|
The
History of the EAA
AirVenture Seaplane Base
by Richard A. Steeves
 As the visitor strolls through the woods
from the parking lot or bus stop and encounters the tranquility of the
seaplanes resting at anchor or taxiing slowly through the slot, a
palpable peacefulness descends. One takes a deep breath of woodland air,
and the true ambience of a seaplane summer holiday begins. The
AirVenture seaplane sanctuary is open to seaplane pilots only during the
EAA AirVenture Convention. A small cadre of dedicated volunteers provide
a great atmosphere. The natural surroundings offer outstanding seaplane
protection.
Early History
Back in the mid-1800's, a corduroy road passed across the area where
the seaplane base now exists. It was an old road to Perryville, a
new-extinct sawmill village where steamers came in from the lake to take
on lumber. Eventually, the land was acquired by Ezra C. Fahrney, son of
Dr. Peter Fahrney, who sold many elixirs of presumed medicinal value.
Since 1931, the Vette family has owned over 27 acres of this land along
the shore of lake Winnebago. John Vette Jr. as one of the "Early
Birdmen" who slew and owned quite a variety of aircraft, including
the amphibious Duck for the navy during WWII. After the war, he opened a
business south of Oshkosh near the family farm. Among his employees, an
engineer named Al Ziebell developed a friendship with Bill Brennand with
whom he enjoyed fishing for walleyes along the lakeshore. By 1949, they
decided it would be much easier if they had a boathouse near the
shoreline for storing their gear, so Bill bought 1.9 acres of Vette land
around the inner harbor. In 1957, Bill bought a Piper J3 on floats and,
with help from Al and others, built some ramps for seaplane storage when
they were not off on fishing trips to Canada.
When EAA moved their convention site to Oshkosh in 1970, a few
members, including Bill Pratt from Winnipeg, flew their floatplanes here
and managed to get rides to Wittman Field as needed. By 1973, Paul
Poberezny negotiated with Bill and Al to begin a seaplane base operation
for EAA visitors during the convention. As EAA helped with improvements
to the grounds and transportation to and from Wittman Field, attendance
rose steadily, especially after Norm Petersen began to write aviation
articles about the unique aircraft and high spirits here each year.
| Year |
1981 |
1987 |
1991 |
1993 |
1996 |
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
2003 |
2004 |
2005 |
2006 |
Registered
Aircraft |
35 |
70 |
120 |
107 |
114 |
148 |
102 |
104 |
108 |
121 |
129 |
140 |
130 |
129 |
In 1995, Bill Brennand retired, selling his 1.9 acres around the
seaplane base to John Vette Jrs' descendents, John Vette III and his
sister Burleigh Blust. They are holding it in trust for their respective
children who are interested in keeping it this way.
 Safety and Rescue
On rare occasions spectators at the
Seaplane Base are treated to an unexpected display or daring feat. Such
was the case in 1996 when Bill McCarrel was step-taxiing around the bay
in his Volmer Sportsman. Suddenly, as he circled out into Lake
Winnebago, he almost disappeared from view with just the engine and
wings visible. DNR-staffed rescue boats left from the dock almost
immediately, and those with binoculars were able to admire the speed and
dexterity of the workers as they placed tire inner tubes around each
wing-tip. This prevented Bill's engine from getting wet. Several minutes
later, Bill was completely unhurt, and his plane was soon drying out on
shore.
Every year, the local sheriffs, firemen,
emergency staff, Coast Guard and Civil Air Patrol have a day of practice
drills before AirVenture begins. The procedure begins with an emergency
call, and after the rescue teams converge, they move the final stages of
the rescue to the outer harbor so the public can observe and learn.
Volunteer Efforts
EAA thrives because of the efforts of
many dedicated volunteers. The group at the seaplane base is small, but
what they lack in number is more than compensated for by the level of
their commitment. Perhaps their cleverest addition to the natural
setting of the base is the placement of mooring buoys in rows along the
perimeter of the bay. Every year on Memorial Day weekend, volunteers
gather to carefully place cement weights with stainless steel cables
that secure these mooring buoys. Their task is made easier by rigging a
boom on one end of a floating dock and a Mercury outboard on the other
end for power. This unit, coupled with the use of a transit from shore,
allows the crew to raise or lower the heavy cement weights with complete
accuracy. Other volunteers restore the docks, rake and mow the grass or
remove potentially dangerous rocks from along the shoreline. Visit the Oshkosh
Seaplane Base website for more information.
|
