Flying to Oshkosh, 2010

Starting to plan for #osh10. Currently thinking San Carlos, Ogden, Cheyenne, Duluth, Appleton

First day for #osh10 planned. KSQL KENV KCYS: Wendover UT for lunch, Cheyenne WY for dinner and sleep. Long day, 7 hours of flying.

Bah, Cheyenne is a no-go: rodeo is in town. Planning a plane trip is harder than a car trip, logistics require more preparation.

New plan: Casper, WY and Fargo, ND. Fargo looks like a really nice town to visit, anyone know for sure?

Looking for lunch at Spearfish, South Dakota. It's like a road trip, only without the convenience of having a car. OTOH: we're flying!

Flight to Oshkosh all planned, time to pack. You can see our route on my blog: http://bit.ly/bn1r8A

Driving to San Carlos to begin the trip to Oshkosh. Next time I'm gonna plan the first day as a shorter one.

Arrived Wendover, great flight. Lousy meal at the Peppermill though.

And made it to Casper. Everyone is very friendly. Cocktails in my future.

Lovely dinner at FireRock in Casper WY. Two cocktails, appetizer, two steaks, bottle of wine. $100, 1/3 of the price in SF. Better beef.

Snapshots: playing John Denver songs flying over the Wasatch, and big sky full moon at Casper with lightning in the distance.

Day 2 of our #osh10 pilgrimage: Casper to Fargo via Spearfish. Envious of friends already there. Btw, there's an iPhone app for Airventure

Spearfish, SD. Lovely folks at KSPF, borrowed a sweet Bonneville to drive in to town for chow.

Hello, Fargo. Hot and windy and with thunderstorms coming in.

Fargo has some surprisingly sophisticated places downtown. Good dinner at Silver Moon Supper Club, nice lounge at HoDo's.

Well here's our thunderstorm.

Thunderstorms in Fargo. Between the midnight call "your plane needs to go in a hangar" and the 2am tornado siren, not a restful night #osh10

Got out of Fargo. Now racing the thunderstorm to Appleton at 145kts. #osh10

Made it! Slipped between two thunderstorms and landed at Appleton. Having NexRad in the cockpit is awesome. #osh10

I am totally eating deep fried cheese curds with cold beer. Hello Wisconsin! #osh10

When I introduce Ken as my partner to other pilots, they assume I mean we share ownership in a plane. #osh10

Made it to Airventure, already hot and sweaty. Waiting to watch the Ice Pilots guys. #osh10

Fighter jet flies a low circling pass around the landing B-17 while helicopters buzz around while the Goodyear Blimp laze above #osh10

Watching the Red Bull helicopter fly loops and rolls. Its proven Science that helicopters can't fly, so why not not-fly upside down? #osh10

Why does Wisconsin have better Mexican food than San Francisco? Zacateca's in Neenah: 10+ homemade moles and salsas. #osh10

Trying to get an early start to see airplanes before it gets hot. 9am, that's early, right? #osh10

About 5 feet from a line of 8 T-28s taxiing on the ramp #osh10

Looking at warbirds. Beware Panchito!

Watching DC-3s take off every 30 seconds

Ravin aircraft: kit built from South Africa. With a 350hp GM Corvette car engine in front. 230mph #osh10

Watching a biplane do aerobatics while standing in the shade of a DC-2. A Global Hawk drone blocks my view a bit on the 5' passes. #osh10

Oh yeah, the backs of your knees sunburn after a year of not wearing shorts. #osh10 #ow

Walked through the C-5 Galaxy. Makes a C-130 look small.

Ho-hum there goes the Ford Trimotor again. Never thought seeing an 80 year old airplane flying would become routine. #osh10

Wisconsin has remarkably good bars. St James in Neenah is taking good care of us. Attractive. Not loud or crowded. Real drinks.

Headed to Green Bay for the railroad museum and German food. Flying out to Kansas City tomorrow. #osh10 was awesome, but 3 days was enough.

German food fail, but Titletown Brewery is taking care of us. Beautiful piece of walleye; I wish we could get that fish in California.

The Silver Meteor would make a great name for a cocktail.

Planning our trip home. Considering stopping in Kansas City, Amarillo, Sedona. Would like an Amarillo alternative.

Packing up the plane to fly Appleton to Kansas City. Temporary parking on the grass is now 3/4 empty. Goodbye #osh10!

True dreams of Wichita. Flight went so well we blew right past Kansas City and on to the Kansas of your sweet little myth.

Wichita is awfully barren for restaurants on a Sunday, even in the urban renewal Old Town. Also it's 96F.

Ken points to our 27kt headwind enroute from Wichita to Santa Fe. Have to stop in Dalhart, TX for gas :-(

Hey, we made it to Santa Fe. Plus 1.5 hrs because of the damn wind. Here's a picture of the plane (a Cardinal)

Green chile breakfast at Tia Sophias. Delicious, full of locals, low key. Nice that not all of downtown has gone to Fanta Se.

Landed Lake Havasu, the ugliest town I have ever seen from the air. Nice FBO with cheap gas and good smelling BBQ

Holy cow Waldo's BBQ has good pulled pork. Good food + cheap avgas = KHII is a new favorite airport. Now about it being 110F...

Ha ha, Havasu tricked us. Back on the ground after discovering an alternator problem on climbout.

I never knew I wanted to stay in Lake Havasu City until the plane broke down here. Did I mention its 110F here?

The metal door handles outside here have cloth mittens over them to prevent you from burning your hand.

It gets as cool as 90F in the middle of the night in Lake Havasu City. Being stuck here is my punishment for saying how ugly this city is.