How do we review an event that, in the eyes of some, did not happen? I argue that our event DID happen, and with ultimately glorious results. Brevity is impossible. I apologize for the length of this. Here's how it went:

Due to heavy rains and flooding, the General Aviation parking & camping area (AKA The North 40) could not handle aircraft and the Bonanzas to Oshkosh arrival was cancelled. Everyone had fingers crossed that a couple dry days would improve field conditions in parts of the North 40 on relatively higher ground, but hopeful forecasts of "warm & sunny" gave way to another deluge.

So, there we were in Rockford on Friday having a most excellent hangar party. Including a few planning to show up in RFD the next morning, there were 120 Beechcraft on the ramp. It was the evening before the big flight and spirits were high, despite some worries about wheels getting stuck in mud and water leaking through tent floors. My new iPhone rang. Oshkosh Air Traffic Control. “Too soggy. No place to park. You can't arrive tomorrow. Maybe Sunday. We'll call again tomorrow morning.”

Now, what?!! The B2OSH leadership held a short meeting and decided to try for Sunday. Have the Saturday briefing as scheduled, make arrangements for another night in Rockford, and pray the field dries out enough. Somebody (Lee Rousselle?) called the Howard Johnson and arranged for everyone already there to spend another night. I should remember who made that call, but at the time I said, "Wow!" and "Thank you!" and moved on to the next thing. Logistics expert Mary Jane Butt took care of room arrangements for everyone else. The Clock Tower had no rooms for Saturday night, but MJ found rooms at 2 other motels, walking distance of the Clock Tower. She negotiated pretty good rates, too. Another "Wow!" The fine folks at Emery Air who host us at RFD arranged for our airplanes to remain on the UPS ramp one more day. I called the bus people and contracted for Sunday service from the motels to the airport. Amazingly, we were able to accommodate a Sunday B2OSH flight and make the arrangements in an hour or so. There were things to re-plan in Oshkosh, too – changed party dates, etc.

Saturday morning Wayne “Smudge” Mudge conducted the pre-flight briefing. I missed most of it. I was outside where I had cell coverage, awaiting the call from OSH ATC. Bad news. Still too wet. Again – Now, what? We decided to cut everyone loose. It looked like 75% of us would simply go home and the other 25% would fly closer to OSH and rent cars (if there were any available). A few were going to hang out in RFD one more day and try for a “mini-B2OSH” on Monday.

Then Saviors started stepping up. First, Rick Siegfried, brother of our Flight Leader, Bob II, made some calls and arranged for a place in the North 40 where we could pitch our tents. Rick is on EAA's Board of Directors. There was an area large enough for our group and dry enough for tents, but not firm enough to taxi or park aircraft. So, what the heck do we do with our airplanes? Rick and EAA arranged for parking on concrete at Manitowoc, 50 miles northeast of OSH. EAA was working on a shuttle service for us. For safety reasons we decided against a Bonanzas to Manitowoc flight, but Rick Siegfried qualifies as B2OSH Savior #1. He served us and he served EAA. His actions saved our event and put something on the order of $100,000 into EAA's bank account.

Savior #2 was Paul Marshall. While all the above was going on, Paul was on the phone trying to find a spot of concrete at OSH where he could park his Bonanza. Basler told him they were only taking twins and they had room for several more. Paul passed this nugget on to as many Baron pilots as he could find. Orion Flight Service owner Toby Kamark told Paul he had room for 50 of us until Tuesday morning. FIFTY! But, they gotta be outta there Tuesday morning. Paul took down 50 tail numbers and called Toby back. Toby Kamark and Orion are B2OSH Savior #3. In short order the auditorium started to empty as most prepared to fly the Ripon Fisk arrival.

That “Tuesday morning, get out of here” thing bit us in the ass. Saturday afternoon I was still in RFD and I received calls from various folks with EAA complaining that there were ‘unauthorized' Bonanzas all over the ramp near Orion and why the hell didn't they go to Manitowoc? I said, “We're paying tie-down fees to Orion.” And, “I guess nobody was interested in Manitowoc.” Didn't matter. That ramp space belongs to the airport and was leased out to the TBM owners group. I gulped hard and promised we would be off that ramp Monday morning, if that was OK. “Agreed, but where are your airplanes going to park?” My airplanes? I'll do what I can, but I only own 1. I think the whole world was mad at  me/us/Toby/Paul/maybe Rick, but mostly the weather Gods.

But, thanks to Savior #4, we redeemed ourselves. In spades. Glenn Olsen, Savior #4, organized what, under the circumstances, was the most organized & disciplined mass relocation of aircraft one could imagine. There were 61 of our airplanes on the ramp in question. Glenn and Rick Siegfried arranged for a meeting with the airport manager, Orion's on site manager, FAA, and a couple of EAA high-ups. We found an area that was firm enough to park our aircraft, but it was WAY out of the way and would not be accessible except for departure, and only during certain hours. When told of the plan, not a single B2OSHer complained! Pink Shirts were in on the plan because we had to taxi across an active runway. Perhaps if someone else handled this issue, there would have been bitching and a fair amount of non-compliance. Glenn's pleasant demeanor and firm leadership style were just what “the doctor ordered”.

The twin engine planes were exempted from the move, as were 5 Bonanzas leaving Tuesday morning. That left 49 aircraft to be moved. All 49 pilots showed up on time, waited patiently by their planes, and followed directions. We accomplished the move, exactly as briefed, in about 30 minutes, without disrupting the heavy flow of OSH arrivals. This may sound simple, but before it was accomplished, it had all the markings of an attempt to herd cats in the minds of the "authorities". They were hopeful we would get half the planes moved, that it wouldn't take all day, and they feared a new mess would develop as the TBMs arrived. Instead of "Those damn Bonanzas were supposed to go to Manitowoc.", it was "Those Bonanza folks are courteous & disciplined and they really came through!"

EAA came through, too. When we were offered the dry parking spot, east of Timbuktu, I was concerned, that once out the way, we would be forgotten. We were told that an EAA volunteer would arrive in a box van each morning to shuttle our folks and their camping gear back to “The East 40” for departure, starting Wednesday. I figured this might not happen. I thought we'd get lost in the shuffle with all the craziness dealing with the flooding. Boy, was I wrong! EAA was 100% committed to following through. That van showed up every morning at 0900 and drove back & forth until nobody was left in need of a ride.

 Totals (best I can figure):

• B2OSH aircraft in RFD: 110-120 (hard to tell exactly – Sat. AM no-shows?)
  
  
• People at Hangar Party: 300
  
  
• B2OSH aircraft w/pilots & passengers who made it to OSH
  
  Parked at Orion (at first): 61
  
  Parked at Basler: 4
  
  Beechcraft factory planes parked in their pavilion at OSH: 3
  
  Left in RFD: 12
  
  Appleton & Fon du Lac: 11
  
  Flown home, then drove (WI, MN, and Downer's Grove): 9
  
  Maniwotoc: 2
  
  Sheboygan: 2
  

That's at least 104 aircraft and about 280 people who made it.

So, 10-15 would-be B2OSH pilots gave up, bailed out, tossed in the towel, waived the white flag, and departed RFD for home. Wussies! I'm not naming names, but those folks missed out on something special.

The flight is NOT the event. The formation arrival is not WHAT we do or WHY we do it. The formation flight is HOW we get there. Camping and enjoying AirVenture together is WHAT we do. Last year we had to get there without the formation and it was a challenge just to park. We had to overcome adversity to get there, which added a "we fought together" feeling to the camaraderie. We faced more adversity after arriving – "get off this ramp!" Without airplanes in our camping area, our tents were much closer together. Everyone got to know each other better. Our kids played with each other more. Playing catch with footballs & baseballs was not taboo. All the social things were better than ever. In that context (which is the only context!!), B2OSH XXI was truly the best ever.

Kevin O'Halloran's Margarita Party was not an arrival party, per se, because we didn't arrive as one, and it was changed to Sunday, a day after most arrivals. But it was even better. Everyone's tents were already up and it was less chaotic (although the chaos of the "usual" Margarita Party is one of its charms). The Margarita Party flowed seamlessly into beer@osh, which was also moved to Sunday. beer@osh gets better every year. Thank you, Mike Caban and Al DeMarzo! Our "regular" party was moved to Monday. I actually got to eat!

All the disruption due to our arrival difficulties and the wet ground caused Kevin's Ice Cream Social to suffer, unfortunately. The plan was to serve hot dogs, too, and invite not only the Cessnas to Oshkosh kids, but the Mooney kids and some kids from a Cherokee group that planned their first mass arrival. We'll do better in 2011.

The Mooneys & Cherokees cancelled completely, while the Cessnas left their planes in Juneau, 40 miles away, and rented a big van. They showed up Sunday and camped "across the street" from us. For nearly 3 days, the only campers in the North 40 were C2O and B2OSH. Cessnas to Oshkosh is to be congratulated for their effort. Very few individual folks demonstrated the perseverance our 2 groups displayed.

And, our big tent (too big, actually) hosted a wedding on Tuesday.

So, there it is. B2OSH XXI did not feature our "usual" spectacular arrival. But, the real event was as successful as any we've done. We showed the general aviation world, EAA in particular, that we are among the most dedicated & passionate, yet responsible, aviators in the world.

Oh     and we're tough. We don't give up.

Larry

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