Airventure 2016: My Favorite Things

[Byron J. Covey]

OK, we've discussed everything that was wrong with Airventure 2016, so now it is time to share fond memories of the convention.

Billy Henderson, long time EAA member, and the person who built Sun n Fun into a successful annual event, says that Sun n Fun is a gathering of people who all happen to like airplanes. I think that Billy has it right; for me, the annual EAA convention, aka Airventure, is about the people. My favorite thing from it was meeting people face to face that I have "met" on aviation forums. I even met Glory; delightful young lady, she is. I asked about her at the EAA tent, and someone contacted her and she came over to say "hello". Thank you for taking the time, Glory, I know that you were busy.

What were your favorite things at Airventure 2016?


BJC

[gbrasch]

5729People, mostly the ones I have met at OSH the past 29 years, and this OV-1, inscribed with the individual names of over 1,600 MIA's

[RickFE]

I didn't get to do 2016, but was there for 10 through 15. I enjoy the trip going there as much as anything. I like the anticipation of approaching RIPON etc. Landing and knowing my camp plan is all thought out so that it goes smooth.

I love that if I go by myself which I most often do, I can simply say hello to whoever is camped next to me and immediately have something in common with them, airplanes.

I love the how to seminars. I love seeing what is new in the vendors area. I just like the entire atmosphere. I don't care what your niche in aviation is, there has to be something you would enjoy.

[Kyle Boatright]

I enjoy the helpful, friendly people.

I enjoy sitting by the runway watching arrivals while drinking an adult beverage.

I enjoy waking up at the crack of dawn, seeing a beautiful sunrise viewed across the top of a thousand airplanes and tents.

I enjoy the fly-market. Even the non-aviation junk is fun to eyeball.

I enjoy a great night of sleep in a tent following a day of too much sun, too much walking, and a beer or two with friends at the end of the day.

[mazdaP5]

You are right about the anticipation Rick. I love the trips to the sporting goods stores in May and June looking for the must have items for the camping trip.
My favorite is the first few days before the convention really ramps up, when all I have to do all day is sit in the shade and watch airplanes land. It really doesn't get much better than that.

[BeagleOne]

Many highlights this year...seeing Doolittle Raider Dick Cole, who's almost 101 years old, speak three times, and getting an autographed copy of his book, and meeting two fellow Doolittle enthusiasts while waiting for his presentation. Seeing the Pearl Harbor vets interviewed at Theater in the Woods, followed by the Tora Tora Tora performance. Seeing Tora Tora Tora again on Saturday. Watching "The Final Countdown" at the Fly-In Theater. The library book sale. Meeting a nice couple and their young son at a food tent, and having a long chat about cats, and the little boy telling me to meet them at the same place next year for lunch. Deciding not to go get a beer with my brother and his family, and therefore meeting a WWII ball turret gunner who was walking around Boeing Plaza wearing his original flight jacket.

Stopping in the new VAA bookstore and seeing the owner of the airport where my brother learned to fly over 30 years ago. The nice people at the A and W stands who will give me ice for my soda. Having the pilot of a Beaver waggle his wings on departure Sunday as my nephew and I waved from the south end of 18. Landon the ultralight tram driver who stopped for me at the end of a long day and gave me a ride to the ultralight barn gate. Having a piece of FiFi's birthday cake. Seeing That's All Brother.

Someone on one of the vintage pages described Oshkosh as an aviation Brigadoon. It really is. I just hope that the topless gal in the body paint won't reappear next year.

[Glory Aulik]

OK, we've discussed everything that was wrong with Airventure 2016, so now it is time to share fond memories of the convention.

Billy Henderson, long time EAA member, and the person who built Sun n Fun into a successful annual event, says that Sun n Fun is a gathering of people who all happen to like airplanes. I think that Billy has it right; for me, the annual EAA convention, aka Airventure, is about the people. My favorite thing from it was meeting people face to face that I have "met" on aviation forums. I even met Glory; delightful young lady, she is. I asked about her at the EAA tent, and someone contacted her and she came over to say "hello". Thank you for taking the time, Glory, I know that you were busy.

What were your favorite things at Airventure 2016?


BJC

Great meeting you as well!

[CHICAGORANDY]

Saturday thru Saturday I volunteered as a tram conductor - yep, the guy in the rear seat yapping on a microphone. Telling jokes, pointing out airplanes of interest along the way, and thoroughly enjoying meeting and chatting with folks from all over this great planet who share one common interest.

I've been doing it for several years now and have already booked my rooms for next year with one additional day on site.. Never been up in a private plane but I DO luv aviation - for ME it's a thrill just to be around them and enjoy the company of some MIGHTY fine people....OK there was one jerk on my last day who didn't want to yield his seat to folks waiting in line... but one jerk out of thousands of happy airplane nuts transported is darn fine odds.

I got to meet a couple Tuskegee airmen, and buy a bracelet for my daughter at the Gay Pilots booth in hangar D. Walked the immaculate grounds -real airplane people don't litter.....ever.... and just enjoyed the wonder of it all. I'm already counting the days till I can return - and slowly saving up a little each week to be able to afford to go back.

Time to sign off and fire up Microsoft Flight Sim X- probably the closest I'll ever get at 67 yrs old to the real thing. lol

[stummers]

I'll let the pictures do the talking.575657575758

[Bill Greenwood]

If there really was a "topless lady in body paint" I am sure there were the usual lot of photographers around. Please post some photos so that the rest of us can asses this problem and join in any outrage that is needed.

[Floatsflyer]

If there really was a "topless lady in body paint" I am sure there were the usual lot of photographers around. Please post some photos so that the rest of us can asses this problem and join in any outrage that is needed.

Yes, there really was such a lady who had numerous pics taken in front of the Galaxy on Boeing Square. Some of those pics were posted here a few weeks ago but our modest, prudish moderator removed the thread. I have just one thing to say: they were real and they were spectacular!

[Byron J. Covey]

Yes, there really was such a lady who had numerous pics taken in front of the Galaxy on Boeing Square. Some of those pics were posted here a few weeks ago but our modest, prudish moderator removed the thread.

Thank you moderator. It was not appropriate conduct for the convention, and it is not appropriate content for this forum.


BJC

[Floatsflyer]

Thank you moderator. It was not appropriate conduct for the convention, and it is not appropriate content for this forum.


BJC

Thank you Reverend Covey, aka the arbiter of appropriateness. What's next...book burning.

[Bill Greenwood]

Floats, what does it say about human nature that if you took the photo of the topless lady, designed by God or at least nature to produce and nurture human life, and put that photo on the side of a bomber, then the photo would probably become sanatized and acceptable to most people and such as the many vintage type t shirts and calendars for sale. Have you seen the unique collection the CAF has of actual paintings of ladies from the side of WWII bombers?

And by the way, since I didn't see the lady in person or by photo would you say this was a matter of factory original or a accurate reproduction? Sometimes hard to tell from a distance, but like airplanes, both have their place.
I didnt spend much time down by the galaxy, but did appreciate the ladies that were at EAA, otherwise lots of old guys. I enjoy having young people there also, wish there were even more of them.

[Floatsflyer]

Floats, what does it say about human nature that if you took the photo of the topless lady, designed by God or at least nature to produce and nurture human life, and put that photo on the side of a bomber, a war machine designed by man only to destroy other people, not to carry cargo or passengers, then the photo would probably become sanatized and acceptable to most people, maybe even Byron, and such as the many vintage type t shirts and calendars for sale. Have you seen the unique collection the CAF has of actual paintings of ladies from the side of WWII bombers?

And by the way, since I didn't see the lady in person or by photo would you say this was a matter of factory original or a accurate reproduction? Sometimes hard to tell from a distance.
I didnt spend much time down by the galaxy, but did notice that EAA would be improved by more ladies to offset the abundance of old guys.

Bill, you make an excellent point with your analogy of WW11 nose art. Btw, pictures of the CAF nose art that you speak of that is currently on exhibit at the EAA Museum was posted on this forum on November 30, 2015 under Warbirds by Zack. How 'bout that for hypocrisy. Byron though probably would recognize this hypocrisy as "appropriate" because it's associated with death, destruction, warfare and waving the flag.

So riddle me this Byron, how come it's appropriate to have the naked female nose art exhibited at EAA Museum but not a photograph of a painted nude female body on an EAA Forum?

Bill, totally agree with your last line. EAA are you paying attention, budget this line item for next year, thank you, thank you very much. :>)

[Byron J. Covey]

Thank you Reverend Covey, aka the arbiter of appropriateness. What's next...book burning.



So riddle me this Byron, how come it's appropriate to have the naked female nose art exhibited at EAA Museum but not a photograph of a painted nude female body on an EAA Forum?

If, by the "reverend" comment you are suggesting that I am preaching, you are wrong. I was stating my opinion, which is that the moderator did the correct thing in removing the photo. I don't care what you think.

I have no opinion on the nose are that you are referring to, because I have not seen it. I have seen nose art that, although it may have been historically accurate, was not, in my opinion, suitable for display in the general public.

I also have seen totally nude, painted females in public, and deemed it inappropriate too. I do not find the bare human body to be lewd, and I am not opposed to nude women in appropriate venues. I just think that the EAA Forum is not an appropriate venue. YMMV

BTW, do you guys ever wonder why there is not more participation in this forum?


BJC

[Kyle Boatright]

BTW, do you guys ever wonder why there is not more participation in this forum?


BJC

Lack of pictures of nude women? ;-)

Seriously, I agree that the naked chick had no business at Oshkosh and the photos were inappropriate for this forum...

[Bill Greenwood]

I didnt see the lady down at Gallaxy, it is possible that something that most adults might think was in good fun, even artistic might not be the best thing at Oshkosh where there are lots of children around.
Anyway, much as I dislike censorship. we shouldn't letdifferent tastes in something minor like this, interfere with friends on the forum.
I was trying to have a bit of fun with the subject.

[TedK]

Was she arrested or ejected from the Airventure grounds for indecent exposure? If so, then perhaps posting a picture might be inappropriate. Otherwise it is simply a chronicle of the events.

[Glory Aulik]

Forums rules gentlemen:

2. EAA Forums is a family-friendly site. Do not link or put on the site language, pictures, videos, graphics or other material that is foul, vulgar, hateful, pornographic or sexual.

[steve]

Time to change the subject, boys. You've seen 'em before.
Five from our group made the long trip down to TJ's on the Lake for Friday dinner. It's just about 3 miles south of Sea Plane Base. Great food, great location and live entertainment. I had the Cottage Pie with glass or two of the local brew. It was kinda spendy getting there via one of Korbussen's minivans but it was worth it. TJ's just might become a regular dinner spot in the years to come.

[BeagleOne]

I'm the one who took and posted the photos, and BTW, I am a woman, but nice assumption that everyone who posts here is a man...and an assumption by a female moderator, at that. Wow.

The photos were not lewd or pornographic, and only one of them showed her from the front, and it wasn't obvious until you looked closely that it was body paint and not a tight t-shirt. But the moderator deleted the entire thread. In fact, I didn't realize that it was body paint until she was trotting past me on the way back toward the Ford tent. I didn't post the photos to post lewd photos...I posted them as a record of a bizarre event, and asking for an explanation of whether this was an official Ford event, because the body paint was about Ford racing. Never did get an explanation as to why there was a topless woman running around Boeing Plaza on the busiest day of the week.

She wasn't nude, BTW. She was wearing very short shorts and platform stilettoes.

[Byron J. Covey]

Time to change the subject, boys. You've seen 'em before.
Five from our group made the long trip down to TJ's on the Lake for Friday dinner. It's just about 3 miles south of Sea Plane Base. Great food, great location and live entertainment. I had the Cottage Pie with glass or two of the local brew. It was kinda spendy getting there via one of Korbussen's minivans but it was worth it. TJ's just might become a regular dinner spot in the years to come.

I'll check out TJ's next year. Wendt's, a little further south, is on my list of favorite restaurants. Love their perch.


BJC

[FlyingRon]

I'll check out TJ's next year. Wendt's, a little further south, is on my list of favorite restaurants. Love their perch.


BJC

We ate at TJ's last year (2015). I was completely unimpressed. Food mediocre and service was awful. Nowhere near the caliber of Wendt's. I still have a Wendt's 50th Anniversary pint class here.

[skyfixer8]

BeagleOne, I found the photo of her on internet. I thought she was done tastefully as is the car she is leaning against.

Bill L

[BeagleOne]

Interesting, Bill. Was it on an official Ford page?

[CHICAGORANDY]

How odd - I've searched and searched and can't find any pictures on the internet of naked ladies or painted people ........

Bwah-Hah-Hah!

Sorry, couldn't even type it with the straight face.

lol

[skyfixer8]

No BeagleOne, I just googled something like, ford body paint model eaa 2016. got one pic of her leaning on car.

[Floatsflyer]

No BeagleOne, I just googled something like, ford body paint model eaa 2016. got one pic of her leaning on car.

That Google search has crashed. ;>)

[skyfixer8]

Wish I has seen for real, but tram driving kept me out of that area. Guess I will have to try another google search ;o