Blue Angels

We will miss the Chicago Air and Water Show!!! Check out my new album with the photos from the air show: 2007 Chicago Air Show

Patrol Squadron 65 Stepping Down

I was just goofing off for a minute or two on google maps, and I zoomed in on Point Mugu Naval Base. This is where Amanda’s dad used to fly the P3 Orion Sub hunter before going to fly heavies for United. The patrol squadron was recently fazed out, but not before google maps caught a P3 on the runway. Read more here

Oshkosh Recap

As I posted earlier, I made my annual pilgrimiage to Oshkosh, WI for Airventure. It is hard to see everything in one day, and even harder to summarize it in a post on a blog. You arrive early with no less than 20 airplanes in sight at all times. They are swarming like fireflies on a cool summer night, except these are forming a single file line to the airport. The pilot NOTOM says to get in line, don’t talk on the radio…just rock your wings to acknowlege the insturctions given to you by ATC. You arrive (by car for us this year), pay your admission, and then it hits you. Where to start?!?!? There are warbirds sitting in a field the size of 6 football fields. At least a dozen P51 mustangs, 5-10 bombers, Texans, Corsairs, preWWII biplanes, etc… All perfectly restored. Then there is all the experimental planes that were built in guarges all over the US and flown to Oshkosh for the show. Next, you can escape the heat by cruzing through the 4 huge hangers with wall to wall vendors selling anything and everything related to aviation. Next, there are the tents with all the airplanes from Cessna, Diamond, Liberty, Beachcraft, Piper…in other words, if they sell aircraft, the newest and latest model is polished and open for you to sit in. Then of course is the Aeroshell square. This is where the big headliners park. This year Spaceship One was there to view, a huge military cargo plane, WWII bombers, and the new Honda jet. Of course there is an airshow in the afternoon as well as classes on everything from Spaceship One to how to weld the frame of an aircraft. I think you can appeciate how hard it is to only be there from one day. The day ends with a buffet. While there, we overheard a dad ask his son what was his favorite plane he saw that day. That of course got us thinking:

My Oshkosh Highlight?

To my surprise, it was the new light jets VERY light jets. Honda, Eclipse, and Cessna all have some amazing planes. I guess the reason I was so amazed, was due to the fact that we may one day load up the family in one of these to go see the grandparents. I know what you are thinking…only if you win the lottery, and not one of those 5 million jobs…the big 300 million payoffs. Seriously, these are priced NEW at about one million. You buy into a fractional, and now you are talking about the cost of second home. That is today’s prices, what can we expect in 20 years.

For more on the show: Check this out!