RV enhancements, bagpipers, and the world's greatest boss.

Bill Noel and his son Alex are sitting on the grass next to their silver RV-4. Planes are arriving on nearby runway 36 and they're enjoying the show.

They flew to AirVenture 2003 from their home field, Aero Country Airport near Dallas Texas. The trip took most of the day on Saturday. One of their fuel stops was at Portage Wisconsin. While they were filling up, two Titan Tornados, also enroute the AirVenture, stopped for fuel. Amazingly, when Bill and Alex stopped at Portage last year on the way to Oshkosh, the same two Tornados dropped in that day too.

Bill has been attending AirVenture since 1993, Alex since '98.

Bill bought the RV in 1997. Although it was finished and airworthy when he got it, he's made extensive enhancements to it since then. For example, he's rebuilt the landing gear, added electric flaps, and is building a new horizontal tail.

"The tail is the first thing you build on an RV, so it's the part most likely to be built poorly." On his the vertical part of the tail is in fine shape, but the horizontal is not up to his standards.

Before getting the RV Bill had a Cherokee 180 which he flew for six years.

Bill has been a pilot since 1990. He's also an A&P, and he works for Gulfstream doing certifications. Alex is only 14, but already an avid flying enthusiast. He's logged alot of unofficial stick time, and expects to solo and get his license as early as possible.

Bill and Alex's favorite memories of AirVenture include the visits by the Concorde, and their memories of the performances by the French Connection.

"The planes are cool," Bill says. "But it's really about the people, the friends we meet here each year."

"It's like a big family," says Alex.

Wayne Rogers' airplane looks a little unusual at first glance, until he explains that it is a Tri-Pacer that has be restored to taildragger configuration.

Wayne flew in from Meadow Mist Airpark in Bellingham Washington. Meadow Mist is a residential airpark, and although Wayne doesn't live there, he rents a hangar from one of the residents who doesn't fly.

Wayne and his girlfriend's nephew, Tommie Taylor, are both first-timers to AirVenture. While stopping at Sand Point Idaho on their way to Oshkosh this year they met 3 Cubs, a Champ and a Luscombe all on their way to the Fly-In.

Wayne first started flying in 1971, but stopped in 1978. A year ago he rediscoverd flying and is loving it.

Tommie is only 14 but is an active member of his local CAP Squadron. Although he doesn't go on actual missions, he's been involved with search and rescue training. His Squadron is located at Bellingham International Airport.

By the way, if you're wandering the flightline south of the Theatre in the Woods and you think you hear bagpipes, it might be Wayne. He brought along his set of "Fireside Pipes" which are a small set of regular bagpipes. Wayne is such an avid bagpiper that his email address is "flyingpiper".

Robert Chavez and Theresa Pacheco have the best boss in the world. With their friend Jim Berget, they flew to AirVenture 2003 in a Twin Bonanza owned by Benson-Montin-Greer Drilling. Robert is the company pilot and spends the rest of the year flying employees of the oil company. But company president Al Greer lets Robert and Theresa borrow the Beech, as well as the company's Cheyenne 40 and Cesna 421, for various adventures.

All three of this group are pilots, Theresa has been flying since 1982, Robert since '72 and Jim is the novice, starting in '91. Jim may not have as great a boss as Robert and Theresa, but he gets by with his own "hot rod 182" with a 300 hp engine.

One of their most vivid memories of past AirVenture is from 1999 when we had multiple days of 100 degree weather. Like so many others they suffered through days of that heat but left early, only to get home and discover that the temp had dropped down into the 70s the day after they left.

All three fly out of Four Corners Municipal Airport in Farmington, New Mexico.