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Repairs at AirVenture

walldan

Well Known Member
I have seen a few Facebook posts about how damaged aircraft are repaired at AirVenture. The got me thinking, I don’t live far from Oshkosh and if I had room, would it be viable/feasible to put together a parts/tools trailer that contained parts commonly damaged so that we could repair/replace parts on site?

I would be happy to do this for the community, but being a new builder don’t have the knowledge to know if it is feasible.

In addition, perhaps if we could come up with a heavy duty gust lock for RV’s. We could store and deliver them?

Daniel
 
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That’s a very generous thought, and the EAA has had it for many years! They have an outstanding facility and group of volunteers that provide “Emergency Aircraft Repair” on the grounds, and while they don’t have spare airframe parts (Murphy’s Law says that even if they had semi-loads of parts, they would’t have the right one when you needed it….), they have lots of tools and fabrication capabilities to fix things well enough to get home. And if you ned a component like a fuel pump or alternator, there are hundreds of your favorite vendors on site!
 
That’s a very generous thought, and the EAA has had it for many years! They have an outstanding facility and group of volunteers that provide “Emergency Aircraft Repair” on the grounds, and while they don’t have spare airframe parts (Murphy’s Law says that even if they had semi-loads of parts, they would’t have the right one when you needed it….), they have lots of tools and fabrication capabilities to fix things well enough to get home. And if you ned a component like a fuel pump or alternator, there are hundreds of your favorite vendors on site!

Thanks Paul. Looks like it is well covered. Wonder if there are any other services which could be provided? A couple of us thought about offering detailing services on the grounds. Not sure how if that would be possible either.
 
That's a very noble suggestion.

There is the Emergency Repair station operated by Chapter 75 volunteers near the Hangar Cafe. These folks have being doing this service for a very long time, check them out.
Back in 2000, I needed their help in stop drilling a crack that developed while taxiing to my camp spot (pre RV days, flimsy w/shield), I was very thankful that day for their assistance.

As for Airventure, there is probably no better place to suffer a break down, with all the support & resources available right there - knowledgeable folks, venders, huge social network...

As for stocking up a RV emergency response trailer, would be tough to do, just for the shear variety of components that could potentially fail in an RV. I have some experience in this in that I ran a RV builder assist/maintenance shop on our field for many years (now retired). I had responded to many RV AOG situations & usually was able to get them going quickly only because I seemed to always have the part they needed - in the hangar - as I usually had personal & customer projects on the go at any given time. I'd just yank the needed part off the shelf (or airframe) & replace it later (kind of a dicey thing to do now with parts availability & delivery problems these days).

Lets see what the collective thinks...
 
Maybe consider a mobile tent repair/replacement service. :)

One year, I actually took a bent aluminum tent pole to Emergency Aircraft Repair, and they were happy to let me use their bench vice to bend it back into shape….. full service! ;)

Paul
 
I designed a "Oshkosh-Rated" rudder gust lock. It is super simple. Works for the wedge TEs, but could be modded for the folded TEs. Pretty easy to make (mostly 3d printed). It is a simple female wedge with paracord that connects the rudder TE to Horizontal Stab. Putting the restraint out on the TE makes for a much stronger support than anything on the horns.
 
You're welcome

As part of the chapter 75 crew, you are all welcome! Our chapter has been running the EAR since the days at Rockford. In fact this was our 60th anniversary of helping our our fellow aviators.

However, as much as we like to help out we always say "we hope we never see you again!" because we certainly don't want to see broken airplanes! But if there is ever anything we can do to help please stop by!
 
As part of the chapter 75 crew, you are all welcome! Our chapter has been running the EAR since the days at Rockford. In fact this was our 60th anniversary of helping our our fellow aviators.

However, as much as we like to help out we always say "we hope we never see you again!" because we certainly don't want to see broken airplanes! But if there is ever anything we can do to help please stop by!


Awesome Paul, was actually checking out the website. I would love to donate some of my time during AV.

Daniel
 
One year, I actually took a bent aluminum tent pole to Emergency Aircraft Repair, and they were happy to let me use their bench vice to bend it back into shape….. full service! ;)

Paul

Last year they provided a tire tube patch for my son's bicycle too! it's a great service!
 
Wonder if there are any other services which could be provided? A couple of us thought about offering detailing services on the grounds.

Methinks this may be hard to do. Seems to me I remember seeing/reading/hearing EAA likes to get a piece of the $ pie, and be in control of what is going on during OSH.

Remember Doug's Taco Truck example?
 
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Like Paul mentioned, it might be hard to have the parts necessary for repair.
For us, the logistics of making another portable hose shop isnt in the cards. I had one, wasnt feasible, besides the bouncing around the equipment takes in the trailer.
Then the though occured to me--our production ship is at an airport. And planes can fly there. So getting the hose built and ready for someone wouldnt be that difficult, if some body with a plane wanted to take a quick flight to the Milwaukee area to pick it up.
HUM------might just have to think about that one.

Tom
 
Methinks this may be hard to do. Seems to me I remember seeing/reading/hearing EAA likes to get a piece of the $ pie, and be in control of what is going on during OSH.

Remember Doug's Taco Truck example?

And yet someone broke the code because this year there were at least 6 food trucks at various places on the grounds providing welcome meal variety from the usual fare.
 
And yet someone broke the code because this year there were at least 6 food trucks at various places on the grounds providing welcome meal variety from the usual fare.

I somehow suspect EAA got paid… either up front for it… or a percent….

To be honest I am not looking for $$$. Just was thinking about ways that I can give back to the aviation community. I know there is an EAA chapter that provides tie downs (not sure if the charge or how it works)…. Maybe we could do something similar with Heavy Duty Gust Locks (is someone can develop one)?
 
... Wonder if there are any other services which could be provided? A couple of us thought about offering detailing services on the grounds. Not sure how if that would be possible either.

You would need to talk to the EAA since it's their house, and their rules. There were a lot of big beautiful aircraft in the Vintage area, and I'd bet a few of those owners would have loved to have their aircraft detailed before being judged, or just after a rain shower.

Feedback I got from the people we brought over to EAR was very positive - good work, gents!
 
One year, I actually took a bent aluminum tent pole to Emergency Aircraft Repair, and they were happy to let me use their bench vice to bend it back into shape….. full service! ;)

Paul

That's a great idea, I never thought about using that resource for our tent repair. When the Saturday storm turned our tent poles into pretzels I went to Lowes in a commandeered Jeep and bought an aviation grade repair kit.
I stashed a piece of the orange pipe in HBC for anyone who needs to use it for repair in the future to support a snapped pole or bend back others. Made smooth jaw vice grips to clamp onto the poles as we bent them back into shape with the orange tube as an anti-kink pipe straightener.



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That’s a very generous thought, and the EAA has had it for many years! They have an outstanding facility and group of volunteers that provide “Emergency Aircraft Repair” on the grounds, and while they don’t have spare airframe parts (Murphy’s Law says that even if they had semi-loads of parts, they would’t have the right one when you needed it….), they have lots of tools and fabrication capabilities to fix things well enough to get home. And if you ned a component like a fuel pump or alternator, there are hundreds of your favorite vendors on site!

I used this service this year and they are great. I foolishly left my gust lock in the hager. Went there and they gave me a couple 2x4’s and a saw. A few minutes later i had two pieces to perfectly wedge between rudder pedals and bulkhead.

Larry
 
A quick kudos to the Chapter 75 Emergency Aircrart repair group. They helped me with a simple repair and the HB Welcome Wagon did a great job of supporting the effort as well.

System in place and some really great guys/gals to make it all happen!
 
Unfortinutlu there were a few bent planes. One RV-8 went on its nose (but no flip). I assume an engine / prop removal inspection is in order.

Worse was a part RV ( RV-4 I believe) that had the top of its rudder and top of Vertical Stab removed by another planes Prop.... :eek:

Glasair (tail dragger) pilot and his buddies were camping next to me at Sun N Fun this year. He told me about being marshalled at the show previous year and ran his wing leading edge into an immovable object. It was ultimately his fault. Damage was significant. He and buddies, one an engineer in composites, made a permanent repair in the field. So lesson learned. Watch where you taxi even if marshalled and travel and camp with a bunch of helpful expert aircraft mechanics. :D
 
My new Argentinian friends and site neighbors, in their white RV-7, LV-X610, wanted to perform a 100h inspection right on their spot in HBC… knowing of the Emergency Repair station, I took them there, and we asked if they could perform their maintenance there.
Happy to report that yes, since no aircraft in need of repairs present, they were allowed to, and had great support from the team there.

Well done and thanks guys :cool:
 
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