The aircraft on display at the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) were dreamed up, constructed and flown by men and women who never settled for the ordinary. They had aspirations beyond what is considered ordinary. At the EAA there is a display dedicated to Frank Borman a Gemini and Apollo astronaut. The Voyager airplane is also on display here. For those of you don’t know, the Voyager is the only aircraft to ever circumnavigating the earth without stopping. In addition, there are interactive displays here where you can fly a fighter jet, a hang glider and a hot air balloon. I tried all three. I crashed the fighter jet, hang glider, and wasn’t able to get the balloon off of the ground. Maybe it’s a good thing I gave up flying?
Every summer, usually in July, pilots from all over the world come to Oshkosh, Wisconsin to eat, sleep, and immerse themselves in the world of aviation. Most fly in their own planes and camp on the ground beneath their aircraft. Did you know that only 0.007% of the population ever gets to pilot an aircraft? I feel very fortunate that, if just for a few short years, I was able to feel the exhilaration of being able pilot an aircraft on my own, feeling lighter than air, and free as a bird.
This place gave me goose bumps. I felt like a kid in a candy store. Seeing a replica of the Wright Brothers first successful aircraft and the many other aircraft that were dreamed up by men and women, assembled and flown following these two famous brothers, it made me think of the Great explores like Christopher Columbus, Ferdinand Magellan, Neil Armstrong, and my favorites Chuck Yeager and John Wesley Powell. I know there are those who say that Christopher Columbus didn’t do anything significant, but imagine what the world would look like today if he hadn’t taken a chance and discovered the New World. Would the Pilgrims have arrived in North America just over 100 years later? Would there be a United States of America today? Maybe those who believe that Columbus didn’t do anything significant still believe the world is flat? It wouldn’t surprise me.
So if you’re ever in Wisconsin, be sure to plan a visit to the EAA museum in Oshkosh.
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