So, I thought I’d share my top ten list of things to pack.
Top Ten Things to Pack for Oshkosh
#1 Comfortable shoes. I cannot emphasize this enough. Define “comfortable shoes” as ones that don’t give you blisters even when you walk for miles.
Because you will walk for miles.
#2 Sunscreen – Wisconsin may not sound like a hot place, but Oshkosh has very little shade. I usually return home looking like I’ve been laying on a beach in Hawaii. Also, I can tell you from experience that if you sit under the wing of a polished aluminum plane, you will get quite a sunburn. Consider yourself warned.
#3 Bug spray – The mosquitos aren’t bad every year, but when they’re bad, they’re really bad.
#4 A hat, preferably wide-brimmed. (See #2.)
#5 A water bottle. Are you sensing a theme here?
#6 Your cellphone. At some point, you’re bound to lose whoever came with you.
#7 Money. For food. Or souvenirs. Maybe even a t-shirt from the SOS Bros. tent. I’m told men go there for the beer. I’m sure it has nothing to do with the bikini-clad barmaids. I go because I like the food. It has nothing to do with beer or escaping camp for a couple of hours.
#8 Earplugs. Only if you’re camping and plan to sleep past 6 am.
#9 Your camera (if your phone doesn’t take good photos). You’ll see planes you never imagined even existed.
#10 A sense of humor. Because, well, you know what they say about if you can’t take a joke. If you don’t, read my previous Oshkosh blog, and you’ll understand.
Big Plane, Little Plane
Reading, Writing, Ranting and Raving 
I thought the phone was to send and receive text messages saying “Meet at SOS Bros in 20 min?”
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Ha! That too.
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Sounds exciting! c
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It was. We really enjoyed our visit though we were glad to get home to a real bed and flush toilets! 🙂
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Binoculars? Folding chair? Aspirin? Can you tell I’ve been to a few air shows in my time?
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And this is a week long air show. Binoculars are helpful though most times you can see pretty well without them. Something to sit on is also always good, although I’ve never needed the aspirin. And yes, it definitely shows you’ve been to a few. 🙂
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I used to live less than a quarter mile from the fence of USAF Greenham in the UK, where they had a three day air show every other year. For a week before the show, we were treated to the practice sessions, and for three days after, we got the *real* fun stuff, where the pilots did the dangerous stuff showing off to each other. I will never forget the sight of the undercarriage of a Vulcan bomber about 100 ft above me, and rattling the chimney pots… And the smell of avgas is imprinted on my memory as one of the smells of summer!
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That would be so neat! Although I must say after the recent (non-military, I think) disaster in the UK, I’m very glad they’re tightening their restrictions on air shows a bit.
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True, but the dangerous bits made for unforgettable summer memories.
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