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Welcome to Bonanzas To
Oshkosh!
Larry Gaines – Leader
Welcome to
Bonanzas to Oshkosh XIX – that’s 19 for the non-Romans among us. Saturday,
July 26, 2008 at noon, we will once again depart Rockford, Illinois in the
world’s largest annual formation of aircraft. About an hour later we will
land and camp together at the greatest gathering in aviation. Our flight is
one of the premiere participation events in not only the world of aviation,
but in the worlds of all things for which people carry a passion. Training
for, and flying B2OSH provides a feeling of belonging and of teamwork and
camaraderie that cannot be understood without actually doing it.
Bonanzas to
Oshkosh is, first and foremost, a camping trip. As you read on the “Home
Page”, Wayne Collins founded this event as the only available means for him
and some friends to camp together at Oshkosh. While a few of our group
stays in rented houses each year, please keep in mind the purpose of this
event. We will be there to enjoy the show together – family style – while
we bask in the glory of having arrived in the most fashionable of ways, in
the best personal airplane ever designed and built.
You will
see a lot of superlatives on this page. Words like “best”, “safest”,
“hottest”, and “largest”. They are not exaggerations. A lot of superbly
qualified people put a lot of hard work into making this event what it is.
Look over
this web site closely. Click on the links to the left to learn what we are
all about, how we do things, and how we conduct our flight in the safest
manner possible. If, after checking the web site for answers, you still
have questions, please do not hesitate to e-mail me at
lcg@inreach.com.
Changes
for 2008
Our party –
the best on the field, hands down – is back to its traditional time slot.
Sunday afternoon into the evening, July 27, 2008. Our catered affair
includes excellent food and drink, as well as the hottest deal in all of
aviation- our raffle. Raffle tickets are limited to 3 per registered pilot
(including our friends who choose to not fly in the formation), with a soft
limit of 300. We will exceed 300 in order to accommodate pilots in excess
of 100.
The flight
itself will have a few new rules. As these are properly crafted, they will
be included on the Flight Info page and registrants will receive e-mails
notifying them of the changes. The first of these new rules will be a
prohibition of “private” flight frequencies. In the past, some of us have
added to the enjoyment of the flight by carrying one conversations with our
buddies on our own frequencies. The practice has been tolerated, but we can
no longer do so. The overall philosophy of the flight rules remains KISS –
Keep It Simple, Stupid. Stay tuned for a bit more fine-tuning of the flight
rules.
Challenges
As stated on
this page last year, we have 2 challenges. Safety of flight is always the
absolute goal and we will continue to challenge ourselves to get better.
Once again, we will have formation flying practice sessions across the
nation to enable newcomers to get a good start in the art of flying close
other aircraft and enable the veterans to keep current. We strongly urge
every participant to attend a one of these sessions. We call them
“clinics”, but they are really practice sessions. Check the Training pages
for details.
Our other main
challenge is to remain true to Wayne Collins’ vision when he founded this
event. The friendships that develop from living together alongside our
Bonanzas and Barons, are what the whole thing is about. I have friends
across this entire nation as a direct result of having prepared for this
event, having partied with the group, but mainly as a result of having lived
with them – and, of course with my airplane. Kind of like Dudley Doright
and his horse.
Future
World Record
Last year
on this page I suggested we might go for a new World Record Largest
Formation of Aircraft flight. I suggested we might be ready in 2009,
appropriately our 20th flight. Our readiness to achieve that
goal is still in question. If all of the participants attend a clinic and
practice with a partner after the clinic, we may be able to make the
attempt. That decision will depend on how this year’s flight goes, and
whether enough of the flight leader-capable pilots register in 2009. The
number of qualified flight leaders is the limiting factor. We need 70.
That’s a big number. So, if you want an official National Aeronautics
Association World Record Holder certificate framed and on the wall of your
hangar, go to a clinic, fly a lot with the guys you meet there, and get
qualified to fly a lead position. We hold the current record of 132. There
was an unofficial flight of 160 Cessnas. Neither of those flights was up to
the standards we insist upon for B2OSH now. If we try, we will go for 200,
and expect 180. Each pilot must be a member of NAA and have an FIA Sport
License. Membership and license is over $80. The decision will be made at
Oshkosh this July, the morning after the party. If it’s thumbs up, the
planning and practice will start as soon as we get home from B2OSH 2008.
Larry
lcg@inreach.com |
