Compiled By The Staff of the Aero-News Network
For well over a decade,
we have recognized the highs and lows inherent in the general and
sport aviation community. There are but a few places where that is
more a propos than at a major event like the Oshkosh Fly-In.'
It's hard to know what really is going to make a difference and
what really qualifies as exceptional unless you've been watching
this industry carefully for several years... as we have.
So... here are our picks for the Best and Worst of this year's
Oshkosh... and why we think so:
Outstanding Personality (Commercial): Kate
Andrews. One of the key go-betweens who interfaces with the media
for Cirrus Design is a truly delightful lass by the name of Kate
Andrews. Such positions are often fraught with personality issues
and while there are a number of excellent professionals who know
how to do such a job quite well... few of them do so with the utter
delight that Kate does. She's a true pro... but she's also an
absolutely great person to work with... and that NEVER hurts when a
person serves as the primary "face" for an entire
company.
- Strong Runner-UP: New Glasair's Tom Wathen.
Most-recently famous for saving the Glasair and GlaStar lines, his
decades of work in aviation, and some of his classic racers (Flabob
Chapter 1 showed off the replica DeHavilland DH-88 Comet
and the Thompson Trophy-winning LTR-14 Miss Champion,
for instance)... for doing his best to minimize the impact the
Stoddard-Hamilton debacle on his beloved clientele... and he did it
by putting his money where is heart was. A helluva guy.
Outstanding Personality (General): Friends of
Meigs Field's Rachel Goodstein. A passionate voice for one of the
most well-fought and honorable battles in general aviation, Rachel
never let up (still hasn't!) on the City of Chicago, the FAA or
anyone else who might be called upon to have an effect on the
infamous theft nd destruction of a treasured American resource.
Rachel's efforts, and those of her compatriots, were amazing and a
true inspiration to ANYONE who loves aviation. Well done!
Greatest Improvement
Over Previous Oshkosh's: Attitudes -- the industry is
coming back (or trying to). No longer willing to remain paralyzed
by FAA's nearly-moribund Sport Pilot debacle, kit builders are
moving ahead, as best they can. So are buyers -- whether they were
waiting for Sport Pilot, or waiting for the economy to bottom out,
or waiting to see if aviation would be discontinued "in the wake of
September 11," they're starting to come back. New products
abounded: Mooney's introducing a LSA; the Piper 6X got its TC, as
did the Beriev Be-103 -- in avionics, in safety items, in
accessories... heck, there were THREE serious new vacuum pumps
(Aero-Advantage, Tempest, and AirWolf) introduced at Oshkosh
2003!
Dead Grass Award: Cirrus Design Display. Pretty
airplanes are hell on grass, even when you do your best to protect
with temporary flooring, access ramps and all... but if
there was a more well-traveled path through the veggies than to the
airplanes at the Cirrus Design display, we're not aware of
them.
- Runner(s)-Up: The flightline in the lightplane
area. No matter what, come flying time, hundreds of people beat
feet to watch the ultralights, SportPlanes and rotorcraft fly each
day in the VERY South 40, the Oshkosh LightPlane airpatch.
The Steel Cojones Award: Adam Aircraft
Corp. For bringing the Adam 700 to the show.
The Lonely Stretcher Award: To ANN's Juan
Jimenez, who managed to get through an entire week at Oshkosh
without making a single phone call to 911, and who lost the deposit
he put on a room and a shot of morphine at the local hospital.
The Coolest Aircraft at OSH 2003: Hands down,
the ORBIS DC-10. The FedEx team that took over to make sure this
fantastic aircraft is kept operational and flying, and the long
list of supporters who make sure the airplane and crew have what
they need to perform their outstanding work worldwide, deserve a
permanent standing ovation.
The Sexiest Aircraft at OSH 2003: Looking like
a scaled-down Piaggio Avanti, the Swiss Aeriks 200 two-seat
composite pusher from AceAir, SA was easily the sexiest aircraft at
the show. It's something about those Italian curves... AceAir is
located on the Italian side of Switzerland... and the bird reminds
me of Sophia Loren. What can I say.
The Cat Shepherd's Award: Ever try to herd
cats? If you have, you'll understand this award, which this year
goes to B2OSH, the 82 Bonanzas that filled the sky in a 20-mile
formation and once again turned in an accident-free performance.
Bravo! That, ladies and gentlemen, is no small feat!
The Reality Check Award: This one goes to the
kids in the parking lot next to the ultralights who were selling
tall glasses of very cold, very good lemonade for the incredible
price of -- get this -- one dollar.
The Patience Of A Saint Award: ANN's Juan
Jimenez notes that, "So who's going to tell me that the folks who
flew the Boeing 307 to OSH were not expecting to have to suffer
through jokes like 'Where did you put the bilge pumps?' It takes a
special person with a special quality known as 'class' to put
him/herself through that, all for the benefit of those who want to
admire such a beautiful aircraft. The folks who repaired the damage
also did an A-1 job and deserve a solid round of applause."
Highest Price Food
Item: ANN's Aleta Vinas reports, "It was warm at Oshkosh,
after the rains subsided, and I had the need, the need for ice
cream. I'd spied the ice cream carts the first day but today I
wanted an ice cream bar! I sauntered over digging out my money,
pulling out a couple of dollar bills. Can't be more than a couple
of bucks, I figured. I figured wrong! The 'primo' bar was $3.75!
$3.75 for a lousy ice cream bar! $3.75!! $3.75! Are they nuts? I
could buy a whole quart for that on the "outside" but here I was,
captive at the fly-in, no place else to go. I got indigestion at
the sight of the price and was cured. According to EAA Corporate
Headquarters, the prices are pre-approved (you mean someone allowed
$3.75 for an ice cream bar?) and the prices need to cover the costs
of putting on the once-a-year event."
"Ya Gotta Be Kidding" Award: (Rant Mode "On")
Ultralight Aviation's Ever-Present Clown/Part-Time Rip-Off Artist,
Chuck Slusarczyk of CGS Aviation (Repeat Award). Every time we go
to these events, this clown parades around this silly "Zoom Free
Zone" sign trying to intimate that he is being picked on by ANN's
Editor-In-Chief, Jim "Zoom" Campbell. Campbell has written
extensively about the problems experienced by a number (but clearly
not all) of Slusarczyk's customers. While a number of CGS Aviation
Hawk owners are rightfully happy with their aircraft (which can be
a delightful little flyer), this character still pulls enough shady
moves that we can not recommend him and whenever we note this, a
new round of personal attacks, falsehoods and other crapola
emerges.
Fact: A number of CGS customers have had
unpleasant experiences with the company and Mr. Slusarczyk.
Fact: A number of people have NOT gotten what they
paid for and/or been cheated by CGS.
Fact: A number of people who have complained about
CGS and/or Slusarczyk have been the recipients of personal attacks
and threats from same.
Fact: CGS has been successfully sued by unhappy
customers and is still in the process of defending itself against
same in other venues.
Fact: What "Zoom Free Zone" really means (to us
and many others) is that the person who displays this nonsense is
an immature fool (IMO) who won't make good for his "shortfalls" in
customer service and will NOT get a positive recommendation from
Jim Campbell or anybody else at ANN until he satisfies those
aggrieved parties and all the personal attacks, threats, imbecilic
signs, and rumor mongering by Chuck and his buddies will not change
that (but it will keep us laughing our asses off at this
pathetic character). (Rant Mode "Off")
Exercises In Futility
2003: The most futile effort of the show turned out to be
trying to buy Klyde Morris out of the "Fly Market" and into one of
the vacant booths in the buildings. Having been located in the
remote section of the Fly Market, the Klyde Morris booth was
getting about as much traffic as a funeral for Saddam Hussein's
sons. By Friday Wes saw the writing on the wall and after being
advised that there were many empty booth spaces in the buildings
where the crowds were gathering, he went to the EAA vendor services
window to see if he could buy his way out of Aero-Purgatory. He was
told there that "indeed, you can buy your way into an empty booth
space." But, when he offered them his credit card... any credit
card... an EAA representative told him that "Yes you can buy into a
booth, but YOU cannot buy into a booth." Her reasoning was that
part of the Klyde merchandise consisted of T-shirts and they
already had enough T-shirt vendors in the buildings. He instantly
offered to burn all of the shirts and just sell other stuff, like
the Klyde dolls -- certainly no one was selling those in the
buildings. Then, he was told that he still could not be in a
building because they were "not a true aviation business," and they
already had their quota of non-aviation vendors. Wes stated that
Klyde Morris is a pure aviation cartoon dealing strictly with
aviation issues and that it is read strictly by aviation people...
how can it NOT be a true aviation company? Upon hearing that, the
EAA lady upgraded Klyde Morris to "borderline aviation." Of course
they already had their quota of them in the booths, too. There are
three kinds of people who you never argue with or lampoon: there is
the Mafia, the IRS and anyone at EAA with any hint of authority at
AirVenture time. So... Wes was sent with his money, back to the Fly
Market where he belonged, and the previously empty booths in the
main exhibit buildings remained empty through the show. Wes says,
"My feet may have been muddy, my merchandise may have not been seen
by 70% of the AirVenture guests and my earnings may have hardly
covered the cost of the booth space, but I was warmed deep in my
soul by the fact that the EAA officially considers my aviation
cartoon strip to be 'borderline.'"
- Runner(s)-Up: SportPlane Manufacturers.
Whaddya do when no one will buy your product because they're
waiting for the new rule much ballyhooed by industry, the FAA and a
number of associations... and the rule is YEARS past the time it
was originally promised? You starve, twiddle your thumbs, find
(non-aviation) part-time work and HOPE LIKE HELL that you can
survive until the wheels of bureaucracy do their thing. Good
luck...
ALL The Right Moves: Tom Poberezny. After all
the crap that we've had to heap on this guy for everything that
concerns us as far as EAA is concerned, it behooves us to do the
right thing and note that this year, Poberezny's EAA kicked ass.
Yeah, it had it's problems but whatever they did, they did it far
better than usual and in such a way that very few feathers got
ruffled. A grand time appeared to had by all but the most
curmudgeonly amongst us. Bravo... nicely done.
"Best Actor" Award: Liberty Aircraft. STILL not
certified, Liberty still hasn't gotten the TC it has claimed was
"imminent" on more occasions than we can count. While we love the
aircraft, we're growing increasing disenchanted (and so are a
number of their customers, apparently) with the company and the
missed deadlines, fibs, and other problems we've become aware of.
These guys need to get their act together RIGHT NOW or serious
damage will be done to a promising program and a super little
airplane.
- Runner(s)-Up: Steve Hay as the Viking, or
whatever he is when he drives that loopy Ornithopter. We love that
guy.
Worst Idea At Oshkosh
2003: Secretary Mineta's "No Questions" Policy and Oshkosh
PD's Enforcementof Same. When SecTrans Mineta showed up at Oshkosh,
a lot of people had questions for the man. When accredited
journalists tried to ask some of those questions, as Mineta toured
the site, they were rebuffed quite heavy-handedly. One Oshkosh PD
Officer even told ANN that only EAA could ask Mineta any questions.
This NOT being the United states of EAA, we noted the cops bitching
about one reporter who politely stood his ground and tried to get a
question to Mineta... and the trouble they promised to make for him
later (which apparently did not happen). Folks, this is shameful
BS. It is EVERY journalist's job to ask questions and it is our
right/responsibility to do so under the Constitution... and for
anyone in authority to even think of making trouble for a
journalist who was POLITELY doing his job (as our
observations/pictures confirm) is a travesty and a thoroughly
UNAmerican thing to do. These folks must think they work for Sun 'n
Fun or something... 'cuz they sure as hell aren't working for we
citizens.
- Runner(s)-Up: The Case of the Copped
Corvettes. Moony, celebrating fifty years of aircraft production
hosted some Corvettes (also celebrating fifty years of production)
at their main display area... until some over-zealous EAA staffer
assumed that their corporate sponsor, FORD, might take offense and
arranged to have the offending hot-rods removed. Dumb idea.
- Runner(s)-Up: Charging (still) high prices for
last day attendance at Oshkosh. By the time the last day of Oshkosh
rolls around, this thing is DONE. Charging anything but a few bucks
(at most) seems to be something of a bad deal.
"Risky Business": Adam's A-700 Flight To
Oshkosh. Barely a week after their totally new bird with
totally new engines takes flight, Adam Aircraft decided to bring it
to Oshkosh. While many consider the move gutsy (including our
staff, begrudgingly), we consider the move questionable. Already
under fire for safety practices and other concerns, what chance
this aircraft has of seeing the light of day (certification and
production wise) were put into jeopardy for what we consider a
PR stunt that had questionable value and WAY too many risks...
Biggest Oshkosh 2003
Blunder: FAA's Continual Sport Pilot Delays. The many
broken promises and delays seen in this program have nearly
decimated an already shaky industry and hurt the companies and
personnel who have devoted their lives to this business. The
excuses are getting ponderous, the delays are out of control and we
STILL wonder whether this whole thing will still blow up and
destroy what's left of the SportPlane business.
- Runner(s)-Up: The T-6 That Ate Frasca's T-34.
Some days you eat the bear and some days the bear eats you... as
Rudy Frasca found out when he went to visit a porta-John before
leaving to fly home in his beautiful T-34. unfortunately; for the
few minutes it took him to finish readjusting his personal CG, a
T-6 fired up, got a bit out of control and munched on his
tailfeathers. Ain't life a bear?
Weirdest Rumor: Impending Donation of A
Concorde To The EAA museum. It ain't true... we reported that
months ago, but a week doesn't go past without someone reporting
this rumor to us as if it were gospel. Would that it were true, but
it isn't. Bummer.
Bozo Of The
Week: Sun 'n Fun. No... this is not a cheap shot at an
(excessively) easy target. It's a proper reflection of the effect
that Sun 'n Fun's outright frauds have had on the Airshow/Fly-In
business. Ever since the rest of the world found out that our
long-held suspicions about the fictional nature of Sun 'n Fun's
attendance figures were as real as we feared, the Airshow/Fly-In
community has suffered the distrust and disinterest of an industry
that is sick and tired of being lied to, abused,
and taken advantage of. Their flagrant disregard and disrespect of
their attendees, vendors, sponsors and supporters has reverberated
throughout the industry and left a black eye for one and all. Our
own experience has proven that Sun 'n Fun deals fast and loose with
the facts (and that's when their not outright fibbing), but
it's a shame that they tarred an entire industry with a brush of
their own making. The entire leadership structure of Sun 'n Fun
should be forced to apologize to the industry and then made
to resign.
ANN's "Above and Beyond" Award: To ANN
Oshkosh Newbies Aleta Vinas, John Ballantyne, Rob Milford, and
Tyson Rininger. It was their first time covering Oshkosh for ANN
and they not only fit in well with the grizzled curmudgeons who
populate this corporate hell, they covered their assignments well,
put a great and new set of faces on who and what ANN is coming to
be, and were just plain delightful to work with. Many thanks, gang,
many thanks.
- Runner(s)-Up: EAA's Media Relations Staff.
This aspect of EAA has never run so smoothly or so pleasantly as it
did the week of Airventure 2003. Special props for EAA's Dick
Knapinski who STILL sets an industry standard for working with the
aviation media, bar none.
Biggest 'O' at Oshkosh: ANN's Aleta Vinas says
"You can never see the AV-8B Harrier too many times! I saw it three
times. Three times I watched it fly backwards, pivot in a circle
and move side to side! The roar of forty thousand horsepower is
deafening but who cares, it's the Harrier and now it's taking a
bow."