Hawthorn Inn & Suites Oshkosh

Ride in the Goodyear Blimp, N3A

by Tugboatguy

I guarantee you will be certainly off the beaten path if at AirVenture 2009 you get a ride in the Goodyear blimp! Drawings for free rides were held this year, and the blimp flew daily to the west and south of the Wittman Regional Airport's runways. The blimp was tethered at Pioneer Airport on the EAA Grounds which is a grass strip and seven hangars that re-create the flying experience in the 1920s and early 1930s. Certainly an unconventional experience, a blimp ride is just one of the possibilities at Oshkosh one week a year.

N3A is a 1976 Goodyear GZ-20A Blimp, powered by two Continental IO-360 engines.

Visit the website for general information on the annual EAA AirVenture Airshow-always the last week in July. Just sign up in person for the daily drawings for a ride.

AMedlhammer's new Oshkosh Page

by AMedlhammer

Oshkosh is a must for every pilot on this planet,
similar to a pigrimage to Mekka for Muslim.

The Airventure is one of the most impressing gatherings I ever joined :-)

I made my dream of Flyin-in myself come true in 2000.
This surely wasn't my last time.

EAA Seaplane Base at Lake Winnebago

by Tugboatguy

"Ultralight Minimalist Seaplane on Climbout"

This really tiny ultralight seaplane is shown climbing over Lake Winnebago after a very short water takeoff run at the EAA Seaplane Base. The ultralight seaplane consists of a parasol wing, framework to support the engine with pusher propeller, the floats and the HUMAN pilot who sits in the breeze, controlling the flight. I provide that lest you think this is a radio-control model airplane. It is not! I was surprised at the rapid climbout of this homesick angel.

"Vette-Blust 96WI EAA Seaplane Base"

Welcome to the EAA Seaplane Base! It is cool and shady with a quiet respite from the noise and action at Wittman Regional Airport, site of EAA AirVenture. Located just a few miles south of Wittman Field in a natural cove of Lake Winnebago, floatplanes are tethered to anchored floats and respotted or brought to the docks and fuel pump by small outboard motor boats towing them for safety. There is a weather building and a pilot's briefing building, which all pilot's must use. I highly recommend you visit the seaplane base when at AirVenture. Convenient buses shuttle people between the airport and seaplane base daily and into the evenings. Click on the small pictures to enlarge them.

"This Little Seaplane Takes Off in 2.5 Seconds!!!"

Perhaps a record for quick takeoff from water, this Experimental class homebuilt Micro Mong Sport seaplane really has been clocked at a two and a half second water takeoff. The free daily EAA newspaper did a feature article on this very small seaplane, probably only about 12 feet long, seating a single pilot. The engine is a Rotax 914 of 115 horsepower. The large wing area of this little biplane and its light weight helps its amazing performance. Here I am admiring it at a dock of the EAA Seaplane Base. Registered as N2505P.

"Bush Plane Workhorse"

This is a colorful DeHavilland DHC-2 Mk. 1 BEAVER floatplane powered by a Pratt & Whitney R-985 450 horsepower piston radial engine. Registered as N101CB. This is the second aircraft design of DeHavilland of Canada, and is probably the best known and most versatile bush plane, operable on wheels, skis or floats. First flight of this design was August, 1947. Some DHC-2s have been converted to turboprop power, and there is a larger DHC-3 model called the OTTER that is powered with an R-1340 of 600 horsepower. In August of 2007 I chartered a piston BEAVER on floats in Alaska and had a ball!

"Canadian Cessna SKYWAGON"

C-FAUM is a Canadian registration 1970 Cessna A185E SKYWAGON seaplane powered by a Continental IO-550-D 300 horsepower engine. The A in the designator means this aircraft left its Cessna factory with amphibian float kit fittings installed.

"Piper CUB on Floats"

Even the familiar Piper CUB with just 65 horsepower makes a good and economical floatplane. This is a 1945 Piper J3C-65 CUB registered N42584 with tandem seating for two. Not fast, but fun!

"Canadian Cessna SEALANE"

C-GSWI floating in this tranquil setting is a 1976 Cessna 182 SEALANE on Aerocet floats registered in Canada. It is powered by a Continental O-470 230 horsepower engine.

A number of manufacturers design and build aircraft floats in different models designed to support specific aircraft weights. Among them are Aerocet, Baumann, Edo, PK and Wipline. The largest aircraft I have ever seen on floats was a twin Beech 18, so most any thing is possible! Many aircraft use straight floats, which are for water landings only. In Alaska and other snowy states, they will convert floatplanes to skis in the wintertime, removing the floats for the gear swap. Amphibious floats with retractable wheels step up the price as well as the versatility.

"2006 Cessna 206H STATIONAIR"

This is a larger Cessna, a six place 206H Stationair with a Lycoming IO-540-AC1A5 300 horsepower engine. A float plane has a reduced weight capacity because of the floats weight and some loss of cruise and top speed. But the versatility and fun of water operation far outweigh any shortcomings. A powerful aircraft like the Stationair makes for an excellent performing seaplane. Registered N6053B. Photographed at anchor in the cove of the EAA Seaplane Base.