Why Oshkosh Matters (With CoolPix Marathon - 19 Hi-Res Images)

(click pic for hi-res)  Ray Hegy's El Chuparosa at Oshkosh 1970 (see original post)

 Oshkosh 2013 is fast approaching (July 29 - Aug 4), and I'm as excited as ever to be planning to attend. I was there in 1970 (as a 9 year old) when the very first Oshkosh took place at Wittman Field in beautiful Wisconsin. The annual EAA fly-in and convention was held in Rockford Illinois prior to Oshkosh and I was even at the last one of those in 1969. I've missed a handful of the events over the years, but I've attended well over 30 of them since that picture above of Ray Hegy's El Chuparosa was taken.

 Oshkosh has changed a lot over the years, but in the ways that really matter, it hasn't really changed at all. It's still people (lots and lots of people) who are in love with aviation gathering together to share that love with each other. It's goodness, discipline, ingenuity, and achievement all rolled into a week of learning, sharing, and enjoying. There's just nothing else like it... no other tool we have that does so much good for the world of general and sport aviation. That's why I believe that Oshkosh truly matters.

 I'm well aware that many people have frustrations at times with the EAA and the way Oshkosh is run, and while I've had the same kinds of frustrations going back even into the 1970's, I'm as convinced as ever that the EAA ultimately does a huge amount of good for those of us who love to fly. I can't imagine any other organization (or new group of people) who could, or would do better (or even as well) at fostering a genuine love for flying. So I hope you'll join me in being a big supporter of what Oshkosh does for us all... come to Oshkosh this year and be amazed, entertained, educated, and impressed. But please don't come expecting Oshkosh to do all that TO you, instead, come to Oshkosh and BE PART OF that process. Give, and share, and receive too. It's the human interactions that truly make Oshkosh the beautiful thing that it is.

 To celebrate some of the great avgeekery of Oshkosh, here's an extensive collection of CoolPix images I've captured since 2009 to get you primed and ready for the world's greatest aviation event. I hope you enjoy! Oh, and you might notice that I never ever call the event A**V******, it's Oshkosh to me and always will be. I look forward to the day when that ad agency concocted word is dropped from the EAA vocabulary. And hey, maybe they should go back to a logo that looks more like tho old one too : )

(click pic for hi-res)  Pitcairn Autogiro at Oshkosh 2009  (see original post)

(click pic for hi-res)  Airbus A380 preparing to depart Oshkosh 2009  (see original post)

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Poll: Awesome Or Ugly? The Late 1950's Fairey Rotodyne

The higly unconventional late 1950's Fairey Rotodyne - vote now: Awesome or Ugly?

 The first ever Awesome or Ugly poll with the 1931 Vickers Type 161 was a rather great success, both for the poll in general and for the Type 161... with about 200 votes, that really interesting 1931 pusher biplane snagged an 'awesome' score of almost 87%. Quite an impressive performance for such an unusual looking flying machine! However, I did have a few voters suggest a third option of both 'awesome and ugly', so you'll note that this new poll centered on the late 1950's Fairey Rotodyne gyroplane includes all three options for you. (poll below video)

 Like the first poll, this one is easy for me - the Fairey Rotodyne is pure AWESOME! The tip-jet powered rotor meant that this big boy could make vertical takeoffs without the need for a tailrotor and then that rotor autorotated in cruise flight, using the twin 2,800 shp turboprops and the small wing to push forward cruising to speed to about 175 mph. With a cabin capacity of 40 passengers, the Rotodyne was big enough to offer some serious practicality potential. However, those tip-jets were extreme loud during the few minutes they were used during takeoff and landing which seems to have led the program to cancellation even tho the aircraft performed amazingly well. Watch the video below, and then cast your vote in the second Awesome or Ugly Poll!

Video: PAL-V Flying Car Kinda Motorcycle Gyrocopter Thingy Flies!

 I'm willing to go on record saying that I just don't think the idea of having a car that can fly is a really great idea. My biggest issue relates to the fact that flying machines are lightweight... and lightweight flying machines that can be driven on the road (where pot-holes can do serious structural damage), and can be parked with cars driven by reckless human beings (where all kinds of damage can occur) are just too much at risk for having their airworthiness compromised. The worst case scenario is when damage occurs but remains undetected.

Video screenshot of the Dutch PAL-V roadable gyrocopter which has now flown
 

 But there remains a significant desire among many to see the car and the airplane produce some sort of hybrid offspring. The PAL-V flying car project designed and built by the Dutch company PAL-V Europe NV has recently made its first flight as the video above shows. I'll admit that the overall setup here looks pretty sweet and very well executed, but I'll stand by my love for flying machines that only do their wheel rolling on an airport : )

Video: Scratch Built Electric RC Autogyro = Fun, Fun, Fun!

Super simple electric RC autogyro - screenshot from the video below

 I admit that I've never been the biggest fan of gyrocopters, but old-time autogyros (or autogiro's) like the 1930's Pitcairn make me tingle as much as any flying machine I've ever seen... so it's no surprise that I really enjoyed seeing this scratch built autogyro from Gary Jones, the man behind ultra cool RC aircraft like the 5.4 pound, 10 foot wingspan C-47and the VTOL Dark Deltoid.

 Not only does this simple little rotary wing flyer with the tractor mounted electric motor fly great, but as usual, Gary's video is very well done too. His secret on the video is a camera mounted on a baseball cap. That way, all he has to do is keep his head pointed at the aircraft to give us a smooth track thru the air. This works much better than trying to have someone who doesn't know where the airplane is headed running the cam. And, these very light weight models also make it safe to fly them very close by so that they fill the frame. It's these great views of slow flying machines that really capture the magic of flight. And listen closely when the autogyro gets really close the the camera... you can hear that awesome 'whirlybirds' rotor sound! I love this stuff!

 If you watch the way Gary flies, you'll also see a pure love for the simple art of steering a flying machine thru an ocean of air. So, if flying is just a job to you, or a means to move you or some stuff from point A to point B, I encourage you to watch a video like this closely and see what it really means to Love To Fly : )

 Here's the simple HatCam that makes these sweet videos possible

Videos: Oshkosh Dreamin' As We Head Toward Winter

 The high temp in northern Indiana today was right around the freezing mark, and with the clear knowledge that winter is on the way I found myself aching for some pure summer feelings... and that of course left me thinking about Oshkosh! It's pretty hard to beat a video (or two) from youtuber slickhutto for getting that OSH feeling stirred up, so here ya go! The 2009 Oshkosh video from Slick is above - I figured if you've already seen it, it's probably been a while, so it should feel pretty fresh...

...and this video is the one from 2010. Slick does a great job of capturing the real feel of Oshkosh, while also doing a fab job of editing. If you're a purist and would rather watch some Oshkosh without it bering a music video, check out Slick's youtube page for the more recent uploads that run 10 minutes and feature airplanes with all their natural (beautiful) sounds.

 I hope watching these videos inspires you to push ahead with whatever aviation project you're into. Whether you're building an airplane, learning to fly, upgrading your ratings, or maybe needing to fall in love with flying again (or just soaking up all the aviation knowledge you can find), watching moments from Oshkosh is one of the best ways to be motivated. I know it sure helps keep me going - thanx Slick : )

OSH10 Will Be The Best Oshkosh Ever! (Bonus CoolPix-Vintage)

(click pic for hi-res)    CoolPix - Vintage: the awesome Pitcairn Autogiro at OSH09

 It’s not a gimmick, as I said last year, the best Oshkosh ever is the one you’re at RIGHT NOW! With opening day just a week away, it won’t be long before the magical experience of gathering together with thousands of like-minded avgeeks, and airplanes of every imaginable kind, will turn Wittman Field into literally the best place on Earth.

 There’s no other place I know of where so many people gather in a creative, technical, peaceful, and respectful manner, and then do so for a whole week. No where. I’m blessed to be able to go all week again this year, which will also be my 34th Oshkosh experience. I joined the EAA in 1970, the same year as the first Oshkosh (the annual EAA convention was in Rockford, IL prior to moving to OSH), and even tho I was only 9 years old, I was at Oshkosh 1970 - thanks dad!

Airbus A380 stirring up lots of dust and attracting every eye at OSH09

 I get a chuckle out of the people that go for a day or two and say they saw it all. I’ll be there all week long, I’ll cover the grounds all day long, I’ll keep moving thru the evening, and then do my best to be back out there by 7:30 in the morning… and I’ll still only scratch the surface of what this event has to offer. If it’s just some airplanes sitting on a Wisconsin airport in the summer to you, then I guess a day or two will cover it. But Oshkosh truly represents the spirit of aviation, and no aviation event can inspire a person, in a thousand different aviation ways, like Oshkosh can.

A beautiful example of the highly unusual homebuilt Dyke Delta at OSH09

 If you’ve never been to the event, and you aren’t coming this year, I encourage you to keep watch of AirPigz.com during the week from Monday July 26th thru Sunday August 1st. I’m planning to post an update every night. Hopefully these posts will help to display the amazing diversity of aircraft and people that attend, and, what you’re missing. My biggest hope is that it will inspire you to make attending next year a priority. And of course, if you know how great Oshkosh is, but you aren't able to attend this year, please enjoy these daily posts... I hope they'll help you to feel like you're there on some level : )

The remotely piloted Predator B UAV at OSH09

 And if you’re are headed to OSH10, I highly recommend you dig deep and really take the event in (use the awesome, unofficial ’events scheduler’ at OSHplanner.com to help with that), and remember, because you’re livin’ it, OSH10 Will Be the Best Oshkosh Ever!

Pitcairn Autogiro: Sun n’ Fun 2010 Grand Champion Antique Winner!

(click pic to enlarge)

 I’m easily mesmerized by Pitcairn Autogiro’s.  Classic curves, a round engine, lots of dope, fabric and flying wires… and then there’s that graceful rotating wing overhead.  What’s not to like about this beautiful flying machine?  What a fabulous sight and sound it was at Sun n’ Fun on Saturday to experience this gorgeous red Autogiro flying in the early morning sunshine.  I caught up with it shortly after it landed and got several pictures, including the one above.  This one special aircraft alone made the whole trip to SNF worthwhile!

 I wasn’t the only one impressed by this Pitcairn restoration, it also won the Grand Champion Antique award at SNF 2010 (after getting runner-up at Oshkosh).  I wasn't at SNF long enough to see what the competition was for this award, but it would be hard to find a more impressive aircraft.  

 You can learn a lot more about Pitcairn Autogiro’s in general, and this one specifically by checking out the Blades of Glory story in the January Sport Aviation magazine online. 

 The 20’s and 30’s were the era of the Autogiro, but when true helicopters arrived on the scene, the Autogiro was quickly forgotten.  But there are few helicopters that can stir the soul like a Pitcairn.  Less than 50 were built, and only a handful remain, so it's a pretty big deal that this one is back in the air.

 In an interesting turn of events, I decided to make my first trip to the Fantasy of Flight Museum in Polk City (just down the road from SNF) on Sunday since the weather was overcast and scattered rain.  I was quite surprised to see the Pitcairn was in one of the large museum display hangars being disassembled for a truck ride back home.  It was a unique opportunity to get some pix of it as the crew carefully broke it down.  I thought it was especially cool that it was being done where it could be seen by anyone visiting the museum rather than off in private.

 This Autogiro even has a Facebook page so you can keep up with what’s going on with it.  I’m also planning to do a detailed Pitcairn post before long with more info on the interesting history of the Autogiro’s.  Hopefully by then I’ll have more specifics on this one to share.

 Also watch real soon for an extensive post with details and lots of pix from my time at the Fantasy of Flight Museum.

Main gear, wings, tail & prop already off... rotor next up in the Pitcairn disassembly

The cable-braced blades are removed one at a time

One blade headed for the trailer, 3 more to go

The Pitcairn Autogiro all buttoned up and ready for a road trip home!

35 Pix From Early Saturday At Sun n' Fun 2010

Hot air balloons got the day underway Saturday at Sun n' Fun.  Balloons are such a great morning sight, especially when they drift right over the aircraft display area!  The winds were fine, but the balloons were definitely covering some ground.

Looking to the east as they make their way down range.  Citabrias and Decathlons from the American Champion Aircraft display area.

A couple of great views of a single seat balloon that was part of the morning launch.  The colors sure look great in the morning sun, and I think he was having some serious fun!

A 350hp, 4-blade prop Skybolt in the morning sun.

The true Ultra Lights were up early... and it was fantastic to see John Moody flying this Easy Riser!  I don't remember the year, but I do remember being part of a small crowd many years ago watching him up at Oshkosh in a field away from the main activities when he made the first powered flights.  The Ultra Light movement began that evening.

I'm not up on my specifics when it comes to powered parachutes, but this was a very colorful one enjoying the morning flying.

A weight shift Ultra Light trike looking good in the sunshine, and at touch down.

A Kolb aircraft powered by a Volkswagen engine with a speed reduction unit.  It sounded great and seemed to climb really well.

 

This Fleet biplane with a military paint scheme looked so classic in the morning sun.

I had a nice time talking to the owner of this rare Call-Air airplane.  The 125hp, low wing and strut-braced taildragger definitely has a unique look.

He specifically pointed out the prop to me... it looks like wood, but it's really a metal prop PAINTED to look like wood!  Seriously, you could not tell it wasn't a wood prop - amazing paint job.  The 'metal' leading edge is all paint too.  A very cool little detail to this unusual aircraft.

 Cessna 195's and an Airmaster nestled together and looking really sharp.

Shortly after, the Airmaster taxied out.

Also had a great conversation with the owner of this beautiful Farchild 24 (he's on the right).  It's such an awesome classic design.

This big old Stinson Detroiter was great to see.  I never get tired of seeing the design and engineering of aircraft from the early age of aviation. 

 

The Pitcairn Autogiro is pretty much beyond words.  What a beautiful and amazing flying machine!  It flew early in the morning and then they were doing a little work on it here afterward.

Another rare and unusual aircraft - the Anderson Greenwood AG-14.

A Vans RV-12 LSA.

  

Little Toot homebuilt... I'm not certain, but I think this one was originally built in the early 70's.

The PiperSport LSA.

A mean screamin' machine!  Pitts Model 12.

I'm pretty sure this Commemorative Air Force Curtiss SB2C is the only one still flying.  It's fantastic to see that it's still looking great and flying regularly.

Here it is with the wings folded up.  That's a lot of airplane!

Great view of the rear seat / gunner position with all the windows opened up.

OSHKOSH Pic Stream #4 - Wednesday , July 29

This "prehistoric" flapping wing machine and wing-walker have been coming to Oshkosh for 25 years now.  It never gets old seeing it pop and sputter down the flightline!  You can also see skywriting for Scheyden eyewear drifting away in the background sky.

There was a really cool hand-propping demo going on each day in front of the Vintage Hangar.  It was a great op for people unfamiliar to get some good tips and cautions.

The que line for getting inside the the A380 was kinda long and slow moving.  Everyone I talked to tho that went thru was glad that they did.

Two main gear trucks with 6 tires each and two with 4 tires each... plus 2 at the nose makes for 22 tires in all.  That's only 4 more than the 747.

Another view of the Taylor Speedstar.  It's just a concept at the moment, but there was a lot of interest and hope that this will lead to an STC for this single turbine Aerostar modification.

Oshkosh doesn't get any better than this!

Matt Chapman in the CAP 580 putting on a great show for Embry-Riddle.  photo: Tim Stiffler

David Martin in the Breitling Extra 330 throwing smoke into the perfect blue sky.  photo: Tim Stiffler

The Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum had their fabulous Lancaster bomber on display.

For a $5 donation (to help pay for the fuel) you could climb up the ladder and all the way thru the Lanc.  What a fantastic experience!  I had a nice visit with Richard E.J. Pulley, one of the pilots as he told me some of the history on this specific airplane.

Beautiful Lockheed P-38 on display in the Warbird area.  photo: Tim Stiffler

A closer view looking inside the unusual P-38 cockpit.  photo: Tim Stiffler

The mouth and teeth of an excellent Curtiss P-40 ready to eat you up!  photo: Tim Stiffler

It's not warbirds without P-51's!  photo: Tim Stiffler

The care given some of these aircraft is absolutely amazing.  photo: Tim Stiffler

OSHKOSH 09 Pic Stream #1

 

The AirPigz 'Pig Pen'  taking shape in the boonies of the campground about 2pm Saturday.  The travel trailer is a really nice family of 4 from IL, and the motorhome in the background is the myTransponder ranch just beginning to take shape.  More camp pix later.

 Wow! Oshkosh 09 starts tomorrow, but it feels like it's already under way with about 1.2 bazillion people already settled in the campground and there are airplanes everywhere!.  And as I said in a post recently, the best Oshkosh ever is the one you're at right now... so I gotta say that this feels like the best one ever!

 Below is a quick stream of pix taken Saturday afternoon shortly after I arrived, and some on Sunday as I made an early morning trip around the grounds.  It's just a  nice little sample of what to expect as I post pix and info through the week  (BTW, I can take pix of airplanes facing the othe way, I really I can).

 In an effort to get the pix up quickly, I'm not gonna include a lot of info with them.  That'll come later, after I have time to soak up the entire event.  Occasionally I'll find something so interesting that I'll say more about it, but a lot of this stuff is gonna come at you pretty fast.

 I'm also planning to post some pix attwitpic.com/photos/airpigz.  It's a great place for stuff a little more unusaul, or when I simply don't have the time to prep a full post.

 Please check back often, and tell your friends... it's a special occassion: the first-ever AirPigz experience at the world's greatest aviation event, Oshkosh!

After a little rain Saturday, I saw this fast and furious looking Lycoming powered Lancair Evolution being pulled to the exhibit area.

 

It doesn't get any better than a Pitcairn Autogyro in my mind... what a beautiful flying machine.  The all new 'Vintage Hangar' is visible in the background.  Mmmm, Oshkosh!

 

A really big and very yellow amphibious Cessna Caravan being pushed into the exhibit area on Sunday morning.  Sure looks like a great way to have some serious fun!

The Sunday morning sky was a perfect background for Mike Logbacks beautiful Tailwind.  I got this picture right after he shut the engine down from arriving at OSH.

The freaky-cool unmanned Predator arrived the other day (I saw the EAA tweet about it's arrival) and is on display.  Gonna have to study this thing in the coming days.

I actually saw some people were really concerned that the new flush toilets at OSH might ruin the experience (?), but fear not, there are still lots of sweet portables around!