OshkoshMemoriesMY 50 YEARS OF OSHKOSH

BY MARK CLARK

aving grown up in Rockford, I was familiar with EAA and excited to arrive at the new convention site as a young, pretty green warbird pilot. I was 19 years old with maybe 75 hours of T-6 and SNJ time.

I showed up with my newly painted SNJ. In the early years of Oshkosh, the majority of warbirds were not painted in warbird colors. How things have changed in 50 years. The outstanding restorations of recent years have con-tributed to the fun and excitement of the show.

Here are a few of the things that were note-worthy these first few years.

• Got the award for most improved T-6 in 1970.

• I had a great paint job, but a weak battery that was only good for a few starts. So, every night we had to take it out and carry it to the hotel where we put it on the charger overnight.

• Flew several times every day. Briefings usu-ally lasted about 10 minutes — who was going, who’s following who, what we were going to do and how soon can we take off, and who is paying for gas.

• 1971 fly-out to Playboy Club in Lake Geneva — met on the ramp with costumed Bunnies offering champagne for the pilots and crew. Darn — pilots can’t drink, and I was not old enough for a few years.

• Warbirds headquarters was a borrowed house trailer.

• You could actually find warbirds parts in the Fly Market.

• Bob Hoover doing laps in the Holiday Inn pool every morning.

• Holiday Inn OSH (long gone) hospitality room. That was the evening place for every-one. Lots of missions flown there, and lots of problems solved.

• My childhood friend Mike Carlson who con-tinues to this day to be an Oshkosh fan and great help to Courtesy Aircraft has been there for almost all of the conventions.

• The planes were great, but the people are what really made it fun, and there were some unforgettable characters.

H

Some of the names from the early years, in no particular order (there were lots of great people): Max Hoffman, John Baugh, Pete and Sue Parish, Steve Ramsey, Len Tanner, Fred Sebby (aka the world’s oldest teenager), Fred Webster, Paul Poberezny, the Chino Kids, Frank Sanders and family, Frank Strickler, Steve Schuelke, Dr. Burns Byram (who often left in the early morning hours in his Mustang to fly home to Iowa to deliver a baby), Tom Camp (well known for his formal), John Seidel, Wally Oakes, Denny Simpson, John Schaffhausen, Dick and Jeannie Dieter, George Enhorning, George Roberts, Dick Hendrickson, Austin Gibbons, Sanders family, Gunther Balz, Bill and Corky Fornoff, Randy Sohn, Bob Pond, Jerry Walbrun, Rudy Frasca, Bill Ross, Tom Wood, Tom Kuchinsky, and Jack and Jean Huisman. These and many other people were a part of the early years.

Here are a few little facts taken from review of early Warbirds of America newsletters.

September 1970 Warbirds newsletter reported on the business meeting held during the convention — cash on hand was $400. We have come a long way since then!

There was not a listing of the aircraft that attended in 1970, but in 1972 it was reported that 71 aircraft were there. 1973 there were 100 aircraft in attendance, and the numbers have only climbed higher ever since. Nothing beats flying a warbird, but flying a warbird into EAA AirVenture Oshkosh is nothing short of special!

Check out the digital edition of

Warbirds for a video on 50 years in Oshkosh.

24 JULY 2019 www.warbirds-eaa.org 25

Top: A lone Corsair awaits the arrival of other warbird types. Photo courtesy of EAA Archives

Middle Left: A beautiful Bearcat in a civilian paint scheme was the look of the day. Photo by Steve Williams

Middle Right: Frank Sanders wows the crowds with his Sea Fury and smoke twister routine. Photo courtesy of EAA Archives

Bottom: There was probably no other Mustang before or since that wore this unique paint scheme. Photo by James Buxton

Top Left: Rows of fighters fill the flightline at Oshkosh. Photo courtesy of EAA Archives

Top Right: Navy fighters on the ramp. Photo courtesy of EAA Archives

Middle: A late mark Spitfire displayed its graceful lines. Photo by Steve Williams

Bottom: Bill Ross’ P-38 was a longtime favorite at Oshkosh. Photo by James Buxton

26 JULY 2019 www.warbirds-eaa.org 27

Top Left: Paul Poberezny and a Playboy Bunny discuss the finer points of P-64 flying at the Lake Geneva fly-out. Photo courtesy of EAA Archives

Top Right: There is nothing better than a Boeing PT-17 Stearman to find some shade under. Photo by Steve Williams

Middle: A “naked” FM-2 Wildcat on takeoff at EAA Oshkosh 1970. Photo by Steve Williams

Bottom: A young Mark Clark showed up in a civilian scheme T-6 and walked away with a Most Improved T-6 award. Photo by Steve Williams

Top: Tom Wood in his Mustang was always a crowd favorite. Photo courtesy of EAA Archives

Middle: The EAA B-25 still wearing its original Catch-22 movie paint. Look for it at AirVenture 2019. Photo courtesy of EAA Archives

Bottom Left: One of the many Ducks that have made the pilgrimage to Oshkosh. Photo by Steve Williams

Bottom Right: A Skyraider graces the Warbirds area with folded wings. Photo courtesy of EAA Archives

28 JULY 2019 www.warbirds-eaa.org 29

Top Left: Fighters on the march. Photo courtesy of EAA Archives

Top Right: There is still something classy about a Mustang in civilian colors. Photo by Steve Williams

Middle: Blue Wisconsin skies and a P-51 on the go at Oshkosh. Photo courtesy of EAA Archives

Bottom: Aerial view gives a great perspective of just a small sampling of Oshkosh warbirds. Photo courtesy of EAA Archives

Top Left: P-47 Thunderbolt. Photo by James Buxton

Top Right: An EAA photographer poses in front of the P-64. Photo courtesy of EAA Archives

Middle: Thunderbolt and Lightning! Photo courtesy of EAA Archives

Bottom: The flying barrel — Grumman F3F. Photo by Steve Williams

www.warbirds-eaa.org 3130 JULY 2019

Top: A North Dakota Bird Dog showed up for the party. Photo by Steve Williams

Middle: Gunther’s Bearcat was a common sight for many years. Photo by James Buxton

Bottom Left: Bill Harrison (left) gets a cockpit checkout in a P-47. Photo courtesy of EAA Archives

Bottom Right: B-29 Fifi in its movie paint with a black bottom. Photo by James Buxton

Top: Concorde takeoff right over the Warbirds area. Photo courtesy of EAA Archives

Middle: Mustang row. Photo courtesy of EAA Archives

Bottom Left: Another civilian Mustang at EAA Oshkosh 1970. Photo by Steve Williams

Bottom Right: Cat flight — an F-14 Tomcat pulls up after being escorted by a Wildcat, Hellcats, and two Bearcats. Photo courtesy of EAA Archives

Check out the digital edition of Warbirds for a

photo gallery of 50 years in Oshkosh.

www.warbirds-eaa.org 3332 JULY 2019