OSH13: CoolPix - James Redmon And His Fabulous Berkut (Friday 8.2.13)

(click pic for hi-res)  James Redmon under the wing of his gorgeous Berkut homebuilt

 There's been some great press on James Redmon and his Berkut recently, including the July Sport Aviation magazine and this article in the July issue of EAA's Experimenter. I spent some time talking to James and looking over the Berkut on Friday, and I got several pix including this unique view of the airplane and its builder. Wow, this is one sweet homebuilt!

 This Berkut is also known as race #13 and competes in events run by the Sport Air Racing League (SARL) - this design has been tweaked to be able to compete at over 250 mph... and to look really good while doing it! I'm planning a more in-depth post in the future with lots of up-close detail pix, but for now I hope you enjoy this wide-angle CoolPix from under the Berkut that shows James enjoying OSH13 : )

OSH13: Dawn Patrol - Warbirds (Thursday 8.1.13 - 6 Pix)

(click pic to enlarge)  North American FJ-4B in the beautiful morning sun

 Getting up early and heading out about 5am to get sunrise pictures of fabulous airplanes is one of the most satisfying things to do at Oshkosh. My first Dawn Patrol experience at OSH13 was yesterday morning with three other CampBacon avgeeks. It was the Warbird area that we wondered thru looking for just the right combination of aircraft and rising sun. The warm glow of the sun and sometimes stunning cloud formations can sure produce some wonderful images. And if things go well with weather, and my desire to get up early, then I'm hoping to join a Dawn Patrol tomorrow morning thru the antiques!

(click pic to enlarge)  A little different view of the FJ-4B - great clouds above!

(click pix to enlarge)  Fabulous Curtiss P-40 Warhawk in the morning sun

(click pic to enlarge) A line of T-28's as the sun gets another day at OSH13 under way
 

more pix coming soon!

OSH13: A Trip To The Seaplane Base (Wednesday 7.31.13 - 6 Pix)

(click pic to enlarge)  Beautiful seaplanes at the beautiful seaplane base... ahhhh

 In addition to being all over Wittman Field on Wednesday, I also joined three other avgeeks staying at CampBacon for the short drive over to the seaplane base. Whether you spend just an hour or all day at the base, it's definitely a must-see experience while at Oshkosh. The beautiful setting and calming environment is the perfect way to re-charge your batteries. And if you take the free (donations requested) pontoon boat ride around the moored seaplanes you'll feel connected to the general awesomeness that is airplanes-on-water. I love the seaplane base!

(click pic to enlarge)  A beautiful amphibious Super Cub firing up to go flying

(click pic to enlarge)  A Lake Amphibian that has just arrived at the dock

(click pic to enlarge)  Yeah, that wonderful Cessna 195 on floats once again

(click pic to enlarge)  A pretty yellow Cub with polished aluminum floats

(click pic to enlarge)  The one boat ride everyone should take while at Oshkosh!
 

more pix coming soon!

OSH13: Tuesday Airshow Action - CoolPix Triple Play!

(click pic for hi-res)  Fascinating contrast of the Sea Harrier and Lockheed Electra

 You'll notice that my OSH13 coverage this year is scaled back from previous years... 18 hour days for a week straight just doesn't fit my life at the moment. So I'm sharing thinner slices of the activities taking place at the world's greatest aviation event, but hopefully they are still quite compelling. Today I've got three hi-res CoolPix images that come from the airshow on Tuesday.

 The contrast of the Sea Harrier in hover with the classic lines of the Lockheed Electra creates an amazing look at the diversity of aviation over the ages. Then I've got Sean Tucker making a ribbon cut pass as well as Skip Stewart doing knife-edge on takeoff. Biplanes are awesome and these two examples are two of the most incredible double wingers ever built! Be sure to click the px to see them fill your screen, and enjoy : )

(click pic for hi-res) Sean Tucker on a triple ribbon cut (I wanna be that guy on the right!)

(click pic for hi-res) Skip Stewart looking down the runway on his knife edge takeoff!

more pix coming soon!

OSH13: Wide Angle View Of Opening Day (Monday 7.29.13 - 9Pix)

(click pic to enlarge) Wide-angle view of a beautiful Jim Clement built Wittman Tailwind

 While the few days before Oshkosh 2013 began were almost chilly enough for us to call it FrostKosh, opening day was about as perfect as it could have been. There was a low overcast very early but that quickly gave way to some gorgeous blue sky appearing, and then by mid morning the sun was shining, the temperature was great, and it stayed that way all day. It was perfect!

 I started the day by finding a nice collection of Wittman Tailwinds gathered on the flightline and decided to try some really wide-angle views of this classic homebuilt design originally designed way back in the early 1950's. I've always liked the Tailwind because it's relatively easy to build (steel tube/fabric fuselage, all wood wing) and is very fast for the power. I've got a set of plans for the Tailwind and still hope that one day I'll build one.

 So here are two different Tailwinds both built by Jim Clement... and both absolutely beautiful. I really enjoyed the unique views that a borrowed extra-wide-angle lens provided - thanx @adamcanfly! And just in case you don't care for the slab sides and very angular look of the Tailwind, I've got two pix of a perfect Pitts Model 12 for you. And then the last pic is an unusual self-portrait in the spinner of the Piaggio Avante II on display : )

 All I have left to say is: if you're not at OSH13, you should be!

(click pic to enlarge)

(click pic to enlarge)

(click pic to enlarge)

(click pic to enlarge)

(click pic to enlarge)

(click pic to enlarge)

(click pic to enlarge)

(click pic to enlarge)

more pix coming soon!

OSH13: CampBacon Starts To Sizzle - Opening Day Tomorrow!

The AirPigz mobile on the corner of the CampBacon compound at OSH13

 My original plan of heading up to Hartford Wisconsin on the Friday before OSH13 for the staging of the aircraft participating in the round engine rodeo at Oshkosh sorta fell apart when I got there and found out the staging had been cancelled. No worries tho, Oshkosh was just about an hour north so I headed on up and got the AirPigz mobile on the hallowed CampBacon soil!

 The weather has been cool with low-ish ceilings for most of the time since I've arrived, and along with some weather issues on incoming routes, the aircraft count is a bit low, but there was a steady stream of arrivals thru the day here on Sunday. The campground is packed with avgeeks and the weather forecast is looking pretty great for the coming week. It looks like it will be a fabulous Oshkosh. 

Joe Lienau from northern Illinois in the BD-4 he built in 1982 - 30 years ago!

 I made a run down the flightline on Saturday morning to see what was here... turns out at that point that there wasn't much yet. However, I really enjoyed seeing this early-arriving BD-4 and especially enjoyed talking with its builder/owner Joe Lienau. It was built in 1982 and is still a great looking airplane, and like all BD-4's it's a pretty fast flying machine too. 180 mph cruise on 180hp and room for four on the inside.

Joe doing what owner/builders do at Oshkosh... talk about the airplane he built!

 The picture of the BD-4 above with a wide angle lens really accentuates the look that the BD-4 has droopy wings, but I asked Joe and he said it's really an allusion, the wing is really straight. Spending 15 minutes talking with a homebuilt builder like Joe is always great fun and I highly recommend it!

 More OSH13 coming soon.

OSH13 Will Be The Best Oshkosh Ever!

(click pic for hi-res)  Proud lineup of Cessna 195 noses at Oshkosh 2010

 It's a bit of a tradition now for me to make that statement... that this year's Oshkosh will be the best one ever. What's the reason it's the 'best ever' each successive year? Because the best Oshkosh is the one you can experience RIGHT NOW! Avgeek memories of past Oshkosh weeks are awesome, amazing, and many are truly unforgettable, but the ability to experience Oshkosh in the here-and-now always trumps the memories for me.

 I've got memories like way back at Oshkosh 1977 (I was 16) and had just started building a Pober Pixie from plans. I was there all week but had also arrived early. Right up near the main gate was an amazing Starduster Too that really caught my attention for its seemingly perfect craftsmanship. I got to talking with the owner Roger Rourke and quickly wound up being best friends for the week with him and his wife. They were really nice to this young avgeek and I have never forgotten that. I spent a lot of time hanging out right there that week, and after looking over the other contenders, I was confident Roger would win the big award. He did. Grand Champion Homebuilt Oshkosh 1977.

 Then there was the next year, 1978, when the Quickie showed up a few days before Oshkosh started. It was parked up near the main gate, near where Roger's Starduster Too had been the year before. Wow, I spent a lot of hours before Oshkosh even started looking over that freaky-cool 18hp flying machine. It was kinda cool to see it sit there relatively alone at that point... and then to see it swarmed by people all week long!

 There was 1982 when I flew the Breezy homebuilt up from Indiana. I parked it in the showplane camping area just south of the Theater in the Woods. Back in those days we could push the airplanes right in around the trees. It just couldn't get any better than camping like that with a homebuilt at Oshkosh, especially at only 20 years old! These days they don't let you park so close to the trees - I understand the reasoning, but it sure made for the perfect camp experience.

The Breezy I flew to Oshkosh in 1982, camped in the trees (see full post here)

 How about 1984 when Burt and Dick Rutan gave us all something to talk about when they brought the Voyager out from Mojave to show us in detail what they had in mind for flying around the world non-stop and unrefueled. The airplane was parked on display where we could look it over... Burt gave talks on the airplane and the world-flight plan, and Dick put on some flight demos in front of a huge crowd. I'll never forget seeing the wings flap when Dick would induce a little pitching for fun - I actually have an old VHS video of that!

 This is somewhere around my 35th or 36th Oshkosh, and the list of great memories goes on and on for me. Some of them are from spectacular aircraft doing amazing things. Some of them are from spending great quality time with great quality people. Oshkosh isn't a 'show' that you stand there and take in... Oshkosh is a living, breathing experience that each and every one of us has the amazing opportunity to be part of. If you're coming to be wowed by some big, special, or rare airplane, I'd like to ask you to instead come and be wowed by what opportunities for learning, sharing, and growing Oshkosh provides. Don't just come to Oshkosh, BE Oshkosh.

 This coming Monday (July 29) the somewhat surreal experience of being surrounded by thousands of aircraft and way north of a hundred thousand avgeeks will begin again. Back in the 80's I used to call this surreal aspect Okshock, but then this incredible gathering of aviaotica has always been oddly the most important week of my life each year. I'm sure it will be again this year. 

 I hope to see you there : )  #Okshock

AirPigz OSH13 Fundraiser #3 - Buy A Book So I Can Eat At Oshkosh (7 Books)

#HELP

(click pic to enlarge - this is a composite pic of the same book, closed and open)

Sled Driver $360.00  Brian Shul  1994  151pgs  Excellent Condition!

(this rare book is also posted here with more info)
 

* To purchase a book, send me an email at mcc@airpigz.com telling me you want it...

* I'll then mark the picture for it as 'sold'

* You can pay via PayPal or check (we can discuss details via email)

* Price includes shipping and packing 

* I'll send the book the same day I receive payment

* Donations over and above the book price will be gladly accepted!

 Oshkosh 2013 is just a few days away and I'm still scrambling to have the funds to make it thru the week (seriously) - so, rather than wonder how I could possibly be so poor at the moment, please just find a book you'd like to have and buy it! If you enjoy AirPigz, then this is a great way to show your appreciation while also getting something more for your money... and all the while helping me have the cash to buy food at OSH. Your serious consideration here is greatly appreciated. And a big Thank You goes out to the cool people who already bought books to help support AirPigz OSH13... you'll all be rewarded soon with some great pix form the world's greatest aviation event : )

 You can also see the books that are still available in the previous post by checking out 'HELP' category link - and you'll find the full purchase procedure listed above, right under the Sled Driver (SR-71) book - thanx : )

(click pic to enlarge - this is a composite pic of the same book, closed and open)

Gentlemen, You Have A Race $25.00 John Tegler 1984 416pgs Ex Cond
(dust cover shows wear, book is excellent) 

* To purchase, send me an email at mcc@airpigz.com telling me you want it...

(click pic to enlarge - this is a composite pic of the same book, closed and open)

Lockheed Constellation $22.00 Stringfellow/Bowers 1992 144pgs Ex Cond

* To purchase, send me an email at mcc@airpigz.com telling me you want it...

(click pic to enlarge - this is a composite pic of the same book, closed and open)

B-17 Flying Fortress $45.00 Michael O'Leary 1998 144pgs Ex Cond

* To purchase, send me an email at mcc@airpigz.com telling me you want it...

(click pic to enlarge - this is a composite pic of the same book, closed and open)

B-17 Combat Missions $35.00 Martin Bowman 2007 156pgs Ex Cond

* To purchase, send me an email at mcc@airpigz.com telling me you want it...

(click pic to enlarge - this is a composite pic of the same book, closed and open)

Classic American Airlines $25.00 Geza Szurovy 2000 192pgs Ex Cond

* To purchase, send me an email at mcc@airpigz.com telling me you want it...

(click pic to enlarge - this is a composite pic of the same book, closed and open)

the Man Who Rode the Thunder $110.00 William Rankin 1960

(7th printing 1968) 208pgs rare book, incredible story Ex Cond

(dust cover shows wear, book is excellent) 

* To purchase, send me an email at mcc@airpigz.com telling me you want it...

 If you have questions on any of the books, or why taildraggers are the best airplanes to learn to fly in, or why I'm having so much financial trouble lately, just send me an email : )

Chew The Fat At OSH13: AirPigz Bacon Parties At CampBacon!

AirPigz Bacon Parties at CampBacon - sponsored by Fill Holdings LLC

Tuesday, July 30 and Saturday, August 3 (6-8pm)

click here for location map

 CampBacon for Oshkosh 2013 is indeed in the same location as the last two years. This little avgeek compound within EAA's Camp Scholler is bigger than it's ever been, but don't get too excited, it's only about 90 feet by 75 feet. But it's definitely a beautiful place to talk airplanes and eat a little bacon!

 Click here for a pdf file with a map showing the exact location of where the Bacon Parties will take place. You can show up anytime between 6pm and 8pm on either Tuesday July 30th or Saturday August 3 to chew the fat on the grounds of the world's greatest aviation event.

 I've even got a sponsor for the Bacon Parties this year! Fill Holdings LLC (Aircraft Acquisition and Brokerage Services) is making sure that there'll be plenty of bacon to go around : ) Please take a minute and click their link to check out their website. 

 And remember, it's hard to beat the combo of airplanes, bacon and Oshkosh! #crunchpig

Some Cub Yellow at OSH12

Warbirds with big props at OSH12

Rutan Boomerang at OSH12

Just Like This B-52 With No Fin And Rudder, I'm Gonna Make It!

Check out my June 2011 post on this amazing B-52 story! (with video)

 It's true, I'm feeling a lot like this B-52 from 1964... I've got some problems (kinda big ones) but I'm gonna make it! I won't go into details about my issues at the moment, but as they have for the last 4 years, they center around money. I'm about 6 months away from surviving the financial collapse of 2008 (it's been a long, slow, and painful recovery) and as they say, it's often darkest just before the dawn. It's pretty dark right now.

 So as I set my sights on getting thru the next few weeks (and Oshkosh) with not enough of everything, I'd like to ask for your patience as I try to keep up with AirPigz posting in general as well as putting up another post with some really nice aviation books to sell. If you're in a position to buy a book to help me thru this tough time, please do. It would be very much appreciated. The books are all in great shape and they're from the collection my dad had. They are special to me, but the current need is great, so they must go.

 And of course a big thank you goes out to those who bought about 10 books a couple weeks back! There's still some books in that post available, plus, my rather rare, like-new copy of the book Sled Driver (SR-71) is still available for someone looking for a great collector piece. A new post with more books will be up in a day or so.

 I'm confident that I'll survive this current income crisis, just like that B-52 survived... seriously, it really did! Check out the amazing story and video of how that B-52 made it back home with that much of the vertical tail missing. I find the story to be very encouraging : )