August 2, 1998 EAA Recipe for Safer, Better, and More Pleasurable Flying

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by	Walter Atkinson

About the Author ... AVweb contributor Walter Atkinson became interested in aviation at a very early age when his father, a WWII aviator, began fying a Comanche in the 1960's. He practices General Dentistry in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, because he enjoys it and it supports his hobbies of racing sailboats and flying his Aerobatic Bonanza and his C45H (Twin Beech). He has published three novels and over a dozen professional articles in refereed journals. He holds ASEL, AMEL, Instrument, and ASES Private ratings.

This air show and aviation get-together is in some ways like a wonderful meal. Every wonderful meal starts with extensive preparation and that's exactly what has occurred at Oshkosh 98 with the forums and hands on workshops. They are a smorgasbord for those hungry for a safer, better, and more pleasant flying experience.

For appetizers there are the "How to" workshops and forums. These are designed for those new to a specific function of building their own aircraft or those just getting into flying. The hands on workshops cover skills such as fabric covering and stitching, woodworking on spars, electronics installation, and welding to mention a few. The forum appetizers include such topics as how to learn to become a pilot, buying your first airplane (one forum focused on buying the right seaplane), licensure issues, and even one session on How to Overcome "Checkriditis!"

Although some of these forums are new in content, many are timeless and have not changed much over the years. All are well attended since good knowledge and artisan skills are by nature timeless.

For our Oshkosh salad we may choose to dine on many specific and exacting technical issues or human factors. The technical issues were broad and interesting. They ranged from the Linear Aerospace Experiment (LASRE), ATC Future Considerations and Free Flight, Laminar Flow design, Engine Management, Aviation Oils, and the Future of Avgas. On the Human Issues side of things were High Altitude Considerations, How to get an Airline Job, and Surviving and Thriving After an Airplane Accident.

For the serious consumer, the main courses are here! The meaty issues included a choice of Test Piloting Your Own Airplane, Maintenance for the owner-pilot and an assortment of maintenance issues such as How to time Mags, Basic Wiring, and Airframe Rigging. The serious non-flying issues to aviation included forums such as Insurance Options, Making a Partnership Work, and Lessons Learned Defending Meigs Field.

There are several forums dedicated to the care and feeding of specific aircraft. The American Bonanza Society presents a forum on Bonanzas which covers everything from how to fly them to maintaining them and what issues are pertinent to owners regarding ADs and Service bulletins. There are similar forums this year for Taylorcrafts, Mooneys, and others.

Everyone likes Dessert… and the forums have that too. The human interest of "Wasps Tell the Story of Their Part in World War Two" caught the ears of many and no one sits through Hangar Flying with Rod Machado without a chuckle or belly laugh.

As I wandered through, in and out, and among the forums, I noticed several things. Some of the forums that have remained unchanged over the years are as well attended as ever and this year's slate of exciting new topics on the leading edge of technology are filled with those hungry for a safer and better aviation future. If you visit the forums at EAA/Oshkosh 98, you will dine on a smorgasbord of topics which will leave your appetite for knowledge satiated but wondering what will be for breakfast tomorrow. If one or more of those topics doesn't wet your appetite for aviation knowledge, you're just not hungry.

Dining with the EAA is terrific. They sure know how to put on a banquet!