There are countless stories to be told at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh every year, and 2018 was no exception. In an attempt to tell more of the stories of the folks who come to Oshkosh from both near and far, EAA staff members did what they do every year — stop to talk to the AirVenture attendees. The only difference this time around is we recorded their diverse and fascinating stories to give the rest of the world an idea of the great community to be found at Oshkosh every single year. As EAA founder Paul Poberezny always said, “You come for the airplanes, but you stay for the people.”
Larry Weber, EAA Lifetime 143378, flew to Oshkosh from Wallkill, New York, in his 1962 Cessna, a proud workhorse that still sports its original paint. “This is the only aircraft that truly looks vintage,” he said with a laugh. He’s owned the airplane for 40 years, and described it as “my old buddy.” This was convention number 30 or so for Larry, and he and his friends arrived a week early just to get their favorite spot.
John Jones, EAA 1217925, flew into AirVenture from Kenosha, Wisconsin, with his dad in the family 1980 Nanchang CJ-6A, which they’ve owned since 1997 and “liberate” from John’s grandpa to take to Oshkosh every year. John, only 19, attended his 20th AirVenture this year (having attended his first when he was 2 months old) and regularly flies a Cessna 150 and Bellanca Viking, in addition to flying towplanes for the glider operation near his home.
“If I didn’t come,” said Fred Keip, EAA 93236, of Franksville, Wisconsin, “I’d probably just keel over and disappear.” His first Oshkosh was in 1974, and he hasn’t missed one since. He finished his red Sonerai 32 years ago, and it’s been to Oshkosh 26 times. “I can’t not come. …This is the place to be.”
Sometimes, volunteerism just runs in the family. Steve Mersal, EAA 771410, started volunteering at Oshkosh because his parents did. Now he and his wife Susie, EAA 800687, volunteer at Vintage flight ops. They manage other volunteers, staff the crossing guard positions, shuttle people around the grounds — if it needs doing, they do it. They’ve been volunteering for about seven years. “We love it! Wouldn’t miss it,” said Susie. “I love the airplanes,” Steve added. “As a pilot, that’s your thing.”
2018 was Russell Banks’ sixth AirVenture and Dita Nazifi’s eighth. Russell, EAA 1174995, flies 737s for Virgin Australia and a Pitts special in the Advanced category in competition aerobatics. Dita, EAA 1170907, is cabin crew for Virgin Australia and has been in love with aviation since she was a child.
Russel’s favorite part of AirVenture is the atmosphere: the airplanes and meeting new people. “It’s just fun,” he said. Dita loves meeting people from all walks of life from around the world who enjoy the same thing that she does.
Since the couple travels from Australia, they extend their visit to the United States to about one month. But, they said, AirVenture is by far the best part. “I fly big planes to make money so I can fly little airplanes,” Russell said.
“We flew in with a group of three — I was Doofus 3, there was Doofus 2, and Doofus 1 in the lead,” said Jeremy Wilson, EAA 779143, who flew to Oshkosh — his first trip — from Silverdale Washington, in his Kitfox IV Speedster. The trip should have taken four days, but weather made it six. “The flight itself, just getting in was a lifetime experience, and then you get on the ground and you go, ‘This is heaven. This is aviation heaven.”
Laykin is an aspiring pilot who brought her parents to Oshkosh from Cedar Rapids, Iowa. This was her first visit to AirVenture. When asked what she thought of all the airplanes, she said, “They’re cool!” She doesn’t have a favorite — she loves them all.
Growing up, Nicole Kummer’s family would make the trip to Oshkosh from Green Bay, Wisconsin and spend the week camping. Her father loved aviation, especially the warbirds. “This was a family event that we all looked forward to,” she said. “Some kids talk about going to the county fair or the amusement park, but I talked about going to the EAA.” Nicole, EAA 157251, who works for an airline now, said she really didn’t realize her love of aviation until later in life, but it has come full circle, as she now volunteers at AirVenture. “Recently, my father passed away, but being here in Oshkosh I can feel his spirit. I know he is with me here today, and it is one of the reasons why I want to be a part of EAA every year. It gave so much to me. I want to give back.”
Leon Deutsch, EAA 1269059, came to Oshkosh all the way from Melbourne, Australia, in search of parts for his Corby Kestrel project. This is Leon’s second time at AirVenture, and he is thrilled to take his finds back home, where he has been building his single-seat airplane from plans for the past six years.
Toby Staven is hard to miss, with that slightly ironic stovepipe on his head. So, first things first — what’s with the hat? “It’s just a hat. Nobody wears a top hat, so we gotta bring ‘em back,” he said. Toby is a big fan of Sean D. Tucker, and it’s his performances that have brought Toby back to Oshkosh for 17 years in a row. He’s not a pilot, yet, but he plans to be.
Brian Jones, EAA Lifetime 1216827, of Ellensburg, Washington, made his first visit to AirVenture in 2016. Two hours later, he was an EAA member, within a year a private pilot, and within two, an airplane owner. At AirVenture 2018, he was especially honored to have met two heroic veterans. “The Tuskegee Airmen helped protect my dad when he was in the service in Italy in World War II,” he said. “It was great to meet them.”
Art Schwedler, EAA Lifetime 1447, has been assisting with EAA’s government advocacy team during Oshkosh fly-in conventions since before the team really had a name. Art got his jacket at the first Oshkosh convention, and has a patch for every year he’s been here. Only 2013 is missing, as Art was sick that year. He was living in Pennsylvania for several of the years he attended, but the distance doesn’t stop him. “I wouldn’t miss it, no sir,” Art said.
Tim Schmidt, EAA 501132, and Gary Bester came to AirVenture 2018 from Tulsa, Oklahoma, with very different levels of experience. It was Gary’s first visit, while Tim has been coming for 40 years. Tim, a corporate pilot, said, “I keep coming back for the people, the friendships and relationships I make here.” Both of them said they are excited to see “anything that flies.”
When Tamera Nason comes to AirVenture from her home near Seattle, she stays for three weeks. “We teach over at the Air Academy,” she said. “We teach one week at the first camp, then we come to display our airplane during the convention, and then we go back and teach another week.” And that’s not just any airplane — it’s an award winning Falco F8.L homebuilt.
Alfred E. Smith, EAA 3019, has been to Oshkosh about a half dozen times. He’s not a pilot, but he’s had a fascination for aviation for more than half of his 90 years. “I was in the U.S. Air Force. … I was a navigator and we flew 59 combat missions in North Korea, so I’m interested.”
Rachel Stearns, a physician’s assistant from Bangor, Maine, came to AirVenture 2018 aboard a Cessna 182 for her first visit to Oshkosh. “This is amazing,” she said. “This is the most planes I’ve ever seen in one area.” While here, she hoped to get some time on a flight simulator.
Raymond Benedict flew his freshly painted 172 to Oshkosh from Maryland. It’s normally a seven-hour flight, but, thanks to some weather, this time it took three days. Why does he come to AirVenture? “Just the life, the spirit, just being around airplanes for a whole week.” When he was a kid, he wanted to be an airline pilot, but his vision had other plans, so he trained in a J-3, and he’s been flying for fun ever since.
“This is the happiest I’ve been in my whole life!” That’s what Kevin Mayes, EAA 1275930, of West Grove, Pennsylvania, had to say about his first visit to AirVenture. “I’ve walked at least 20 miles today.” He bought his first airplane, a Cessna 205, last year, but didn’t close the deal in time to come to Oshkosh, so this year was the year.
Dale Phillips, EAA 1053302, flies a 1968 Piper Cherokee 180 that looks brand new, but it’s actually a hard-working airplane. “I work in New York City, so I commute regularly from Martinsville, Virginia. … I put a lot of time on it,” he said. “This is my eighth year straight [at Oshkosh], and I’ve just always felt so welcome and included!”
Chris Shine, EAA 657059, traveled longer than most to get to Oshkosh this year — his home is in Dardanup, Western Australia. And what does he do at home in Australia? “I fly a little bit of everything. I’ve been flying all my life,” he said. In this case, “everything” includes anything from a Cessna 150 to a King Air, and his prized Tiger Moth. He’s been to AirVenture about 10 times, and he comes for one simple reason: “Because it’s Oshkosh!”
Ninety-year-old Bill Marcy, EAA 54844, learned to fly at a young age by hitchhiking to the airport every weekend to take flight lessons. Bill’s first EAA fly-in convention was in 1974. He has returned every year since, mostly flying in with his Navion, because of the great friends he made that first year. Bill co-originated one of the first engineered designs of the first space shuttle, however his design was not chosen. For 20 years, he has volunteered in the KidVenture area at AirVenture, bringing his full-motion Kiddie Hawk simulator for kids to experience the motion of flight.
Jennifer Woloszyk, EAA 1140003, just graduated from Aims College with a degree in air traffic control and is excited for a slot to open up with the FAA. In the meantime, she’s scratching the ATC itch as a volunteer at AirVenture. “Currently I’m working for … homebuilt parking, pushing planes, moving planes, and training kids at the Explorer Base,” she said.
Mark Phillips, EAA 496947, brought Elixir, his beautiful and highly customized Zenith CH 701 to Oshkosh. “In 1995, my brother invited me up here for the first time. I had no idea,” he said. “Needless to say, I was pretty awestruck.” Three years later, Mark built an RV and then started on the 701 about four years ago. This was Elixir’s first trip to AirVenture, and the airplane turned heads in homebuilt camping.
The Lost and Found/Information building located just northeast of the control tower on the AirVenture grounds has rows of neatly organized bins with labels like “phones,” “keys,” “sunglasses,” etc. But the most unusual thing that’s ever been turned in? “I would say the glass eye,” said volunteer Gary Sternberg, EAA 811075, who has worked in the building for 16 years. For the record, it was promptly reunited with its owner.
“It was a Christmas present,” said Jim Davis, EAA 1110817. Jim learned to fly in the 1960s, then the familiar story of life getting in the way kept him out of the cockpit until 2013. What got him back? That Christmas present — a trip to AirVenture. In January of 2014, Jim bought a BD-4 project and hopes to fly it here next year.
“Most of the time, you’re kind of an odd duck if you fly airplanes,” said Leslie Bryan, EAA 170980, of Evansville, Indiana. “But here, you’re normal.” Les made his first trip to Oshkosh back in 1978, and has only missed a few years since. When that happens, his buddies fill a postcard front and back with signatures and mail it to him. The sentiments are equal parts, “Wish you were here,” and, “Look what you’re missing!”
Jim Schmitt, EAA 212579, has logged more than 3,000 hours on the Pulsar he built and flew to Oshkosh this year. His first convention was in 1978, and he hasn’t missed one since. “This is just the place to be,” he said. “The little 1/3-scale B-17 over here … there’s only one of those, and you’ll only see something like that here in Oshkosh.”
Lee “Mama Belle” Schwarz, who is originally from Portugal, but now lives in Texas, volunteers as a taxiway crossing guard. “I like the people. They’re very friendly. And I love to see the planes,” she said. Her son-in-law is nicknamed “Taco,” so her daughter became “Taco Belle,” which makes her “Mama Belle.” When asked how many hours she normally volunteers, she said “As long as they let me!”
Marcus Taylor, EAA 681069, came to convention this year from Joliet, Illinois. “I come in every year to see the friends that have been for many years, and to see the new things in aviation,” he said. He’s lost count of exactly how many times he’s been to Oshkosh but knows it’s more than 20. His mission at AirVenture this year was to look at options for ADS-B.
Meagen and Dan Adams, EAA 443062, of Marshalltown, Iowa, drove to Oshkosh this year, which was plan B. Plan A was thwarted by an unhealthy airplane and uncooperative weather. “We always get here early to get a good seat and watch the arrivals,” Dan said. This was his 37th trip, while Meagen said she’s “only” been eight times. She described AirVenture as a “great phenomenon that we should all be proud to be a part of.”
Steve, EAA 755604, and Annie Vanbatavia flew their Cirrus to AirVenture from Spokane, Washington, to volunteer as tram drivers. “We like to drive the trams,” Steve said, “because we’re John Deere farmer people.” Annie added, “And we get to meet so many wonderful, neat people.” Annie takes great pride in how she uses her experience at AirVenture to give visitors advice, like recommending what she thinks is AirVenture’s best kept secret, the Warbirds tram tour.
Russ Kraus, EAA 62285, is probably less famous than his companion, Smokie. Smokie is a Congo African Grey parrot who has been with Russ for nearly 16 years. “I was getting a haircut, reading the wanted ads, and there he was,” Russ said. “We’ve been together ever since.” Russ currently volunteers with Warbirds in aircraft maintenance and has been regularly coming to Oshkosh with a few exceptions since the ‘70s.
This was Wayne Strausbaugh’s first time to Oshkosh, fulfilling a bucket list item that was created about four years ago. “I used to be a Navy pilot, flew A-7s, was in for 20 years, and all of the sudden I started to get interested in aviation again,” said Wayne, EAA 1278238. “So last year I went to Russia and flew a MiG-29 at the MiG factory, and last month I was at Cape Canaveral and flew an F-104 Starfighter off the shuttle runway and shot the shuttle landing approach. On the way here, I was a co-pilot in a DC-3 out of Atlanta. I’m having a good time. I’m reliving my aviation adventures. In fact, I’m doing things that I never dreamed of doing when I was a pilot in the Navy. I’d heard about Oshkosh when my dad was here 25 years ago, when he camped under the wing of a Cessna. So all of the sudden I said, ‘It’s time.’”
“Our family caught the aviation bug from our 89-year-old father,” said Peter Ogorek, EAA 386781. “He has been bringing us here since we were kids, so I’ve been coming to Oshkosh since the early ’70s. I have several brothers, nieces, and nephews, and we all meet here each year for our family reunion. We spend the entire week camping in Camp Scholler. We have seven aircraft in the family. This year will be the first year our father will not be able to join us for our family vacation.”
Laura and Jerry, EAA 685635, Olszewski attended AirVenture 2018 with their granddaughters Luna and Zosia. This was the second AirVenture for the girls, and the fourteenth for “Dziadzia” and “MeeMaw,” who used to bring their son Nick, Luna and Zosia’s dad. When asked what the girls enjoyed most they agreed – the big planes and time with their grandparents.
Jay Williams, EAA 1156199, made the journey to Oshkosh from Tacoma, Washington. High on his AirVenture to-do list was a detailed measuring of one of the F4U Corsairs in the Warbirds area. “I’m designing a 70-percent-scale F4U Corsair.” Jay’s figured out he can use an M14P radial engine in that size Corsair. He plans to build that beast out of carbon fiber, and he’s currently making a spreadsheet with full-size Corsair dimensions that he can instantly convert to their 70-percent equivalent. The Corsair’s landing gear – a complexity in full-scale – is a challenge Jay wants to master. When he’s not measuring Corsairs, back in Tacoma Jay is a software developer who wants to buy a vintage Luscombe taildragger and learn to fly in it.
Andy Kitzke, EAA 140844, drove up from Milwaukee for AirVenture 2018, marking his 41st visit. “Came in ’77, got my membership, and haven’t missed a year.” Andy says he probably has the most connection with the warbirds. His grandfather was a Boeing B-29 landing gear guru back in the day. And, as a kid, Andy gravitated to the Corsair as a favorite. Andy’s worked in a number of aviation technologies as an A&P mechanic and avionics specialist; now, he’s an electronic technician performing radio maintenance for the Milwaukee police department. “It’s always fun conversing with anyone on the flightline,” he said.
Two weeks before AirVenture, 90 year-old-Hew Wiley from Springfield, Missouri, received a phone call from his nephew Todd Proch, EAA 1169336, asking if he’d like to come to Oshkosh. Hew’s response: “Is the Pope Catholic?” They flew to Oshkosh and camped under Todd’s Cherokee 180 in the North 40.
Hew said he has been interested in aviation since he was about 7, after his aunt took him to fly with Wiley Post in a Waco. “I built model airplanes then and I have remained an airplane nut,” he said. “I happened to have family like Todd who is an airplane nut too. EAA has been a goal of mine for many, many years, and I now final got the chance.” When asked what his favorite part of Oshkosh has been, Hew said “Everything. I’m like a boy with an ice cream cone.” Hew served in the U.S. Army during World War II and vividly remembers serving courier duty at Tachikawa Airfield in Japan, where he had his first experience behind the controls of an airplane.
Todd got into aviation about eight years ago and, with the support of his wife, bought an airplane and went for his certificate. Todd says he loves taking people flying. “That’s what it’s about,” he said. “I didn’t grow up close to an airport or around airplanes but my uncle here has been a big inspiration for me. When I did one of my first cross-country solos, I went down to Springfield so he could sign my logbook. It’s just an honor for me to bring him here.”