The Oshkosh Mystique

The campgrounds at EAA AirVenture [image by LeRoy Cook]

I was standing wearily beside the North 40 aircraft camping perimeter road and, as often happens, a driver of a golf cart pulled up and asked, “Where are you going?”

“Registration,” says I, and his response was, “Climb in, I'll take you that way.”

That's just Oshkosh helpfulness.

We engaged in the obligatory introductions, and my benefactor turned out to be one of the 27 EAA board members, out doing volunteer tours for persons unacquainted with AirVenture and the organization. That he would pick up a lowly hitchhiker speaks well of the kind of person making up EAA's directorship.

Turns out, we knew some of the same people and had knowledge of one another's hometowns. But, that's just Oshkosh. In his words, “Oshkosh is what the rest of the country should be like all the rest of the year.”

We come together here because of our shared interest in aviation, and no matter what particular persuasion most piques our flying desires, we set aside our differences to talk aircraft. Before long, we have made new friends, molded by, you guessed it, Oshkosh.

Like me, you're probably tired of hearing Paul Poberezney's quote, “You come for the airplanes, but you stay for the people.” But it is absolutely true; our summer wouldn't be the same without looking up acquaintances and making new ones.

Hardware and quick answers can be found online. Here, you can see the person behind the website, listen to a presentation first-hand, and rub elbows with kindred souls who have an airplane like yours, which is the advantage of being at AirVenture.

The feeling on the AirVenture grounds is deeper than a day trip experience at a tourist trap. We're family here, and we look after one another. If you need someone to watch your kid for a minute, it'll be all right to ask, and if a child wanders off, you can be assured they'll be taken care of. I personally know of wallets that have been lost, found, and turned in entirely intact, the money still there, and the credit cards uncharged. And never did any of the finders accept a gratuity. It is, after all, Oshkosh, and that just wouldn't be right.

When I bring someone to AirVenture for the first time, I have to explain protocol: Smile, nod, exchange greetings, and give space. Pick up dropped trash, even if it isn't yours, and be kind to the volunteer workers donating their time.

Yes, I left the airplane unlocked; one of our row-mates might need to borrow something. Theft would be beneath the code of Oshkosh gentility. If you can afford to come here, you probably don't need to steal.

May we take home a bit of Oshkosh to transplant and grow throughout this year.

-LeRoy Cook, reporting from Oshkosh since 1976.

EAA AirVenture Oshkosh general aviation

LeRoy CookAuthor

LeRoy Cook has logged 17,000-plus hours, has written more than 1850 magazine articles and has flown about 500 different makes and models of aircraft. A midwestern-based CFI, he enjoys introducing new people to flying and is always looking for a different airplane to fly. He currently has four aviation books in print. He holds two ATP ratings, two commercial ratings and four flight instructor certifications. He started flying in 1960, gave his first dual instruction in 1965, and began writing about aviation in 1969.