After sitting out heavy thunderstorms overnight in Muskegon, MI, Steve, Evan and I found ourselves discusssing weather-dodging strategies with a family flying from the Philadelphia area to OSH. One gets the impression that EVERYONE is headed to OSH! Because of the line of t-storms streaming across Lake Michigan to the south, the agreed upon strqategy was to fly further north along the east coast of the lake to Ludington, MI, land there, and reassess. Others had the same idea and we found ourselves huddling with quite a group of pilots waiting for a break in the weather to make it the 70-some miles across the big lake. Smart phones, iPads, and computers were working overtime to get the latest radar tracks of the precipitation. The ceiling got to 2500' and about 8 miles visibility and we all launched together as a "flight" with us as #1! Four planes feeling their way in some hazy conditions in trail with each other. A new experience. But Evan and Steve showed steely resolve and uncommon skill and we found the western shore of the lake!
We then fitted ourselves in to the line of aircraft flowing in to OSH and landed on the "green dot" mid-way down Runway 27. The good news was we were here; the bad news was that we beat the truck that hauled our "stuff" for us. But that eventually showed up, we set up the tent, broke out some beers, and started watching airplanes. We knew we were in the right place when two P-51's taxied by!
So tonight we three airventurers will REALLY learn how compatible we are as we bunk together in Evan's tent. But we have ample food, beer, wi-fi access from the nearby Hilton Hotel (don't tell 'em), and LOTS AND LOTS of airplanes and airplane people to see so I think we will be more than OK!
Rain expected tonight. We're hoping Evan's tent works well.... Tomorrow we start to explore this world of aeronautical excess!
Dick Ludders
We then fitted ourselves in to the line of aircraft flowing in to OSH and landed on the "green dot" mid-way down Runway 27. The good news was we were here; the bad news was that we beat the truck that hauled our "stuff" for us. But that eventually showed up, we set up the tent, broke out some beers, and started watching airplanes. We knew we were in the right place when two P-51's taxied by!
So tonight we three airventurers will REALLY learn how compatible we are as we bunk together in Evan's tent. But we have ample food, beer, wi-fi access from the nearby Hilton Hotel (don't tell 'em), and LOTS AND LOTS of airplanes and airplane people to see so I think we will be more than OK!
Rain expected tonight. We're hoping Evan's tent works well.... Tomorrow we start to explore this world of aeronautical excess!
Dick Ludders
Dick, I'm enjoying following along with your blog. Hope you're all still speaking to each other by the end of the trip. Look forward to hearing more stories.
ReplyDeleteGlad to see you successfully weathered the rain and survived the Firts Night! Did Berardo snore agian? And THAT CHICKEN! It is becoming a VERY widely-travelled aeronaut! Sun-N-Fun 2002-2009, Alton Bay 2008-2010 and now OSH 2010! OUTSTANDING! Keep the Faith, Fellow Kitty-Hawker! AAARRRRHHHH!!!! ^6! - Steamboat Willie
ReplyDeleteHi Dick and the gang: This is great. Dick, you must have had great training to be able to blog like this. It seems you've been doing this for quite a while. It is fun following you guys. Was Evan the onsite engineer for the Concord runway repaving project back around 1990? Tell Steve he should be doing this in a Stearman towing a banner.
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