On Tuesday, I took my Grandnephew Rylee to the Oshkosh Airshow. Obvious, he did not know what he was in for on this trip, so it was kind of fun to watch him. His mind when from the parking lot to the C-5 Galaxy to the WWII airplanes flying over and over again. These are the events that makes it fun to watch kids for the first time.
When we pulled into the parking lot, there were vehicles everywhere. As we walked to the bus, he had me riding the license plates from many different states. From the parking lot to the airfield, we took a school bus, and he got so got a chance to see all of the travel trailers that are there for the big show. And, most of the trailers are not hooped up to water or electricity. Yes, I have a water supply in my trailer, but not enough water for a couple people to shower every day of the airshow. Although I have a solar panel on my trailer, but I can’t imaging not having electricity for AC or to charge my I phone, I pad, computer, I watch, or hearing aids. There was also high end motorhomes in there that I would expect would have a generator. Furthermore, does anyone know how small the school buses are? I push my knees through the back of the seat ahead of me. On second thought, the school buses are the same size that I went to school in, but I must have gotten taller, after I got my driver’s license.
As we rode the tram north along the west side of the runway, he started videoing the planes that were parked with tents. When he saw a beach craft he thought that he had found a big plane. I had to tell him not use up the charge on the I phone before we got to see the rest of the planes. As with the trailers, all the planes had tents. There are portable toilets, but I did not see and major restrooms with showers. I have no idea on what it would be like to spend a week and a day living out of tent and have a good enough hygiene to attend an airshow. As with the motor home, there was some really expensive air planes with tents. As we went north, the planes got bigger and bigger.
As the tram reached the north end, it turned to the west, and Rylee got to see the C5 Galaxy over all of the other planes. Then he could not wait until the tram could stop so he could see the C5 (the largest airplane in the Air Force at 250 feet long). After he got to the plan, he videoed the inside of the plane from on end to the other end. After we walked through the plane, I asked hem a few question while I was videoed him. “Is this a big plane,” and he answered “no,” with a smile on his face. Then he tries to get away from the video, in a play full mood. I asked him if he would like to see it take off, and I did not get much of an answer. We then walk through a C-17 Globemaster, and a Chinook helicopter. He spent time around a Huey used for rescue, Blackhawk, and Apache Helicopters, and he got a chance to sit in a few of them. He enjoyed the military exhibits around the military planes. At one point these put a bullet proof vest on him and giving him a rifle to hold, and thot would make his great-grandfather happy. I asked him if he would like to serve in the military to serve working on these planes, but he is a little too young to understand the advantages of military service and developing a life long career, but I tried. Then he got hungry and forgot about the military plans.
We looked a few other military exhibits, but he seemed to focus on the details of the planes, helicopters, and exhibits, so we were limited on what we could see, since there is so many exhibits. He finds it so easy to start and maintain a conversation with just about anyone, and this seems to be a gift that he has. I was wanting to get into the Boeing building.
Aa we walked around the planes, he could not understand that I knew all of the planes as well as I do. May.be spending time in the Air Force had something to do it my knowledge, or is just an interest in aviation. As we walked up to the F-35, it was guarded. I was unable to make him understand that these type of planes would be guarded from people learning more about what makes them stealth.
Just before the airshow, we found a glider. Once in the tent, they had a simulator. They let him glide the gilder there time, but he crashed on all three attempts. That is not too surprising. he then wanted me to fly a gilder on the simulator, and I did land the glider without crashing and that surprised him.
The airshow started with acrobatics. Obviously, he does not know how they train to make every stunt work, so he got bored with some of the show. About that time, a B-1 bomber can over with all four engines burning and that woke everyone up. Without him knowing the back ground of the B-1, he did not know the significants of this bomber.
He then stated videoing the T-28 Trojans, and I am not sure how many of these planes were in the air, since there was groups of 3, 16, and 18 flying in all directions, It was a good display of pilots flying these planes, since there was a wind blowing, but they held their positions. Next can three C-47 and DC-3s. (For those of you that are not familiar with these planes, they are the same plane with different plaint colors and numbers.). Rylee rally enjoyed these planes. Once again, the pilots put on a good show, despite the cross wind.
By now, Rylee was getting tired. As we started to move towards the tram, a small biplane was performing acrobatics, and Rylee was amazed. The plane would go up and to a loop and fly back over the runway upside down, he like that type go skill. The plane would come down the runway pointed diagonally up, with white smoke coming out of the engine, staying just above the pavement. Rylee was asking me all kinds of questions about how they did these maneuvers, but it is hard to tell him with his limited aviation experience. At the beginning of summer, I took him to a small museum in Eagle, Wisconsin, in the Kettle Moraine State Park, and showed him how flight works from a goose’s wing. I should him at the airshow that an airplane wing is formed the same way. Therefore, regarding his experience, I am trying to make difference.
Everyday is learning experience. As for Rylee, we have more time to teach him more about like and the machinery that is fund in life.
Roger
Deflection 
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