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Thread: I remember when...

  1. #1
    JustinH's Avatar
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    Question I remember when...

    Gearing up for Airventure 2021, I'm already excited and thinking back on years past. One of the fond memories I have was from the first Fly-In I attended back in 1994. I was 13 years old and went with my mom and dad. We only went for one day which was the norm until I was much older. Back then if I remember correctly, you could only get into the flight line if you were an EAA member, a mechanic or a pilot. I had just started some flight training so I brought my logbook for me and my family to gain access to the flight line, sure enough it worked! We made sure to go on the day Concorde arrived, which it did albeit several hours late, I remember it coming in an well after the afternoon air show, but boy was it worth the wait. A random attendee recommended that we stick around to watch it takeoff later that evening as the afterburners would be spectacular. It was going to give a ride to folks willing to pay for an expensive joy ride. So we stayed and watched it depart with all of the noise and fire blasting out of the engines, so cool for a 13 year old, and frankly, everyone. The main part of this longwinded post is remembering a place we stopped at on the way out of the convention to grab a late bite to eat, I'm almost positive its gone now I'm looking for anyone who can help me figure out where/what this place was. From what I remember it was just outside the flight line near where the old control tower was, it was a white house or barn maybe, that had a little outdoor food and drink stand. It wasn't the place with the 'beer' balloon I'm sure of that. It wasn't too far from the grounds because I can remember hearing the Concorde land after it came back from giving that ride while we ate. Sorry for the lack of details it's been so long, just trying to remember better a good time with my parents. Any hints or even better photos would be great! It would be cool if there was some sort of historical maps or a photo library showing what the convention was like many years ago and how it keeps changing. Thanks for reading!

  2. #2
    Jeff Point's Avatar
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    Sounds like you are talking about the food stand run by Sacred Heart church. It’s just outside the main gate and just south of the bus terminal which looks like an old control tower. You’ll be glad to know that it is still there and still a great place to eat during the show.
    Jeff Point
    RV-6 and RLU-1 built & flying
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    "It All Started Here!"

  3. #3
    JustinH's Avatar
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    Thanks, yes that could very well be the same people. I do remember the place we went to in 1994 being at a white house or a white barn nearby, probably was demolished to make room for the expansion of the grounds. I'll have to swing over that direction this year to grab a bite.

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    I vaguely remember a parking area very close to the entrance with a white barn run by the land owners at the time, shuffelbine’s?

  5. #5
    JustinH's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by jowens View Post
    I vaguely remember a parking area very close to the entrance with a white barn run by the land owners at the time, shuffelbine’s?
    That could've been it! I'm pretty sure it was near the entrance behind the west ramp, I remember walking past that place on our way back to the car and stopping to get something to eat. Thanks for helping!

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    FlyingRon's Avatar
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    There used to be the old Schifflebein farm (roughly where the current cart pit is, diagonally across Knapp street from the (new) control tower). They had brats and corn on the cob there. It was a great loss when the EAA had it condemned. The SOS brothers had a farm where the current forum plaza is and the FAA ran them off, but not without a lot more protest.

  7. #7
    JustinH's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by FlyingRon View Post
    There used to be the old Schifflebein farm (roughly where the current cart pit is, diagonally across Knapp street from the (new) control tower). They had brats and corn on the cob there. It was a great loss when the EAA had it condemned. The SOS brothers had a farm where the current forum plaza is and the FAA ran them off, but not without a lot more protest.
    Yeah I'm starting to think it was the Shifflebein farm, I've found a couple pictures online the last couple days of showing aerial photos of the grounds from the 90s and early 2000s, sure enough there's a white barn and a house, looks like at the old corner of Knapp and Waukau. Thanks for heling me narrow it down, great to go down memory lane every once in a while.

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    Jeff Point's Avatar
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    I think the guys who came up with Shifflebeins are correct, I forgot about that. But Sacred Heart is still a great place to eat!
    Jeff Point
    RV-6 and RLU-1 built & flying
    Tech Counselor, Flight Advisor & President, EAA Chapter 18
    Milwaukee, WI
    "It All Started Here!"

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    Coffee and large cinamon roll

  10. #10
    Back to the original post ...

    I don't remember what I ate for lunch yesterday, but I do remember that night in '94 when the Concorde took off. Was at Theater in the Woods watching David Hartman and all the astronauts that showed up for the Apollo 25th anniversary reunion. It was dark by then and the Concorde came down 18 in full afterburner (reheat for our British friends) and rotated abeam the theater. The astronauts all paused for a few seconds due to the noise, the whole crowd (overflowing) stood up, turned around and saw the huge flames as the Concorde rotated and lifted off to head out somewhere it could go supersonic for a bit. The noise subsided, everyone sat down and the astronauts started talking again, didn't miss a beat.

    I've seen a long list of amazing things since then at 20+ visits to Oshkosh, but that particular memory never seems to fade.
    Last edited by FlyingCanuck; 06-10-2021 at 01:44 PM.

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