Page 26 - Sept22T

From the Flight Deck
by Kevin R. Dingman
IAssembly Of Aviation Aficionados
f you haven’t heard, EAA AirVenture (“Oshkosh” for pur- venue for the renewal of friendships and the exposure of ists) was held at the end of July. And here is where, for the younglings to the industry.
last 50-plus years, we would add the comment “as usual.”
Once Bitten
But since Oshkosh 2020 was canceled and OSH 2021 was iffy until mid-year, EAA president Jack Pelton noted most succinctly that this year, like last, he was reflecting on the fact that he no longer takes AirVenture for granted – and this pilot/T &T writer agrees. After attending almost every year since 1972, I feel a renewed sense of gratitude. We all lost much to the pandemic – some lost everything. For the band of brothers and sisters who call themselves aviators, the return of fly-ins, pancake breakfasts and conventions like Oshkosh is a homecoming salve for our pilot soul.
Freedom is what EAA is all about.
Freedom to create and build, to dream, to fly.
– EAA Founder Paul Poberezny
By now, you’ve read more than a few recaps about the EAA gathering. Suffice it to say, Oshkosh is back and EAA membership now tops 258,000. In what has become an unwelcome trend over the last few years, however, a severe thunderstorm hit the field the Saturday before the event. Trees were downed in one of the campsites and by Sunday, many dumpsters were filled with ruined tents. The weather during the rest of the week was the best in years: mostly clear skies, moderate temperatures during the day, followed by cool nights. The daily flybys and airshows were plentiful and spectacular.
This year’s AirVenture was a year of anniversaries: 75th for the USAF and the Beechcraft Bonanza, 50th for Vans aircraft as well as a handful of other early and now famous homebuilt aircraft including Burt Rutan’s VariViggen, 40th for ultralight part 103 (which established regulations for ultralight vehicles marking the beginning of ultralights as we know them), 30th for the Young Eagles program and the 15th for EAA’s WomenVenture. Vans aircraft unveiled the new RV-15, and in celebration of Vans 50th, a few of the days provided multi-plane formations of RVs, which often numbered in the dozens. Of course, there was much talk of new products and innovations, including a replacement fuel for 100LL. And, as usual, Oshkosh provided the perfect
24 • TWIN & TURBINE / September 2022
You are truly home when you find your tribe.
– Srividya
I once introduced a young man to aviation. He would say it’s my fault he was bitten by the aviation bug. Flying or maintaining general aviation airplanes never has been a fortune builder. Michael jokingly blames me for getting him hooked on a money-losing career. Who can blame him, though. Aviation has that mystical allure. It also has a high expense-to-pay ratio. When I learned to fly twin-engine airplanes, I was paying 40 times my hourly salary for each hour of flight time. The ratio has become worse since the olden days of the 1970s. When my military and airline career finally led me back home to Michigan, Michael was there and all growed-up (tear in my eye). He was married with children. He had his single and multi-engine ratings and instrument and flight instructor certificates. He was a col- lege graduate and an airframe and powerplant mechanic. He had swallowed it all – hook, line and tie-down chain. It was Michael who exclaimed the significance of Oshkosh the year we missed it because of a cracked engine case in