My Glasair Sportsman: Airventure 2011

For the second year, I made it again to AirVenture. Last year I hooked up with the other Glastar and Sportsman guys the Sunday before the show but the weather didn't cooperate. There were storms and low ceiling along my route so I delayed my trip one day, the another then another. Finally I left on Tuesday the 26th. I would be making the trip solo for the first time and was excited and nervous about what I might expect especially arriving at the field.

My route was slightly different than the year before as I tried to go as direct as possible to shorten the trip. Traveled from KISP to KDUJ (Dubois Regional in Pennsylvania) in 3.2 hours and after a quick fill up direct to Valparaiso KVPZ Indiana in 2.9.

Since I arrived in Indiana at about 3 pm local time, I decided to wait an hour or so before making my final leg to Oshkosh. With the air show going on daily till 6 pm, I wanted time my arrival so that I didn't have to hold very long for the field to open. So while waiting at KVPZ, I was able to see the two of the planes from the Collins Foundation before the headed to Oshkosh.

Arriving at AirVenture was probably the most nerve wracking thing that happened the whole trip. My timing was good but there was a delay in opening the airport so I still had to do some loops around Rush Lake. When I was finally cleared to the field, I found myself on the base leg of 36L when a DC-3 was coming along on final in front of me. With no place to go and no one responding to my radio I decided to abort the landing and just turn final at 1000 feet, make a right turn out over the lake and rejoin 36R, (the taxiway) for a landing. I was so nervous because everywhere I looked there were planes landing and I had to find my spot in-between them. Whew…. that was hairy.