Last month Walt and I went to AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. I went into this vacation with the mentality that I was “taking one for the team” by going to a weeklong Experimental Aircraft Association festival. I felt this way because I am not a pilot, and figured I would be bored out of my mind. But since Walt loves aviation, I would try to endure a week of this just once.
I my surprise I had a blast at AirVenture! To wives of pilots everywhere: You don’t have to be a pilot to have fun at AirVenture.
During the week I learn all about TIG Welding, putting fabric on a horizontal stabilizer, converting a Corvair engine to an airplane engine, Oshkosh 365, and much more. The workshops were fantastic! I was very impressed with the quality of the presenters and the fact that they made aviation interesting to someone with limited knowledge. I really appreciated that.
Some of the highlights for me were the Virgin Gallatic Eve doing their debut public flight. That is one sweet aircraft! I also got to see the Airbus 380, which other than a really hard landing in a crosswind was very impressive. I plan on posting videos on YouTube in the near future.
The EAA Chapter Presidents reception was very nice in the Ford Tent. Harrison Ford and Sully Sullenberger were there and spoke for a few minutes. The event had finger food and an open bar with wine and beer. That was a nice touch after a long, long day.
We stayed in the dorms at Donner Hall on the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh campus. The dorm did not have air conditioning and the ladies bathroom was upstairs. It was ok for the week, but I am really working hard on getting Walt to buy a camper. Craigslist is becoming my friend in the search for a trailer. One surprise at the campus was the fact that the student center sold beer and wine in a bar there! Where was this when I was in college??? Every night the place was filled with “old” people drinking wine.
On Thursday of the trip, it rained. So we decided to go to Union Star Cheese Factory outside Oshkosh. We ended up buying 5 pounds of cheese and a package of cheese curds. We are still eating cheese. Yum!
Oh, we did run into our friend Jim out there one day…funny to run into someone you know amongst 100,000 other people.
I did have a good time wandering the grounds and checking out the various planes, watching the airshows, and doing workshops. I brought a couple books to read during the week, but I was having so much fun that I never read a single page.
Lisa Lounsbery
Fun With Lisa 