Page 16 - Volume 16 Number 10

AirVenture2012 Roundupby LeRoy CookDespite 100-degree heat and occasional thun- derstorms, the 2012 AirVenture gathering of aviation enthusiasts in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, went off almost flawlessly at the end of July. As usual, prominent general aviation players came out in full force, showing their latest wares and announcing fu- ture plans at this festival of flight.AirVenture is an all-inclusive arena for popular aviation. Although airliner showings are limited and military aircraft aren’t promoted, the big iron is often displayed as crowd pleasers. However, it’s the enjoyment of thefreedom of individual flight that takes precedent over large, megabucks aircraft. This year, the spotlight was on the 75th Anniversary of the Piper Cub (181 attended) and the 40th Anniversary of Richard VanGrunsven’s RV kit airplanes, honored with a 40-plane flyover in Sunday’s pregame warm-up.Of course, plenty of serious business gets done at Oshkosh; commercial vendors remained essentially unchanged at just over 800, despite the lackluster economy. Overall attendance was down about six percent, but still tallied well over a half-million enthusiasts at14 • TWIN & TURBINEOCTOBER 2012Oshkos