Wisconsin Tacomas and bad financial advice

On and off throughout the work day I get 5G.
I must say. It sucks.
My phone lags like a mofo.
Just turn it off and give me my 4G.

 

If you count enroute and departing travel, and how much of it there is, someone’s bound to bend some sheet metal to one degree or another. And there will always be pilots that find that they don’t actually have the skills they thought they did before taking the flight to Oshkosh.

I’ve already seen some planes in loose formation heading up there. I love seeing that stuff. Yesterday, I was out in the yard and heard the sound of an old lumpy high-displacement engine…the classic sound of Oshkosh inbound traffic. The sky had a low overcast. I looked up didn’t see anything, and then an old Stinson pops out of the bottom of the clouds in a descending turn. He straightened up, and continued along the same southerly direction he departed the cloud from, just kissing the bottoms of the clouds as he went. I’m pretty sure he just wanted to change his shorts at that point, and was looking for the closest airfield with bathroom facilities.

I’ve always loved airplanes…such cool machines. It’s awesome so many private pilots fly themselves into to oshkosh every year, and that it’s been happening for so many years. It’s cool that people have so much freedom to do this stuff, especially in the age of where there’s a push to keep people from making decisions for themselves “for their own safety”.

But it is a risk no doubt…most people flying in to Oshkosh aren’t career commercial pilots that are constantly flying and at the top of their game. They fly to Oshkosh in machines that need to avoid weather, and those long trips can quickly become a game of 3d chess as you pick your way around weather. Things can get out of hand very quickly if you overestimate your skills, or you just make the wrong decision at the wrong time.

 

By transitive property @pearing should be an ace at sky off-roading.

 

Another forum I'm on, there's a former commercial pilot who now works for a custom builder that brings a plane for display every year. About 5 years ago now, he was asked to fly the display unit into Oshkosh. He said afterwards he doesn't want to have to fly into there again. He said it was the most stressful landing he's ever had.

 

Relevant to the aviation pics: got to park next to the other blue aircraft a few weeks ago.

 

Psht. Those don't even have four wheel drive.

 

There’s a whole notam procedure that you need to be intimately familiar with when flying to oshkosh. Not just the normal process to get in an communicate with ATC, but also all the procedures for non-normal things like what to do when weather is a factor, when you have to go around, or when ATC doesn’t let you go in. And in the final phases of the approach you’re not even allowed to transmit to acknowledge instructions. You have to rock your wings so that lookouts can see you. It’s pretty mentally intense!

 

Doing spark plugs this afternoon. Passenger side took less than 45 minutes. Then I had to take down about half of the top end to get to the driver's side. I'm almost done putting it all back together.

They needed changing. Funny, the middle plugs' threads were rusted and both rears were loose...not much but I could give the ratchet about an eighth of a turn to snug them.

Only called it a corksoaker once!

 

I have my private pilot license. Haven't flown in years. Dangerous.

 

I pulled off a 4 tire rotation, mowed crop circles in the back yard and still had time to go take a few casts before the rain.

This was parked where I was fishing as I was leaving.

 

I must be missed something. What's so crazy about Oshkosh? (Besides the fact that the defense contractor and the children's clothing company are one and the same)

Should only have to move about three things to get all the driver plugs out.

 

Only the busiest airport in the world for the next week...


https://www.thenorthwestern.com/sto...cord-attendance-2846-show-planes/74608618007/

 

Oh, and Oshkosh B'gosh left town 20 years ago...sold to Carters and manufacturing moved to Indonesia.

 

When I was a wee lad, mom used to buy me Oshkosh bib's as they were the only pants that held up to my playing with Tonka toys.

 

Hey Dan, @Taco-Grinder, how's the ticker coming?

 

I asked my flight instructor about flying in there back when I was getting my license. He said he’d done it, but would much prefer to drive.

 

It sure can be. Then again, back in the day, I flew into Meigs a couple times. That was outstanding!

 

Checking in from the Yukon once again.



Kate and I are on the return leg of the journey. We pushed 723 miles in 2 days, from Anchorage to Whitehorse. We've altered our plans and are heading towards Seattle, in order to have Torfab give the 80 a health check. We'll fly back home next week Friday and cut out 17 hours of driving, while also experiencing the western area of British Columbia, to include the Cassiar Highway and Vancouver. I'll have the 80 shipped home when it's ready.

The Alaskan Highway is no joke, as @Stoney Ranger can attest. Beautiful, but lots of long stretches of washboarded gravel, permafrost heaves, and potholes. I aired down and was glad I did. Sadly though, my windshield did not make it unscathed, as a chunk of flying gravel from a passing truck cracked the right lower corner.



The 80 is running healthy enough to make me feel confident in taking the 450 mile remote stretch of the Cassiar highway. So far, the weather has held out and we've had a good time.



I'll write up more later on. Cheers!