Oshkosh - 2017

Our travels were pretty slim in the summer of 2017. First, we had to get our Roadtrek repaired after being rear ended in Florida. There were no injuries and the RT received only moderate damage so our RT was repaired good as new and we were ready for the next adventure or should I say AirVenture.

Every year during the last week of July Oshkosh, WI becomes the mecca of all air shows for airplane enthusiasts. AirVenture is a week long event that is a bucket list event for everyone who is an airplane enthusiast. Attendance we a bit over 500,000 in 2017. I've liked airplanes as long as I can remember and looked up every time I heard a plane approaching the farm where I grew up in eastern Michigan. I  earned my private pilot license in 1975 and added an instrument rating a few years later but never got to "The Show" until this year.

My BIG dilemma is explaining and showing a bit of our week but how do I select just a few photos from the couple thousand that I took. Lets start with our camping spot. Camp Sholler is really just a big alfalfa field that is mowed fairly short a week before the show starts. How big? It was estimated there were 40,000 campers in 2017. That takes a lit of space and my farm boy estimate is around a square mile of solid campers. Fortunately, there is a decent shuttle system to get everyone to and from the main area.

Find a spot and make your home for the week

We found a spot close to the shuttle and settled in but we ended up moving after a couple days to a site with electricity and near some friends who make Oshkosh and annual event.

Immediately, we heard aircraft overhead and learned we were camped near the flight of the "ultralights".

and overhead, a skywriter was making smiley faces.

Yep, we came to the right place to enjoy ourselves for a the week.

Many pilots fly in and camp along the flight line.

The schedule was full with some special treats. There were all the "experimental" airplanes but there were also many antiques and military aircraft. 2017 was the 75th anniversary of the WWII Doolittle raid so there would be shows with B-26's commemorating that event. This was also the unveiling of the 2nd B-29 bomber named "Doc" who would fly with FiFi the only other airworthy B-29.

There are unique home builds like this Sub Sonex personal jet (above) and rows of antiques like the Boeing Stearman ships that shine like they just came from the factory.

and the Ford Tri-Motor. It wasn't that many years ago that the Tri Motor was used and a daily air taxi from Pt. Clinton to Put-In-Bay, an island in the west end of Lake Erie.

The days can be filled going to countless seminars and learning sessions or lingering among the displays of aircraft and pilot paraphernalia but the airshows are a highlight of each day. The shows are a patriotic affair with each air show opened with a parachute drop of the American flag and singing of the National Anthem. It's amazing to watch a hundred thousand people stop in their tracks to honor the opening ceremonies.

Each day, the air show is a bit different with a mix of air show performers and military aircraft. These little guys can put on quite a show

The night shows were SPECTACULAR!

 Highlights were the nearly 20 B-26's reenacted the 75th anniversary of the Doolittle Raid. Here are a few of my favorite B-26 photos.

Not to be outdone, FiFi and Doc put on a show. These are the only two air worthy B-29's out of 1,620 that were built. 

There was a mix of other military aircraft both old and new. Here is a vintage P-51 Mustang, two A-10 Warthogs and (leading the formation) is an F-35, the newest fighter in the U.S. Air Force arsenal.

The amazing B-52 first flew in 1952 and continues to be a valuable asset to our U.S. Air Force.

The B-1 Lancer is supersonic and has variable sweep wings. We were able to hear his sonic boom as he passed through the sound barrier.

The B-2 Spirit is the latest bomber. Introduced in 1997, it is known for it's stealth characteristics.

The Oshkosh finale was an amazing performance of the Navy Blue Angles. We have seen them perform a few times in the past and their shows never get old. Bravo, BLUES! 

There is really no way to capture the whole Oshkosh experience in a blog. The sounds of old radial engines on the Ford Tri Motor or the 12 cylinder Rolls Royce's on the P-51 Mustangs and whir of modern jets is only part of it. I suppose it's the camaraderie of 500,000 people that come together for a week to see AVIATION. We'll be back. 

Fall 2016 Road Trip – Exploring on our way home

We left Florida with plans to go to Winchester, TN and have dinner with a friend but learned she wouldn't be home. No problem, we changed plans and headed north with plans to stop by Carolyn's cousin's just north of Nashville.

We arrived in Goodletsville late afternoon, had a good visit and "driveway boondocked" so mission accomplished. We left early the next morning and made a quick decision to nix the idea of taking the interstate toward Louisville. Instead, we drove eastbound on the two lane road. Generally, we drove NE to Hwy 52 with turned out to be a great drive with mountain views and lead us to the South Fork National River and Recreation Area which turned out to be very similar to a national park with a great campground and several interesting hikes and scenic areas. Check out the photos below.

Our route took us through some beautiful drives.

Mountain views.

Wow, we didn't expect to find a place like this. Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area is a great find. There are miles and miles of hiking trails, unique falls and natural arches. It's similar to the Great Smokey Mountains NP but way less crowded. The Ranger told us many of their visitors come there to escape the big crowds of GSM yet get virtually the same adventure. We took some hikes and drove to some other sites...it's a big area!

The campground is great. Unfortunately, I didn't take a photo of our campsite but I was able to capture this image of the super moon. 

Super moon

The next morning, we drove to the Yahoo Falls area. It's pronounced YEA HOO, not Yahoo like the web site. Artifacts, reveal this area was inhabited 9,000 years ago. Rivers eroded the sandstone to form natural arches and caves which provided shelter. 

The trail-head was clearly marked...Yahoo Falls - .25 miles. The arch was 1.5 miles so we headed off  on the well used trail.

Trail head.

It was a great day for a hike in the woods.

Which way to go? We decide to go to the arch.

Time to take the jacket off and catch you breath.

Rock hugging tree.

Sometimes you just have to stop, look up and take in all in!

There was another couple at the arch.

How long does it take to make an arch like this.

So, back to the fork in the road. Should we go to the falls?
Sure but remember we will have to climb back up these stairs.

The trail is dry and in good shape.

9,000 years ago, Native Americans lived in this cave.
Several tribes populated the area and lived in caves along the rivers.

Whew! It's a long climb back to the trail but worth it.

We have one more stop before we resume out trip home. Most of the waterfalls were only a trickle due to the drought but we were assures the Cumberland Falls would be flowing. Sure enough but we couldn't help but imagine the flow if the summer rainfalls had been normal.

Cumberland Falls

The road home.
This area in northern Tennessee and southern Kentucky was a great find. We'll be back!

Fall 2016 Road Trip – Blue Angels Homecoming

Those who know me know how difficult this post will be. For those who don't...well, I'm a person who cannot help but look up every time I hear an airplane. I've been that way since a little boy so the chance to see the Blue Angels along with other cool airplanes is one of my highlights of 2016.

As I mentioned in the last post, we visited Cades Cove in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We like national parks and national forests so our next stop will be the Conecuh National Forest which is near the Alabama/Florida border. Opps, I forgot to take a photo of our campsite but it was a nice level site and there were clean restrooms and showers nearby. I'll give it 5 stars!

We traveled the rest of the way to Panama and joined friends to go to the air-show, the 70th anniversary of the Blue Angels. Even though we had reserved seats, we arrived early to avoid traffic. Oh boy, our seats were perfect near the center point of the runway and next to the flight line...this was going to be a good day!

Blue Angels maintenance shop.

There were a number of aircraft on display. Here are a couple that are notable. Daron's battalion rode the CH-53 when inserted into Helmand Province in 2009. We were able to walk through...it's not that big inside.

Sikorsky CH-53 Sea Stallion

The inside can transport 24 Marines with combat gear.

F-22 Raptor - The most advanced fighter in the fleet.

We moved to our seats near the flight line foe a day full of aerial acts and a couple sensational surprises on the ground. Several of the acts had morning performances with repeats in the early afternoon. As I mentioned earlier, there was a problem selecting which photos to post.

Formation of Stearman

Team Aeroshell

Team Redline

T-6 Texan low pass

Mig-15 in full after burner

F-16

Tail Hook down

Aeroshell

Oh ya...a jet powered truck showed up too!

And next ladies and gentlemen, we present the stars of the show...the amazing Navy Blue Angels! One in the air, the Blue Angels do most of their maneuvers is two groups – a group of four and a smaller group of two. 

Taxi past the crowd – we had front row seats.

Throttle up!

Still going up.

Diamond four formation.

Two up – two down.

You go that way...I'll go this way.

One of the few formations with all six Blue Angels

Meanwhile, Blue Angels 5 and 6 are busy doing their own thing.

All the STUFF hanging out.

Wonder if these guys blink when they pass?

Setting up for the finale. Thanks Kathy for getting us great seats.

The last maneuver of the day. “The Missing Man” formation was flown in honor of Capt. Kuss, who was killed when his Blue Angel jet crashed in June, just a day before the Great Tennessee Airshow in Smyrna, Tennessee.

What a great day! Thanks to our friends Kathy, Les, Vicki and Pogo who joined us at the show. It's always fun to share fun experiences with friends. It's just too bad that photos can't make noise nor make you shake as the jest roar by but we'll be back for another show...somewhere.