BK1 Oshkosh 2005 – There Are No Strangers At Oskhosh!

This Oshkosh trip was different from the first in many ways. In 2003 spent most of the time walking around the grounds taking it all meeting other visitors like me and not many of the local crowd. The plan this time is to spend most of the time standing next to the BK1 answering questions and handing out cards. Even though the event did not start till Monday there was still a lot of traffic on the flight line. Getting there early allows one to see the planes coming in such unlimited variety. It is amazing how fast the days go by and what happened on what day becomes a blur. There is such an air of excitement when something unique like the LionHeart pulls up. This an extra large version of the Beech Staggerwing, radial and all, except its all state of the art plastic in construction.

Getting up Saturday morning noticed the first problem, no shuttles are running yet. Even if they were they do not start up till 8:00 and for early risers like me that still does not help much. I get up with the sun, and way up north it rises much earlier. So start the long walk from the Antique camping toward AeroShell Square down the flight line. By 6:00 the place is active with Gators, EZ-Go carts, and truck moving everywhere. After about a half mile you start to turn around and give the sad puppy dog look to anything that passes with an empty seat. Once in a while that works. A couple of days later my left leg got a bit sore and that lead to a small discovery, it helps to start limping when you hear a cart coming. Walking around near the main HQ behind the tower saw rows of new carts parked waiting for action and began to formulate an idea about an early morning taxi service.

Late in the afternoon the sky darkened and it looked like time to run for cover. Moving quickly (at least for someone my age and girth) ducked under cover at Homebuilt Headquarters just in time. The wind and rain was strong, so if my bird does not yank out those rebar tie downs they gave me, it will need to be bailed out. This rain did not just blow over real quickly either so after an hour or so began to think about how to get back to my tent a mile or so away, started getting a bit depressed by how drab it was all looking. About then one of the Homebuilt Headquarters’ custom “Welcome Wagons” pulled up. These are small pickup trucks that have the back of the cab cut out and bench seats along either side, used to transport homebuilders from plane to camp and back with their gear. Since it was raining they had the canvas snap cover in place, designed to protect the bed. The cover effectively makes the bed unusable since there is no head room, but you can’t get in through the passenger door without climbing over the console. There were two of us standing there needing a ride so we both dived under the cover at the tailgate end and crawled between the bench seats up to the cab. Buzz, the other passenger, was faster, more agile, and climbed over the console into the passenger seat before I got past the wheel wells. “Where you going?” the driver ask. Buzz said he was up in Camp Scholler. So I told them they might as well go there first since there was nothing for me to do but sit in may tent anyway.

One question that I did not know to ask on my first Oshkosh trip was “How many times have you come to Oshkosh?” a great conversation starter. Found out that Buzz had been coming to Oshkosh since his 32 year old son, Buzz, was 6 and that he came from Canada in what must be the world’s only homebuilt Cessna 140. As we talked we were going farther and farther back into a sea of RVs (the rolling kind) in Camp Scholler. Only saw the ones across the street last time, did not realize that many people came to Oshkosh this way. Really would have liked to continue this line of conversation but we were just pulling up to a big RV up in the camp. Buzz opened the door got out then leaned back in and said “You don’t have anything to do back at your tent, do you? Why not come on in and have a beer?” After about a fraction of nanosecond of consideration I said “You bet!” then practically destroyed the Welcome Wagon’s console climbing over it.

Once seated in the RV Ed ask if I had ever had a Seizure before. “No, none so far”. He said “Not that kind of seizure, this is a mixed drink”. “Does it live up to its name?” I asked. “Well” Buzz said, “One is good for conversation, two and you will need to sleep over”. Its about three days until I would be flying in the Homebuilt Review, and it is Saturday, so lets go for it. “What’s in a Seizure, or do I want to know?” Not sure I remember the exact formula but think Buzz said, “Its easy, 1/3 Vodka, 1/3 Hot Clamado, and 1/3 Rocket Fuel.” That did not sound so bad until I saw how big the cup was. Might just need a designated walker to get back to the tent. He was right about it being good for conversation. Later his Son Ed came and joined in. The Cessna 140 story is great, it seems that it was damaged badly in a landing accident when the tail wheel broke. They took it apart, hammered the parts flat, then used them as patterns for the rebuild. When done the Canadian airplane inspectors determined that there were more new homemade parts in the plane than Cessna parts so it could not be certified as a factory plane. So they registered it as a homebuilt. Saw the plane later and the workmanship was spectacular. Looked to good to be a factory Cessna. Ed was wearing a EAA volunteer badge, so we started to talk about that a bit. Turns out they among other things they have been working the Homebuilt Review for some year. That got me talking about that experience in 2003 when my Hummel Bird would not start (See Oshkosh 2003 “20 Seconds of Fame”). Ed said, “Remember that one well, I was holding the tail of you plane that day”. And I never got to thank him.

Something about Oshkosh makes instant friends out of people from distance foreign lands like Canada and Texas.

There are no strangers at Oskhosh!

Thank, Bruce King

www.bkfliers.com

dbk4939@yahoo.com