A Tuesday Night I’ll Never Forget
Oshkosh is always a mix of the familiar and the unexpected—a microcosm of everyday life squished into one remarkable week.
Annual Traditions
Each year brings its set of rituals. For the restorers, it’s deep-fried cheese curd tacos and Wentz’s runs, along with the Friday night luau another restoration family hosts.
For me, it’s WomenVenture Wednesday: the WIAI breakfast, the annual photo, and the Power Lunch at Theater in the Woods. You can read more about last year’s WomenVenture traditions here.
Add in the ABS dinner on Tuesday night—always the same night as our restoration shop’s fajita dinner—and you have the balancing act that is AirVenture.
Catching Up and Networking
This year’s Tuesday was a study in that balance. I found myself under various shade-producing devices, catching up with a former colleague from my ORD days. We swapped stories of careers and family, enjoying a pause in the middle of the Oshkosh bustle.
Networking has always been a quiet but steady thread through my aviation life.
In this case, a “friend of a friend” reached out on LinkedIn years ago, and before long we were working together. Now she’s thriving as a dispatcher at a major airline, and I couldn’t be happier for her.
Back to Camp
That evening, the restorer mentioned we needed to be back early from the ABS dinner because a previous owner of Mama’s Chief would be at the shop’s dinner. The restorer’s comment said everything: make it work.
I thought I was ready. But nothing prepared me for the moment that followed.
The Numbers Return
In his hands were the numbers from Mama’s Chief.
I could hear the other restorer retelling the story, though his words washed over me in the way Charlie Brown’s teachers sound—muted and distant.
My focus was entirely on what I saw.
His eyes were kind. Grateful.
And suddenly, I couldn’t stop the tears.
This piece of Mama I never imagined would return was now resting in my hands.
Did my uncle know what he was starting when he told me about this airplane as a child? Did Mama ever imagine her Chief would carry such a legacy?
You can read more about this moment, and what it meant to me, in an EAA piece: Reuniting with Family: Aeronca.
Kismet
Life is full of small, amazing moments. This one—what another volunteer called “kismet”—felt like more than chance.
It felt like Mama, Daddy, and my uncle sending love from beyond the horizon.
Related Reading
First Chief Flight Reflection – experiencing the Chief in the air
Mama’s Chief Alignment – progress in the restoration journey
IA Renewal and Symposium – learning more about preserving vintage aircraft
Huey Transport and Installation – another emotional restoration milestone
WomenVenture Reflections – tradition, community, and inspiration at Oshkosh
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