Your wishlist for Oshkosh 2020

[Airmutt]

I spent time deployed to Norway. Every Atlantic storm goes to Norway to die. Spent a couple of months getting rained on and dealing with every stitch of clothing be wet and cold. Due to a supply SNAFU the field mess had to serve spam shaped into turkeys for Thanksgiving - it’s all they had. At least it beat field rats.

1. Decent weather
2. Better homebuilt attendance. Agreed, fewer RVs - Sorry Kyle.
3. A decent parking spot.
4. A chance to renew friendships with my AV friends.
5. Enjoy the week.
6. Maybe an opportunity to see Mayhem’s O-2

[Eric Gleason]

My big wishes:

Good weather for the Wednesday night airshow
Maybe talk a Beech 18 driver into letting me sit in the cockpit for a bit (haven't done that since I was about 5)
Firm enough ground that I don't have to worry about taxiing the 182RG in the grass

[Mayhemxpc]

Bill, Africa...you should really try Africa. Especially West Africa. Where I was, even the Nigerian officers were complaining about the heat and humidity. I did NOT volunteer. (The only overseas location I ever volunteered for was Germany.) On the warbirds side of things, it did get me first hand familiarity with former Warsaw Pact aviation! (And greatly appreciate NATO hardware.)

All in all, I can say that I truly appreciate the good things we have, much more so than I ever did before.

What else on my dream list? Rerouting the helicopter rides to someplace far away from the Warbirds parking and camping areas.

[Roger Janssens]

What's on your wish list for aircraft types at this year's Oshkosh? It is a significant WWII commemoration year, so let's aim high!

This is Oshkosh (or the EAA). I'm afraid there is no point in wishing for particular types, since the EAA don't book anything. We just have to wait and see what turns up. And while I believe some owners pre-announce their participation to the EAA (or Warbirds of America), those lists are kept secret. Same for the VAA.
Instead we just get vague announcements saying this year's airshow will be the airshow to end all airshows, and the airboss has finally come to their senses. And see, this marketing trick has worked again. After 13 visits I was not planning to return to Oshkosh until the C-97 was properly flying, but now I'm thinking I should not miss that airshow to end all airshows. So I may well still decide to fly across the Atlantic again, to probably watch the same P-51s and F4Us as every year again (with all due gratitude to the owners who bring their aircraft every year).
Of course I'd like to see the A-20 take part in the flying display, or the AF1 Connie that will apparently be ready by the summer. But the A-20 has already come and collected a prize, and the same owner's other aircraft don't take part in the flying displays either. Taking the Connie on a bombing run may be too fanciful even for the airboss. I'm not counting on any of the West Coast or East Coast Luftwaffe types, their owners just don't do Oshkosh. I'll settle for Rudy Frasca's radial-engined Fiat G.46 then, I've never seen that. (PS I know it's postwar, but it could fool the masses.)

Roger

[Kyle Boatright]

2. Better homebuilt attendance. Agreed, fewer RVs - Sorry Kyle.

I'm being repressed. (Todd too.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSbl16vTovU

[Airmutt]

Nicely played there young man

[steve]

If we RV drivers went elsewhere for the week, Homebuilt camping and parking would be very empty indeed. The handful of Kitfoxes and Long EZ's would have the place for themselves. Corporate would be taking hundreds of unclaimed "I flew my HB to Oshkosh" beer mugs to the landfill. SOS Brothers could downsize to a Coleman tent. Our funny tram conductor could use last year's material. There would be open charging plugs in the HBC pavilion.
Gotta go.

[GeorgeP]

This is Oshkosh (or the EAA). I'm afraid there is no point in wishing for particular types, since the EAA don't book anything. We just have to wait and see what turns up. And while I believe some owners pre-announce their participation to the EAA (or Warbirds of America), those lists are kept secret. Same for the VAA.
Instead we just get vague announcements saying this year's airshow will be the airshow to end all airshows, and the airboss has finally come to their senses. And see, this marketing trick has worked again. After 13 visits I was not planning to return to Oshkosh until the C-97 was properly flying, but now I'm thinking I should not miss that airshow to end all airshows. So I may well still decide to fly across the Atlantic again, to probably watch the same P-51s and F4Us as every year again (with all due gratitude to the owners who bring their aircraft every year).
Of course I'd like to see the A-20 take part in the flying display, or the AF1 Connie that will apparently be ready by the summer. But the A-20 has already come and collected a prize, and the same owner's other aircraft don't take part in the flying displays either. Taking the Connie on a bombing run may be too fanciful even for the airboss. I'm not counting on any of the West Coast or East Coast Luftwaffe types, their owners just don't do Oshkosh. I'll settle for Rudy Frasca's radial-engined Fiat G.46 then, I've never seen that. (PS I know it's postwar, but it could fool the masses.)

Roger

G'day Roger, many thanks for your response and for articulating your realistic expectations about what aircraft types may attend this year. I did not realise that "the EAA did not book anything." From their communications for previous Oshkoshes, I presumed that they planned and negotiated the attendance and/or air show performance of specific types. I'm also sad to hear that none of the east- and west-coast German aircraft are likely to attend because, IMO, that would provide a greater dimension to this year's show. I imagine a Warbirds in Review that covered, for example, the P-51 along with one of the aircraft against which it fought. Likewise for the airshow component, as I witnessed at Duxford a couple of years ago. Late last year I wrote to the EAA (to a bloke named Larsen, who I believe has a role in the planning) and suggested this. Sadly, I did not receive any reply or confirmation of email receipt.

There a few 'common' types that I have yet to see, so I'm definitely crossing the Pacific for this year's show. If I find that it is the same old, same old, then I'll choose another one for next year. Old Warden and La Ferte-Alais always put on a good show.

[RC Gregg]

Troy: I believe you can buy your ride in advance for the tri motor. My son got a free pass for volunteering last year, and we got there early one morning and got a ride within 15 minutes. There is a pre paid window at the little tri motor shack that had no line. I didn't have my boarding pas yet, but they allowed me to buy at that window since my son had his, so we could get on the same ride.

[L16 Pilot]

Bill, No reflection on Norway but my grandparents and great grandparents left Norway between 1860 and 1875. There must have been a reason. Yup. I'm 100 % Norsky. I've done all the research. Unless, of course, unless the Vikings strayed some as they roamed the coasts.