June 2012
As aviators, it seems we are perpetually seeking out new destinations. These achievements—so fastidiously recorded in our logbook—leave us with fond memories. For many of us, navigating to (and landing!) at the big show in Wisconsin figures prominently on our aviation bucket list.
For me, there are few memories as lucid as flying the Fisk Arrival and hearing, “Red and white Cherokee, land on the green dot and expedite it off of the runway!” I think that flying your Piper into EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh is something every pilot should do at least once.
AirVenture 2012 is the 35th year my wife Karen and I will travel to Oshkosh. It still seems like only yesterday on a hot July afternoon when we packed our limited amount of camping gear into a rented Grumman Cheetah to make the trip to a place in Wisconsin—a place we had no idea would become so much a part of our lives.
The years have passed all too quickly, and every Oshkosh has been a unique experience, as we have endeavored to try new things every year. We’ve explored all the options of camping (including sharing a motor home with friends), as well as booking hotels in Fond du Lac with the associated commute to Oshkosh each day. But nothing has enhanced our Oshkosh visits more than volunteering at AirVenture. The rewards are immeasurable.
A SHARED IDEOLOGY
Each year, this phenomenon of aviation excellence appears to magically sprout to life on the grounds of Wittman Regional Airport (KOSH) almost overnight. The truth is, even as the combined efforts of all involved are bringing the current convention up to full speed, everyone at EAA is already planning for the next year’s convention and generating ideas for how to improve it.
I am fortunate to be able to interact with many wonderful people within the Experimental Aircraft Association as a part of my duties representing Cherokees to Oshkosh. (Terry and Karen Hocking fly as Cherokee Lead in Cherokees to Oshkosh’s Mass Arrival. This year’s event is Friday, July 20, 2012.—Ed.) Everyone at EAA possesses the highest level of enthusiasm and passion—not only for EAA and its stakeholders, but for all of aviation.
The EAA staff would be the first to proclaim AirVenture could not happen without the spirit of volunteerism. EAAers have always incorporated this ideology; after all, helping each other reach the goal of building an airplane is at the foundation of the EAA.
THERE’S POWER IN NUMBERS
It takes 4,800 volunteers to make AirVenture happen each year. These 4,800 individuals that give so freely of their time allow roughly 500,000 aviation enthusiasts to pass through the gates for a memorable experience at “The World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration.”
Many of the volunteers have been coming for years, and simply cannot fathom being anywhere else but in Oshkosh the end of July. Each summer, EAA opens Camp Scholler 30 days in advance of the opening of the convention. It has almost become a sort of competition to be the first camper when EAA raises the gate.
This rush to the front of the line is not all about finding the perfect camping space for the duration of their stay; these individuals are in Wisconsin to work, and work they do. Flowers need to be planted, and garbage cans need to be put in place. The grass needs to be cut. Picnic tables must be repaired and placed in preparation for the thousands that will appreciate using them.
Several years ago, Karen and I had the privilege of touring the AirVenture grounds one month after the convention had closed. The tour felt surreal, in part because the constant motion and airplane noise we all associate with AirVenture was so noticeably absent.
I was amazed at the storage space required to house everything needed to host an open-air event of the size and scope of AirVenture. The physical demands alone of coordinating the placement of each item, year after year, are staggering. When you then include the choreography of moving it all into place in time for opening day, the volunteers are poetry in motion.
Yet, it is all done, one piece at a time, by volunteers with perpetual smiles.
AT HOME IN THE NORTH 40
Karen and I had always wanted to volunteer at the North 40 aircraft camping. This area of Wittman Field has consistently provided us with a sense of serenity when we return after the hectic pace of each day. Like so many others, we try not to miss a thing during the short time we are in Oshkosh.
So, with the idea of giving something back, in 2011 we made the decision to volunteer as Aircraft Greeters. We spent three days working three-hour shifts in the North 40, and both Karen and I cannot wait to do it all over again in 2012.
For those that are unfamiliar with the nuances of flying into Oshkosh and camping with your aircraft, here is a brief idea of what to expect. Upon landing, you will be given instructions by the FAA gypsy controllers to exit into the grass and follow the Flight Line Operations flagmen to parking.
The term “gypsy controller” stems from the fact these air traffic controllers request temporary duty in Oshkosh, and they come from towers all over the Midwest for one reason: they want to be part of the big show!
As Aircraft Greeters, we interacted very closely with Flight Line Operations, and I must tell you, these are dedicated individuals. Many of the pilots flying into Oshkosh want their aircraft parked on small plywood pads they have included in their camping equipment checklist.
Even a humble Cherokee, when it’s loaded with camping gear, is a challenge to physically move into place on grass while trying to negotiate these 12 x 12-foot plywood pads. Flight Line Operations is there to help.
Last year, I watched as four of these volunteers moved a Bonanza that was loaded to the gills with camping equipment on to the pads. For a number of reasons, it fought them as if it were possessed by demons. They moved it in and out of the parking spot until Flight Line Operations (and the airplane’s owner) were mutually satisfied.
Once the Bonanza was tucked in place, these people moved on to the next challenge with no compensation other than high-fives—and the ham and cheese sandwiches and lemonade provided by other volunteers at lunch time.
After you are parked, you will be approached by Aircraft Greeters. These are the lucky individuals that are tasked with proclaiming the three greatest words in the English language: “Welcome to Oshkosh!”
You will be asked where you flew in from and about your flight. You will also be provided with registration instructions and be reminded to tie down ASAP. Any questions you have will be answered by the greeters. If a question comes up that cannot be answered, you will be directed to the appropriate volunteer that can handle that request.
The Aircraft Greeters are seasoned EAAers with an extensive knowledge base. Like so many of the volunteers, they are where they want to be on the grounds because it is an area of operation they are comfortable with, and enjoy.
BEING A PART OF THE EXCITEMENT
Karen and I found this role fulfilling for a plethora of reasons. First, we share a kindred spirit with all those that make the pilgrimage to Oshkosh to spend a week with their airplanes. More importantly, we get to help people. For those that have never been to Oshkosh before, we can help to calm their anxiety.
There is also the simple joy of being immersed in the North 40 as it fills to capacity. I absolutely love the choreography as each row fills quickly, and Flight Line Operations begins another. By the time our shift is over and we ride back to the Greeters tent, the landscape around us has changed dramatically.
Karen and I will without a doubt be greeting airplanes again this year as they arrive in the North 40. We met too many wonderful people and had way too much fun to deny ourselves the pleasure in 2012. Under our orange vests, we will be sporting our sky blue Cherokees to Oshkosh shirts, proudly displaying our group’s logo. We would especially love to meet and greet any Piper Flyer Association members.
Volunteering at Oshkosh mirrors so many things in life, especially the universal principle that one receives more than one provides when one engages in selfless giving. If you hang around AirVenture long enough, the infectious spirit of volunteerism will move you to ask this question of one of the many volunteers: “Is there anything that I can do to help?”
Trust me, if you have a skill or interest, EAA has a place for you to contribute.
GETTING BETTER EVERY YEAR
Predicated on our early Friday arrival slot, Cherokees to Oshkosh sets up camp on some of the most coveted real estate the North 40 has to offer. The close proximity to the new showers with sinks that include hot and cold running water, as well as real porcelain flush toilets, redefines what most people equate with camping at AirVenture.
The aforementioned facilities, in addition to my new air bed, are vast improvements over the pup tent and hard ground Karen and I shared during our first visit to Oshkosh in 1977. Close proximity to the bus stops and tram stops makes this the perfect spot to return home to after a long day walking the grounds.
This will mark the third year of my involvement with Cherokees to Oshkosh. From our humble beginnings in 2010, and continuing every year thereafter, there have been individuals that have registered to join us and, almost as an afterthought, ask: “We’re coming in two days before the opening of the airshow. What is there to do?”
My simple answer is to relax and enjoy the crescendo effect of each magical moment as EAA and its volunteers bring this sleeping giant to life. Just sitting in your chair next to Runway 27 watching the North 40 fill to capacity with people from all walks of life, while listening to the cadence of the gypsy controllers as they work in “Welcome to Oshkosh” at regular intervals, is a happy memory. After all, isn’t this is why you are in Oshkosh instead of sitting on a beach watching sailboats?
EAA has its transportation system in place as early as the Friday prior to the official opening of the gates. Again, these bus and tram operators are all volunteers. If you have not yet experienced the trams, they truly are a blessing for those of us that can still recall the miles we would walk before they came into being. For Karen and I, there is just something calming about these slow, open-air trams.
YOU ARE FORMALLY INVITED
Now that you know where you can find the Cherokees to Oshkosh campers, feel free to stop by and visit with what has become an extended family. Of the 24 pilots that flew as part of the Cherokees to Oshkosh Mass Arrival in 2011, 23 are returning in 2012. While EAA does not reserve parking, if you are able to coordinate your arrival time via the Fisk arrival to mirror ours, there is a chance you will be parked in very close proximity to us.
All Cherokees to Oshkosh participants understand that formation flying is not for everyone; however, you may still want to seek out the company of Cherokee aficionados. It’s a wonderful group of people. And once you meet them, you will come to understand why so many EAAers proclaim the three greatest words in the English language are “Welcome to Oshkosh!”
Terry Hocking learned to fly in 1976 and first attended EAA AirVenture in 1977. He has been married to his wife, Karen, for 31 years. In addition to working with him on the Cherokees to Oshkosh project, Karen encouraged Terry every time he added a rating, certificate—or airplane—to their bucket list. Terry and Karen have a Pomeranian named Runway (his brother was Aileron). Send questions or comments to editor@www.piperflyer.com.
