Countdown to Oshkosh

It's been a long time since I've gone to Oshkosh with an open datebook and things couldn't be shaping up better.

I'm going to be working with the fine people at EAA Radio this year, hopefully producing several segments that mirror what I do with my day job: Profiling average folks doing extraordinary things. Know of some? Let me know and we'll make you a star.

The station manager, Jim Gray, says he's giving me carte blanche to go find things I find interesting and I've already found one. An RV acquaintance is getting married on Tuesday at Oshkosh. And why not? That's where the happy couple met. How neat!

EAA has been tearing up Camp Scholler to provide electric/water hookups to the people who want to pay for them, moving the 24-hour generator area out to the field by the West End store and generally displacing me from the spot I've had for the last six or seven years, but even that's turned out well.

The EAA Radio folks are reserving me a spot in their compound in Paul's Woods. What could be better? Woods? Trees. Shade. And even better: A never-ending party a stone's throw from the entrance to AirVenture?

Yes, I'll be doing my daily (sometimes several times daily) Oshkosh update here on Letters From Flyover Country, and Jim says I'm free to use the material I find for EAA here on the blog, too.

The other day I pulled the camping gear out of its spider-webbed corner of the hangar and ordered new aluminum poles from the tent company ($48 each!) and a new rain fly ($120!).

It's going to be a great year at Oshkosh!