The Skiplane Fly-In's Delightful

By ANN Special Contributor Kandi Spangler

The EAA held it's annual Ski-in this past Saturday at Pioneer Field in Oshkosh, WI. The event was rescheduled from the previous weekend because a snowstorm dumped about a foot of fresh snow in the area -- great for the skis, but not so much for flying.

At about 1000, skiplanes started coming in one-after-the-other, gracefully landing as the fine snow would form a white cloud and follow them until they shut down. An hour later there was a display of about 10 aircraft that any aviation enthusiast would appreciate. There were many a Cub, a Maule and one hard-core aviator who braved the elements flying his ultralight on an inflatable ski. All of them came not only to congregate and admire each other's aircraft and rigging handiwork, but for the toasty warm bowl of chili EAA promised them upon arrival.

In the hangar, EAA provided anyone that attended a bowl or chili or chicken noodle soup, and enough coffee to keep the attendees and volunteers warm all day long. For those who wanted to fly in but didn't have any sticks to attach underneath their aircraft were able to land at Whitman Field and shuttle over to the ski-in. The event had approximately 38 aircraft registered to fly-in, but the marginal overcast and the threat of snow flurries further south kept most away, but for those of us that made it -- it was well worth the chili.

(Kandi Spangler answered our request for GA and Sport Aviation stories from our readers. You, too can pitch in on an issue close to your heart. Drop us a line at editor@aero-news.net )

FMI: www.eaa.org