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the Fly Market. I guess it’s the garage sale, hardware store, Tool Time (Tim Allen) guy in me that likes to browse through parts, tools and aircraft hardware. You never know what you may find that you didn’t know you needed. Next is a tour of all four of the vendor hangars labeled A, B, C and D. Same rationale as the Fly Market plus a few of the vendor/tenants are friends and acquaintances, so the social bonding begins there. After the hangars, it’s time to find some carnival food (that’s my description though nowadays there is actually a pretty good selection of grub at the show). The opening night concert, Seaplane base, Wednesday night air show, STOL competition, daily flybys of various aircraft and activities at The Theater in the Woods are all worth attending. And of course, the many forums, speeches, recognition ceremonies and wide variety of parked aircraft all warrant attention. Did I mention there is an air show every day as well? Then, after the daily activities, the nightlife begins. Oshkosh Caresses the Soul You ask me if they’ll come a time, When I grow tired of you. Never My Love. You wonder if, this heart of mine, will lose its desire for you? Never, my love. – The Association, 1967 I still feel like that long-haired, 110-pound, student-pilot- hippie when at Oshkosh, but now that I’m a balding, profes- sional pilot and writer, I have an image to uphold, right? But the older I get, the more tears of joy and laughter Oshkosh brings to my eyes before and after the show. The avgas-fueled days are topped off with drinks at the campers and tents of fellow aviation aficionados. And after an exciting day and an evening of food, drink, revelry and stories of yesteryear, many folks are filled with plenty of aviation spirit (pun intended). A special thanks to the spirit-filled lady that was yodeling in her best Julia Child voice “hellooooo” from a tent window somewhere. It made me want to break into my Steve Martin Wild and Crazy Guy imitation with both hands alternately pointing skyward while singing “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feel- ing.” Well, it almost did. Oshkosh can do that. Kevin Dingman has been flying for more than 40 years. He’s an ATP typed in the B737 and DC9 with 23,000 hours in his logbook. A retired Air Force major, he flew the F-16 and later performed as an USAF Civil Air Patrol Liaison Officer. He flies volunteer missions for the Christian organiz tion Wings of Mercy, is employed by a major airline, and owns and operates a Beechcraft Duke.Contact Kevin at dinger10d@ gmail.com. 36 • TWIN & TURBINE / August 2019 Paul Bowen Photography