The Very Best (And Worst) of Oshkosh 2005! (Part Three,
Final)
Compiled By The Staff and Readership of the Aero-News
Network
For quite a while, we have recognized the highs and lows
inherent in the general and sport aviation community. There are but
a few places where that is more a propos than at a major event like
the Oshkosh Fly-In.
It's hard to know what really is going to make a difference and
what really qualifies as exceptional unless you've been watching
this industry carefully for several years... as we have.
Unlike past years, ANN readers remarks were heavily incorporated
into ALL aspects of this report, and not just the Aircraft awards
and such. Their contributions are specifically noted when a
particular attribute is based primarily on an individual's
report.
Our Annual Best Plane of the Year Selections (tentatively
announced after Oshkosh and finalized at year's end) will follow
this series shortly… we're having a REALLY hard time making
a decision this year - and the reasons might surprise you.
So... here are our final picks for the Best and Worst of this
year's Oshkosh... and why we think so:
The Sexiest Aircraft at OSH 2005
Scaled's White Knight. Sure... SpaceShipOne is
cool... but when you look at ALL the curves on White Knight, ya
just gotta know that Burt had been watching the Playboy Channel for
hours while he was sketching this thing out.
The Coolest Aircraft at OSH 2005
Eclipse 500. Vern said it was going to be a
delight to fly and he wasn't lying. We know, we flew it. The E-500
is a ball.
Same Ol' Same Ol' Award
Liberty Aircraft. Here they go again... years
after they were supposed to be fully certified and in serial
production; they've got limited TC's, no production certificate,
more stories conflicting with the stories they told previously and
no identifiable sense of when the production will begin, in
earnest. With two good companies now working the two-place market
(Diamond and Symphony), we think the ship has sailed on
Liberty--too many questions, too many customer complaints, too many
conflicts and too many broken promises. Pass this one by.
The Reality Check Award
Oshkosh Is Where True Flyers Belong. I learned
two important lessons from being at AirVenture. First, is that I
will be staying the whole week next time, so I don't miss a gorram
thing. Second, I belong in aviation. The sense of belonging while
in the aviation community is overwhelming. The hugs from cute
pilots like Eric Tucker and Jamail Larkins is just icing. Can I
deal with stuff like that full time? Well it's a tough job but I
can handle it, I'm cuddly. (Aleta Vinas)
The Patience Of A Saint Award
LSA Manufacturers Who Survived The LSA Process.
It was a tough and lengthy wait for those manufacturers looking to
Sport Pilot and the LSA rules. Those who survived the hype, delays
and industry miasma are to be congratulated and we hope that their
patience and perseverance pays off. We shall see.
Things We Got To See Because of Our Press Pass
Burt Rutan launching toy rockets into the line of fans
waited for a chance to have him and Melvill sign autographs or
answer questions. He tried to take my ANN hat off with one
but it departed controlled flight just before impact… kinda
like the roll departure SpaceShipOne did on its first X-prize
flight. (Chris Armstrong)
Best Kept Secret
Light Sport Aircraft Programs. With a lot to
offer, even hamstrung as it they are by last-minute FAA foul-ups
and betrayals (especially in terms of medical issues), the LSA
program should be lighting the world on fire. They aren't... not by
a long shot.
Why? Shamelessly over-hyped and over-promoted by EAA (in their
never-ending search for more bucks), it didn't help that the
program was SO late in hitting the runway, nor does it help that
the reality is not exactly what was sold to the sport aviation
community time and time again by EAA... long before anyone had a
real idea of what was coming. EAA does some things right and some
things wrong... They really blew the intro of LSA and it will take
a while for the industry to heal the wounds this has left. (ANN
Staff)
Grace Under Pressure
Glasair Aviation's Mikael Via. One of the true
nightmares of any Oshkosh is reserved for those who have to deal
with a tragedy like that which befell one of Glasair Aviation's
GlaStar demonstrators while doing a film shoot -- killing a much
beloved member of the Glasair community. A fatal accident hurts
everyone -- especially those involved, but few people have
handled these circumstances as well as Via... who dealt
with the difficulties and answered necessary questions with
patience, tact, and honesty. (ANN Staff)
Best Way To Trash A $1 Million Bill
Royal Turbine Duke. So, say you have $1 million
even to spend on a new toy. What will you get from all the goodies
on display at Oshkosh? A VLJ is a little over budget. A new Adam
A500? Again, slightly over budget, and also, somewhat lacking on
the coolness factor. Our pick: The Royal Turbine Duke. For $887,000
you can get a Beechcraft Duke converted to a pair of PT6A's by
Rocket Engineering - the same folks who did countless turbine
conversions for Malibus and Bonanzas. You can even save $100,000 if
you go for the lower end PT6A-21's. Don't have a Duke to spare? No
worries! For the change you get from your million bucks, you'll
probably be able to find a used Duke with run-out engines. The end
result? A 300 knots plane that climbs at angles more befitting
something like SpaceShip One. Sounds like a good value to us. Hurry
up while Dukes with run out engines are still plentiful. (Nadav
Eiron)
Highest Price Food Item
Most of them. Onsite food was still way too
expensive and visitor reports indicate that changes made this year
were NOT for the better. Food was one of the three most popular
sources of complaints of Oshkosh 2005.
Best Food Deal
Was NOT on The Airport... If you could get off
site there is a place just across 41 from the airport called
"Tailspin Tommy’s" that makes the biggest and best
sandwiches and salads anywhere near the show. (Chris Armstrong)
"Ya Gotta Be Kidding" Award
NO V-22 At Oshkosh (AGAIN!). We made the same
selection last year. It's kind of amazing that DOD projects
this
troubled don't show up the one place they will probably get
uncritical enthusiasm. Instead, we got the Harrier doing its
stunts, over and over again. Been there, heard that. How about an
F-22 fly-by next year at least? (Kevin O'Brien, Jim Campbell)
Exercises In Futility 2005
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Sport Flying.
What's in a name? Sometimes, WAY too much. There is this book,
endorsed by EAA, with the most outrageous title I've seen in a
while, "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Sport Flying." With all the
problems that aviation has with the general public right now, the
least thing we need is a title that describes any aspect of our
business as suitable for Complete Idiots. I'm really disappointed
that this came about. But... endorsed by EAA? What were they
thinking?
ALL The Right Moves
Oshkosh 2005--The Whole Damned Thing. We hammer
them when they deserve it but we need to laud them when they nail
down a winning combo, as well. This year's rendition of Oshkosh...
ROCKED. Great attractions, great pacing, great schedule and a
surprising lack of faux pas's made this year's event the best in
recent memory. The big question, though, is this... how can they do
it again?
The Department of Redundancy Department
Repli-Cubs Keep... Replicating. When the early
ultralight movement finally hit its stride, a number of the more
popular new designs kinda looked like Piper Cubs. Now that Sport
Pilot is off and running, a number of the new LSAs hitting the
market kinda look like Cubs... again. Hmmm...
"Best Actor" Award
Epic Aircraft. While hawking a jet that has yet
to fly and a kit aircraft that the FAA says is not a kit, the hype
was running hot and heavy throughout the week and drawing attention
from others in the industry who uncharacteristically spoke up with
concern about the fact that Epic seemed willing to SO push the
rules that the FAA might be forced to react... and, whaddyaknow,
they have.
Worst Idea At Oshkosh 2005
Staging Popular Mass Arrivals On The Same Day.
"... I'm sure you've had plenty of feedback on the uncontrollable
arrival delays caused by the weather, and the controllable delays
caused by 100 Bonanzas and 50 Mooneys on the Saturday before
Airventure. I just wanted to add my voice to the concern about
having 2 large groups of airplanes scheduled back to back on the
same day. We barely made it into Airventure Saturday evening
because of the delays.
We arrived at Rockford (RFD - where the Bonanzas were staging from)
to wait out the thunderstorms. After the storms passed, we started
to depart only to have to wait for the Bonanzas to depart in front
of us. We headed to Ripon to get in line, only to get numerous 10
and 15 minute time extensions while waiting for the Bonanzas to
land. Just as the Fisk controllers were telling us "5 more minutes
guys", what do we see coming at us? It's the Mooneys coming to
land. Well, the controllers game back again, "Sorry guys, but more
bad news. Now the Mooney's are landing." Well, that was another 30
minute delay and then finally, after a large group of airplanes
(including me) had organized a holding pattern around Green Lake SW
of Ripon, we got the order to proceed. Well, as the large Green
lake group lined up over the railroad tracks, numerous other planes
that had been holding out in various areas came in looking for
spots. As a result, for the in-trail and staggered spacing of
airplanes approaching Fisk, we had way less than 100 yards between
airplanes. It looked more like a disorganized formation flight with
VERY few airplanes lined up actually over the railroad
tracks!
Anyway, all in all, we made it in safely and before the 8:00pm
cutoff unlike some of our other camping neighbors but the
atmosphere getting there was extra tense. Perhaps the Bonanzas need
to be broken up into smaller groups, and at the very least, put the
Bonanzas and Mooneys scheduled on different days so we don't get so
jammed up when weather decreases the available daylight and a crash
occurs on the field adding to the delay." (ANN Reader Report)
"Risky Business"
Oshkosh Arrivals. Don't get me wrong... the
folks who run air traffic into and out of Oshkosh are shear
geniuses. But... getting into Oshkosh is a truly tasking endeavor
fraught with a lot of uncertainty that can not be minimized
entirely by the means with which arrivals are currently handled.
There are simply too many planes trying to go into the same airport
at the same time without enough direction and recognition of the
threats (other aircraft) around them. I flew arrivals into Oshkosh
this year several times... in aircraft ranging from
an ultralight trainer, to an R-44, to a Piper Meridian... and
each arrival had its perils. There has to be a better way to handle
arrivals and while I have NO CLUE what that may be, I urge the
powers-that-be to look this situation over to see what might be
done to manage this situation with greater safety.
What's in A Name?
Pipistrel Sinus and Virus. OK... I realize that
these are foreign birds, but whoever names these critters needs to
rethink their marketing plan. Can you imagine having to tell ATC
that you're flying a Virus? Or... asking for maintenance on your
malfunctioning Sinus (shown above)? Puhleeese...
Biggest Oshkosh 2005 Blunder
Food: The powers-that-be made big changes to
the food vendor program at Oshkosh this year and it was one of the
three major sources of complaints that we reviewed among the 1000+
comments we received. People hate d the food, the prices, the waits
and that staffing. For those of you who thought that last year set
a new low, the bad news this year is that things could and did get
worse. Example -- An ANN Reader reported, "I consider the food the
biggest rip-off this side of Chicago. It is absolutely disgusting.
The hot dogs are not something I would feed my dog, the burgers are
little charcoal pads, the sausages I won't even comment on. Not
only is it entirely overpriced, but the healthiness does not even
come within light-years of the health scale. I even tried going to
the fish fry at the Seaplane base. It consisted of 2 patties of
some kind of frozen fish that were identical in their triangular
shape, a scoop of the worst Cole-slaw I have ever had, and
something that at one time had been potato salad but had evolved
into some kind of tasteless goop. By Saturday night, my body was
screaming for something green. I finally had to bribe someone I
knew to take me into town to a Restaurant that had a Salad bar
where I had 2 servings. I slept much better that night." Another --
"I think the price of the on site food was outrageous - something
needs to be done. I bought a 20oz. pop and soft pretzel, and it
cost me $8.00!! Ridiculous!!" (ANN Reader Reports)
Runner(s)-Up: Too many carts and vehicles. Too
many respondents noted the need to dodge carts, a lot of them, and
the fact that pedestrians did NOT seem to have the right of way.
ANN notes that carts need to give way to ALL pedestrians and act in
a way that does NOT impede their progress... and that is honestly
the way we operated our ONE cart. Ann Reader Reports, Jim
Campbell)
Runner(s)-Up: EAA is taking way too much space
up for their displays, merchandising and member services. For
instance... we had several reports that the tent on the 200 line of
exhibits was doubled in size from the year before and was blocking
visibility of many exhibitors down that line. (Multiple ANN Reader
reports)
Weirdest Rumor
... That SpaceShipOne was going to do an unpowered drop
from White Knight during the Fly-In. Wishful thinking, for
sure... but wouldn't it have been absolutely the coolest thing in
the world -- UNTIL Mike or Brian got cut off on short final by a
NORDO Tri-Pacer?
Red-Headed Illegitimate Half-Breed Stepchild Award
The Ultralight and Rotorcraft area. This area
is suffering from a lack of access and visible PR support. Nuff
said.
Biggest Party Pooper
FAA Administrator Marion Blakey. The
Administrator's unwillingness to modify the strange and
surprisingly restrictive medical provisions associated with the new
Sport Pilot/Light Sport Aircraft rules is both disingenuous as well
as counterproductive. It literally rewards those who wish to hide
potential medical issues (and may, in fact, cause them to avoid
dealing with various medical maladies for fear of being found out)
and penalizes folks who are working within the system. Worse; there
is NO justifiable reason for Sport Pilot licensing to have such
medical restrictions. Period. (ANN Staff, Readers)
Bozo Of The Week
Yup… he's STILL at it. Chuck Slusarczyk of CGS
Aviation (Repeat Award). Chuck Slusarczyk builds
ultralights and light aircraft... most of them pretty good little
airplanes -- when and if he actually delivers the whole machine.
Unfortunately, Chuck's skills as a designer are not matched by his
skills as a businessman... or as a human being. For several years,
we've been trying to get this guy to give money back to customers
he SCREWED (one celebrated case, in particular), even after he
PROMISED to do so... in letters to EAA, no less. We've written
about it over the years, here and there, and Chuck hates that and
hates US for it. But... rather than deal with the situation and
make amends, he goes into attack mode and turns into one of the
most unpleasant human beings it has ever been our misfortune to
know. Somehow, he thinks that his posting of nasty,
idiotic, little signs excoriating ANN's Jim Campbell, or ANN
itself, will prove that he's not a crook and a cheat.
Unfortunately, for Chuck, it's a fruitless endeavor. We know better
and we proved it -- several times, no less. Chuck has lied to his
customers and cheated them out of merchandise/kits/planes that they
paid for. That's a fact.
Fact: A number of CGS customers have had unpleasant experiences
with the company and Mr. Slusarczyk.
Fact: A number of people have NOT gotten what they paid for and/or
been cheated by CGS.
Fact: A number of people who have complained about CGS and/or
Slusarczyk have been the recipients of personal attacks and threats
from same.
Fact: CGS has been successfully sued by unhappy customers.
Fact: ANN can not recommend CGS or Slusarczyk until he gives up
this idiotic pretense of innocence (which his own documents
disprove... no kidding) and makes amends to the innocent people he
has cheated and defrauded... which is a shame, because if you can
actually get what you paid for, CGS' planes actually fly fairly
well. Thankfully, there are better companies and somewhat better
products out there... which we can recommend that you look at,
because in light of the above, we can NOT recommend CGS.
ANN's "Above and Beyond" Award
The universally appreciated presence of SpaceShipOne and
White Knight. People were around those planes like bears
on campers with candy bars. When they flew people were pressed up
to the flight line like I not seen since the concord was here, no
even more then that. At every Forum, theater in the woods
presentation or just walking around all the members of the
SpaceShipOne team, Virgin galactic and now The SpaceShip Company
were mobbed by thousands of spectators. This was a great year for
Airventure, with great crowds everyday. Sure the weather was great
for most of the week and Sport Pilot may
FINALLY be ramping up, but the gang from Mojave was the
biggest draw in years.
Biggest 'O' at Oshkosh
The Fly-By Of History. White Knight and
SpaceShipOne fly in and then being able to stand beside them while
they sat proudly at center stage in AeroShell Square. Of course
proud Papa, Burt Rutan, was beaming and answering fans never ending
questions. Brian Binnie and Mike Melvill spoke to the crowds as
well. These cowboys have tamed the wild, space frontier for regular
folks like us. Let's see, if I start saving now, maybe in about 50
years I'll be able to afford a ticket… (Aleta Vinas)