The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same.

Dana & Jan Ham are from Claremore, Oklahoma. They arrived at AirVenture this year on Saturday before the show began and planned to stay until Friday.

They drove to Wittman Field this year, making the 16 hour trip in their camper which theyÕve parked in Camp Scholler. In some years theyÕve made the trip in their Cessna 172.

TheyÕve come to the Oshkosh fly-in "seven or eight" times since the mid 80s. During the rest of the year they fly "a lot of short trips for supper or lunch. To places about 100-200 miles away."

Their home base is a private strip called Sageeyah near Claremore. ItÕs a 2500 foot grass strip that has about 8-10 planes based there. They are members of EAA Chapter 10 in Owasso. "We do lots of Young Eagles flights and weekend fly-out. ItÕs a fun chapter"

Toys, toys, toys. The man from Cincinnati had spread his blanket out in the shade of the C Exhibits Hangar and was having a GPS picnic.

With the box and packing material spread to his left, he had his new color GPS in his lap, and the open manual at the ready. He was happily pressing the buttons on his new toy.

"They gave me a deal," he said. "I already had the older version and I liked it. But they let me trade it in on the newer model so I did."

He who takes-off with the most toys in the cockpit wins.

Seaplane Friends. Way down south, past the hangar cafˇ, past the ultralight area, past the little creek, is the South 40. Late arriving visitors to AirVenture park and camp down there next to final for runway 36.

Warbirds were departing over our heads, getting ready for the big afternoon show, as I chatted with Bob Ziegler and Faye Ness who, with their spouses, Barbara and Jerry, are Oshkosh friends who meet here each year.

Bob has been attending the fly-in for 23 years. Although he still loves coming here, he misses the days when Paul Poberezney was more involved. "Paul is a very warm guy. He would make you feel like youÕre a good buddy."

Bob has been flying for 30 years. He first came to Oshkosh in a Cessna 195. He and his wife are from Nauvoo, Illinois. This year heÕs here in his Lake Renegade amphibian. He also owns a Cessna 441 Conquest.

Faye and her husband have come to Oshkosh since 1973. Although sheÕs not a pilot herself she enjoys the amphib lifestyle. They came to AirVenture 2001 in their J3 Cub floatplane, from their home in Rapid River, Michigan.

Faye and JerryÕs Cub is parked over at the Vette Seaplane Base. Bob and Barbara park their Lake here at Wittman. But both couples divide their time between the two locations. "The two places have a very different feeling," says Bob. "The seaplane base is very quiet and laid back. But this is where all the action is."

Bob is a member of EAA Chapter 700. HeÕs been with the chapter the longest of all its current members. "IÕve done just about everything in the chapter at one time or another."

Chapter 700 has about 50 members and is pretty active. They visit every memberÕs project at least once each year, they do two Young Eagles rallies, and they do about three fly-outs for lunch each year.

Some things never change. Dave and Kit Croson came to AirVenture this year in their Cessna Turbo 206 amphibian float-plane. They fly out of Fairfield Field, near their home in Lancaster, Ohio.

Dave says this is his first time to the Oshkosh fly-in, although he did attend many years ago when he was a teenager. His strongest memory of that visit: "It was hot!" His reaction now, many years later? "ItÕs awesome!"

Dave has recently become involved with the AirLifeline program, flying patients and medical supplies around the country.

HeÕs owned land-based aircraft in the past, including Grumman Cheetah and Traveler, but he enjoys the amphibian lifestyle. "Recently we were visiting near Toronto, and it was pretty cool to be able to pick up my IFR departure clearance while floating out in the bay."

Although this is their first Oshkosh, Dave and Kit have attended Sun Ōn Fun for a few years. They enjoy the Lakeland fly-in but are definitely impressed with AirVenture. "ItÕs clearly bigger. So much more going on here." His favorite thing this year: "The B-17 is always the best."