BK1 Oshkosh 2005 – Off the Beaten Path
The next few days went by in a blur. Get up early for golf cart duty, by the plane till lunch, right in front for the daily air show, and every evening’s search for affordable food. So lost in my dream talking with so many people, missing just about every seminar, the Homebuilder’s Breakfast, Lunch, Banquet, etc…
Should not have been surprised when Buzz walked up and said, “You just missed the pilot briefing for today’s Homebuilder’s Showcase. You can’t fly without the breifing, that’s the rules”. He knows being one of the volunteers that has worked it for years. What, is it Friday already? After all that we went through on Wednesday with the water logged engine, what a bummer to miss it today standing about 100 feet from the briefing building. Don’t have a natural tendency to go against the grain (not), but rules are made by people, and most can be reasoned with. Ran up the stairs to the briefing room and got the bad news from the first two officials. The third was the charm, maybe falling face down and kissing his shoes helped. By now there is probably nothing I would not have kissed. The appeal was simple: Had attended the briefing Wednesday, Had flown the Homebuilder’s Review before, and would hold my breath until turning blue if you do not say yes. Not wanting any Smurf colored people passed out on the floor, they said yes. Ran back to a very surprised Buzz with my flight papers. He said, “No one has done that before”. I said, “They could not resist my charm (not).”
As the time approached, notices there were many more people gathering on the flight line than any day before. Determined not to goof up this time, had the plane pulled out on the line way early. When it became time to start up, could not help but notice the hoards of people and lots of kids watching every move. The pressure is on, put on another 30 minute prop-a-thon again it could goof up a whole generation of potential builders. Well, this time it started normally on the second blade, maybe my luck is turning. Taxied toward the active runway looking for the number markers to find my spot in the review. Before long got to the end of the runway where a small group of volunteers started to wave me into takeoff position. Stopped and waved one over to me and ask, “Where is the Homebuilder’s Review?” He said, “They are not here yet”. Ask him, “Where do I go now?” He said, “I don’t know, but you can’t go back the way you came, its one way, and you can’t taxi down the runway either.” Wishing the BK1 was a helicopter didn’t work, so suggested I could taxi back on the grass area between the active and the one way taxi strip.” Off we go into the grass kicking up a cloud of dust going where few have gone before, while getting some real strange looks from the long line of departing planes along the taxi strip. As we bumped on our way near full throttle, smelling the propeller fresh cut grass, could not help but think how far this aviation thing has taken me off the beaten path (literally). Decided to wave at the people on the flight line and smiled as many of them took photos of this obviously lost pilot. What a break from the usual routine, I love it!
Almost all the way back to show center, saw a pickup truck coming down the taxi way and saw a more surprised Buzz in the driver’s seat. His son, Ed, jumped out came over to ask what I was doing there, but got this feeling that they now expected to find me anywhere but where I was supposed to be. Got him first this time, saying “Where’s the parking markers?” He said, “You beat us out here, we have not set them up yet.” What a great feeling, at last getting anywhere early this week. Not knowing how much of a bump there was, shut it down and we both pulled it up back up on the taxi strip. They drove on down farther and set up the marker. Waved at the people on the flight line as I pushed the BK1 down the taxi way for seemingly a long way, you know, everyone else uses their engine for this, but we are off the beaten path today.
Was real fortunate to be out standing by the runway waiting
for the Homebuilt Review during the White Knight/Space Ship 1, Global Flyer,
and F14 fly-bys. Then came the moment of
truth, with the same man holding the tail during 2003s prop-a-thon, it was time
to start. What relief when it fired on
the second blade again, my new remedy for hard starting, drown your
engine. If any of you ever flies your
homebuilt to
Feel real fortunate to be there and involved in the homebuilt movement, no matter how far off the beaten path it takes to get there.
Thank, Bruce King