"It Was Love At First Sight"
by ANN Correspondent Aleta Vinas
Not all Oshkosh memories are made at the flight line... or even
during daylight hours. Some of the most fun at Oshkosh happens in
the woods, after dark with the Oshkosh crowd that camps through the
week.
Chuck Swain was bitten by the aviation bug as a youngster.
Korean War pilot Frank Gietzel took Swain under his wing and showed
him the joys of aviation. Swain attended the Aircraft Maintenance
Engineering Technology program at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical
University. Swain married, took a job with the airlines and with
wife Tina they started a family in Chicago, IL.
"As much fun as Chicago was to play in." says Swain "it really
wasn't a good place to raise kids."
As luck would have it, Swain received a job offer, in his
hometown, he quit the airlines and the family moved back to Beaver
Dam, WI. Swain's job was at the local airport he frequented as a
youngster.
Swain was working at Beaver Aviation for Paul Baker. To Swain,
Baker is "one of the most amazing characters I've ever met. A well
educated, soft-spoken gentleman. One of the finest people I've ever
met."
Swain worked for Baker five years, then bought out the business.
Baker then worked for Swain five years before retiring. Along the
way Beaver Aviation and the Swain’s moved to Juneau, WI. One
of Swain's employees, Eric Nelson has now bought out Swain and
Swain is working for Nelson.
Swain has been in aviation for 37 years his retirement is not
yet in the plan. Swain has been EAA member # 28215 since about
1962. In 1963 as a teen Swain was invited to his first AirVenture
in Rockford, IL by "Hump Pilot" Joe Hankes.
"It was exotic and it was exciting for a 14/15-year-old kid. It
was absolutely fascinating."
Swain has been going back ever since, through marriage... his
wife's pregnancies... and the birth of two sons and a daughter.
Son Andy's first Oshkosh was in 1970. He was a month-old and
Oshkosh had shifted to Wittman field. Older brother Chuck Jr. was 1
1/2, and it was a family affair -- Swain's wife Tina and the
in-laws made the trip.
Swain ran into a friend who took him to see his camper. "He took
me back into the woods" recalled Swain "and it was love at first
sight."
Swain brought his camper up the next day and has been camping
ever since. Swain's day trip turned into the entire week.
He claims the camping idea started out as a customer service.
Many of his customers attended Oshkosh. Swain offered them the
camper as a place to hang out until all the cars had left and the
traffic died down. Soon after, the vendor's Swain purchased from
would relax in the woods after a hard day of selling.
Swain does have some favorite times to point to. "That first one
at Oshkosh when I discovered there was a whole different world
there."
That first year was also the Alexander clambake. One of the
neighboring camp families hailed from Boston, they had a clam bake
with clams, oysters and other seafood and Swain was invited.
Wanting to reciprocate, Swain had a brat-fry.
"What could be more Wisconsin?" Swain thought. The look on his
friend's faces while Chuck fried the bratwurst, the onions and beer
did not show the same enthusiasm... at least, initially.
Alexander tentatively tried a bite and all of a sudden, Swain
said "I literally was fighting them off. They were cleaning off my
grill." Days later, Swain saw Alexander at a local gas station
buying bratwurst. The clambake brat-fry was now a tradition.
Another behind-the-scenes memory was the experimental couch
built by Clay Adams. Adams an organizer of the Barnstormer Tour
drove up to the campgrounds just last year in a 1950’s
vintage aquamarine colored, Naugahyde couch complete with joystick,
brake (sort of) and throttle.
As ANN reported, Swain took
Wisconsin Aviation Hall of Fame president and ANN contributor Rose
Dorcey for a ride on the couch. Adams promised "next year (2007)
It's gonna seat 10."
Another highlight for Swain was meeting boyhood hero Scott
Crossfield in the EAA gift shop of all places. Swain has also
bumped into Jim Lovell on the flight line and was introduced to
Neil Armstrong, who was there with Lovell.
Marital Strife
Tina Swain has a few of her own memories. When their daughter
Molly was small Mrs. Swain had a Monday off from work. Her parents
suggested a trip to Oshkosh to see Chuck. Mrs. Swain thought it was
a great idea, she could help her husband pack up the camp and he
hadn't seen Molly or herself for a week.
"He'll be so happy to see us," she said.
Besides, it had been a while since she had been to AirVenture.
It was so long, in fact. "I went to the wrong clump of woods,"
admitted Tina. As they drove up, her husband Chuck was at the
picnic table and there were six women there as well with DOT shirts
on "doing everything but feeding him grapes," Tina Swain noted.
Upon exiting the car "those women scattered like
cockroaches.” The first year, the Concorde visited in 1985
was a standout moment for Swain, and his wife. Says the Mrs. "I've
seen things that have brought me to tears like the Concorde when it
was there. That was so amazing."
Swain recalled the moment as well. At what is now AeroShell
Square, Swain was with his wife and friends; Trevor Tompkins (a
Brit who Swain calls his brother by choice), Charles William
Anthony Collins (known as the Commander) and Bill Campbell.
They watched the British Airways beauty taxi up. Captain John
Cook, opened the cockpit window and out came a US flag, on the
other side unfurled a British flag. Swain saw tears in the
Commander's eyes and Tompkins simply beamed with pride. Swain
called it "one of those defining moments" for those who regularly
camp in the woods. The defining moment had to be the invention and
subsequent annual visit of the beer coffin. The campers take their
refreshment very seriously. No silly little styrofoam coolers would
do.
In 2003 Swain had a coffin modified -- lots of insulation, a
pool liner and a drain – with a calibrated drip. The men that
came to lay the pool liner took one look at the coffin and left...
to grab their cameras.
Swain transports the cooler in the back of his Ford Pick-up.
He’s received some strange looks, and even had a police car
follow... but hasn’t yet been stopped. Once the coffin is
laden with lager even six men can’t budge it.
Swain has found that the key to emptying the coffin seems to be
to invite a Shuttle crew to partake in the golden ale. One crew
reportedly helped put away a weeks worth of suds in one night. Not
to worry, the supply is always replenished.