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Oshkosh 2024
Two of us went to Oshkosh in my Bearhawk and had a third passenger “Lindy” on the way home
Three aircraft departed from St Andrews Manitoba for Duluth to clear customs on July 24. Our group included a 170, 182 and my Bearhawk with my friend Jim Gile as my co-pilot. Our true airspeed was about 137 MPH burning 40 ltr/hr (10.5 Us gal/hr) at 55% hp. The AWOS in DLH transmitted that it was VFR but when we contacted tower, they were not VFR. We circled for about ½ hr. then decided to head back north to Fort Francis to re-submit customs paperwork and fueled up. 3.8 hrs. We gained customs and landing approval then flew across the river to International Falls and cleared US customs .2 hrs. We flew from Internation Falls to Wautoma airtime 3.0 hrs., fueled up and waited till OSH was open for the evening incoming traffic. We circled for 1.1 hrs. then flew back to Wautoma and camped overnight.
Thursday morning we packed up camp and headed to Fisk arrival, weather was below limits for arrival, so we were in the hold for about 2.1 hrs, then the weather lifted, and we were allowed to land. Parked in the homebuilt camping area. Registered and submitted to have my Bearhawk judged.
Later that day a team of judges stopped to inspect my Bearhawk, I opened the cowl to let them look inside the engine compartment, after about ½ hr. they left. I went looking around EAA at the aircraft and displays.
I was checking out the center square displays when I got a phone call asking if I was willing to do an air-to-air photo shoot of course I said yes. A briefing was set up for Sat morn at 10 am so that got me wondering what was up.
When we arrived at camp later that afternoon after the airshow, I saw a white flag “AWARD WINNER” on my prop along with the red flag that had 14 judge’s initials on it with 3 red dots, WOW! I’ve been chosen for an award. I called my buddy Bob Matarelli from Duluth that was also at the EAA airshow and informed him that I was chosen for an award. While I was living in Duluth he would come over and help with the build, check out my work and provide a second set of eyes to make sure I was ready for the next stage of the build. He kept saying “you’re going to get a Lindy” with this one.
Saturday morning I just got started checking out the warbirds and got another call to do an Interview and static photo shoot at the airplane in 15 minutes. I scooted back to the Bearhawk and met the photographer, and the interviewer completed the interview, and the photographer took a whole bunch of pics.
As soon as that was done, we had to go to the briefing for the air-to-air photo shoot which was scheduled for Sun morning as we were departing OSH.
Jim, Bob and I attended the Award ceremonies at the homebuilt building at 6:30 Sat evening. They went through the Kit Outstanding Workmanship and Plans Outstanding Workmanship plagues then to the Kit Champions bronze Lindy then to Plans Built Champion Bronze Lindy, the second Name announced was George Huntington Bearhawk C-GSOI wow I won a Bronze Lindy Plans Built Champion.
Sunday morning departure and Air-to-air photo shoot, we packed up camp at 6am and taxied to an open area just to the south of the button of Runway 27. There, still more photos were taken and when that was completed. We taxied to RNY 27 took off and went into a hold over the bridge at Winneconne, circled for about 15 minutes. Then the C-210 camera airplane flew up to us and took the lead. We circled to the left for a couple 360’s to get the sunshine in the right area, some straight and level, up and down and a banking roll away to the left then, continued the flight to Cloquet for our first stop on the way home 2.5 hrs.
The weather was not cooperating as a line of thunderstorms prevented us from leaving Cloquet on Sunday, so we spent a night at the terminal in Cloquet. Such a nice airport with fuel and bicycles to use to go into town if need be. Spent some time looking at Tim Tollefson Rans homebuilt nearing completion. Bob returning home stopping in to see us and organized hangarage with Mike Ray a fellow homebuilder to hangar the Bearhawk overnight.
The next morning Monday the weather was still below VFR so waited couple hours till it cleared enough to go north and clear Canadian customs at Piney/Pinecreek an airport half on the US side and half on the Canadian side 2.0 hours.
Next to Oak Hammock Airpark just north of Winnipeg 0.8 hrs. Total airtime 15.5 hrs.
I wish to thank Bob Barrows for designing an excellent aircraft, supplying a great set of plans, and willing to sit and talk about the aircraft and little mods we did. The Bearhawk 4 place meets all my expectations and more,
Mark Goldberg for his knowledge and support throughout our build.
Cameron Lawrence and Ziggy Smolinski my build partners, together we have built 4 Bearhawks, so far 2 flying next one to fly this fall.
Special thanks to Jim Gile for his experience and patience helping me fly to Oshkosh as he has done this trip about 10 times already and this is my first time flying in.
Also Jarad Yates he gathers info for the newsletters and sends out the info to all the Bearhawk people, also started the Bearhawk store so we all could be properly dressed for any occasion.
Of course, I can’t leave the wife out for putting up with the build for 16 years.
And of course, EAA for hosting “Air Adventure Oshkosh 2024” and the judges for honoring my Bearhawk.
Three aircraft departed from St Andrews Manitoba for Duluth to clear customs on July 24. Our group included a 170, 182 and my Bearhawk with my friend Jim Gile as my co-pilot. Our true airspeed was about 137 MPH burning 40 ltr/hr (10.5 Us gal/hr) at 55% hp. The AWOS in DLH transmitted that it was VFR but when we contacted tower, they were not VFR. We circled for about ½ hr. then decided to head back north to Fort Francis to re-submit customs paperwork and fueled up. 3.8 hrs. We gained customs and landing approval then flew across the river to International Falls and cleared US customs .2 hrs. We flew from Internation Falls to Wautoma airtime 3.0 hrs., fueled up and waited till OSH was open for the evening incoming traffic. We circled for 1.1 hrs. then flew back to Wautoma and camped overnight.
Thursday morning we packed up camp and headed to Fisk arrival, weather was below limits for arrival, so we were in the hold for about 2.1 hrs, then the weather lifted, and we were allowed to land. Parked in the homebuilt camping area. Registered and submitted to have my Bearhawk judged.
Later that day a team of judges stopped to inspect my Bearhawk, I opened the cowl to let them look inside the engine compartment, after about ½ hr. they left. I went looking around EAA at the aircraft and displays.
I was checking out the center square displays when I got a phone call asking if I was willing to do an air-to-air photo shoot of course I said yes. A briefing was set up for Sat morn at 10 am so that got me wondering what was up.
When we arrived at camp later that afternoon after the airshow, I saw a white flag “AWARD WINNER” on my prop along with the red flag that had 14 judge’s initials on it with 3 red dots, WOW! I’ve been chosen for an award. I called my buddy Bob Matarelli from Duluth that was also at the EAA airshow and informed him that I was chosen for an award. While I was living in Duluth he would come over and help with the build, check out my work and provide a second set of eyes to make sure I was ready for the next stage of the build. He kept saying “you’re going to get a Lindy” with this one.
Saturday morning I just got started checking out the warbirds and got another call to do an Interview and static photo shoot at the airplane in 15 minutes. I scooted back to the Bearhawk and met the photographer, and the interviewer completed the interview, and the photographer took a whole bunch of pics.
As soon as that was done, we had to go to the briefing for the air-to-air photo shoot which was scheduled for Sun morning as we were departing OSH.
Jim, Bob and I attended the Award ceremonies at the homebuilt building at 6:30 Sat evening. They went through the Kit Outstanding Workmanship and Plans Outstanding Workmanship plagues then to the Kit Champions bronze Lindy then to Plans Built Champion Bronze Lindy, the second Name announced was George Huntington Bearhawk C-GSOI wow I won a Bronze Lindy Plans Built Champion.
Sunday morning departure and Air-to-air photo shoot, we packed up camp at 6am and taxied to an open area just to the south of the button of Runway 27. There, still more photos were taken and when that was completed. We taxied to RNY 27 took off and went into a hold over the bridge at Winneconne, circled for about 15 minutes. Then the C-210 camera airplane flew up to us and took the lead. We circled to the left for a couple 360’s to get the sunshine in the right area, some straight and level, up and down and a banking roll away to the left then, continued the flight to Cloquet for our first stop on the way home 2.5 hrs.
The weather was not cooperating as a line of thunderstorms prevented us from leaving Cloquet on Sunday, so we spent a night at the terminal in Cloquet. Such a nice airport with fuel and bicycles to use to go into town if need be. Spent some time looking at Tim Tollefson Rans homebuilt nearing completion. Bob returning home stopping in to see us and organized hangarage with Mike Ray a fellow homebuilder to hangar the Bearhawk overnight.
The next morning Monday the weather was still below VFR so waited couple hours till it cleared enough to go north and clear Canadian customs at Piney/Pinecreek an airport half on the US side and half on the Canadian side 2.0 hours.
Next to Oak Hammock Airpark just north of Winnipeg 0.8 hrs. Total airtime 15.5 hrs.
I wish to thank Bob Barrows for designing an excellent aircraft, supplying a great set of plans, and willing to sit and talk about the aircraft and little mods we did. The Bearhawk 4 place meets all my expectations and more,
Mark Goldberg for his knowledge and support throughout our build.
Cameron Lawrence and Ziggy Smolinski my build partners, together we have built 4 Bearhawks, so far 2 flying next one to fly this fall.
Special thanks to Jim Gile for his experience and patience helping me fly to Oshkosh as he has done this trip about 10 times already and this is my first time flying in.
Also Jarad Yates he gathers info for the newsletters and sends out the info to all the Bearhawk people, also started the Bearhawk store so we all could be properly dressed for any occasion.
Of course, I can’t leave the wife out for putting up with the build for 16 years.
And of course, EAA for hosting “Air Adventure Oshkosh 2024” and the judges for honoring my Bearhawk.
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