By John A. Conrad
AirVenture is at once an air show, a fly-in, a camporee, a reunion, and a county fair, all centered on the gift of flight. The county fair portion is in the exhibit hangars where you can find everything aeronautical you ever wanted, a great many things aeronautical you never wanted, and a few things aeronautical you didn’t know you wanted until a young ebullient salesperson piqued your desire. It is a poor soul indeed who returns from EAA AirVenture Oshkosh and doesn’t ask, “Why, in the name of Wolfgang Langewiesche, did I buy that?”
When the heat of the pavement becomes too much, and the noise of the jets lighting up their afterburners reminds you of your late night last night, it is time to stroll into the shade and abundance of the exhibit hangars and discover those things that you really cannot live without.
If you are serious about airplanes, you will find everything from engines to avionics, propellers to tail wheels all displayed for your examination and hopeful purchase … at a discount. You will find sufficient sunglasses to keep every Elvis impersonator in the country supplied until we travel to Mars, and you will find some truly surprising items vaguely related to aviation. To wit: You will find mini windsocks that you can install on the island in your kitchen — handy for determining the weather therein. The windsock will tell you if things are calm, if there is a crosswind that needs to be attended to, or if there is a gale brewing and you ought to hunker down or run for cover. The tiny windsock is also a great ice breaker. When guests come over and ask, “What’s up with the windsock?” You can launch into a long and boring elaboration of your aeronautical prowess and hair-raising adventures. If a Lilliputian windsock doesn’t light your fire for consumption, consider an exact replica of the bracelet that was given to Amelia Earhart by the natives of Africa — made from the hair from an elephant’s tail. They also have bracelets and other jewelry made from the more typical precious metals.
If jewelry’s not your thing, then how about an oxygen mask for a dog? It is easy to understand why one might want a kitchen windsock or an elephant tail hair bracelet, but why would one want an oxygen mask for a flying dog?
The answer is simple: If you fly a turbocharged but unpressurized airplane in the high teen altitudes up to the lower flight levels, you know that your beloved French poodle, Phydeaux, requires supplemental oxygen above 10,000 feet.
The outside row of Exhibit Building A is a target rich environment for mutt merchandise. There you will find the traditional muzzle-loader oxygen masks as well as darling little fleece- (not fleas-) lined flight jackets, folding water bowls for in-flight hydration, and paper towels for cleaning up the ex-hydration. Stop by the 4 Paws Aviation booth and ask Eric Coburn about the dogs he rescued from the pound while he and the vets at Purdue University were testing his product — which is a decided improvement over the old-fashioned pooch gear.
Your AirVenture isn’t complete without at least one circuit through all the exhibit hangars. If you can’t find what you are looking for, chances are it doesn’t exist.