Oshkosh B'gosh

I have spent the last week or so mentally, physically, academically, organizationally, emotionally, and practically getting ready to fly with my pilot husband to Airventure: http://www.eaa.org/en/airventure. Airventure is what I like to call "Woodstock for Aviators," a week-long festival in which more than 10,000 airplanes gather at what is usually a small airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin for airshows, workshops, lectures, formal and informal gatherings, and airshows. There is every type of aircraft you can imagine from small Cessna 182s and Diamond DA20s to private jets to even a DC10 that doubles as a hospital. There are old and new warplanes, sleek planes used in airshows, and biplanes that require a leather helmet and goggles (and I think a silk scarf and leather jacket, but that's just my opinion). There are even a number of "experimental aircraft," many of which people have built themselves from kits. In addition to tens of thousands of airplanes lined up in various parts of the field, hundreds of thousands of people show up, and many of them camp out. The most sought-after camping spot is next to one's very own airplane, especially if it is a high-wing, because then you can sit under the wing and benefit from some shade. This is what we will be doing with our Cessna 182, hopefully as of Friday morning. We are leaving the New York area tomorrow and heading to the Canadian side of Niagara Falls, followed by Chicago, and ultimately the unique experience of flying into Oshkosh, a one-of-a-kind busy moment which requires intensive study of the NOTAM (Notice To Airmen) and understanding that the air traffic controllers will be talking to you and telling you what to do and you will be rocking your wings and not talking back because there is too much activity on the frequency. The results of this intensive study also require understanding that what ATC may say to you will likely involve landing on a brightly colored dot on the runway rather than getting to take the whole thing because there are so many aircraft arriving. We did this once before two years ago and it was extremely exciting to see all the planes around us, feel our wings rocking, and to land on a neon green dot, which was huge once we were on the ground. As I prepare for this trip, consulting my packing list which includes items like my passport, my logbook, a pillow I don't care much about since it will get dirty from sleeping on the ground, and a fancy dress for a special dinner on Mackinac Island on the way home once the camping portion is over, I am reflecting on how different my life is from two years ago when I first participated in this adventure. Sure I could follow up with the obvious commentary about being married now, or even mention that I am preparing to apply for tenure at my academic institution - both momentous life events. However, my life seems most different because I have been learning to fly. I can say today is that I officially have 39.8 flight-training hours. That missing .2 - 12 minutes - is really irritating me as I pack and think about the activities I'd like to do and the conversations I will be having with the people I meet, many of whom will be supportive that I am a student pilot and will ask the same questions that my friends and family check in about regularly: "How many hours do you have? How much longer do you think it will be? Have you soloed yet?" Unlike getting older, where 40 is something you avoid and screech the brakes toward, 40 here is a milestone. 40 is a nice round flying number, and it's also the minimum number of hours required to obtain your private pilot's license. Weather, plane repairs, my husband needing to take the plane himself, and general life have just gotten in the way the past couple of weeks, or I would likely have 43 or 44 hours, which of course would be even better than 40. But I have 39.8. I've even been wondering is there a way I could go up in one of the warbirds or showplanes that you pay for rides in and convince them to let me fly left-seat and sign off my logbook for me. Regardless of my missing those 12 minutes, I am excited and nervous to go to Airventure for the first time as a student pilot, as a part of a very special community. I am even more excited to represent the small percentage of women who are pilots, working on becoming pilots, or simply fantasizing about it and not sure how to begin. I may even tell people about The Wannabe Aviatrix!