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Fox Valley Flying ClubAUGUST, 2007 Newsletter |
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Fox Valley Flying ClubAUGUST, 2007 Newsletter |
Dateline: Oshkosh!
Yes, literally! As I write this, I am sitting along the flightline at Oshkosh, Wisconsin, watching the airshow. What a hoot!
We pulled off another fine trip this year. While we weren't able to duplicate the mass FVFC arrival-and-landing of years past, our attendance is high, and this morning's touchdown looked good.
Brad Wolf and Phil Bolenbaugh were, I think, the first Club members to have flown-in, arriving on Sunday. Lucky for them, the Kellogg Advance Ground Crew had nailed down the camping sites. Mick and Jude in their RV-9A, and Jim, Vance and Tim in the Cherokee, came in on Tuesday. Bob Beckstrom flew up in his 210 on Thursday, with co-pilot (actually, pilot most of the way) Chris Ward, and Greg and Crystal Reliford as passengers.
Me, Kevin, Rickey and Barry took off from Clow after only a little delay on Wednesday morning (caused by blown fuses at my end and misplaced glasses at Rickey's end). We met the rest of the FVFC Fliers (John, Phil D. and Tom-the-Trike-Guy Grimm from Cushing, plus Joe from his private Aero Estate Home) at Galt, and we all formed up and made our way to Dodge County. In an excellent homecoming, we were greeted there by Brad Wolf, who had flown over from OSH to lend his support. From there it was practically "autopilotage" for the seasoned pilots among us, and an invigorating dive into the 300 foot maximum AGL airshow waters for the novices. When all was said and done, the 9 of us touched down a little after noon.
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I've picked up writing this after returning home from AirVenture.
Oshkosh, as always, was wonderful. A HUGE "thanks!" goes out to Rich Wild for all the effort he put in on getting the foodstuffs together for us, planning meals, hauling a truck full of gear, etc. Thanks to Jude for a fantastic Stuffed Shell dinner on Friday night, the shopping to put that together, and going on a shopping trip with Mick during our stay. Thanks to Rickey for the L. I. I. Tea recipe, and to all who brought samples of same (Mick and Jude for sure. Barry and Chris? Others? Yum!!) Thanks to Gordie for all of the cleaning, and to Al Hard, Phil D., Rich, Joe, Andrew, Brad Wolf, Tom Houghton (and others I've missed) for the cooking. Thanks to Regina for helping me haul soft gear up; for going on that shopping run with me to WallMart; and for cleaning and helping with cooking.
Thanks to all for the camaraderie! Let's try to get some new, different names added to the above "help out" list next year.
The trip was not without its downsides, however. We were witness to a terrible accident at our end of the field when two P51 Mustangs collided on landing. That was sobering reminder of the power and danger that we control with our hands and feet every time we take to the air. "There are no old, bold pilots..."
I've hopefully laid out an interesting Newsletter for you. I've put up a nice selection of OSH pictures; included a piece that Evan sent in about our Father's Day flight to Geneseo; added another piece from Evan about our (his phrase) "taxi-in" to Bigfoot (not!); a note from Gordie about hanging up his headset; a picture of a new soloist among us; and a trophy winner among us. We wrap it up with a FANTASTIC article that Ken Graham sent to me only days after I got out the last Newsletter (way back in April) about a solo flight in the Canadian North. I'm sure Ken surely thought I had forgotten all about what he sent me. Never! Here it is...
If you enjoy
reading Newsletters, send to me (via email to gilomen@ais.net)
any and all stories about flying that you have done, flying that you wanted to do
and flying that made you wish you had stayed on the ground, as well as any amusing anecdotes, grumpy gripes, scary stories and wanted/for
sale/for trade ads. Let's get to it,
people!
In this Issue:
Another Kellogg Takes to the Air
Flying a Rental in the Canadian North
