N5883Z – Short Wing Piper Club

SWPC at AirVenture

EAA’s Air Venture 2013 wrapped up nearly a month ago but it’s always fun to see some more pictures and hear more updates from the event. So here you go…

Clete Cisler, who manages our table in the Type Club Building, reported that he had 85 signatures of SWPC members who were in attendance with or without their aircraft. Helping Clete spread the SWPC from our booth were SWPC President, Connie Stevens, Darren Whipple from the Rochester area (who helped out several days and for at least the last four years) and Dan Simpson and Joe Carter. Clete adds, “Eleanor had the [Short Wing Piper] News delivered to my house well in advance and all issues including some left over from last year were passed out. Also all the brochures of the Short Wings were gone. All in all it was a good year.”

SWPC President Connie Stevens wrote that during AirVenture they signed up about 15 new applicants. Many of them decided to take part in a special membership deal (details to be posted on the website soon) that offered a discount if they decided to get the Short Wing Piper News in digital format instead of hard copy. She adds, “Thanks to Clete Cisler of GreenBay WI. Clete has volunteered for many years representing SWPC at AirVenture. He manages the SWPC table in the Vintage Aircraft Building not far from the Past Champions display where 3 Short Wings stood proudly for all to see and enjoy the efforts of their owners.”

Jerry Isbell noted on our SWPC Facebook page that he checked the awards listings. Here is what he wrote: “…So I had time to do some computer searching for the award winners at AirVenture 2013. There was not a single short wing Piper on the list. And I saw several great looking short wings there. Next year I hope we have as good a turn out as this year at our camp near the Hangar Café…”

I, too, did a search of the AirVenture winners. Jerry is correct, there wasn’t a Short Wing listed among the winners for 2013. I noticed that one of our SWPC members, Jim Younggren (who was featured in his local newspaper – the story mentions his Pacer, the SWPC and our 2012 Convention in Ogden) won a Bronze Lindy with for his 1951 Piper PA-18.

It would be great to see a Short Wing Piper in the list of winners in 2014. Get your Short Wing ready and start making plans for AirVenture 2014!

To get you excited for next year, here’s a slideshow of AirVenture pictures. Thanks to Short Wing Family members Amber McKernan, Daniel Miller, Constance Stevens and Jerry Isbell for sharing your photos with us.

Click on any picture to view full size or to start a slideshow.

SWPC at AirVenture

It’s opening day at EAA’s AirVenture 2013 and there’s a lot of Short Wings on the field and a good number of our Short Wing Family already enjoying OshKosh!

If you are looking for a place to connect with other SWPC members, want to find out information about joining the SWPC or have questions about Short Wing Piper airplanes, be sure to stop by our SWPC table in the Type Club building located in the Vintage Hangar about 100 feet south of the VAA Red Barn.

Here’s a couple of reports from the field from SWPC members and some new pictures.

Amber & Tom McKernan arrived at OSH on Sunday evening. They flew their 1963 Colt in from New York and are Parked in Row 101 E in Vintage next to a 172 Cessna from Oklahoma. Here’s what Amber had to say on our Facebook page:

“Home for the next week! Dry and partly sunny…a perfect day. It is especially nice after the rather miserable evening weather yesterday. Thank goodness for a space blanket from our on-board survival kit. Nice and cozy…crinkly, but toasty warm.

McKernanColt — Tom & Amber McKernan’s 1963 Colt, N5883Z, all ready for a fun time at AirVenture 2013

Met another Piper Colt owner last night a few rows up. We traded stories of enjoying the quirks of these fine little planes that get us where we want to go (at a leisurely pace).

The crowds are coming in at a steady pace, and most trams to get from place to place on the grounds are full of riders. Spoke with a gentleman from Korea on the blue tram. His companions were here for the first time; it is his second. I am always impressed by the ease with which complete strangers strike up conversations here. We have met so many great people here in the few years we’ve been coming.

Our campsite is by the taxiway where the big airshow planes do their run-up and get ready to head out each morning. They sound like a nest of angry hornets…..I love that sound!”

Amber also reported early Monday afternoon that the general aircraft camping and parking areas are both 70% full. If you want to check on the latest Aircraft Parking, click HERE

Bryan Hunt from Illinois made it to OshKosh on Saturday morning with his Pacer, N4763A. Look for Bryan’s Pacer in Row 74w.

Bryan Hunt's 1956 Pacer, N — Bryan Hunt’s 1956 Pacer, N4763A.

Look for Jerry Isbell’s Pacer along with a bunch of other Short Wingers from all over the country in Rows 63 and 64W.

Here’s a couple of Facebook reports from Jerry:

Sunday, July 28th: “Our more shortwings arrived Sunday and one Apache. Two pilots yet to arrive. Great visiting and a group dinner last night; we hired a school bus to take us there. It is still cold and Saturday night I was bundled up in the sleeping bag. We are parked in two rows west of the Hangar Cafe.

Sunrise — View of 63 &64W from Sunday July 28th, the day before AirVenture 2013 opened.

Here’s Jerry’s report from Monday morning, July 29th: “AirVenture day one has arrived. Two more ShortWings due in, one from Idaho one from Vermont. Low clouds with nice holes to let the sunshine in. By afternoon our clan will be complete.”

AirVenture 2013 Wrap-up

SWPC at AirVenture

Short Wings at AirVenture – Day One

SWPC at AirVenture