From: RicArgente@cs.com
Message-ID: <ee.8a4ed23.26b865ff@cs.com>
Date: Tue, 1 Aug 2000 13:42:23 EDT
Subject: Oshkosh 2000
To: lancair.list@olsusa.com
Reply-To: lancair.list@olsusa.com
Mime-Version: 1.0

          <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<--->>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
          <<  Lancair Builders' Mail List  >>
          <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<--->>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 
>>
Hi folks,

Just got back from the best OSH fly-in I've ever had (this was my fourth), 
since this time, I actually flew in with my own Lancair!  What a blast!   I 
had the Oshkosh experience I've been dreaming about for 7 years and it was 
everything I dreamt it would be. 

We arrived (my son and I) OSH Monday afternoon at around 3PM.  Prior to 
landing, we had to circle around outside FISK for about 45 minutes to give 
room for the mass Mooney arrivals (around 100 Mooneys).  Then, they had to 
switch runways (we were told) and that took more time.   Finally, airplanes 
circling Rush Lake were cleared, then those circling FISK were cleared and 
then planes OUTSIDE  FISK were invited to come in.  Great!  Well, not really. 
 As we approached FISK, I saw, literally, a swarm of little airplanes making 
their way into FISK.  What a sight to see!  As we turned into FISK, there 
must have been a good 30 to 50 airplanes ahead of us!  The controller kept 
saying to stay at 1,800 MSL, 90 knots, one line and I complied.   Big 
mistake.  On hindsight, we should have stuck to our original plan and stayed 
at 2,300 MSL, 130 knots, like the few planes that did.   I ended up following 
a Gruman Tiger, probably doing 70 knots, who in turn was following other very 
slow planes.  Gear down, flaps down and wide (very wide) S-turns was all I 
could do, while following the railroad tracks and the Tiger in front of me.  
I was sweating like a pig!   Finally, the controller told me (in his words, 
"...the Lancair making those wide S-turns") to turn right and follow the twin 
heading for runway 36L, what a relief.  At least now, there were only 3 or 4 
planes ahead of me, flying a bit faster also...  Made an uneventful landing 
on 36L and followed the guys in pink toward the Lancair parking area.

There were a couple of Lancairs already there and as the show progressed, 
more and more Lancairs made it in.   Two Lancairs (IV and ES) came from other 
countries, Brazil and Africa I think.  Met lots of old and long time friends 
and others whom I've only met and corresponded here at LML.  It was nice to 
put a face on an e-mail address.  There was Hal Woodruff with his beautiful 
red and white Lancair, Byron "Blitz" Fox with his multicolored-lined Lancair, 
Brian Winterberg with is blue and silver Lancair to name a few I can remember 
offhand.  There must have been at least 20 Lancairs that made it to the 
fly-in, could be more... Also met lots of Lancair builders and soon-to-be 
builders.  

Saturday afternoon, I joined the Homebuilt review fly-bys.  Jim Rahm with his 
Lancair IV-P was also part of the homebuilt fly-by plus another 12 homebuilts 
of varying models and types (Polen Special, Cirrus VK30, Glastar, RV6, among 
others).   Unfortunately, the wind caught the tail of one of the 
participant''s BD-7 tail causing his prop to hit the ground, bending the 
tips. :-(     Anyway, they flagged us off at about 45 second intervals and 
were instructed to do two fly-bys, once on takeoff (around 50 to 100 feet) 
and another a 500 feet.  Flying down the 36-18 runway was just amazing, 
seeing all those people and planes down below.  I only used to see this on 
photographs but seeing it while flying was certainly an incredible sight 
indeed!!

Sunday was our departure day and the field was IFR most of the morning.  As 
soon as it became VFR, everybody that was waiting made a beeline (again!) 
towards the taxiway for departure.  It took us more than an hour  of taxing 
before finally being cleared for takeoff, after getting close to overheating 
twice.  We ended up pulling the Lancair towards the latter portion of the 
taxi in order to let the engine cool down without wasting any more time on 
the side lines.  On the trip home, we had to avoid an almost stationary Low 
Pressure area over Chicago by flying west 50 more miles and another 100 miles 
south of Chicago before banking a left towards the East coast.  We finally 
made it to 39N at around 6 PM ET.  A wall of rainshowers was closing in on 
the runway as we approached Princeton and (after a go-around, I was tired so 
give me a break) started to pour like crazy as soon as we landed.  Wow!  

Did we enjoy ourselves?  What do you think?

Rick Argente
N360ZR

PS  One bad thing about the foward hinge canopies, everything gets wet if you 
open it in the middle of a rain storm.  Never thought of that before... Hmmm.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
LML website:   http://www.olsusa.com/Users/Mkaye/maillist.html
LML Builders' Bookstore:   http://www.buildersbooks.com/lancair

Please send your photos and drawings to marvkaye@olsusa.com.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>