EAA in Oshkosh, WI

[Retired W4]

I grew up an Air Force Brat. Dad was an aeronautical engineer and during his five years at Arnold Engineering Development Center (AEDC) the AF maintained 3 C-47's so dad and his fellow pilots could get their minimums for flight pay. That was 1960-1965. Too bad they don't have the old Gooney Birds anymore.

I was stationed at Adam's Field, Little Rock, AR 1987-92 flying a U-8F Excalibur (hot rod Queen Air). We were in hangar one with Jerry Jones' Lear, before he bought the Cowboys and someone kept their Stearman in the hangar. What a beautiful air plane.

Here is a picture of our U-8 in Hangar One, Central Flying Service and and a P-51 on the ramp at Barksdale AFB. Edit: P-51, of course.

 

[Martyk]

I live app. an hour SW of Oshkosh and during an EAA week several years ago I was changing my oil on my F-150. While I'm under the truck, I hear a throbbing, rumbling, throaty, roaring sound I had never experienced before. I crawled out from under the truck just in time to catch a low flying B-17 go right over my house...and the phone/camera was in said house.

 

[ADAMOCOK]

I grew up an Air Force Brat. Dad was an aeronautical engineer and during his five years at Arnold Engineering Development Center (AEDC) the AF maintained 3 C-47's so dad and his fellow pilots could get their minimums for flight pay. That was 1960-1965. Too bad they don't have the old Gooney Birds anymore.

I was stationed at Adam's Field, Little Rock, AR 1987-92 flying a U-8F Excalibur (hot rod Queen Air). We were in hangar one with Jerry Jones' Lear, before he bought the Cowboys and someone kept their Stearman in the hangar. What a beautiful air plane.

Here is a picture of our U-8 in Hangar One, Central Flying ServiceView attachment 775571View attachment 775572 and and a P-40 on the ramp at Barksdale AFB.

That P40 looks a whole lot like a P51.

 

[Retired W4]

That P40 looks a whole lot like a P51.

Could be a typo, or old age. Don't know which. I am reminded of a joke though. Kid asks, Grandpa, what did you fly in the war? Gramps says, a P-400. Kid says, a P-400? Never heard of that. Gramps says, Sure, it's a P-40 with a Zero on it's butt.

 

[Swiftflyer]

Amen brother. The FAA Medical exam is usually the deciding factor. Go or no-go.

And the rising insurance rates after 70 years of age!

 

[Retired W4]

And the rising insurance rates after 70 years of age!

I ran a flight department at KPDK for 7 years and it seems that the insurance company's drive the train. Here in Georgia the personal property tax for the jet, helicopter and hangar was over $40,000 a year. I'll bet operating the old aircraft seen at EAA is very high.

 

[Hair Trigger]

I have flown into the show many times, and it is quite the experience. Best not have your head in that dark smelly place because things can change quickly with that many arrivals, and you certainly don't want to botch the landing with a 100,000 people watching.

I flew in with a friend in '08 and again in '14. Did the Fiske approach, camped in the North 40 next to his plane (V35B Bonanza). Best time I ever had related to airplanes. Fiske Approach is really wild when the arrivals get heavy. Putting a plane on the ground every 30 seconds on two different runways. We also got diverted in '08 to orbit Green Lake for almost two hours after a crash closed the airport before we got there. We and a couple of dozen other planes buzzing around a lake like yellow jackets over a trash can, it was pretty wild.

The Twin Tailed Devil is quite a sight...and sound.

Glacier Girl made her debut at Oshkosh in '08, and there was another model there too, a replica of Dick Bong's "Marge". The P-38 is my favorite warbird.

 

[BillyMagg]

Found my old EAA hat last week - many memories ...

Never been to Oshkosh.

Remember MANY trip to Rockford show.

Three of my memories :

1) Bob Hoover (2251D) taking off - quickly rolling above the runway while was gear retracting - continuing the roll while climbing out . Later his sixteen point rolls.

2) Dale Crites flying the 1911 Curtiss Pusher. Throbbing of the low speed engine.

3) Distinctive throbbing prop slapping sounds of those aerobatic Stearmans during aerobatics. Bill Adams for sure.

Bekeart

So was it a "Gilligan's Island Hat?", I had one of those too!! Oh, I love Stearmans, in fact, I was on the way home from the commissary at Scott AFB when I drove in to that little airport that was stuck back in the trees a Lebanon, Illinois on Rt 4. I found a kool dude washing his Stearman, he invited me to help, and told me there would a ride after we finished!

I had a Dr's appt or something, and had stayed in the BOQ at Scott, anyway after my appt the next morning I had a hell of a grocery list from my MOM! yep, of course I had a couple of gallons of ice cream that melted, my MOM surprisingly didn't say much about that??

So yeah, my hoodie was wet, I put on the leather flying helmet and goggles, no, I did NOT get a parachute, NO the AC did NOT put on a parachute, but yes we did a nice big ole loop, I gave him the thumbs UP from the front pit, after further cinching my shoulder harness straps down!

Then a very nice "Snap Roll" and a real, fully developed "Spin"

 

[Retired W4]

When I went through the Army FW ME q-course in 1987 we did not get an "Army" check ride in the SE phase so my FAA ticket did not have SE land. Fortunately, at my first FW duty station one of our reservists was an FAA inspector who also happened to own a Citabria. We went up for all the required maneuvers, over a grass strip outside Little Rock. With all the formalities taken care of we climbed up for some loops and rolls. What a hoot.

 

[BillyMagg]

When I went through the Army FW ME q-course in 1987 we did not get an "Army" check ride in the SE phase so my FAA ticket did not have SE land. Fortunately, at my first FW duty station one of our reservists was an FAA inspector who also happened to own a Citabria. We went up for all the required maneuvers, over a grass strip outside Little Rock. With all the formalities taken care of we climbed up for some loops and rolls. What a hoot.

My Dad the C-130 IP had no civilian endorsements of any kind, so one of the Sargeant's in his squadron, "Norman Newsome", gave him the full commercial maneuvers and check ride in a 172, my Brother Jim and I rode along for most of those flights,, poor Jim was green, and I was only light yellow??? but there was a slightly paved duster strip just East of Little Rock along the interstate that we used for lots of "touch and goes"...

In my yut, once I had my own license, I rode along on a couple of commercial check rides in the back seat, I actually enjoyed the "unusual attitude" work surprisingly. I was surprised when I was taking my Private Pilot's lessons, how much I really enjoyed the "unusual attitude" recoveries, and how simple they really were,, airspeed going up or down, nose up or down, wing up or down, easy peasy!

 

[Retired W4]

My Dad the C-130 IP had no civilian endorsements of any kind, so one of the Sargeant's in his squadron, "Norman Newsome", gave him the full commercial maneuvers and check ride in a 172, my Brother Jim and I rode along for most of those flights,, poor Jim was green, and I was only light yellow??? but there was a slightly paved duster strip just East of Little Rock along the interstate that we used for lots of "touch and goes"...

In my yut, once I had my own license, I rode along on a couple of commercial check rides in the back seat, I actually enjoyed the "unusual attitude" work surprisingly. I was surprised when I was taking my Private Pilot's lessons, how much I really enjoyed the "unusual attitude" recoveries, and how simple they really were,, airspeed going up or down, nose up or down, wing up or down, easy peasy!

I taught instruments (1970/71) in a TH-13T and 5 years in a UH-1H (82-87). I could put them in an unusual attitude they would not forget. BTW, I've landed where your Dad worked (LRAFB) many times. I loved watching the Hercs doing their "assault approach landings" Very steep, big flare, slam it on the ground and stop on a dime. Wild stuff. I lived in Jacksonville at the time.

 

[BillyMagg]

I taught instruments (1970/71) in a TH-13T and 5 years in a UH-1H (82-87). I could put them in an unusual attitude they would not forget. BTW, I've landed where your Dad worked (LRAFB) many times. I loved watching the Hercs doing their "assault approach landings" Very steep, big flare, slam it on the ground and stop on a dime. Wild stuff. I lived in Jacksonville at the time.

we lived at 125 Maine Drive, on LRAFB, and went to school in Jacksonville, there were two Jr High's, we were the Red Devils

 

[BillyMagg]

I taught instruments (1970/71) in a TH-13T and 5 years in a UH-1H (82-87). I could put them in an unusual attitude they would not forget. BTW, I've landed where your Dad worked (LRAFB) many times. I loved watching the Hercs doing their "assault approach landings" Very steep, big flare, slam it on the ground and stop on a dime. Wild stuff. I lived in Jacksonville at the time.

You were there around the same time we were, I had an Arkansas, "learners permit" to drive around the same time. I'm sure the people of Arkansas thought the Huey was the "State Bird", as Little Rock AFB converted from the B-58 Hustler, (a gorgeous airplane, but like most super sexy women, vewy, vewy dangerwous), to the Minuteman II ICBM, there was a kool white board proclaiming such as you entered the Officers Club. Anyway, those Huey's were everywhere...

do you remember the B-47 that was stationed up front as a gate-guard, I can remember stopping there and fondling that big beautiful babe, such a gorgeous airplane.. anyway, I had a Kawasaki 90SS, that I rode all over base.. I had a small supply of spark plugs that I would quietly bake in the oven when my Mom wasn't home, two strokes loved eating spark plugs, but a quik bake at 550 degrees would smell up the house, and on occasion "resurrect" a dead plug...

 

[Retired W4]

You were there around the same time we were, I had an Arkansas, "learners permit" to drive around the same time. I'm sure the people of Arkansas thought the Huey was the "State Bird", as Little Rock AFB converted from the B-58 Hustler, (a gorgeous airplane, but like most super sexy women, vewy, vewy dangerwous), to the Minuteman II ICBM, there was a kool white board proclaiming such as you entered the Officers Club. Anyway, those Huey's were everywhere...

do you remember the B-47 that was stationed up front as a gate-guard, I can remember stopping there and fondling that big beautiful babe, such a gorgeous airplane.. anyway, I had a Kawasaki 90SS, that I rode all over base.. I had a small supply of spark plugs that I would quietly bake in the oven when my Mom wasn't home, two strokes loved eating spark plugs, but a quik bake at 550 degrees would smell up the house, and on occasion "resurrect" a dead plug...

The Army NG had Hueys over at Camp Robinson (N LR) and the Army reserves had 6 medevac Hueys at Adams Field where my U-8F was hangared. It seemed the C-130s were everywhere. Both my now adult kids went to Jacksonville schools. I'll check to see if they were Red Devils

The U-8F Excalibur

 

[MOONDAWG]

GO AIR FORCE

 

[Retired W4]

The Excalibur version of the U-8F differs from the normal Queen Air in that the super charged V-6 is replaced buy a normally aspirated, fuel injected IO-720 flat 8, de-rated at 400 HP. No worries about over-boosting the engines like the old engines.