What Brings People to AirVenture?

by ANN Correspondent Rose Dorcey

It's fun to roam the AirVenture grounds, stop people by surprise, and ask them if they're willing to talk to the press. Most will; some refuse. Others just keep on walking.

Midweek of aviation's greatest spectacle, we're seeing a whole lot of enthusiasm. We talked to first time visitors, like Richard Olson from Beaumont, Texas, who said, "We don't know anything about airplanes, we're just here to look at 'em."

Ron Prosser, Kalamazoo, Michigan, is in Oshkosh for his twentieth time. A pilot, he was impressed by the B-1 Bomber and to see the Cessna 172 on its 50th anniversary. He comes to see what's new.

"That little Honda jet flyin', that's pretty nice," Prosser said. "I like to walk out there and see what people got and how the fixed them up."

Mark and Lynn Langenfeld, from two hours away in Madison, Wisconsin, said they come up every year.

"I've been going to EAA Fly-ins since they were in Rockford," said Mark. "We hit the vendors. As far as what's on the flight line, I have a short list of airplanes I want to see."

Lynn comes becomes she loves aviation. She loves to fish, too, so they often visit the Seaplane Base. She and her husband own two aircraft. She has also been to Oshkosh for several years. The one time they missed, they felt "awful, like there was a big hole in their summer."

Ed Wilkinson, Wurtsboro (NY), and Walt Finkle, Summitville (NY) came to Oshkosh with three other pilot friends. Wilkinson had been coming since 1992, only missing a few years. He and Finkle are partners in a Cessna 140.

Wilkinson said that AirVenture is a nice outing for their group. "It's a wonderful vacation for us, and for our wives, who we leave home. Believe me," he laughed, they enjoy us going away for a week."

Finkle brings his bicycle along and rides 30 - 45 miles every other day. The others bring motor scooters to get around. They enjoy the beautiful Wisconsin countryside, the clean AirVenture grounds, the friendly people, as well as learning what's new in aviation.

"We're going through quite an evolution with the Light Sport Aircraft," said Wilkinson. We like to look at the latest aircraft, and attend the forums."

Milo Schindler, Rapid City (SD) also expressed interest in the LSAs at AirVenture.

"Light Sport Aircraft are interesting at my age. I'm still able to pass my flight physical, but you never know. If I go to an LSA, it'll be a Vans."

At 70 years old, Schindler flies an RV-9. His son-in-law is a current Army helicopter pilot; his daughter is a former Army helicopter pilot. They bring their two children to the event. They use AirVenture as a family vacation, and to visit friends and acquaintances from other EAA chapters. Every afternoon, Schindler takes a break from the Oshkosh heat to relax in the shade of his fifth-wheel camper in Camp Scholler.

FMI: www.airventure.org