Experimenter is a magazine created by EAA for people who build airplanes. We will report on amateur-built aircraft as well as ultralights and other light aircraft.
Issue link: http://experimenter.epubxp.com/i/254584
2 Vol.3 No.2 / Februar y 2014 WINTER HAS BEEN BRUTAL so far, even by Wisconsin stan- dards. For days in January the temperature never reached zero for a high. Howling winds drove wind chill tempera- tures to life-threatening lows. So it must be time to get ready for Oshkosh. When I look at the blanket of snow and ice covering EAA's Oshkosh show grounds and the rest of Wittman Regional Airport, it's hard to believe that in less than six months thousands of airplanes and hundreds of thousands of pilots and airplane enthusiasts will be here. But it's true. And it's what we here at EAA work so hard year-round to prepare for. It's not too early for you to be making plans for your trip to Oshkosh, either. There is much to do. At the top of the list is completing whatever project you are working on. Some of you are in the final stages of finish- ing your homebuilt airplane. Others are reassembling an antique or classic after a painstaking restoration. And all air- plane owners need to make sure the annual inspection and other maintenance items are up to date. We pilots need to make sure our flying skills will be in as good a shape as our airplanes come Oshkosh time. While winter weather makes it hard for many of us to get into the air, we can always use the time to refresh our knowledge by hitting the books, or more likely getting online. EAA and many others offer a steady stream of online tutorials, training sessions for new ratings, and webinars that delve deeply into every aspect of flying. It's important to review everything from the rules of the air to the latest safety alerts. If winter forces you to stay on the ground for extended periods, it's a good idea to make a sensible and conservative plan to begin flying again when the weather breaks. Consider flying with an instructor for the first time or two. And certainly be careful not to make those first couple spring flights in strong winds or other challenging conditions. Now is also the time to lock in your plans for your stay at Oshkosh. AirVenture tickets are available online at www.EAA.org and can save you both some money and wait- ing in line time if you buy now. Planning your housing at Oshkosh can never start too early. The number of people camping at Oshkosh contin- ues to grow every year, and I promise you an even better experience this year. We will have more entertainment on the show grounds every evening, more food and bev- erage service into the evening hours, and two big night air shows on Wednesday and Saturday. It's too early to know exactly which aircraft and per- formers will be at Oshkosh this year, but I can promise you the lineup won't disappoint. I've been hearing about several newly completed homebuilts, extremely rare warbird restorations, and one-of-a-kind antiques that we expect to fly in. The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds are scheduled to make an appearance for the first time. And the aviation industry is working hard to unveil many new aircraft, accessories, and services during the show. All of general aviation keys its new product announce- ments to Oshkosh. As a Southern California native, seeing a Wisconsin winter up close is new for me. But I now can understand how winter's cold and snow will make Oshkosh that much sweeter this summer. I can't wait. I hope you feel the same. See you soon in Oshkosh. TOWER FREQUENCY On the cover: Jim Lloyd Butler's award-winning Midget Mustang has been brought back to life. (Photography by Phil High) Oshkosh Countdown BY JACK PELTON Photography by Jason Toney E A A E X P _ F e b 1 4 . i n d d 2 EAAEXP_Feb14.indd 2 2 / 3 / 1 4 3 : 1 1 P M 2/3/14 3:11 PM