By Angela Satterlee
Twenty-two Hungarian aviation enthusiasts were welcomed to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, their last stop on a week-and-a-half-long trip around the world. The trip began on Wednesday, July 17, and will end on July 29, and was organized by GoforGo Travel out of Hungary.
The travelers are all aviation lovers. A few spend time building models as a hobby, studying history, or taking photographs, but the majority enjoy watching air shows or looking at aircraft up close.
Steve and Agnes Kiss are Hungarian nationals but have been living in the States for decades, and they dedicate their time to working at the International Tent. Steve proudly carried the Hungarian flag through the International Parade, unaware of what it would mean to the Hungarian visitors who were watching. “Hooray, Hungary!” They shouted as Steve walked by with the flag. It was a moment neither group will forget.
“Meeting a Hungarian so far from home is always a big surprise,” Laszco (Lesly) Esik, a Hungarian member of the trip, said tearing up. “So, when you see the Hungarian flag, it’s emotional.” Lesly’s wife, Zsuzsa (Susan) Esik, said he immediately started searching for the Hungarian flag, and it was heartwarming when he spotted it.
The group flew commercially. Starting in Budapest they traveled to Frankfurt, to Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Chicago, and then drove the rest of the way to their final destination at AirVenture. The entire trip totaled over 8,000 miles in the air and about 400 miles by car.
This was the second AirVenture Lesly and Susan had been to, but it was the first time they had seen the International Parade. “Like in the Olympic games, it was very similar,” Lesly said. “So many happy people; so many countries. It was really very nice.”
Aviation brings people from all over the world together. Steve said he believes that the sky doesn’t care if you’re rich, poor, or what language you speak. You’re part of a bigger group where everyone is equal.
Lesly and Susan explained that in Hungary they treat aircraft differently. All the military airplanes are blocked off from the public; everything is a secret kept under lock and key. They are amazed that in America, they could get close enough to touch an airplane. The idea of meeting with the pilot of the aircraft and sitting inside their cockpit was unheard of in their home country.
“The people [at Oshkosh] are so open, and they are so friendly. And the mentality about life and about aviation and about other nationality people, they don’t make a difference,” Susan said through translation with Agnes. “They are happy to share what they have.” The exchange of knowledge in aviation with others is a gift that is best shared at EAA.