The following article appeared in the April 2020 issue of the American Bonanza Society magazine - www.bonanza.org
It was 2007 and I decided not to attend Oshkosh. Attending since 1997, I thought I’ve seen it
all and it got to the point where I was seeing the same airplanes, in the same
spots, the same vendors with the same “stuff”.
Of course, the only thing that was new were the aircraft on display from
the big aircraft manufacturers – totally out of my league, by a long shot. Yes, they sure were fun to look at and if
they would let folks peek inside, get a sniff of that new airplane smell, but
even that was becoming “usual”, or maybe more appropriately unattainable and
unrealistic. I had flown into Oshkosh VFR in beautiful weather, IFR with low
ceilings, landed at Fond du Lac because of full parking and drove my car on
those real bad weather days. Yes, I
figured - been there, done that - so I decided not to go. Besides, life was
busy. I was instructing a lot, kids were heading to college, I just bought a
new house and thoughts of slugging around the EAA grounds in a mix of heat, sun
exposure and the occasional downpour didn’t appeal to me anymore.
Just a month or so before Oshkosh that year, I received a
call from a buddy of mine: “Hey, are you going to Oshkosh this year?”
I said “Nope – I can honestly say that I’ve been there, done
that - I’ve seen it all”
He admitted that he wasn’t going either and mentioned
feeling bad about it. I shrugged it off.
Being a flight instructor and a general ambassador for
aviation, a few weeks after Oshkosh, I was asked by more people than I can
remember how the show was. Nobody had
any idea that I wouldn’t possibly go!
Boy, the guilt and shame started to settle in. How could I not go? What happened? I realized
this would have been my 10th year of attending – the proverbial 10-years
in a row badge – denied.
Fast-forward one year, and I had planned on not going
again, but I received a phone call from that same friend on the week of
Oshkosh: “I know its last minute, but do
you want to run up to Oshkosh for the day tomorrow?”.
Without hesitation, I said yes!
We flew up in his beautiful V-Tail Bonanza and we had a
blast. The same vendors were in the same
places selling the same stuff. I think I
walked past the exact same beautifully restored aircraft, including a V-Tail
Bonanza on my way in for the 10th time. But things were about to feel different –
turning my been there, done that attitude on its head. Walking through Aeroshell center, I ran into
an old friend of mine and chatted for a bit. I thought this was kind of odd
with the thousands of attendees, what are the chances I would run into someone
I knew, but it happened about 4 more times that day. I had some great laughs and realized what I
missed was the camaraderie and seeing the folks that I don’t normally see other
than at Oshkosh!
I looked at some of the new aircraft and avionics –
definitely stopping at the Beechcraft spot to check out the new King Airs that
I really missed flying and doing a fateful stop at the ABS tent on
recommendation of my uncle that had a B36TC. He wanted me to eventually get my
BPPP so I can run him through the rigors. I eventually did get my BPPP accreditation,
but sadly, my uncle passed before I eventually got off of my rear to get it
done.
There was a speaker just finishing up a talk in the ABS tent,
so I looked at the roster to see what it was about. I noticed there were quite a few topics that
I was really interested in hearing and made a mental note to come back to the
tent the following year.
What just happened?
I’m already planning my trip for next year? How did that happen?
The following year I did come back to the tent, absorbed the
material, and found that there were all kinds of seminars and learning
opportunities throughout the show! I was
hooked! Flight instruction seminars, avionics training, and I even learned how
to weld!
The year after that, a student of mine offered the couch in
his camper to me to stay multiple days.
You see, going to Oshkosh over that 9-year period, I never camped. Camp Scholler was a whole other world. What
happens when Oshkosh closes for the night?
The camping fun begins! I have camped with that student and a handful of
flying buddies ever since. Half of the
Oshkosh experience happens after the show.
In 2020, I will be doing yet another thing I’ve never done
at Oshkosh before – hold a BPPP Seminar in the ABS tent.
Some may be surprised at my eventual lack of enthusiasm that
overcame me back in 2007, but I have talked to a number of folks that have gone
through similar cycles. My message to
you is to not discount the camaraderie the event brings and the learning
opportunities that are presented – for free!
The ABS tent is a perfect venue for this. Socializing with your fellow Beechcraft
aficionados and taking in some great material presented by BPPP instructors,
vendors and other masters in the industry.
These days, technology is advancing faster and faster, so even the
vendor booths are changing at a furious pace.
If you are on the fence about going this year, remember, the event is
more than static displays and the airshow – try to reinvent your experience.