EAA AirVenture Oshkosh is on the bucket list for many pilots. It is a great event. Overwhelming even.
But the recently concluded Northwest Aviation Conference, held Feb. 25-26, 2023, in Puyallup, Washington, reminded me there are also great things at smaller regional and local events.
Not only is the schedule often filled with known speakers, the exhibit area plays host to companies that may not be exhibiting at Oshkosh or SUN ‘n FUN.
Feel it
For example, across from my display at the show was a new-to-me company, Feel Flight, which displayed the Feel Fight Grip. It’s a flight control grip with haptic feedback powered by an Angle of Attack (AOA) system.
A booth demonstration allowed me to feel, on my right hand, the haptic feedback when the plane is at Vy, Vx, or stalling, on my ring finger, middle finger, and index finger, respectively.
And if I’m making an uncoordinated turn to the right or left, haptic feedback is felt as well. It is a pretty cool system. Once I experienced it, I got it.
Of course, this isn’t a solution for everyone, but it is certainly a creative idea.
It requires a wing mounted AOA sensor that is connected via wire to a custom display unit that powers the haptic hand grip.
And according to the company’s president Jack Hohner, variations are in development, including a version that excludes the grip.
Through a bit of research after the show, I discovered Jack made a presentation at AirVenture 2018 as part of the EAA Founder’s Innovation Contest.
See it
Aviator Products is another item that is best seen in person.
Walk into most FBOs and you are likely to see a planning chart on a wall. Aviator Products makes it easy to hang a planning chart in your home or hangar — or both — that displays concentric rings depicting the distance from the airport of your choice.
While the website is informative, seeing it in person really drives home the beauty of the product.
Time to Chat
Like most shows, and I’ve been to a lot over the years, there are busy and less busy times. If you want to have time to really chat with a speaker, who is often also exhibiting, plan to make that happen and it is surprisingly easy.
On Sunday, I stopped by a presentation, “ForeFlight Real-World IFR Pro Tips,” by Gary Reeves. I’d guess he had 50 or so engaged attendees. Gary makes that easy, because he’s an experienced presenter.
Best of all, after his session, his booth was mere steps from the back of the presentation area, which allowed for a more nuanced discussion on a pilot’s particular matter.
The Northwest Aviation Conference hosted about 50 presentations, not including several IA seminars.
As fun and informative as it is to have the time to explore and chat with the various vendors and learn something new at presentations, meeting up with old — and new friends — is my favorite part of any show. The smiles, the stories, the animated discussions, and the introductions are the cherry on top.
By all means, go to AirVenture if you can, but don’t skip out on the local events. For most of us not living in Wisconsin, they are easier on the wallet and to get to.
Go explore locally.
A good place to start is check out the air show calendar prepared by the International Council of Air Shows and our own event calendar, powered by Social Flight.
