Advanced thinking
Q:
Ever thought of having advanced sale of tickets either by mail or on the
Internet? I would buy them because I stood in line for 45 minutes
yesterday, and that’s time out of the day that I lost when I could
have been doing the convention.
L.R., Milwaukee, Wis.
A:
"We think it’s a good idea, both for tickets and for
parking," said a spokesperson at Convention Headquarters. She said
that at the end of the convention all such suggestions will be turned in
to the management with an eye toward improving next year’s AirVenture.
Funshine state
Q:
I see that big booth for something called "Sun ’n Fun. What’s
that? I mean, I understand "sun" and "fun," and I
even grasp the concept of combining the two, but what’s that got to do
with airplanes?
G.W., Beaver Dam, Wis.
A:
You must be new around here. Or around airplanes. Or something. Sun ’n
Fun has been described as spring break for aviation enthusiasts. It’s
a big fly-in (though not as big as AirVenture) in April in Lakeland,
Florida. In 2007, it will be April 17-23. Stop and see the folks at
their display. They are smiling. They think it is cool here.
Ala cart
Q:
Are there carts available for the handicapped, and what is the rental
cost per day?
D.V., Manitowoc, Wis.
A:
There are two outfits that rent these electric carts, Active Mobility
Inc. at the main gate and Vista Mobility Specialists at Gate 346. Both
have the same rates, $55 a day for the carts. They also have wheelchairs
for $20, wagons, $15, and strollers, $10. However, both of them require
reservations, though Vista might have some carts available. Fran Barnes
of Moline, Illinois, of Active Mobility, says her company starts getting
reservation calls as early as February. Its number is 800-798-3726. Ray
Lancaster, owner of Vista, can be reached at 262-628-9655.
Yoke’s on you
Q:
How come some airplanes have a stick to steer them and some have a
steering wheel?
S.S., Carlsbad, N.M.
A:
Steering wheel? Steering wheel? Do you want to cause these airplane
people to have an apoplectic fit? It’s not a steering wheel, it’s a
"yoke." The airplanes with a stick, well, that’s no yoke.
Sorry. Some things are simply irresistible. The stick was one of the
earliest methods of controlling an airplane, and most people who fly
still prefer it as being more intuitive than the yoke. The yoke was
introduced in an attempt to make an airplane more like an automobile,
back when there was going to be an airplane in every garage. Virtually
all of the World War II warbirds, for example, are flown with a stick.
Safety first
Q:
Does Wittman Field shut down at dusk, or are aircraft allowed to arrive
or depart in the dark or during the night?
J.L.H., Humboldt, Iowa
A:
The airport is closed to all traffic, in or out, from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.
as a safety measure. There is, after all, a gazillion people wandering
around on the grounds (give or take a zillion), and no one wants them
around those propellers, do they? I think not.
Flick pick
Q:
I think the fly-in theater is a great idea. Why don’t they show Cloud
Dancer? EAA was featured very prominently in the film. They also had
several well-known EAAers in the movie.
J.L., Cannon Falls,
Minn.
A:
That’s a fine idea, and it will be passed along for next year. In the
meantime, let me point out that a fly-in theater is not the same as a
drive-in theater. Keep that in mind.
LSA’s are A-Okay
Q:
Where do LSA (light-sport aircraft) flying in to Oshkosh land, on the
regular airport runways or the ultralight strip?
T.C., St. Louis, Mo.
A:
Yes. I mean, both. Pilots operating as sport pilots who have received
the ground and flight training required for operating at towered
airports can land on Wittman Regional Airport runways. As for the
ultralight grass runway, the FAA granted a waiver for the duration of
AirVenture to allow those pilots not checked out for operating on
towered airports to land there.
Early departure
Q:
We flew our Cherokee to Oshkosh on July 23 and camped in the Vintage
Aircraft camping area. We paid the full week’s camping fee, as
required, but on July 24 we bugged out ahead of a thunderstorm. We were
not able to check out of our campsite. Can we still get a refund?
R.S., Indianapolis, Ind.
A: As
you no doubt know, there is a three-day minimum. You can, however, call
EAA at 920-230-7800. They will work something out, I am told. It may
involve mowing lawns or washing dishes or something of the sort. Only
kidding.
