By Emme Hornung, EAA 1463093
This piece originally ran in the November 2024 issue of EAA Sport Aviation magazine.
When you think of Oshkosh, what specific airplanes come to mind? I’m sure many of our members who have been around long enough would immediately think of the Voyager or the Concorde. Some of you may recall one of the many distinguished warbirds that have visited, like B-29s Doc and FIFI. Maybe some of you picture a montage of thousands of homebuilt aircraft that represent the foundation of EAA.
But what about ultralights?
Perhaps the most recognizable ultralight at Oshkosh is a 1984 Quicksilver, the one with blue sails accented with red, orange, and yellow stripes. You know the one, even if you don’t realize it. It’s been featured in EAA publications, advertisements, and displays for quite some time. After all, when an aircraft flies the same pattern for three decades, our photographers are bound to capture some great photos of it.
So, who is this model pilot? It’s Mike Ostrander, EAA Lifetime 265473, and he has made it to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh every summer since 1972 — including in 2020 when AirVenture was canceled due to COVID-19, picking up a 2020 patch and mug from the EAA Aviation Museum to commemorate the trip.
Mike’s first visit to Oshkosh was with his dad, Charles Ostrander, EAA 71422, in 1972. After that, he visited Oshkosh every chance he could.
“I spent a lot of time just checking out the ultralights and thinking, ‘Gosh, that would be fun to get in one of those,’” Mike said. “And even when I got into the military, I still managed to schedule my leave time around Oshkosh.”
The Perfect Match
After more than 20 years of just thinking about how fun it would be to fly an ultralight, Mike finally decided to test his own theory.
“Back in 1993, my dad and I were walking in the Ultralights area, and we saw this Quicksilver for sale and the owner was right there, so we started talking to him,” he said.
Much to his wife’s surprise, a deal was struck.
“Meanwhile, my wife is up at the Ultralight Barn and has no idea what is transpiring,” Mike said. “We ended up closing the deal, and I go to Diana, I said, ‘Hey, hon, I bought an engine. The airplane’s attached and will be home in three days.’”
Seeing as the 1984 Quicksilver was already 10 years old when he became the proud owner, Mike spent the year he had until EAA Oshkosh 1994 updating it and learning to fly it.
“I changed a lot of stuff that didn’t necessarily need to be changed, but it was older hardware,
and I decided there was no part on there worth more than me, so I just changed a lot of stuff,” he said. “I did some updating that was recommended, especially on the power train, just to make it operate easier with less wear and tear.”
After building an enclosed trailer to store and transport the refurbished flyer, Mike took off — literally.
“I managed to get it down to a local, private airstrip and was doing some taxiing back and forth,” he said. “And on one taxi, the plane said, ‘I’m going!’ and it did. Next thing you know, I’m up 20 feet, but I’d already heard on a Quicksilver, don’t throttle it back because it’ll pitch up. I just let it settle down, and it felt pretty good. I did a number of hops, and in 15 minutes I did a full departure, and the plane just behaved very well.”
Surprisingly, the Quicksilver wasn’t Mike’s first choice.
“I wanted a Challenger, but with me having to put the plane in the trailer, I couldn’t solve the problem of stowing the plane,” he said. “So, when the Quicksilver came along, it was a perfect fit. And I’ve told people to this day, I cannot find myself flying anything else with such a perfect match.”
Making Oshkosh Memories
By the time July 1994 rolled around, Mike and his Quicksilver were ready to make their inaugural appearance in the Oshkosh ultralight pattern, and he has done so at every convention since. “I’ve had so much fun in the pattern up there and the things you see,” he said. “In fact, this year for its anniversary, it was a double anniversary. My plane this year was 40 years old, and I’ve been flying the pattern in Oshkosh for 30.”
Over the years, Mike and his Quicksilver won four awards and have racked up hundreds of hours and landings at Oshkosh.
“I do the same thing every year at Oshkosh: I do a steep takeoff. I do a sharp pull up and level off because those are things that the plane is designed to do. I use the spoilers to demonstrate short-field landings, which that’s fun. I can be at altitude, tap the throttle, dump the spoilers, and by mid-runway I’m down with all the other planes,” he said. “And the other thing is, my nose gear is fixed. I don’t have a steerable nose gear. So, at Oshkosh, I have to do power slide turns to get off the runway, which at first was a little unnerving, but I’ve gotten used to it and so have the announcers and crowd. They like to see me sliding sideways down the runway.”
Mike has proven to be a fan favorite off the runway, too.
“There’s times people help me [push it back to my parking spot], which is cool,” he said. “But once in a while, I’ll see these little kids, and their eyes are big. I’ll go, ‘You want a ride?’ And one time a family went for it. They put their daughter in the seat and their toddler brother in her lap, and we pushed them all the way to my parking spot. They let them play with the controls and everything. We got a picture together, and I was telling the parents, ‘I have no idea what I just inspired.’”
He’s also made countless incredible memories for himself through the years.
“One year, I was flying from the south, and the main runway is probably less than 1,000 feet to my right,” he said. “I look over and kind of see an F-15. Now, while I’m at maybe 250 feet, the F-15 was maybe about 150 feet flying from south to north, full afterburner, and I’m looking down at him. That was amazing. I noted in my logbook: Flew in formation with an F-15 today for 0.0001 seconds.”
Unofficial Ultralights Ambassador
“I kind of feel like the unofficial ambassador when it comes to ultralights because when people think ultralight, they think of a plane like mine,” Mike said.
“Every year I get asked by a great deal of people that are looking to get into flying, and they have questions on cost and what they may need to do if they get one. I give them the best answers I possibly can,” he said. “In fact, one that comes up is, ‘What’s the best ultralight?’ I give them an honest answer. I say, ‘The best ultralight is the one you like.’”
But what is it exactly about ultralight aircraft that Mike likes so much?
Simplicity.
“I had the chance to grandfather into light-sport, and I looked at the expense to get a light-sport license and then registering the plane,” he said. “I looked at that expense, how often I fly a year, and then the regulations I would fall under. I don’t fly that much, and I like the freedom I have under Part 103, so I chose not to transition.”
Mike is proud to report that he has passed along the ultralight passion to his son, Mark. Mark wants his own Quicksilver, and they already have a plan for the color scheme.
“You might see twins in the pattern someday.”
Emme Hornung, EAA 1463093, is the production coordinator for EAA’s print and digital content and enjoys contributing human-interest stories. She is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in communication studies at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. Connect with Emme at ehornung@eaa.org.