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         The life and times of Mark and Paula Persons
  
Monday, July 23, 2012:  Mark was off to the EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association) AirVenture air show in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.   Called "The World's Greatest Aviation Celebration," the event draws about 70,000 people per day from 60 countries every year.

Even television reporters were there to tell viewers about this international gathering.

There were thousands of airplanes parked on the grounds awaiting the air show. 
Plenty of street signs to find the way around.

There were even $80 rides in a Ford Trimotor which was first produced in 1926.
Mark flew in a simulator of an early Wright Flyer 1 airplane from 1903. 

Very underpowered and tricky to fly.
Then it was on to a later model Wright plane where the pilot could sit up.  Better, but still very difficult. 

Mark was awarded a pilot's license POSTHUMOUSLY after crashing twice.

Better luck next time, Mark!
Many groups including this bag pipe band and the Blues Brothers showed up.

There were numerous vendors of airplanes.  One had a sign that read, "Your wife called and said it was OK for you to buy an airplane from us today."
This was the year for hundreds of J-3 Piper Cub airplanes to show up.  Painted yellow, they were produced between 1938 and 1947. 

Updated versions are still being produced today.    

Lots of vintage airplanes on display.  The bi-plane is a U.S. Army A-75, produced by Boeing/Stearman in 1940.

No, it did not have the "bucket of bolts" nose art, but another nearby plane did. 

There was a re-creation of a Bleriot airplane on display. This one appeared in a Hollywood movie. Shown here is the owner, Eric Preston. This is a very difficult plane to fly partly because it relies on wing-warping for control.  He showed off his $89 book with 1047 color photos of 690 plane types on 510 pages.
Not just adults attend this event.  They bring kids as well.

Mark was dismayed because he had to pay full price for a ticket when Paula says he is only 3-1/2 years old!
Everyone gathers around to see and hear Jerry Slegers.  He really is a one man band.  Watch him on YouTube.
There he is, Duggy...the smile in the sky.  A Douglas C-47, which was used by airlines starting in 1936.  Many thousands more were produced as C-47 Skytrain cargo planes during World War II. 
Mark visited Amateur Radio special event station W9ZL.  He is shown here calling CQ on 20 meters.  Among the stations contacted that day was one in Puerto Rico.  Amateur Radio is a fun hobby for world-wide communications.

Temperatures on the first day reached 103 degrees.  One T-shirt had the inscription, "I survived HOTkosh."
August 5, 2012 e-mail:  Re: Oshkosh photos. You looked like you were sweating bullets in the simulator.  Oh, wait.... that must have been because it was 103+.  Jim in Baxter, Minnesota.
Quote of the day:  Lots of things to see and do at EAA.   Mark    < Back to previous story Ahead to next story >

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page last edited 09/28/2012