Marc's Public Blog - Flying


All | Aquariums | Arduino | Btrfs | Cars | Cats | Clubbing | Computers | Dining | Diving | Electronics | Exercising | Festivals | Flying | Halloween | Hiking | Linux | Linuxha | Monuments | Museums | Outings | Public | Rc | Sciencemuseums | Solar | Tfsf | Trips

This is a collection of my blog entries and experiences with flying, and learning to fly. Something I had been wanting to do for quite a while.
You can find all the pictures I've taken here, and read below for my experience.
Specifically, I have a page for my Trips to Oshkosh, the mecca for pilots

>>> Back to post index <<<

2013/07/31 Oshkosh/EAA Airventure 2013 Flight and Report
π 2013-07-31 01:01 in Flying, Nflying, Oshkosh
I decided to go a bit last minute after failing to secure a fun plane to fly there with (that is FL250 capable and 200kts+ without wind), and I ended up flying commercial to Milwaukee and connecting to a 2H+ bus ride from there since I did not feel like renting a car and driving that much.

I got there on wednesday late afternoon, in time for the evening airshow (shown later down), but I'll give the summary in thematical order.

I'll start with the airplane expo pictures:

Honda still had the same jet for display, hopefully it's that much closer to being for sale :)
Honda still had the same jet for display, hopefully it's that much closer to being for sale :)

Happy Plane :)
Happy Plane :)



The Icon prototypes are coming along nicely
The Icon prototypes are coming along nicely

Nice paint job
Nice paint job

The cirrus jet is still moving along
The cirrus jet is still moving along

The terrafugia transition did a test flight for us
The terrafugia transition did a test flight for us


that one is pointy all right :)
that one is pointy all right :)

Then, a few pictures from the booths:

one of the electrical planes was still there
one of the electrical planes was still there

google glass like device for planes and pilots
google glass like device for planes and pilots

Yves Rossy had a booth about his Jetman wing
Yves Rossy had a booth about his Jetman wing

As always half the attraction are the planes that people bring:




planes of course get parked by type
planes of course get parked by type




this looks about 100 years old :)
this looks about 100 years old :)


yes, you can also bring your own Russian jet :)
yes, you can also bring your own Russian jet :)

Now that I've seen the basic things, I've taken more times to see some of the talks, and that's one of EAA's strongest points. Thankfully I got to catch a few talks from famous people like Chuck Yaeger, the two Ruthan Brothers, Dirk flew around the world nonstop in voyager, and Burt known for inventing some of the most innovative planes, including the ones going almost reaching space. You also get to hear from SR71, U2, and F117 pilots, and new pilots like Yves Rossi and his wingman jetwing.


Yves Rossi
Yves Rossi

Flying, you're doing it wrong :)
Flying, you're doing it wrong :)





that remotely launched drone didn't work too well
that remotely launched drone didn't work too well

Poor Bob Hoover is getting quite old, but still comes and gives talks
Poor Bob Hoover is getting quite old, but still comes and gives talks

Some of the talks are also at the air museum, and I still enjoy visiting parts of it:



Then, there is stuff that doesn't really belong, but is there anyway, like companies selling cars or other stuff. A few nicer pictures:

original car from Batman and Robin
original car from Batman and Robin


the jet truck was so wrong and so impressive :)
the jet truck was so wrong and so impressive :)

you indeed want to be nowhere close when it's running (more below)
you indeed want to be nowhere close when it's running (more below)

Honda had its Asimo display. I had already seen it at Disneyland, but since I had a bit of time this time, I figured why not, and went to see it again. It is indeed the exact same show, although it is pretty cool:




Now, the next cool thing at EAA is the great list of impressive airshows. I'll start with daytime airshows. The best airshow performers come for the chance to perform there, including the guy who brings his personally rebuilt harrier. Extra treats this year were Terrafugia who came to fly their car for us, and Jetman who also flew, although at 5000ft for his own safety, making it hard to see him and take pictures that far:








And a nice addition are the night night airshows, fireworks, and the wall of fire finale. Night airshows actually start just before sunset and go into the night:








The video doesn't convey how incredibly loud this truck was :)

I got there too late on wednesday, but some pictures from the thursday airshow:




almost feels like the power to weight ratio of my RC planes
almost feels like the power to weight ratio of my RC planes

you're not flying straight, son...
you're not flying straight, son...

still not flying straight...
still not flying straight...

ok, now you've done it, you're falling...
ok, now you've done it, you're falling...

great, another showoff :)
great, another showoff :)


and the redneck show shooting at their own airplane
and the redneck show shooting at their own airplane

landing on top of their truck
landing on top of their truck




ok, that's not supposed to happen either :)
ok, that's not supposed to happen either :)


Taking pictures of Jetman was as exercise in frustration, he was moving very fast and very high, so I had my zoom at 60X and following a fast target sure wasn't easy. Still:



he was easier to catch on the way down.
he was easier to catch on the way down.

And the finale:







And more pictures from the saturday airshow this time (they're different every day). Saturday, they re-enacted the attack on Pearl Harbour:




very nice collection of zeros
very nice collection of zeros






dogfighting
dogfighting


After that, more planes from later wars:







wing suits
wing suits


damn, another one who can't fly straight either
damn, another one who can't fly straight either



there you go, you goof off, you stall and fall :)
there you go, you goof off, you stall and fall :)

microjet
microjet

They had shockwave, the jet truck, doing a demo:


ok, ready to go
ok, ready to go

holly shit, it hot and loud, let's get the fuck out :)
holly shit, it hot and loud, let's get the fuck out :)

After the airshow, they had blues brothers re-enactors who were damn good:






By the time they were done, it was time for the 2nd night show:







And the fireworks with the wall of fire finale:







And that was it for EAA Airventure/Oshkosh:



I had planned to spend most of Sunday at Airventure, but in the end I took of my friends' offer to fly back in his Centurion. This took all of sunday (14H, that was a bit gruling), but eh, I didn't have to take a bus back to Milwaukee to catch my southwest flight back, and got to write a lot of code in the back of the plane when the scenary outside was kind of boring (the first 2/3rd of the trip over flyover America :)








Alliance Municipal Airport, Nebraska, mid america :)
Alliance Municipal Airport, Nebraska, mid america :)

Greg, my former coworker and pilot in chief that day :)
Greg, my former coworker and pilot in chief that day :)

Eventually, we got to more interesting terrain when approaching Utah. I really like the terrain between there and Nevada:



what on earth was this, a bit west of Salt Lake
what on earth was this, a bit west of Salt Lake


Our second fuel stop was at Wendover, just by the Utah/Nevada border. This base was involved in training for the 2 atomic bombs that were sent to Japan. They had a small museum inside, although there isn't much left. The end of an era:










From there, it was back to Palo Alto:



More pages: November 2023 October 2023 April 2023 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 May 2021 November 2020 August 2020 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 June 2019 March 2019 January 2019 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 June 2018 May 2018 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 April 2017 January 2017 December 2016 August 2016 July 2016 May 2016 February 2016 January 2016 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 February 2015 January 2015 November 2014 September 2014 August 2014 June 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 July 2013 June 2013 April 2013 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 January 2012 November 2011 August 2011 July 2011 April 2011 March 2011 November 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 May 2010 March 2010 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 March 2009 November 2008 August 2008 July 2008 May 2008 April 2008 December 2007 October 2007 September 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 December 2004 September 2004 August 2004 May 2004 March 1999

>>> Back to post index <<<

Contact Email