Thank goodness for bad weather in Canada. Without it, Markus Schloter, of Rheinberg, Germany, might not have changed his plans and diverted to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh.
“I had planned to fly to the United States because it has always been a dream of mine to cross the North Atlantic,” he said. “I had planned four weeks for the trip, plus two weeks as a weather reserve.”
Markus said he had heard of AirVenture, but it took an invitation from a group of pilots from EAA Chapter 609 in Chehalis, Washington, to convince him to divert from his planned route.
“They said, ‘We’re in a group of five planes, but if you join us to Oshkosh, we’ll just be a group of six,’” Markus said. He had read the NOTAM and acknowledged he didn’t quite understand it, as this was his first time flying in the U.S., so they explained it and he was in.
“They even printed out the important pages,” Markus said. “Their goal was to park in the South 40. My goal was to park with them. They appreciated me as if I was a member of their family.”
As he rocked his wings over Fisk, an air traffic controller asked, “The red and white low-wing,” what type of airplane was he in? It’s a 1969 Robin DR340, a French airplane made of wood that weighs 1,200 pounds.
Markus said the highlights of his trip included the “indescribable hospitality” of the people he met. He left Germany on June 25 and flew to Scotland, Iceland, Greenland, and Canada before entering the U.S. in Bangor, Maine, and crossing the country.
He arrived at Oshkosh on July 19 after logging 9,340 nautical miles in 86 hours. He planned to depart Thursday and head toward Thunder Bay as he made his way back to Europe, hoping to arrive in Germany in early August.
Markus said he was impressed with AirVenture. “There’s a pure mass of things to watch here,” he said. “Plus you’re accepted just like you’re family.”
He also said there are some golden rules for pilots planning trips like this. First, prepare for everything, whether that means reading or taking classes.
“And as soon as the birds start walking, you should stop flying,” Markus said. “Also, don’t book accommodations in advance. It will just cause ‘get-there-itis.’”