There may be some pilots who fly airplanes solely because it’s a soft ride to a bloated paycheck, and they may think EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wis., is only about little airplanes that “aren’t serious.” But most pilots don’t. Maybe you’re the type who passes time waiting for passengers by peering into obscure hangars looking for airplanes that are a little bit “different;” or strikes up conversations at FBOs with pilots of antiques or warbirds to find out how they fly; or cranes his or her neck to watch a hot-looking kitplane take off. If that sounds like you, stop promising you’ll go to Oshkosh “maybe next year.”
Just do it. You’ll be surprised to find so many pilots you’re used to seeing in ties and epaulets wandering the acres of AirVenture in shorts and baseball caps. If you fly because you love it, but can’t necessarily find the words to explain it, you’ll find more kindred spirits than you could have ever imagined. And you just might turn up some new information that could be relevant to your day job.
