Ready for the next mission

We flew home on Sunday, July 26.  While Oshkosh was VFR, I could see there was some marginal VFR airports or even IFR airports over southern Wisconsin. However, it was clear from central Iowa all the way to Stearman Field (1K1) and I had full fuel.  We departed Oshkosh just before 8:00 AM.  With the clouds about 10 miles ahead, I decided to climb above them and go VFR on top to our first fuel stop at Washington, Iowa.  By the time we arrived, it was also VFR.  We stopped again in Payola, Kansas for fuel and hoped to get some Bar-B-Q for lunch, but they had already closed.  We pressed on after refueling and had the plane tucked away by 3:45 PM.  Friend Steve invited us over for salmon that evening.  Yum!

Steve was back the next evening to help get the V-77 all cleaned up.  There was a lot of dust and oil everywhere.  With that finished, we are ready for the next mission.  I will probably fly to Halstead, KS for the annual fly-in on August 8.

Back in the hangar

Steve helping clean the V-77 Monday evening

Moon rising in the distance

I got a window sticker too!

A nice certificate for being in Vintage in Review

The certificate, Sport Aviation article, and plaque
placed together in the basement

Debbie received this medallion from a
 few Australians who really liked our plane....very cool!

Airshow photos from Oshkosh

Here are some of my better shots of the airshow.  I took the bottom picture from the Vintage web cam.  They had roped off the V-77 to keep the airshow crowd away, but they sure got close!

Planes I liked at Oshkosh

I took a lot of pictures of airplanes, but here are some of my favorites:

1949 Cessna 140A

1941 Waco VKS-7F

1936 Stinson SR-7B

Replica of the Douglas World Cruiser,
which flew around the world in 1924

1948 Aeronca 15AC Sedan

1943 Howard DGA-15P

1935 Stinson SR-6B

Grumman Bearcat

1929 Travel Air D-4-D

Getting to Oshkosh

I thought I would add a few more posts related to our recent Oshkosh trip.  We decided to fly up on Thursday and spend a few days visiting my brother, Jeff and his wife Katie. The flight was normal until we got into southern Wisconsin.  Looking at Foreflight, I could see Oshkosh was IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) as well as many other Wisconsin airports.  This was due to smoke in the atmosphere from Canadian forest fires.  We decided to divert to Iowa County Airport in SW Wisconsin.  Jeff lives about 2 hours away and would come pick us up.  Things cleared out Friday afternoon, so Jeff drove me back to the plane.  I headed to Oshkosh by air and Jeff followed in his car.  He would then drive me back to his place.

There was a mad rush by many who had been waiting once Oshkosh opened to non-IFR traffic.... like me.   Fortunately, by the time I got into the line, it was a little less crazy.  I did the Fisk approach and landed on runway 27.  I was parked in front of the Type Club hangar near the Vintage Red Barn... a prime spot.  People were really helpful getting the plane tied down and putting me into an airconditioned truck.  It was in the upper 90's.  They drove me to a rendezvous point where Jeff could collect me.  I waited about 30 minutes and then we were off to Jeff's again.

Debbie and Randy on first leg to Washington, Iowa

This shows the smoke

The Fisk arrival someone posted online

Right before leaving the Iowa County Airport on Friday
Randy (L) and Jeff

Entering the downwind for runway 27

Parked in front of the Type Club hangar

Oshkosh was remarkable!

What a week at Oshkosh!  We won runner up in the WW II era airplanes class!  But there is more to the story than winning the plaque.  We were parked near Vintage Circle all week, and actually in the Circle for a Vintage in Review interview with Ray Johnson (Director of Vintage) on Tuesday.  They also used a long boom with a video camera to capture views of the Stinson V-77 from all angles, a handheld video camera for more images, stills were taken, and air-to-air photos taken.  I was also interviewed on video.  So, expect a paper article to come out in the next year with a link for more electronic info.  I am anxious to see how the air-to-air pictures turned out.  They did the same with several other airplanes.  I think they capture a year's worth of info during the convention when all the airplanes are available for future publication.  Here are a few shots.  I'll' post other stories shortly.

Debbie and Randy with plaque

The plaque up close

The Ladies of Liberty opening the Vintage in Review show Tuesday

Being interviewed in Vintage in Review by Ray Johnson

Prior to the start of Vintage in Review
There are bleachers with a shade awning behind me
for the spectators.

Nice shot Ray Johnson sent us

Stinson washed

One of the last tasks before heading to Oshkosh was to wash the Stinson V-77.  Good friends Bret and Steve came over to lend a hand last evening.  It was amazing how more efficient we were compared to doing it yourself.  It took only 1 hour and 20 minutes to wash, dry, and put everything away.  Then we sat around on the ramp enjoying ice cream, watching airplanes, and talking.  Another great end to a nice summer day!  Thanks guys!

Bret and Steve (L to R)

Randy scrubbing top of wing while Steve watches

Randy, Bret, Steve (L to R)

Pushing the plane back in...Steve adds some weight for traction

Friends stop by

Friends Tom and Kim dropped in this weekend as they returned to Indiana from Colorado.  Tom learned to fly in the Seattle area while working for Boeing as a summer hire in the late 1980's.  Like many young pilots, flying took a backseat as marriage and family took priority, both of his time and money.  But Tom is still passionate about airplanes.  To help rekindle that passion even stronger, I took Tom and his wife Kim for a ride in the Gullwing Saturday evening.  We followed that up with Steve doing a Cessna 182 flight on Sunday morning.  Even though Tom had not flown in a while, he did a great job.  I sent Tom home with an armful of airplane magazines.  We see if these seeds germinate!

Tom, Kim, and Randy (L to R)

Tom flying the Stinson V-77

Steve (L) and Tom in the Cessna 182

Bucket list item completed

I have always wanted to fly a Stearman biplane.  Back in late March, I took my neighbor, Ed, for a V-77 flight.  The agreement was in return Ed would take me for a flight in his Stearman biplane.  Between maintenance, illness, and travel, it took a while to coordinate our schedules.... but this afternoon I got my flight!  It was a lot of fun.  It is in the upper 80's today, so once the engine started, it was comfortable.  I noticed you could smell the exhaust as well as the smoke...we turned it on once.  It was also hard to hear the intercom with all of the wind noise.  But it was a nice flying airplane.  I was surprised you needed more aileron than rudder, but it was easy to coordinate.  We did some stalls, turns, even a lazy 8 or two.  I also did one takeoff.  Ed did the two landings.  They were full stall, and you can't see anything over the nose.  While it was fun to experience another airplane, especially an iconic open cockpit biplane, I think I will stay with enclosed cockpits like the V-77.

Ready to climb aboard

Ready to go fly

Taxiing out

Travel cover installed

My friend Steve came over yesterday afternoon and helped practice install the travel cover on the V-77. It was educational!  I learned I needed a rope so I could attach it to the cover and toss the rope over the wing….and then I could pull the cover lengthwise over the top of the airplane.  It also helped when trying to pull the cover width wise across the fuselage.  I tried to only use the ladder I will have at Oshkosh….it is possible, but a second ladder sure makes it easier.  It took 30 minutes to install the cover, though I think it will go faster next time.  Afterwards, we got it folded back up and into the storage bag…along with the piece of rope.

Last Oshkosh item in hand

I received the final item for my Oshkosh preparation today.  I ordered a Travel Cover for the V-77 from Bruce's Custom Covers.  This cover encloses the windshield, side windows, and extends over the top section between the wings (see picture below).  My main reason for getting it is in case there is a large rainstorm during the week we are parked outside at Oshkosh.  I am not sure just how waterproof the cabin is, and this will protect the radios and upholstery from water damage.  I will keep it off at other times so the judges and general public can see inside.  But for future trips, we can use it to minimize the effects of excessive heat and potential theft.  Now I have to decide if I will do a practice installation before we go or wait until it is needed.  I am not sure I can fold it up as neatly as it currently is.  I'll post a picture if I do.  

All nicely folded.  This will easily fit in the baggage area.

A Stinson on the Bruce's web site with a travel cover installed

 

Another Gullwing pilot

We had light winds yesterday after several days of rain. In fact, this is the second wettest June for Wichita in history, only being beaten by 1923! Given the good weather, I took my friend Korbin for his first Gullwing flight. He flew the Voyager twice about 3 years ago. Korbin picked up where he left off making good turns, including steep turns. We did a few touch and goes at El Dorado and then headed home to Stearman. We flew 1.1 hours total and Korbin is the 16th person to experience Gullwing flight. He cleaned off the bugs and oil afterwards and then he showed my some of the photos he took last week at the Stearman Field Fly-in as well as an airshow he attended in Saint Louis a week prior. He has a great eye for capturing the action and had a few with special effects he made in Photoshop.  Korbin plans to start working on his pilot certificate soon.

Korbin in copilot seat

Korbin and the Gullwing