Tom Richards will answer your questions in AirVenture Today throughout the week.

Please drop your questions (with your name and where you are from) off at the AirVenture Today office located near the old FAA control tower and the First Aid Station or via e-mail to asktom_airventure@hotmail.com and he will do his darndest to answer them.

Q: What is the most common ailment treated at the AirVenture first aid station?

N.N., East Moline, Illinois

A: Headaches and sunburn are frequently treated on the porch at the Emergency Services Headquarters just west of the old tower. And everything from insect bites to poison ivy, along with more serious stuff like chest pains and dehydration, which are seen inside the building, according to Chairman Mary Jeanne Trosky. Serious matters are transported to a regular hospital. You can get a squirt of sunblock on the porch, though.

Q: I saw the EAA Concert Band Wednesday night, and they were terrific. How do I contribute?

P.H., Mason City, Iowa

A: Elton Eisele, director of the band, said he has not been actively seeking donations. "Naturally, we’d like to be a continuing ensemble, but we haven’t been asked back yet," he said. If that should happen, he’d like to see the band have matching shirts, and "music is always helpful, but we are not actively soliciting contributions." In the meantime, they are just blowing their own horns.

Q: Did I see that Miles O’Brien of CNN was at AirVenture this year?

C.R., Appleton, Wisconsin

A: You did. In fact, Miles strapped on the Martin Jetpack, and like the official demonstration Tuesday on AeroShell Square, he soared a foot or so above the earth. He was, however, enthusiastic about it.

Q: The AirVenture programs are sold by the "TelecomPioneers." Who are they, anyway?

K.W., Oshkosh, Wisconsin

A: They are the people who sell the programs. It’s a fundraiser. They say that they are the world’s largest corporate volunteer organization. They were founded in 1911 as the Telephone Pioneers of America. They changed the name in 2002 to reflect changes in their industry. There are 620,000 of them, current and retired workers (though not all of them are here). And they have an endless list of good works to their credit. So buy a program.

Q: I know it is possible to obtain recordings of forum presentations, but how can I get a recording of the Theater in the Woods performance by Jeff Dunham and the Guitar Guy on Wednesday?

J.B., Kalamazoo, Michigan

A: You can’t. That’s protected material; it’s what they do for a living. However, you can buy CDs of previous performances. Check on the web.

Q: Why is there no tram service through the campground to the exhibit area? It is a loooong, hot, and tiring walk. The bus is too small and infrequent to be of any real use.

T.A., Edina, Minnesota

A: A spokesperson said that the EAA will look into having more buses and trams. In the meantime, just consider it the Oshkosh fitness and weight-loss plan. People pay thousands of dollars for this sort of thing. You should be grateful instead of great and full.

Q: Every year, my mom packs burnt chicken. I hate burnt chicken. Is there any food I can buy at AirVenture so I don’t have to starve?

S.A., Michigan

A: There is no excuse for you to starve at AirVenture. There is food here ranging from, oh, say a "walking taco" to chicken that isn’t burned. Admittedly, much of the food involves sugar and grease, which, in Wisconsin, are part of the basic food groups, but that’s good for you. Before next year, you might consider buying your mom a cookbook and a new stove.

Q: With the talk of possible rain and storms lately, I’m wondering if anyone knows what sort of wind the average Port-O-Let can withstand before it tips over. You know, as a warning for people who might use them as a shelter.

J.S., Fort Worth, Texas

A: I talked to an engineer, and he said that a "bluff body" like that could withstand winds of about 50 miles an hour, perhaps a little more if they are grouped together. "That’s the last place you’d want to go in a high wind," he said. "You might end up in Oz, but it would be pretty smelly." That would require a hazmat cleanup. I don’t want to talk about it.

Q: Where is the UFO parking at AirVenture?

J.R., Aldebaran

A: Why do I feel as though I’m being abducted? I am told that the Antique and Classic area rejected them. You might look in Area 51.