2026
Oshkosh Arrival Flight
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| Larry Gaines – Leader |
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| Welcome to Bonanzas to Oshkosh
- B2OSH XXV |
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| This will be our 24th anniversary flight. Think about it: the 2nd flight was the 1st anniversary. Once again we will fill the sky between Rockford, Illinois and Oshkosh, Wisconsin
with Bonanzas & Barons. Once again we will enjoy the fellowship and camaraderie that is the real reason for our success. Once again it will be the largest aerial gathering of civilian aircraft during the calendar year. |
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| “B” Day is Saturday, July 26, 2014. We are scheduled for Noon departure. |
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This year’s flight leaders are Bob & Jessie Siegfried. Leading B2OSH is a high honor and Bob & Jessie are fully deserving.
Bob is Bob II (son of Old Bob, aka OB1) and Jessie is his wife. I met Bob II at the legendary first Grayson Bonanza Formation Clinic. Although his intent was to prepare to fly B2OSH with his Dad, Bob got hooked on formation flying. He became one of the core members of the group almost instantly.
Bob II is an FFI card holder. In addition to being a credential that allows formation flight in airshows, having an FFI card gives serious bragging rights. I have no shame and brag about mine any time there is a listener.
The year I took over as overall B2OSH leader, I convinced Scott Thomas to handle the team clothing and party planning for one more year while I “learned the ropes”. Scott passed away 2 months before Oshkosh and suddenly I had a LOT of work to do and very little clue how to go about it. I called Bob and Jessie and asked their help with the hangar party in Rockford. They immediately said yes and one third of my added workload was handled so well I could ‘file & forget’ it.
Bob & Jessie have put on terrific events the past 3 years. The Hangar Party gets better every year. When I recommended Bob & Jessie as this year’s flight leaders to the B2OSH leadership team, the accord was immediate and unanimous.
I am proud to call Bob & Jessie friends and I am proud to introduce them as Bonanzas to Oshkosh XXI Flight Leaders.
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| New Safety & Training Officer |
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Under the tutelage of John “Weebs” Wiebener, Bonanzas to Oshkosh has safely grown into a world class aerial participation event. Without his leadership and guidance, this whole thing could not have lasted, much
less thrived. Wing skills have improved dramatically and steadily since he offered to help after the 1995 World Record flight.
After 14 years in charge of formation safety, Weebs is passing those reins to Wayne “Smudge” Mudge.
Smudge is a retired USAF fighter pilot with massive numbers of hours in everything the air force flies. F-111, F-15, F-16, A-10. You name it. Upon retirement from the Air Force as a full bird colonel, Smudge was hired to write and implement the
training program for the USAF Academy cadet orientation and screening process. Each year we fine tune the syllabus we recommend to clinic hosts and this year Smudge plans to add Element Leader training.
In past years we have selected Element Leaders based on past military & B2OSH experience, but we have not been able to provide much effective guidance other than to say ‘fly smooth’ and ‘maintain spacing’. This year we are asking Element Leaders
to practice in trail flying at the B2OSH inter-element distance of 3000’ and we will have some drills & tools to make that practice more effective.
Welcome aboard, Smudge! And, Thank You, Weebs! |
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| Camping Fee at Oshkosh is MANDATORY |
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Read the Web Pages. Please, PLEASE! There is an FAQ page. On that page you will see that paying for camping at Oshkosh is MANDATORY.
Last year one of us was unaware of the requirement, despite the notices on the web site. He embarrassed all of us by flying in with us and then objecting to paying for camping. EAA personnel were gracious and directed him to parking outside the
North 40, but this reflected poorly on all of us. B2OSH is a camping trip.
We fly as a formation expressly so we can park together. B2OSH is not a way to avoid the Ripon/Fisk arrival and it is not merely a “cool” way to get to Oshkosh. Although, it certainly qualifies as cool, that is not why we do it. The embarrassment
of having a cheapskate among us was one thing, but think about this: There was a plane in our formation flown by a pilot who did not do his homework. Not someone I want to fly with, regardless of his stick & rudder skills.
If the camping fee is excessive, then please do not register for this event. |
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You cannot fly in formation with other aircraft unless you know how to do it. That means training and practice.
Ours is a loose formation with a single goal of arriving safely and expeditiously at Oshkosh at the same time so we can park and camp together.
There will be organized practice sessions at various locations around the country. Most will have small fees to cover some of the host’s expenses, but these “clinics” are genuinely outstanding opportunities to acquire or sharpen a specialized skill
that will increase the proficiency of all your flying. These events also serve as excellent social events. They are the fabric of a wonderful and growing network of friendship and camaraderie. First timers will need to document their training and
clinic attendance is just about the only way to get that done.
We will post dates and clinic registration instructions as clinic hosts confirm details. |
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| Date - Time |
Party Description |
| Friday, July 23, PM |
Hangar Party in Rockford |
| Saturday AM |
Breakfast Buffet in RFD Terminal |
| Saturday, upon arrival in the North 40 |
Margarita & Pizza Party |
| Sunday PM |
B2OSH Raffle & Party |
| Monday PM |
Ice Cream Social |
| Tuesday PM |
ABS Indoor BBQ (not a B2OSH event) |
| Wednesday thru Saturday |
nightly hangar flying under the B2OSH tent |
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Our arrival party features Margaritas, beer, & soft drinks – and near endless pizzas. Over 120 pizzas last year! Kevin O’Halloran pays for everything. Notice I said ‘near-endless pizza’, not ‘endless’. When demand settles down, Kevin quits
ordering. If it takes you 2 hours to pitch a tent, then you snooze, you lose.
Our main party on Sunday features an incredible raffle. Jim Posner is our raffle chief. We have so many good prizes it’s hard to raffle everything in a timely fashion. We are working on some ways to Git R Done more efficiently while still affording
the time to fully express our appreciation to the donors and sponsors.
The Ice Cream Social is a kids & parents event. Kevin O’Halloran underwrites the Ice Cream Social, too. Last year we invited the Cessnsas to Oshkosh kids and C2O reciprocated by inviting our kids to
watch Disney movies at their place. This year we are inviting the C2O kids again, of course. We will also invite the Mooney Caravan kids and Cherokees to Oshkosh kids. This is the 1st mass arrival for the Cherokee group and we welcome them into
the fold whole-heartedly.
The big tent we erect in our campsite has become a social center of the first order. In the mornings we are going to try to have coffee available. Kevin bought us a gigantic coffee maker. If you think Kevin is a great guy, just wait till you need
Beechcraft parts! This year there will be a noise curfew in the evenings. Crazy till midnight, then keep going if you wish, but keep it down to a dull roar. |
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| EAA is erecting another shower building about halfway from camper registration to the current showers. This is an additional shower facility, not a replacement. Our usual parking spot is between the showers. This is PERFECT for us! |
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| Another Motel in RFD. We have negotiated a $49.95 rate for rooms with a single queen bed. They are at Extended Stay America, near the Clock Tower Resort. Need 2 beds? $59.95, but only available if there are cancellations between now and July.
We also have the deals at the HoJo and Clock Tower. Details are on the web pages under “Rockford”. |
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| If you sign up for B2OSH, get out and train! Go to a clinic. Then find a partner and practice. It’s fun. There is no excuse for not being prepared. Element Leaders: get out and practice 3000’ in trail. Not as fun as flying wing, but we can
improve the overall flight dynamics. |
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| Fun Stuff. Check out these video links. |
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| See you in Rockford and Oshkosh! |
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Larry
lcg@inreach.com
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