusiast, or pilot... or both?"..."What are your plans today?"..."What brought you here?"

I met people from all over the world and I know I've said this before, but we concentrated on what brought us together (aviation), rather than what tore us apart (politics, religion, etc).

Some of the highlights:

Meeting the Tuskeegee Airmen and hearing their story. I teared up at some points. The speaker said that some of them won't even speak about their experience because they are still bitter about the way they were treated. That's understandable. As he said though, it was all in the past and at some point you need to move forward, otherwise you will always be stuck back there. He said a lot of people could learn from his experience, so he was happy to talk about it. I got a picture with him... and had my sunglasses on top of my head while wearing my normal glasses. haha

I also got to hear one of the WASPs speak about her experience. During her presentation, however, we experienced some pretty rough weather. The forum building was just mostly a small covering with flaps on the side. It started to rain, so we tied down the flaps. However, while she was speaking, we could barely hear her over the amount of applause coming from the forum pavilion next door. Then it went on a little too long... so one guy lifted the flap to see what was going on. It wasn't applause, but rain hitting VERY hard. We all scooted inwards to avoid getting wet. Then the wind picked up and tore the flaps off. We scooted closer together. Then something out of the movie, Twister, the wind started picking up the empty chairs and throwing them. Another person told us to run up on stage - the only area that had the sides covered for protection. We watched, while holding onto our belongings as the wind came into the forum. It was like staring down a wild tiger. I briefly thought of my poor little tent... and then thought that it didn't matter - if I made it through this, then I'd sleep in the car. No biggie. I had one arm around my bag I carried around with me during the day and one hand on my hat. They were about to take off on their own. But just like that, it was gone. I've since learned what I saw that day was a micro-burst. It's kind of fun to study about them now as I lived through one to tell about it. An odd note about it - my Mom and one of my friends somehow knew I was in distress during the microburst and called afterwards to make sure I was okay. Pretty freaky...

Afterwards, I texted my buddies at the air show to see if they were okay and it turns out it only occurred in the one area I was in. My tent was fine. It was the perfect little $15 tent - withstood the wind and the rain the whole time.

Bernice Falk, the WASP who was speaking, asked afterwards if we wanted to continue with the talk, despite the weather. Sure!!! Are you kidding?!?! If you are willing to continue, then I'm willing to sit my butt on a wet chair and listen. She thanked all of us and said how brave we were. Pfft, you were the brave one for being a female pioneer in aviation. Sitting in a wet chair is nothing. I was a little concerned about my tent (as I didn't know it's status at that point, but I figured it'd be the same whether I stayed a little longer or not).

Everything happens for a reason, as I've said before. After the microburst, I arrived back at camp to see my little tent flattened. It had survived, but someone else's tent was picked up by the wind and thrown on top of mine. One of my rods was broken. I grumbled, disassembled it, and one of my camp buddies and I tried to tape it back together.

A woman from the camping spot behind my tent came out to apologize. It was her family's tent that got tossed and landed on mine. By this time, we had everything fixed already. She felt really, really bad and asked if there was anything she could do. It was an accident and we had everything fixed. No big deal. Sure, I was ticked at first, but everything turned out okay and it wasn't her fault in the first place. I was actually just happy that my tent was still there. Earlier in the day, I had feared it wouldn't be there when I returned.

Later that evening, I had just returned from taking my shower and was sitting in the entrance of my tent enjoying the sunset. A shadow passed over my tent and it was the woman from the campsite behind me. She sat in front of me and we talked for a bit. She still felt bad and asked if I had had dinner yet. I hadn't - and was actually not wanting to get up and walk a mile for it (yes, the restaurant was about a mile from the campsite - I got really in shape that week). Plus, a warm, "home"-cooked meal was better than the fast-foody meals I had been eating all week.

She came to Airventure with her family - husband and three boys - from Minnesota. We ate breakfast and dinner together every day after that for the rest of the air show. They became my camp family during my stay. Their tent falling on top of mine was one of the best things to ever happen to me.

One day, I was wandering around the airport and decided it was time for some lunch. I got my food and looked for a place to sit. Meal times at the air show were one of my most favorite times because I was on my own and sitting at someone else's table gave me the chance to meet new people and talk with them. I looked over the crowd and saw a lot of groups of older pilots. I had hung out by the Warbirds already that morning and talked with a bunch of WWII pilots already, so I looked for someone different. My eyes fell on a couple who looked about my age. I asked if I could sit there and we started with the normal ice-breakers. After awhile, I noticed he had "Kevin Coleman Aerosports" , so I asked if he had an aviation business. "Sort of" he replied with a smile. His girlfriend smiled too. With more prompting, I found out he was an aerobatic pilot, although wasn't preforming at Oshkosh. "Only smaller airshows", he said. "Like Sun & Fun". (Btw, Sun & Fun is in FL and is probably about the same size as Oshkosh). WOW. And to think it was pure luck I just sat down next to him.

We talked some more and he said he was a student of Sean D. Tucker. "Would you like to meet him??" SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!! Would I like to meet him!??! Omigosh, omigosh!!! YES YES!!! So he told me to text him when Sean wasn't flying and he'd introduce me. I texted him as he asked, but nothing came of it.

He also said he offers flying scholarships that I should look into on his website. I didn't take him up on it at the time, as I had a private instructor, but I should look into it now that it looks like I may be going back to a flight school. It's amazing who you meet at these air shows.

And I did end up meeting Sean D. Tucker after all. Later in the week, he was scheduled to give a talk about how he got into flying and aerobatics. It was earlier in the day, so not many people were there. He encouraged questions and gave autographed hats to the people asking the questions. My shyness took over, but I wanted one of those hats. I thought of a couple of questions for him and fought the shyness to raise my hand. He didn't end up calling on me, but he stayed after to sign autographed pictures. It's one of my favorite pictures ever and one I still need to get framed. He's flying upside down in his biplane and signed it "To Heather, Sky Sister, Fly with passion. Sean D. Tucker". I quickly asked him a few questions during this time and briefly told him of my own quest to get my pilot's license.

Afterwards, I bounced out of the tent with my prized possession. I had a friend who had his plane on display at the air show and wanted to show him what I had just received. On the way there, I noticed in one of the booths, Greg Koontz's plane was on display. I had seen both him and Sean D. Tucker preform at the Dobbins airshow where I first got bitten by the aviation bug. I had always thought that if I ever got into aerobatics, it would be because of those two. Greg Koontz's plane was beautiful and I got a picture of it at the Dobbins airshow, but here it was - right in front of me. I had to stop and marvel at it. Maybe get another picture of it closer up. I stood on my tippy-toes to look at the instruments inside the plane. A head popped up on the other side of the plane: "Like biplanes do ya?". So I started talking to him about airplanes and flying. Turns out this guy works for and is a friend of Greg Koontz. He starts telling me that Greg has an aerobatic flight school at his house. NO WAYYYYYYYYY!!! This day just keeps getting better and better. We walk around the plane and who is standing on the other side but Greg Koontz. The guy I was speaking with said he'd introduce me and I could ask him more about the flight school. I was like a kid on Christmas who got to eat ice cream for breakfast. They both told me that November would be a good time to learn aerobatics from him and it was plenty of time to earn my license. I didn't make it back then, but am thinking I'll try again this spring. I can't train in aerobatics just yet, but I can still go for my first aerobatic flight. :)

There is no word in the English language sufficient enough to accurately describe my excitement and joy at that moment. I couldn't believe all of that had happened to me. I wanted to pinch myself because it couldn't have possibly been real. I also wanted to hug every stranger who walked by me and tell them what had just happened. I continued over to my home builder friend who had his plane on display and told him the good news. I think he knows all of these guys already, but still shared my excitement.

He built a beautiful airplane and was invited to have it on display. I had the chance to sit in it and take a few vanity pics in it. Even got the opportunity to clean her off in the morning after rain showers to make her shine.

One morning, he took a break and walked around with me to check out the other home builder's airplanes. I think I mentioned before about how sometimes the forums were good, but real world experience was better. For example, I could have sat in a "How to start home building" forum all day. Instead, I think I got a better education by walking around with an actual home builder, being introduced to others (and hanging out/eating lunch with them!!! Lunch time at the air show was one of my favorite times because of all the people I'd meet), and getting to know the stories behind a lot of the airplanes.

He was even nice enough to take me up for a flight around the airport in a Bell 47 Helicopter towards the end of the airshow. We got to see everything from up above and got some good shots of the airport and camping area. Both of us took pictures of the instruments inside the helicopter. I laughed - "Must be a pilot thing", I said.

I think that's really what I missed when I left. Sure, the air show was spectacular and I loved the planes. However, it was the people I met that made the trip. I've never made connections with people like that before and it was because of our mutual love for aviation that brought us together... and consequently tore me apart when I had to leave.

As of today, we're 150 days away and I can't wait to be a 2nd year Oshkoshian. As I reflect on all the adventures I had last year, I can't wait to have more. I can't wait to see my friends from last year and I can't wait to make even more.