Ray Key and his "Sparrowhawk" Cessna 152 were part of the 22 plane group arrival of members of the 150/152 type club on Friday before the start of AirVenture 2009.
When I'm wandering around the North 40 my eye is always drawn to one of my favorite planes: the venerable Cessna 150/152. I love hearing about the hardy souls who fly this small trainer to AirVenture from some great distance.
On Friday I came across a particularly good-looking C152, and as I was admiring it I realized there was another next to it, and another next to that! Why it was practically a whole row of 150s and 152s.
Ray Key and his "Sparrowhawk" Cessna 152 were part of the 22 plane group arrival of members of the 150/152 type club on Friday before the start of AirVenture 2009.
Turns out they were all part of a group arrival by members of the 150/152 type club. Twenty-two of them flew in on Friday morning. They're here together celebrating the 50th anniversary of the 152.
In this group, Ray Key has the honor of having flown the furthest to get here. He's based at Flabob Airport near Riverside California.
Ray's 152 is a 1980 model and it's in terrific condition. He and his three fellow owners put in a new engine, and repainted it, three years ago. The engine is a larger than usual, 125 hp "sparrowhawk" conversion, which also includes a better prop.
The plane has 9000 hours on the airframe but only 300 on the new engine.
Ray does a lot of flying in this little bird. He's logged almost 200 of the new engine's hours. One trick he has for finding places to fly is that he's gradually visiting every airport on the LA sectional.
"I took all the airports on it that have a hard surface and are non-military. There's roughly 98 of them. And I've visited over half of them now." He plans to complete all of them eventually.
Although Ray is a relatively new pilot -- he got his ticket just two years ago -- he does a lot of flying. "I'm flying over 150 hrs per year"
In addition to the 152 he's also a half owner of a Christian Eagle. He's learning aerobatics.
Ray flew the C152 here from Flabob in 22 flying hours, 1700 miles.
Another EAA member who came to AirVenture this year from California is 72 year old Jay Shower, and his fiance Ann Pooch.
Jay Shower and Ann Pooch came to AirVenture 2009 from Gillespie Field in San Diego, California
Jay has been coming to the fly-in for 15 years.
Jay has had an amazing life in aviation. He got his first flight in 1949 when his dad smuggled him onto the military aircraft that he was flying. In 1954 Jay soloed before entering the Navy for a career as a Naval Aviator.
"I flew off of carriers for 16 years. I was 26 years in the navy, so I've got a lot of jet time, a lot of carrier time."
His favorite military planes were the A-4 "a tinkertoy" and "the most prestigious jet [I flew] was the ra5c Vigilante. That plane would fly mach 2.5. The book says 2.3, but it would go 2.5 mach."
After retiring from the Navy in 1983 Ray has continued to be a very active pilot. He's had the V-Tail bonanza that he and Ann came to AirVenture this year, since 1984. And he's literally flown it all over the world.
"I put the tip tanks on in 1990 and flew it to Europe." Their route took them via "Gander, Newfoundland, and over to Greenland, and then to Iceland, then to Scotland. I ferry airplanes across now, all the time. Ann and I went two years ago in a Silver Eagle which is a TP210"
This is Jay and Ann's fifth year coming together to the fly-in. Last year, in their North 40 tent, Jay brought out a ring and proposed to Ann. Lot's of nice things happen at AirVenture.
James Scheibner is sitting in front of his screen house, next to the twin engine Cessna. His plane and tents stand all alone on the north side of runway 9. Eventually he will be surrounded by fellow campers out here in the North 40, but now, still early in the week, he has the grassy field to himself.
James Schreibner enjoying the morning from the North 40 during AirVenture 2009.
"We like camping here, just 'cause it's a good angle on the flightline, watching everything going on on 9/27, and a lot of friends know where we are."
His wife and kids are still asleep in the tent, but he's sitting in his folding chair, av radio in the cupholder, watching the action as the airport wakes up for this day before the opening of AirVenture 2009.
James has been coming to the fly-in since 1990. The fly-in has been a big part of his life. He and his wife were married here, in 1996, in the Ford Trimotor, on opening day.
"The kids have been coming here ever since they were [born], that's our family thing. Coming here every year."
James owns and runs the FBO at Hillsdale Municipal Airport (JYM) in Michigan. "You can't get much further south in Michigan than us."
Hillsdale, says James, is just a little 4,000 foot strip. "Hillsdale Aero was established in 1970, I've owned it since 95.
"We're kinda a full service FBO, we have the fuel, we have the flight instruction. But our main business is aircraft sales. buyer and seller services, maintenance."
They are also a dealer for Flight Designs LSAs.
"I jumped into the light sport movement because I saw that as the next flourishing thing for general aviation. So I've been a distributor for Flight Designs for three years."
James and his family flew-in this year in a client's 1976 Cessna 310R. His personal planes are a Skyhawk and a Flight Designs CT. But he likes the twin for traveling to Oshkosh so he can carry his family and all their camping gear.
They made the hour and 15 minutes trip here this year on Saturday. "The weather was a little bad at home, but that's OK, that's where you want it to be bad."
Holy crap! The tower's gone!
Dan Schildgen is from Colleyville, Texas, which is near Fort Worth. His home airport is Hicks Airfield (T67).
Hicks is a fairly active field, Dan estimates that it has about 200 hangars.
He arrived to AirVenture 2009 in his Cirrus SR22 G3, on Friday afternoon before the show opened. It's his fourth year to the fly-in.
He comes back each year because of the people he meets, and just plain enjoying the week.
Dan bought the SR22 about a year and a half ago. He was able to retire at a relatively young age and now has jumped into aviation with both feet.
He's flown the Cirrus all over the continent. "Wisconsin, Chicago, Texas, Florida, Arizona, New Mexico, Cabo in Mexico."
He's logged 700 hours in the 18 months since he got it.
In addition to flying the Cirrus, Dan is doing acro training in an Extra 300L.
Dan first learned to fly only four years ago. He claims it was a spur of the moment thing.
"One day I told my wife at the office, 'I'm leaving for a couple hours,' and she says OK.
"I get back and she's, 'where have you been?' I say, 'I just took a flying lesson.'
"'Where did that come from?' she asked.
"'I just DID IT!'"
Dan goes on to tell how the aviation seeds were planted.
"My dad had a plane. We grew up in the suburbs north of Chicago. "
"We had a plane down in Paulwaukee, but I really had no interest when I was a kid."
"But I sold my company, and I'm kinda retired, so I have to have a couple of hobbies."
In addition to the Cirrus, Dan is thinking about adding to his fleet. That's on his agenda for this visit to AirVenture.
"I'll probably be looking at planes more than I did in the past. I want to buy a second plane, probably a light sport plane. And I want to buy the Extra."
Sometimes "around the field" takes on a more expansive meaning.
Most of these stories during AirVenture are from wandering around the grounds of the fly-in, meeting new and old friends. But "local" can have a different meaning when you have access to a personal airplane.
Early Monday I met up with Navion Pilot Jonathan Hardwick to get a quick morning ride in his beautiful Navion A Model.
Jonathan Hardwick with his Navion A Model after our early morning flight from Oshkosh.
Jonathan is from Hamilton Ohio, near Cincinnati, and flies out of Butler Field. His day job is as a business jet pilot for a fractional ownership company. But when he's not doing that he's a member of EAA Chapter 974, the Warbirds of America Squadron 18, and is active in the Navion community.
He's been flying since 1998 and got his primary instruction from a former WWII pilot. Jonathon quickly got his instructor certificate and enjoys teaching. Among his instructor experience is a stint at Brown's Seaplane Base in Florida teaching in Super Cubs on straight floats.
The Navion was first built just after World War II. It was used during the Korean War as a Liaison aircraft.
One famous picture is of the Navion that General MacArthur used as his personal airplane.
The aircraft was originally built by the same folks who did the P-51 Mustang. Some refer to it as the "Poor Man's P-51".
Jonathan's plane is gray with Korean War era military markings. Other than putting in a bigger engine he's kept it pretty stock.
It was built on April 1, 1947. "We were gonna name it 'April Fools' but decided that that wouldn't be a good idea."
After getting the plane, Jonathan discovered in the logbooks that, though the plane has spent much of its life in Texas, it had been originally based near Cincinnati.
"Right after it was manufactured a gentleman from Cincinnati owned it. And it had been maintained at this old airport in Cincinnati that no longer exists."
So Jonathan painted the name "Cincinnati Kid" on the nose.
Jonathan flies his plane as part of the Warbirds show at AirVenture. To be allowed to fly formation here requires special training.
"I flew with a group of NATA guys, North American Trainer Association, which is the governing body for the T-6s. I got my training from a guy named Jim Stitt -- he'll be flying the airshow with the Trojan Horsemen -- and Todd Winemiller who's the lead T-6 guy."
He describes the formation training as "challenging".
"I did about 5-6 hours. I liken it to aerobatic training. You go out for 30 minutes and you're toast. 45 if you're really good. It's a huge focus factor. It's very dangerous, you've got to trust the people you fly with."
What was the biggest challenge when first getting started?
"Getting over the fear of being close to another airplane. And that takes time, you can't go right out and say, this is the way it's supposed to be, let me fly close to this airplane, 'cause you're gonna hurt someone."
On this beautiful first morning of AirVenture 2009 we followed the warbird ground flagmen and taxied out to depart on runway 27.
Once safely out of the OSH Class Delta we turned east and flew to the far side of Lake Winnebago.
The land over there is mostly farm fields. Lots of places to land if needed.
Jonathan let me take the controls for much of the flight, and the plane's stability and ease of handling impressed me.
We motored on over to New Holstein, about 20 miles to the east.
A group of Super Cubs are marshalling over there before flying on into AirVenture. We could see them all parked on the grass between the paved and grass runways.
Talking on the CTAF, we announce a couple of quick approaches to the paved runway, which we converted into low passes and fun climb-outs.
One of the Cubs was flying around the area, also enjoying the morning. We chatted with him on the frequency, and asked for permission to join with him for a few quick pictures.
We met this Supercub on the CTAF and arranged for an impromptu air to air picture.
I've now not only made Oshkosh friends here at Wittman, but over at New Holstein too.
Heading back to OSH we flew the warbird arrival, a first for me. From the south, along the lake, turning final for 27.
Being a warbird we did the obligatory -- and really fun -- right break for landing on 27. Jonathan took over flying for this part, and set her down right on the green dot as instructed.
Now I just have to find the Super Cub guy to send him some of the pics we took. I never ceases to amaze, all of the ways there are to make new friends at AirVenture.
Bob and Norma Petersen are relaxing in their folding lawn chairs.
They're sitting beside their tent, and their beautiful Cessna 180, in the Vintage campground just south of Theatre in the Woods.
Bob and Norma have lived for 16 years at the Cameron Park residential airfield in California. They arrived here at AirVenture this year on Saturday afternoon before the show opened.
Bob & Norma Petersen, from Cameron Park, California, enjoying a beautiful morning in the Vintage aircraft campground at AirVenture Oshkosh 2009.
"We went pretty much direct from Cameron Park, a fuel stop at Wendover, spent the night at Douglas Wyoming, fuel at Mankato, and direct into here."
This is their fifth time to the fly-in. The first was in 1996.
When asked what changes they've seen that they like Norma instantly say, "flush toilets."
She's apparently so enamored with the new plumbing that instead of using the facilities nearest their campsite, she hikes over to the distant ones.
"She likes them," says Bob.
As with so many AirVenture attendees, their earliest memories involve new friends.
"We met some people at Sun 'n Fun in 1995," explains Bob. "They had a '53 180 and we camped next to each other. We've become good friends.
"They live in Rockford Illinois, Poplar Grove, and he said, 'you want to go to Oshkosh you call I'll go up and stake out our sites.' So that's what we like every time we come here."
Their airplane is a Cessna 180, which they bought in 1992. It's a 1954 model.
"I'm a horsepower nut," says Bob, "and so we've done various things to it, I had a big engine put in it."
Ownership of the plane hasn't been without some adventures.
"We had a seat track slip and ground looped it on our home airport. I had it all fixed up and painted, and I ran one tank dry as I was coming into Tucumcari, landed on a dirt road, caught a branch broke it again. Took it to Greely Colorado, which is the best repair shop in the country."
They had the plane rebuilt, the paint touched up, and brought it to AirVenture in 2003, and it won the custom classic award.
"It is nicely put together, as the judges will attest."
One of Bob's uses for the plane is to keep his family close.
"My daughter and two granddaughters live in South Lake Tahoe, so I hop up there to get them. They like that."
Bob started taking flying lessons in 1954. "I took one every couple of months. I got my private pilots license in March of 1959."
Bob and Norma have an inspiring attitude about life.
"We're happy. She's 72, I'm 74. We've been married for 49 plus years and every day's a good day. We don't worry about our age, we just keep going."
Norma is not a licensed pilot, but she took ground school once, and she's soaked up a lot of aeronautical knowledge through the years of flying right seat.
"She's just a wonderful co-pilot," says Bob, "she watches everything I do. If I'm doing anything wrong, wrong altitude, wrong heading, wrong anything, she'll notice it, and tell me. And so it's a lot of fun."
Also enjoying the morning in the Vintage camp is Dick Poppe who is sitting with some friends under the wing of his polished Cessna 140.
Dick and his good friend John Hickman arrived in Oshkosh on Friday morning from his home airport of Waverly Ohio (C25). Although he's been coming to the fly-in for several years, this is his first time flying in.
He jokes about how much preparation he did to be ready for the VFR arrival, only to discover almost no one else arriving that early.
"I arrived at the airport and they just asked me what runway I'd like to land on. There was no one else around."
Dick is the proud owner of this beautiful, recently restored, highly polished, 1947 Cessna 140. It has a stock C85 engine.
Even though he became the plane's owner in 2000, he says, "I've been polishing on it since the middle 80s."
He recently took it out of service for a year to completely restore the interior.
We all love our airplanes, but Dick's 140 has had a particularly touching role in his life.
He bought this plane from longtime, dear friend, Harold White. Harold was the plane's first civilian owner, buying it in 1952.
In 1958 White gave Dick, who was then a high school student, his first airplane ride in this very aircraft.
Then in 2000 Dick became its proud owner.
Harold passed away in 2004, and here at AirVenture Dick has an album on display under the wing, with historical documents from the plane's past and pictures of his departed friend.
"Little did I know that I would ever, ever own this airplane. So this restoration is all about this guy."
It's another beautiful morning in the Vintage campground. Showcase planes are passing overhead, and up and down runway 18/36. The sun is shining bright even though it's a little unseasonably cool. But it makes for a delightful alternative to Wisconsin's occasionally hot and humid.
Carl Rump is sitting under his wing enjoying the air, watching the airplanes.
Carl and his wife Elayne are from Wayne, Nebraska, about 45 miles south of Sioux City. They've been here at AirVenture since last Friday morning.
The flight here from their home in Wayne, Nebraska was pretty uneventful, other than going around a few thunderstorms
Elayne & Carl Rump camping in the Vintage area with their 1956 Tri-Pacer.
"We stopped at Reedsburg (C35), spent the night there," says Carl. "We do that traditionally, and then fly in here in the morning. It's very nice. The accommodations are within walking distance. There's a number of motels and restaurants. We've always been satisfied there.
This is Carl's 37th straight year to the EAA fly-in, since 1973.
"It's always a great place to come. We base our summer schedule around Oshkosh.
"It's a time for us to have a family reunion. Our sons come in later in the week. We'll be here until the bitter end. Sometimes we've had other relatives stop in for a few days and visit. They all enjoy airplanes.
"It's just a great time to get together."
Their airplane is a 1956 red Piper Tri-pacer. They've owned it since 1967.
"I learned to fly in a Colt, which is a two seat version of this. I've flown other Cherokees, and Cessnas and things. But I've always appreciated the ability of the tri-pacer to... it's not exceptional in terms of cruise speed, but it can carry a lot of people and objects.
"We load it up with all the camping equipment, and it gets off the ground and goes as well as any of them."
They've done a lot of flying in this airplane over the years.
"My wife got her license in it. We went a lot of places with the two kids in the back seat. It's a member of the family for sure.
"Nebraska and Iowa have a lot of fly-in breakfasts. Usually on Sunday mornings, so we're usually going somewhere every Sunday."
The Rumps home airport is Wayne Municipal (LCG). It's got two paved runways, but it's also got Carl.
"I'm on the airport commission and I insist we maintain the grass runway. It's got a really nice grass runway."
Gerald Nelson and Nelson Evans are here for their first ever AirVenture Fly-in. They flew Gerald's Vintage 172 here from Skagit Regional Airport in Washington State.
The trip to Oshkosh was "very good".
Nelson Evans and Gerald Nelson with the well traveled Cessna 172 #790.
"We flew over the cascades to Kalispell, Montana. We left in the afternoon, around 4 o'clock, we were able to get up over the top at 11,500 feet and flew right to Kalispell."
Even before arriving here they were amazed at the hospitality of the GA world.
"The airports and FBOs we visited were extraordinarily friendly and helpful," says Gerald. "And many were having special things happening during Oshkosh week. Like we pulled into one place and they were offering free lunch, hamburgers, hot dogs. Chips, water. It was all free."
The legendary friendliness of AirVenture attendees extends beyond the Wittman airport fence.
"We lucked out a little bit along the way," says Nelson, "because we landed at Marshfield, and we ran into these guys who said, 'you need to stay in the vintage parking.'
"I was gonna go the general parking in the North 40," he says. "But this is the perfect place to park."
Gerald's airplane is a 1956 172. The 790th 172 ever built.
Gerald and Nelson do a lot of flying together in the 172.
"We live close to the San Juan Islands so we fly out there a lot."
One of their favorite island destinations is Friday Harbor.
"Very popular boating destination," says Nelson. "Little town, very quaint. Airport close by. Just a nice place to stop."
"On the San Juan islands there are airports just about everywhere," explains Gerald. "And most of those airports are within walking distance to the little towns, and they've got little restaurants. They're pretty neat places to go."
Another island destination they like is a restaurant called the Spruce Goose, on Port Townsend.
Another big trip they've made in this plane is to fly up to Alaska.
"It was a very interesting adventure," says Nelson, "and a challenge for flying because the facilities for fuel and navigation are far and few between. We went up the inside passage route, where weather is an issue most of the time. We had an excellent time."
Nelson & Nelson are so enjoying their latest adventure, this visit to AirVenture, that they're already planning to return next year.
It seems like it's been awhile since we've had a solid rainy day at AirVenture, but that all changed this morning. Light, occasional heavy rain fell for most of Thursday morning, chasing attendees into the Forums and Exhibit buildings, and under whatever cover they could find.
We did find a few hardy souls out tending their airplanes, oblivious to the wet.
Phillip Fox was in the Warbird L&O area putting the cover back onto his 1968 Cessna O-2A.
Phillip is from Huntsville, Alabama. He's been to the fly-in five times since 1999, the year when he got his pilot's license.
Phillip Fox on a rainy morning at AirVenture with his 1968 Cessna 0-2A.
His home airport is Madison County Executive (MDQ).
For him, one of the highlights of coming to Oshkosh is participating in the formation clinic, where pilots learn the procedures and risks of flying joined up with others.
He's also happy to see all the Trojans.
"This year having so many T-28s for the 60th anniversary. That's a great outpouring."
Not surprisingly he knows a lot about the past of his historic airplane.
"It's a '68 Cessna 0-2A, delivered to the air force in Vietnam in 1969. It served with the 21st Tactical Air Squadron out of Cam Ran Bay. It was decommissioned and stricken from the air force records in 1975. It was with U.S. Customs for ten years, and it's been bouncing around the civilian market since then."
He bought it about a year ago, and he likes it because it's a "functional warbird".
"It's a true warbird, it has four bullet holes in the wings," he smiles. "But it also allows the wife and the two kids to travel."
Billy and Jana Copeland are staying dry under the wing of their 1962 Cessna L-19 Bird Dog.
Like so many of the Warbirds here at AirVenture the Copeland's plane has a fascinating past.
"It's one of the last 50 built," says Billy. "It's an E Model, built in Wichita, Kansas.
Billy & Jana Copeland of Paris Texas with their E-Model Cessna L-19 Bird Dog.
"It went directly to Italy on the military assistance program. It never was certified in the United States it went straight to Italy and did its service over there."
While in Italy the aircraft was cannibalized for spare parts. Then it was bought by an American military member, who shipped it back to the United States.
"It kinda bummed all over the states on the east coast," says Billy, "and finally wound up in Texas. And I got a hold of it and I restored it."
Jana shows us a photo album of the aircraft before and during restoration. Just the fuselage without any wings, doors or engine. Billy spent a year working in his spare time to restore the plane to its current airworthy state.
Billy & Jenna are from Paris, Texas and they have their own private runway.
"We have about 300 acres there. We've got a strip, and a hangar, and all that. It's a little bit of paradise there in Texas."
In addition to the Bird Dog, Billy has built two RVs, a -6 and an -8. And he restored a Cessna.
"I took a Cessna 180 out of a barn and I rebuilt it, and brought it up here. So I'm sort of a hobbyist on these things."
"But the Bird Dog has been in the family for about 6 years."
Billy flies the L-19 as part of the Warbird show here at AirVenture.
What's it like to fly up there among all those planes criss-crossing?
"The beehive! You're talking about the beehive," he laughs.
"Well, we've got our set altitudes, and we've got to stay in it. So we're concentrating on our altitude, and if everybody is just doing their job, it's completely safe. I have no worries at Oshkosh."
They flew into Oshkosh this year on Thursday before the opening. On the way north they came across members of the group of Cessna 150s on their way here.
"We got to talking to a couple of people," says Jana, "first on the radio, and then on the ground. We ended up meeting them at one of the airports, and spent the night together.
"We've been bumming around with them all week. That's kinda neat."
The sun and blue skies have returned to Oshkosh on Friday morning. There's a lot of activity in the airplane parking areas this morning, as many of the early arrivers, pack up their tents for the journey home.
John Thocker is untying the ropes on his red RV8, getting ready to head out. But he's happy to pause to talk more about flying.
John is from Cincinnati and he's been here almost a full week this year.
John Thocker of Cincinnati with his 6th RV.
John and his RV were part of the spectacular 36 ship formation fly-over of RVs early in the week. A lot of preparation goes into those kinds of demonstrations.
John has been flying formation for a few years, but he still had to train down in the Cincinnati area before coming out here.
"We trained with a bunch of guys for the last year, then went to a clinic this spring with a 19 ship formation, and then culminating the first weekend before Oshkosh where we practiced as 36 ship formation.
"We did lots of training for the weekend, Saturday, Sunday prior to Oshkosh, and then we did the show"
The 36 ships are made up of many smaller groups from around the country. John's group calls itself the "Cincinatti River Rats".
John first came to the Oshkosh Fly-in many years ago. One of his most vivid memories is of the years that the Concorde visited.
"The Concorde was here, and a buddy said, 'c'mon let's go ride it, they've lowered the price to 300 bucks.'
"But I was buying parts for my RV, and I thought 300 bucks should go more towards something like an exhaust system, so I didn't take him up on it.
"He went and I didn't. Now he's got the story to tell that he rode the Concorde, and I don't. So that's a regret that I have. I shoulda rode the Concorde when I had the chance."
John's RV8 is the 6th RV he's built. He started in 1983 building an RV4.
He's built two RV4s, an RV6A and three RV8s. They've taken as long as seven years, and a little as eight months to complete.
The plane he has here at Wittman is one of two that he built simultaneously. He sold one and kept the other.
John has been flying since 1978. He started in civilian training, worked his way through the ratings, and eventually ended up a DC-8 Captain for a cargo firm.
Also here in the expansive Van's RV parking area is Denny Jackson from Independence, Oregon.
This is Denny's third time to the fly-in. His first time was in 1997, then he didn't return until three years ago, and now in 2009.
Denny Jackson of Independence, Oregon and his RV8.
His yellow and blue RV8 is parked here beside a yellow and blue RV4, which he also built, and was flown here by its current owner.
He finished the 8 in 2005. It took him "a couple of years" to build using the quick build kits.
That's a lot quicker than his RV4. "My first one took me 10 years to build."
He really likes the Van's aircraft.
"It's the all-around utility of the thing. They're good at just about everything: aerobatic, little short grass fields, long hauls. We've been camping in it. We can take all of our gear in it. It's just an all-around good airplane."
He designed the paint schemes on both these RVs. Inspiration for the earlier paint job came from a very practical place.
"That one was actually kind of an accident. The canopy had just a slight gap up at the end, and so I thought, 'maybe I better paint that part blue so it doesn't show the little dark crack.'
"Then I came up with the zig-zag on that, and the blue and yellow, and I thought that I liked the back and front contrast, so I did this new one like that, but with a different theme."
What was the toughest part of building the planes?
"Oh I don't know. Just staying at it I think. I mean there's so much help that you have now. Of course the EAA people, the Chapters, there are Chapters everywhere. Everyone's building Vans so there's just no shortage of people to help you out if you get stuck."
Denny lives in a residential airpark back in Oregon. The lifestyle suits him.
"Yeah I love it. I fly weekends and during the week. Any time you feel like taking a little hop you just go out and open the hangar and go.
"It is a really nice neighborhood, because everyone has a common interest. You get real friendly with a lot of people. It's very nice."
Paul Rankin is enjoying Saturday morning sitting in the Vintage campground beneath the wing of a big old twin.
He's been coming to the fly-in since 1984 and enjoys seeing the "more unique" planes. This year the A380 and White Knight 2, from past years he remembers the Voyager and Concorde visits fondly.
Paul Rankin with a Cessna UC-78 aka the T50 “Bobcat”.
Paul played co-pilot flying here in the 1943 Cessna UC-78. It was flown by Paul Anderson, who is the son of the plane's owner Jim Anderson of Stillwater, Minnesota. Rankin's wife rode along in the back seat.
The UC-78 is the military version of the civilian T50 "Bobcat".
"This one spent a couple years in the military as an executive transport. Other versions were used as bomber trainers."
Rankin's home airport is Lake Elmo in St. Paul Minnesota (21D). It's a non-towered field with about 200 planes based there.
In addition to helping Anderson care for the UC-78, Rankin has a couple of Cessna 120 projects that he's working on.
David Gitman is a 22,000 hour pilot for a large regional airline. He's from Johnsonville, New York, near Albany, and this is his second time to AirVenture.
Six years ago he was here with a friend who introduced him to the fly-in.
"Last time my friend showed me all around. The whole Oshkosh experience. This time I'm trying to do that for my boys."
Brian, David and Marcus Gitman from Johnsonville, New York.
David's sons, both here with him for the week, are Marcus, 16, and Brian 12.
David and his boys live on a 300 acre retired dairy farm that they are renovating and expanding. One of their most exciting plans is to add their own private landing strip.
"We moved a power line to open up a field, a we'll be bulldozing a 3,800 foot runway in the near future."
"My dream is for when my boys are 40 or 50 years old, and someone says, 'where did you learn to fly,' they can say, 'oh, our dad taught us in the back yard.'"
They're here this week soaking up the atmosphere and trying to decide which airplane(s) they want to bring to their back yard.
The boys are loving their first visit to AirVenture.
"My favorite thing so far," says Brian, "was definitely riding the helicopter. You were way up there. It really felt really roomy, calm. You could see everything. You could see the Airbus and a whole bunch of people walking below you. It was cool"
Marcus liked seeing the Predator UAV. "But I thought it would be smaller than it was."
"Another one of the things I really like about coming here is the air shows," continues Marcus, "there's always something going on. I was looking up in the sky and seeing them doing a whole bunch of hammerheads and all different flight tricks."
On their first day here they did some spur of the moment volunteer work, helping to hand out rain ponchos during one of the midweek rain showers.
"That was fun," says Marcus. "We were waiting in line for the Airbus. We stopped by and got some raincoats. And we were in line handing them to anyone who needed one. It was pouring."
"They were definitely put to good use," adds Brian. "A lot of the line had these yellow raincoats on. It was fun handing them out. It definitely made it seem shorter."
When asked what airplane they would have their dad buy for the back yard they have very different preferences.
"I like the Husky's and Piper cub," says Brian. "I like a lot of like Cessna sized planes."
Marcus on the other hand wants something bigger. "Small business jets are a lot of the ones I would want. If we had the money I would want to get one of the airliners that came in."
Young Brian is the brother who really has the flying bug. His dad, who is also a CFI, has already begun some casual flight training with him.
"My dad and I are trying to get me into airplanes so I can get my license when I'm old enough. I have a flight log. It should be good experience."
Though still only 12 years old, in addition to his plans to become a pilot, Brian already has lofty goals for his life.
"I want to go to RPI and do robotics and aerospace engineering."
Marcus's plans are more what you'd expect from a teenager. "Really not a clue."
Pilot-to-be Brian sees flying as more of a social activity than professional.
"I don't want to do like a job. If I want to like go to the beach someday, get a whole bunch of friends in a plane or something. That'd be fun."
All from their back yard.