As I fessed up to in my Airshow Junkie post over the weekend, I’m seriously addicted to airshows.
My earliest airshow memories are of those at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base when I was growing up in Dayton. I loved to go to those shows with my Dad – and, during the rest of the year, to the Air Force Museum which, at the time, was sort of a sideshow at Patterson Field (since then it’s moved to a much more appropriate setting at Wright Field and changed their name to the National Museum of the USAF).
But, my all-time favorite airshow memories are from a couple of years during the 1980’s when I was able to attend the EAA’s Oshkosh AirVenture airshow – both by flying in and by RV’ing in.
I’ll never forget the Oshkosh airshow where the SR-71 Blackbird made its first ever public demonstration flight – at Oshkosh. That day, the SR-71 departed Beale Air Force Base in California some 43 minutes before it arrived in the skies over Oshkosh – that’s moving! Later, parked on the ramp directly across from an Antonov An-124, it was roped off with guards pacing and signs reading “Use of Deadly Force Authorized”!
Oshkosh just seems to renew your faith in humanity – everyone treats each other with respect, there’s not a drop of trash anywhere on the grounds – it’s just a wonderful world! Somewhere I must have some pictures from those trips to Oshkosh – but they’re definitely not digital and certainly not readily at hand!
Following today’s news about Warren Buffett investing in GE, I happened to go to the GE web site – and came across GE’s current feature about attending Oshkosh. They call it “Where Ideas Can Fly“. They’ve got some great video and photos from this year’s show – which seriously distracted me away from investigating anything more about Buffett’s new investment in GE! And, brought back this flood of good airshow memories!
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