Why Oshkosh Matters (With CoolPix Marathon - 19 Hi-Res Images)

(click pic for hi-res)  Ray Hegy's El Chuparosa at Oshkosh 1970 (see original post)

 Oshkosh 2013 is fast approaching (July 29 - Aug 4), and I'm as excited as ever to be planning to attend. I was there in 1970 (as a 9 year old) when the very first Oshkosh took place at Wittman Field in beautiful Wisconsin. The annual EAA fly-in and convention was held in Rockford Illinois prior to Oshkosh and I was even at the last one of those in 1969. I've missed a handful of the events over the years, but I've attended well over 30 of them since that picture above of Ray Hegy's El Chuparosa was taken.

 Oshkosh has changed a lot over the years, but in the ways that really matter, it hasn't really changed at all. It's still people (lots and lots of people) who are in love with aviation gathering together to share that love with each other. It's goodness, discipline, ingenuity, and achievement all rolled into a week of learning, sharing, and enjoying. There's just nothing else like it... no other tool we have that does so much good for the world of general and sport aviation. That's why I believe that Oshkosh truly matters.

 I'm well aware that many people have frustrations at times with the EAA and the way Oshkosh is run, and while I've had the same kinds of frustrations going back even into the 1970's, I'm as convinced as ever that the EAA ultimately does a huge amount of good for those of us who love to fly. I can't imagine any other organization (or new group of people) who could, or would do better (or even as well) at fostering a genuine love for flying. So I hope you'll join me in being a big supporter of what Oshkosh does for us all... come to Oshkosh this year and be amazed, entertained, educated, and impressed. But please don't come expecting Oshkosh to do all that TO you, instead, come to Oshkosh and BE PART OF that process. Give, and share, and receive too. It's the human interactions that truly make Oshkosh the beautiful thing that it is.

 To celebrate some of the great avgeekery of Oshkosh, here's an extensive collection of CoolPix images I've captured since 2009 to get you primed and ready for the world's greatest aviation event. I hope you enjoy! Oh, and you might notice that I never ever call the event A**V******, it's Oshkosh to me and always will be. I look forward to the day when that ad agency concocted word is dropped from the EAA vocabulary. And hey, maybe they should go back to a logo that looks more like tho old one too : )

(click pic for hi-res)  Pitcairn Autogiro at Oshkosh 2009  (see original post)

(click pic for hi-res)  Airbus A380 preparing to depart Oshkosh 2009  (see original post)

(click pic for hi-res)  A380 Flight demo at Oshkosh 2009  (see original post)

(click pic for hi-res)  Goodyear blimp at Oshkosh 2010  (see original post)

(click pic for hi-res)  Oshkosh 2010 seen from Bell 47 Helicopter  (see original post)

(click pic for hi-res)  Erickson Air-Crane at Oshkosh 2010  (see original post)

(click pic for hi-res)  Dyke Delta homebuilt at Oshkosh 2010  (see original post)

(click pic for hi-res)  Cessna 195's at Oshkosh 2010  (see original post)  

(click pic for hi-res)  Flag jump at Oshkosh 2010  (see original post)

 (click pic for hi-res)  Camp Scholler at Oshkosh 2010  (see original post)

 
(click pic for hi-res)  Lady Luck B-25: Dawn Patrol at Oshkosh 2011  (see original post)

(click pic for hi-res)  Zeppelin NT at Oshkosh 2011  (see original post of ride in Indy)

(click pic for hi-res)  Antique aircraft at Oshkosh 2012  (see original post)

(click pic for hi-res)  Cessna 195 on floats at Oshkosh 2012  (see original post)

(click pic for hi-res)  P-51 prop and other warbirds at Oshkosh 2012  (see original post)

(click pic for hi-res)  A-36 Apache at Oshkosh 2012  (see original post)

(click pic for hi-res)  Rutan Boomerang homebuilt at Oshkosh 2012  (see original post)

(click pic for hi-res)  Camping Cubs glowing at Oshkosh 2012  (see original post)

See you there!