Airventure 2008 at Oshkosh - It’s About Planes!

July 30, 2008

Lots of time (and miles) in the last couple of days looking at planes at Airventure 2008 at Oshkosh.  I can believe there are 10,000 planes here.

First two Airventure 2008 installments are here and here.

Here’s a TINY sample of what I saw that struck my eye, anyway.

RVs.  Not recreation vehicles, but homebuilt aircraft from kits by Vans Aircraft.  Hundreds, maybe a thousand of them!  The largest is the RV-10 a relatively new 4-seater.  And there were rows and rows of just RV-10s; some unpainted and looking like they just finished the last rivet, and others looking pristine in perfect paint, avionics and interiors.

 

Yeah, there are a huge number of the other kind of RVs (land-yachts) at Airventure too. But you can see them anywhere.

How about the Boeing Dreamlifter.  This is one big damn airplane, filling Aeroshell Square the days it was at the show.

The Red Bull Helicopter, used on the worldwide circuit of the Red Bull Airraces, putting on amazing displays of aerobatics that virtually no other copter can attempt.

Rows and rows of virtually any kind of airplane. From warbirds like P-51s.  More than you could imagine. And civilian aircraft; not just current planes, but classics like the Cessna 195.  Again, rows and rows of them.  Almost all in pristine condition too. 

  

How about your own personal Jetson jetpack?  That is, a Martin Jet Pack.  Flew for a couple of minutes (up to 6 ft high, and tethered per FAA requirements). Only $100K for your very own.

More weird stuff. And haven’t even gotten to the Fly Market yet!  Saw this PETA nightmare of a prop cover. The vendor was selling airplane floats, but the “prop-pelts” sure drew some attention.

Finally, tons of formation flying (interested in this because I’ve started formation training, maybe to participate at OSH next year).  Lots of formations.  Warbirds (US and overseas aircraft) and warbird wannabees (apparently RVs love formation flying…)  Some better than others.  So much formation flying (good and not-so-good) that it would fill its own DVD.  

More soon.  Cheers!

2 Comments | Aviation | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by brianflys

Airventure 2008 at Oshkosh, v2, Hog Wild for Flying!

July 28, 2008

Airventure 2008 at Oshkosh - Day 2. First day of the “show”, and only one word fits: OVERWHELMING. Wandered the field to regain my bearings once again and identify targets of interest for closer exploration later this week.

Aeroshell Square early in the day, before many of the other star attractions arrive. But there is already one plane drawing a crowd. “Terrafugia” - a convertible plane-automobile!  Hasn’t flown yet, but it’s here and getting lots of attention.  This is apparently one of those innovative ideas that has many lives.  I remember as a kid watching grainy 16mm film footage of a similar “Air-Car” with detachable wings.

Of course, this is OSHKOSH, so there is not just one, but several manufacturers of these convertible airplane-automobiles at the show, with front and center placement and coverage. Wonder what the mileage is on these bad boys?

Read the rest of this entry »

2 Comments | Aviation | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by brianflys