Oshkosh, oh my gosh! ** update **

Airshow Photography from the UK and around the world
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Skyflash
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Oshkosh, oh my gosh! ** update **

Post by Skyflash »

What an event. WHAT. AN. EVENT.

There is nothing - literally nothing - in Europe which compares to Osh for sheer scale and variety of types. It's a bit like dying and going to aviation heaven. I spent 6 days basically wandering around open-mouthed, and am still mentally processing everything that I saw.

Hard though it is to pick out a single highlight (the arrival of the two Phantoms? my trip to the seaplane base? The Martin Mars? The night airshow followed by a full fireworks display?) getting a flight in a B-17 is probably going to take some beating...

More of which anon, but first, and in true American fashion, here's a quick word from our sponsor... this thread brought to you by:

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

Phlying the phlag :rock:

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

This was, to say the least, a wee bit different - a STOL competition featuring different Valdez aircraft operating from a grass strip. At dusk. Watched by around 10,000 people. The whole thing would have given the CAA an instant heart-attack, and was weirdly beautiful:

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

Also falling into the 'weirdly beautiful' category - the seaplane base on the shores of Lake Winnebago, a short drive from where the main event takes place at Wittman Regional Airport:

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

The seaplane base was also temporary home to the Martin Mars flying boat, the undoubted star of this year's flying display. It had to operate from the lake as it doesn't have any conventional undercarriage. What a beast of a thing too - not just the world's largest flying boat but also one of the largest aircraft ever built, with a 200ft wingspan.

Engines start:

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

Airborne!

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

...and doing what it does best, at which point your humble correspondent narrowly avoided a soaking:

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

Back to Wittman, or as I had by now re-styled it, Warbird Paradise:

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

This show had ALL THE MUSTANGS. No joke, I think I counted seventeen on the airfield at one point:

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

Many, many T-6s on display as well:

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

SPADS!

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

Never been to an airshow before where you get to take pictures of naked fanny [apologies]:

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

Why yes, I was on Cloud 9...

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

Filming us filming them...

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

Oh you know, just an A-4, two Sabres, and a MiG-17... nothing especially interesting... :whistle:

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

A kind of unofficial mascot of AirVenture, the beautiful old Ford TriMotor is a near-constant presence in the skies above Oshkosh as it runs pleasure flights throughout the show days:

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

Living up to the show's motto: If it flies, it's here!

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

Mean and moody:

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

Go get 'em, big brother!

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

Like I say, it's the scale of Oshkosh which takes the breath away...

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

Well I promised you a flight in a B-17 and I'd hate to disappoint, so here she is... B-17G 'Aluminum Overcast', which was running pleasure flights out of nearby Appleton Airport throughout the show week. Not exactly cheap, but an utterly unforgettable experience!

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

Call out them fighters...

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

"That's it! That's it, that's it, that's it... BOMBS AWAY!"

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

Oshkosh: GD salutes you. I'LL BE BACK.

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr
Last edited by Skyflash on Fri 26 Aug 2016, 11:30 am, edited 1 time in total.
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st24
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Re: Oshkosh, oh my gosh! EAA AirVenture 2016

Post by st24 »

Great selection from a must see show. Your T-6s are T-34s though...
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Russ
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Re: Oshkosh, oh my gosh! EAA AirVenture 2016

Post by Russ »

Woah! Tremendous set. :clap: :cool:

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Re: Oshkosh, oh my gosh! EAA AirVenture 2016

Post by Wrexham Mackem »

Supreme set, I really really enjoyed them :clap: :clap: :clap:

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AlexC
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Re: Oshkosh, oh my gosh! EAA AirVenture 2016

Post by AlexC »

Skyflash wrote:There is nothing - literally nothing - in Europe which compares to Osh for sheer scale and variety of types. It's a bit like dying and going to aviation heaven.


Could not agree more! I was there four straight years, 2009-2013, and I know that I'll never see anything like it again.

Where did you stay? I was at the halls of residence, Oshkosh Uni., so convenient, buses running to and from the airfield from just across the road, all day up to 22.00. Besides the cost of entry, I hardly spent anything, coffee and a banana for breakfast at the Uni, very cheap food and drink at the airfield. Very friendly and courteous people, no windbreaks!!!
Pte. Aubrey Gerald Harmer, R. Suss. R. (att. to the Sherwood Foresters) KIA 26/9/1917 Polygon Wood, aged 19, NKG. RIP

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Skyflash
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Re: Oshkosh, oh my gosh! EAA AirVenture 2016

Post by Skyflash »

AlexC wrote:
Skyflash wrote:There is nothing - literally nothing - in Europe which compares to Osh for sheer scale and variety of types. It's a bit like dying and going to aviation heaven.


Could not agree more! I was there four straight years, 2009-2013, and I know that I'll never see anything like it again.

Where did you stay? I was at the halls of residence, Oshkosh Uni., so convenient, buses running to and from the airfield from just across the road, all day up to 22.00. Besides the cost of entry, I hardly spent anything, coffee and a banana for breakfast at the Uni, very cheap food and drink at the airfield. Very friendly and courteous people, no windbreaks!!!


Yeah, I stayed at the uni too. Incredibly handy as you say.

I was on the Ian Allan tour (and a big :clap: ) to them for such a fun, well-organised tour) and our accommodation was at UWO with the shuttle buses to ferry us back and forth. A nice, cheap breakfast at the university halls to kick the day off and then off to Wittman for the fun and games. None of the hassle associated with a European show, as you rightly say. In fact it was almost the inverse of a European show... if you are a photographer then there is little benefit in getting there early, as the crowdline is virtually unoccupied so you are guaranteed uninterrupted shots of the flying. I quickly realised that the key to Oshkosh, if anything, is staying late at the end of the day, as that is when many of the best photographic opportunities arise. The Phantoms arrived at about 7pm on the Monday, for example, whilst the fireworks shot of the B-17 was taken on the Wednesday evening. It does make for some hooringly long days, right enough... I think it was nearly midnight by the time I got back to the uni on the Wednesday... :sleepy:
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Re: Oshkosh, oh my gosh! EAA AirVenture 2016

Post by AlexC »

I was also with Ian Allan. The great thing about staying at the Uni is that if you're a bit tired, or as happened to me one afternoon there was a thunder storm, you could just nip on the bus back for a bit of rest or whatever, and then back to the airfield when you felt like it. Pay for a weekly bus ticket, and that's it, there and back as many times as you liked. Really civilised! Can't recommend a trip or two there enough!
Pte. Aubrey Gerald Harmer, R. Suss. R. (att. to the Sherwood Foresters) KIA 26/9/1917 Polygon Wood, aged 19, NKG. RIP

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Re: Oshkosh, oh my gosh! EAA AirVenture 2016

Post by GeorgeP »

An excellent range of images! Ground-to-air, static and a few landscapes. :up:

I'll also add my vote for the U of O dorms as a great place to stay. They're clean, roomy and cost effective plus you meet lots of like-minded people from all 'round the world. The meals are good and cheap.

For photographers, Oshkosh is perfect because the crowd line is west of the main runway. The airshow usually starts between 2pm and 3pm which means that you're shooting with the sun behind you. Later in the afternoon, when most people have left, the light is superb.
Cheers,

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Re: Oshkosh, oh my gosh! EAA AirVenture 2016

Post by sylvancatharsis »

Absolutely phenomenal set! I must make it out there one of these years.. :yahoo:
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Re: Oshkosh, oh my gosh! EAA AirVenture 2016

Post by duxfordhawk »

Stunning set of photos, and what a line up.
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Re: Oshkosh, oh my gosh! EAA AirVenture 2016

Post by Wes_Howes »

Not much to say, that hasn't already been said :clap: other than I'm extremely jealous of your flight in the B-17!

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Re: Oshkosh, oh my gosh! EAA AirVenture 2016

Post by AlexC »

I had a flight in the EAA Ford Tri-Motor first time I was there, couldn't afford the B-17G. :sad: Anyway, the Tri-Motor was still very good. :smile:
Pte. Aubrey Gerald Harmer, R. Suss. R. (att. to the Sherwood Foresters) KIA 26/9/1917 Polygon Wood, aged 19, NKG. RIP

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Re: Oshkosh, oh my gosh! EAA AirVenture 2016

Post by Georgeconna »

Sweet set, Was there years ago. I must put a few bob together to re visit again!
Cheers

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Re: Oshkosh, oh my gosh! EAA AirVenture 2016

Post by Airwolfhound »

What an awesome experience, thanks for showing and making me insanely jealous :grin: :clap:
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Re: Oshkosh, oh my gosh! EAA AirVenture 2016

Post by planenuttoo »

Gordon, you may have re-kindled my interest; after becoming disappointed with the current UK situation, this event alone looks like I may have to get out there and get snapping. Great set of pics, thanks, love the B17 with the fireworks, the Phantoms and those that show how big the show is.

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Re: Oshkosh, oh my gosh! EAA AirVenture 2016

Post by gralee »

Simply stunning set, in fact overall the best set I've seen I reckon. Had a look at the images on Flickr and they are superb. Great skills all round :worship: :worship:

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Re: Oshkosh, oh my gosh! EAA AirVenture 2016

Post by Skyflash »

Many thanks for all the kind comments, very much appreciated. :smile:

Seeing as you've all been so nice, here are a few more, starting of course with more of what you all want to see...

The Phantom pilots gave an interesting talk in the showground a couple of hours prior to their departure on the Thursday, explaining why the QF-4 programme is coming to an end and also confirming that, rather tragically, the two QF-4s which were at the show were due to be shot-down that Sunday! So these two are already smouldering lumps of metal somewhere in the New Mexico desert. :sad: However, there will also be a 'Phantom Pharewell' event at Holloman AFB in either November or early December, at which it is planned to get all the remaining QF-4s in the air. If anyone from here manages to get to that, make sure you send back lots of pictures:

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

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There were (bizarrely) a number of civvy Alpha Jets at the show, including this rather fetching navy blue example:

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

The photo is hardly going to win any awards, but it's such a rare machine that I thought this was worth including:

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

This is all kinds of wrong... a biplane with a jet engine! Damned thing sounds like an F-16:

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

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Oh dear!

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

Angry Birds just got real:

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

Speaking of angry birds... no CV-22s, but we did get an osprey:

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

The show contained so many 'firsts' for me that I began to lose track. A C-123!

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

A C-46!

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

A C-1!

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

A C-2!

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

A P-3 with a radome!

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

And that really is yer lot this time! cheers folks...

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by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr
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planenuttoo
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Re: Oshkosh, oh my gosh! ** update **

Post by planenuttoo »

Fabulous, thanks.

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Re: Oshkosh, oh my gosh! ** update **

Post by Spiny Norman »

What show. Incredible line-up. Thanks for putting these up and for giving us a taste of what it's like. You could have stopped after the first 3 and I would've been happy enough. Cheers!

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Re: Oshkosh, oh my gosh! ** update **

Post by paullangford »

Excellent, thanks for posting :up:

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Re: Oshkosh, oh my gosh! ** update **

Post by Tommy »

Jesus, what an absolute monster of a thread! Amazing stuff. :king: :king: :king:

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Re: Oshkosh, oh my gosh! ** update **

Post by foxfour »

Excellent post indeed, great mix of civvy and mil. Some lovely warbird shots there.

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Re: Oshkosh, oh my gosh! ** update **

Post by GeorgeP »

Extra thanks for the updates.

I decided not to attend this year's show because how could the EAA improve on last year's? After all, the 70th anniversary of the end of WWII would attract everything worth seeing, right? Ah, maybe not so right, George.... :sad:

A list of aircraft that would have been 'ticks' (to use a bird watching term) for me would have been : U-2, B-25H, C-2, P-39, C-46, C-123, domed P-3, Mars, A-10, Buckeye, all the USCG fleet, ....
Then there's examples of types that I have seen before such as the different F-86s, Spads and Mustangs that turned up this year. :wall:
Cheers,

George

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Dr Cake
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Re: Oshkosh, oh my gosh! ** update **

Post by Dr Cake »

Hi Gordon,

What a superb post. It looks like you had an amazing 6 days that you're unlikely to forget. Glad that you managed to make it. :smile:

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Re: Oshkosh, oh my gosh! ** update **

Post by Ledhead27 »

Has to be one of the most enjoyable threads I've seen for a while. Oshkosh is a place that I seriously need to get to in the not too distant future!
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