Page 13 - July19TNT

a dairy, the memories are prized. The first few years he attended, Lee arrived via commercial flight. He said now it wouldn’t feel like Oshkosh if he didn’t fly in. He and his son will fly their Cessna 421 to OSH this year.
“My son not only attended OSH all these years but he also attended EAA’s Air Academy for a couple years when he was in middle school,” Lee said. “I
think that sparked his interest in the mechanics of aircraft. He is not only a private pilot now but he also is a cer- tificated A&P.”
the process is routine for the orga- nizers of “Cessnas 2 Oshkosh” but no less thrilling.
“This will be my 14th year and every year it’s goosebumps from takeoff to the moment you land,” said Gil Velez, a pedi- atrician who flies his 2002 Cessna 172S Skyhawk SP from Caldwell, New Jersey to Juneau, Wisconsin on the Thursday prior to the Saturday mass arrival with his wife as co-pilot. “It’s just an amazing feeling. It’s very exciting to be leading this group into Oshkosh.”
Velez has participated in every Cess- nas 2 Oshkosh organized, and he was invited in 2007 by Rodney Swanson and Craig Chipley to help them lead the all-volunteer effort. He also helps with formation flight training clinics and serves as one of the lead pilots dur- ing arrival, which included a record 87 Cessna aircraft last year.
“For me, the main appeal of the ar- rival has shifted over the years,” said Velez, who started attending OSH when he purchased his airplane in 2003. “Initially it was the thrill of formation
Attendee, Mass Arrival
After 13 years of staging a mass arrival at Wittman Regional Airport,
Cessnas 2 Oshkosh 2016.
July 2019 / TWIN & TURBINE • 11