A day at the EAA in Wisconsin

I had always wanted to attend the EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association) airshow in Oshkosh.  We have been in Wisconsin during the week of the airshow before and have seen lots and lots of planes in the sky but we'd never actually gone to it.  Adam was able to get free tickets so off we went!

The line to get to the parking lot was crazy long!

During the week, this place becomes its own "city" filled with tents and RVs.

After parking the car, we left to find Sophia.  Busses shuttle people around.  We were headed to the tent with green and white stripes.

There she was!  Sophia was spending the week helping to serve the missionaries who come to the EAA meals.  JAARS, MAF, etc.

It was between meals, so she was able to come with us to watch.

My first initial reaction was "OH NO!  A plane hit the ground!"  But no, it was simulation of a plane attack in a war situation.  

Unfortunately there were a couple of accidents that week and people were killed.  One was a mid-air collision and the other was a plane that fell into Lake Winnebago.

Rain was moving in.

We left to go find the missions aviation planes.  We passed Doc!  It is from Wichita, built in 1944!  Do you know they give rides in this thing?  If you've ever wanted to ride one, you can do it!

During this week of EAA in Oshkosh, this is the busiest airport in the world!!

We went to the Information booth to ask where to find the missions' planes and I also asked about a company that a friend of ours started.  He has passed on but his son now runs it.  He was right around the corner!  I've known Nathan since he was a baby!

After visiting, we went on to see the missions groups.

In 1992, we went to Zaire (now Congo) to visit friends who were with MAF (Mission Aviation Fellowship).

Why mission aviation?  They fly in rugged and difficult places all over the world where one can't reach easily otherwise.  They transport Bible translators, doctors, aid workers and fly sick and injured to hospitals to be treated.  They take missionaries to their posts and fly missionary kids to schools.

After talking with some of the missionary pilots, we walked back to the missions' tent.  Sophie got right to work as it was dinnertime.

These people stay with local families during the week.   Staying in hotels would be way too costly.  A friend of Sophia's kept mentioning that "Uncle Terry" stays with them each year.  Come to find out, he isn't really their uncle but he IS from our town in Kansas!!  We were introduced to him and we figured out that he was our paperboy back in the early '80s!  And his grandparents were founders of the church we attended when we first moved to our town!  Small world!

What a thrilling day it was.