At the Hawker Beechcraft Display at AirVenture 2013. The Staggerwing was front and center. Good times.
The annual trek to Oshkosh for EAA’s AirVenture is upon us. Looking back, I realize my many journeys to AirVenture have been via commercial airlines. So, this year, I am landing in Wisconsin in my flying club’s Bonanza F33A.
When I started planning the flight up from Texas, I realized how lucky we all are to pilot our own aircraft and participate in this internationally attended event. A friend of mine is flying up with a group of Bonanzas, and they’re all landing at Wittman Field and camping with their airplanes. I want to keep my club plane in a hangar, so I have a reservation at a nearby airport.
My trip to AirVenture includes stops in Wichita, KS, Olathe, KS, and probably Fargo, ND, and maybe a few others if I can fit them in. I have flown the upper Midwest many times, but this year is lining up to be pretty special. First, I will be flying a beautiful Bonanza with air conditioning. Second, it seems like most of the other times I flew in the upper Midwest, it was winter, and the weather was gnarly. Now, I get to enjoy the typically great summer weather.
In addition to the anticipation of seeing longtime friends and colleagues and, of course, all the airplanes and airshows, we have a really fun issue of Twin & Turbine to tide you over until AirVenture:
- Dianne White takes us treasure hunting and shows how to find that diamond in the rough when aircraft shopping.
- Some of you have seen a Navion–the big, roomy single with a unique canopy. I would guess nearly none of you have seen a Twin Navion. But this month, Matt McDaniel gives us an in-depth look into the design and performance of the big four-place twin.
- Grant Boyd, our usual “Owner’s Corner” author, brings us up to date with the subject of a story that started thirteen years ago.
- And again, Dianne White tells about a unique SmartGPU you can see at AirVenture.
- My editor’s pic for this month takes us back years to when pre-Textron Beechcraft was making all the King Airs.
- Finally, David Miller gives a really great story about beers and flying. It’s perfectly legal, I promise.
Thank you for reading Twin & Turbine, and I hope to see everyone at AirVenture!
