By Michael Fuller, EAA 290830
To celebrate 50 consecutive years of fly-in conventions in Oshkosh, we’re featuring Stories of Oshkosh told by attendees remembering their special moments at EAA’s long-standing home. If you or someone you know would like to share your own Story of Oshkosh, email editorial@eaa.org
The first time I attended EAA Oshkosh in 1987 was — wow — beyond the scope of what I had expected. The whole trip was one big adventure for my brother and me. We drove up in my rusty Oldsmobile and stayed for several days of the show, lodging in between each day at a motel in New Holstein, Wisconsin. The most significant highlight for me, and I think for my brother as well, was meeting Pappy Boyington in person. We got to shake his hand and thank him for his service. Between my brother and me, we had just enough cash, after figuring out what we needed for gas for the journey home, to combine our funds and get Pappy’s book. We still treasure that moment to this day!
As for memories from other years there are many, chief among them being my wife’s first EAA AirVenture Oshkosh in 2012. I think the memory I retell most was from camping at Camp Scholler in 1991. I believe it was Monday at about 6 a.m. maybe, I awoke in my tent to the sound of a jet spooling up. I got up and pulled up my lawn chair to see what was about to head out. I heard it rolling out and bam, the F-117 jumped up above the tree line and took up orbit over the area! The next thing I knew, a tanker lumbered into the air and went into orbit. While I watched this from my tent, the F-117 hooked up to the tanker boom while the two continued to orbit during the fuel transfer. When topped off, the two split apart and each headed off on its own course. Again, I got to watch this from my tent!
One more tale, it’s hard to stop as I could go on and on, was from 2012 when we got to see Glacier Girl for the first time since I saw the P-38 (pieces of it) at EAA Oshkosh 1992. It was fresh out of the ice, literally, back in 1992. Still brings a tear to my eye having gotten to see it in the air exactly 20 years later! Those and countless other experiences keep me coming back.
I would like to take a moment to thank and recognize the late Col. Joseph R. Weber (1923-2014) who was my high school aircraft construction teacher. Without his enthusiasm about EAA, I might have never experienced any of it.