Last year my wife and I moved from the east coast to the west coast and I took a 5-week trek from Maryland to California. It so happened that right in the middle of our trip was the EAA Skiplane Fly-in, so we stopped by the grounds which I’ve been on so many times before and saw it for the first time outside of AirVenture. Even with it bundled up for the winter, it was just as joyous and incredible being there in the dead of winter as it is during its height in the summer during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh.
In my article (read here) I explain that even though there wasn’t anything happening on the grounds I could still hear with my auditory memory the helicopters flying right over head giving enthusiasts a sky view of the grounds below. It was also easy to hear the Ford Tri-motor taking off and the B-17 soaring high above for those taking rides from Appleton. I then imagined the fighter jets buzzing by as well where in those moments it is not just the afterburners of the jets igniting, but our passion as aviation enthusiasts as well.
AirVenture wasn’t taking place in that moment in the middle of winter, but I could still sense the energy of its history in the air. Unfortunately, 2020 is like another winter where it’s best if we all stay home, keep safe and warm, and wait for summer to come. But while we wait for our next summer together in Oshkosh, it’s still just as easy to close our eyes and imagine ourselves there. That’s exactly what the authors are doing when I read each of their stories published in the latest State Aviation Journal magazine focusing on the past decade of AirVenture.
The fact that AirVenture creates these strong memories that bring us all together so well means that we’re all going to come back stronger from this and it’ll make the next AirVenture even greater than ever before. It won’t be the same as any other year, because it’s going to bring a renewed energy, a renewed passion, and a brand-new level of excitement from all of us who attend. We’ll start the tradition once again and fill it with a revitalized anticipation that’s going to engulf us all as #OSH21 draws near. I can already hear the sounds of AirVenture coming in the distance…
I’m sure you can hear the sounds of AirVenture too.
