MudKosh 2010

This year AirVenture was going to be special. After attending AirVenture for the past 4-years, we concluded 3 1/2 days was simply not enough time. So, this year we were going to stay a week! We were going to make the most of it. I was going to volunteer on the flight line, attend a bunch of seminars, and take a lot of pictures! To top it off we were going to start out with a brief stay in Sandusky, OH. Ahhhh....the ultimate pilot vacation. But nature had a different plan. Leading up to our trip, the mid-west was pounded by an unprecedented amount of rain, which posed a significant problem to general aviation airplanes trying to park on the grass.

As we got closer to our departure date, the rains continued in Wisconsin and a cold front was headed to N.J. Conditions on the ground in Oshkosh worsened, and the news from AirVenture was airplanes were not allowed to land due to lack of parking. We were all concerned.

Our plan was to depart on Saturday, July 24th. However, given the aforementioned conditions we thought it prudent to delay our departure by one day and continue to monitor the situation. The next day, the cold front that should have passed by morning was going to be with us for another day. On top of this, Wittman Regional Airport (Oshkosh), was still not allowing airplanes to land! I started getting the feeling that this trip was not going to materialize. A couple people on the ground already were telling me that AirVenture 2010 was not the same - no airplanes on the North 40, all RV's that normally park in Camp Scholler were parked in the Walmart parking lot.

After hearing all this, I consulted with my friends and we decided to cancel the trip. We were all concerned that (1) we would not be able to land AT Oshkosh, (2) we would not be able to camp, or the conditions would be so poor it would not be enjoyable, and, (3) the experience would not be the same given all the water on the ground. I felt really bad, especially for Nick Mellina - a pilot from Oregon that flew all the way to N.J. so he could fly the PA-30 to AirVenture with me, Robin and James.

On Monday, AirVenture began and it started to set in that I was going to miss everything I  looked forward to all year long. I started to think, I just cant throw in the towel. While at work in the AM I glanced at the EAA website. Weather was improving, and they were letting aircraft land again. We all collectively decided to salvage our trip by departing Tuesday afternoon. Our first stop would be Sandusky, OH, then onto Oshosh. But just as we were getting ready to leave N.J. I found out our camping gear, which we shipped via FedEx to preserve our weight, was not available for pickup after 5pm. So after a couple phone calls, we improvised by staying in Put-In-Bay, OH overnight. Our plan was to wake up early the next day, and head straight to Oshkosh. As far as Put-In-Bay, I have been there briefly a few years back, and it seemed like a cool place. It is a small island in Lake Erie. It is a real piece of Americana, with a great little downtown area with lots of bars and restaurants and carousel. Once you land at Put-In-Bay Airport, you rent a golf cart to get around the island. Our first stop was in plain view of the airport - The Skyway Lounge. Their motto - "Great Food and Cheap Booze". . they were serving $1 beers till 6pm. Never has a $1 Miller Genuine Draft tasted so good after a long flight.

Thereafter we headed to the "Boardwalk" for dinner. It had great food (Lobster Mac & Cheese anyone?) and beautiful vistas as we watched the sun set over the dock which was peppered with sailboats. All of this was accentuated by the Cleveland Indians beating the NY Yankees with CC Sabathia pitching. (Hey, my son is an Indians fan, and we were in Ohio)!! :-)

The next day we were plagued by another cold front passing between OH and WI. WTF??? We talked it over AGAIN, and concluded that Put-In-Bay is not a bad place to be stranded. So we decide to stay another day! After finding accommodations, it was time to find something to do. We stopped at this place called Perrys Cave. We took some nice pics, but in the end it is a hole 30 feet below the ground, and you know what, it wasn't AirVenture (sigh). Solution: lets hit the Skyway Lounge again for cheap booze. We could actually watch airplanes land right from the bar stools! Yea, we were missing Oshkosh, but unfortunately more bad news with weather was in the offing.

Another look at the weather later in the day showed clear conditions, but an occluded front moving east (which was west of Oshkosh) threatened our Sunday return. We debated our situation once again, and our conclusion was it was time to head back to N.J.

This was a big disappointment. After a year of planning and anticipation, we were experiencing what all pilots are familiar with - weather interfering with our plans. Even though this is the year "we didn't make it", we had fun nevertheless. We logged about 6-hours of flying time and talked airplanes almost the entire trip. We found out that Nick Melina can not tell a joke, wears a  man purse, and shuns bikini-clad women in a hot tub beckoning him to "join them". Robin and I are not sure if this illustrates his loyalty to his GF or complete gayness. We also found out that Nick is into hippie-chicks and has a brother that aspires to be on the Jersey Shore. Robin found out that buying a one week pass to AirVenture to save $5 may not be a savings at all. Finally while Scott has been wrestling with the idea of selling his PA-30. The short trip demonstrated yet again the value of the Piper Twin Comanche. It is a speedy little airplane that can carry 4-people and a bunch of bags for a comfortable ride. Not bad for a 40-something year old airplane.

As for AirVenture 2011...only 51 weeks to go....