Hanging by a Thread: A Kite’s View of Wisconsin

Experimentation

A Kite’s View of Wisconsin 61 experimentation Airplanes were always under construction in the garage when I was growing up. I had a small hand in those projects; I held the “dumb end” of the tape measure, caught Sitka spruce as it came out of the table saw, and stitched fabric to wings. I earned lots of plane rides and annual pilgrimages to the Mecca of sport aviation—Oshkosh, Wisconsin. I was honored when the Experimental Aircraft Association asked to exhibit a collection of my kite aerial photos in the AirVenture Museum. During that show, I approached the museum director about flying a kite and making photos at the EAA convention. I was somewhat surprised when he said he thought it was a good idea and would see what he could do to make it happen. So, I found myself flying my home-built kite, dangling a camera over priceless airplanes at the heart of the largest aircraft gathering in the world. Adam, the museum director—my chaperone—talked constantly on the phone to the control tower, flight operations, airport security, and EAA officials. He choreographed a dance for my twenty-foot kite in an airspace crowded with commercial traffic, air-show flights, ultralights, and helicopters. When I finished the shoot and landed my kite and camera safely back on the ground, I was thankful but amazed that EAA allowed me to fly a kite up in that airspace. There was still room in this world for adventure and innovation. Then it struck me; the EAA is all about experimentation and adventure—it says so right in its name— and much of that experimentation started out in people’s garages. These are my kind of people. 62 hanging by a thread Aero Shell Square, center stage at EAA Fly-In, Oshkosh • Aero Shell Square, en primer plano en el EAA Fly-In, Oshkosh • Aero Shell Square, Mittelpunkt der Flugshow EAA Fly-In, Oshkosh • A Kite’s View of Wisconsin 63 EAA Homebuilt parking areas • Áreas de estacionamiento EAA Homebuilt • Parkbereiche für EAA-Selbstbauflugzeug • 64 hanging by a thread EAA Homebuilt camping section • Secciones para acampar EAA Homebuilt • Campingbereich für EAA-Selbstbauflugzeuge • A Kite’s View of Wisconsin 65 (above) Autumn colors, Cazenovia • (arriba) Colores de otoño, Cazenovia • (oben) Herbstfarben, Cazenovia • (right) Holy cow! • (a la derecha) ¡Alguien me está viendo! • (rechts) Da staunen die Kühe! • 66 hanging by a thread A Kite’s View of Wisconsin 67 (left top) Farming contours, Belleville • (arriba a la izquierda) “Granjas curveadas”, Belleville • (links oben) Feldkonturen, Belleville • (left bottom) Windmill, Sauk County • (abajo a la izquierda) Molino de viento, Condado de Sauk • (links unten) Windmühle, Sauk County • (above) Ready for picking • (arriba) Listos para recoger • (oben) Erntereif • 68 hanging by a thread Schuster Farm, fall harvest, Deerfield • Granja Schuster, cosecha del otoño, Deerfield • Schuster Farm, Herbsternte, Deerfield • A Kite’s View of Wisconsin 69 Pumpkin pick, Iowa County • Recogiendo calabazas, Condado de Iowa • Kürbiswahl, Iowa County • Stockade, Aztalan State Park • 70 hanging by a thread A Kite’s View of Wisconsin 71 (left top) Whooping Cranes—the work of crop artist Stan Herd, Newburg • (arriba a la izquierda) Grullas ruidosas—la obra del artista de la cosecha Stan Herd, Newburg • (links oben) Schreikraniche - die Arbeit des Feldkünstlers Stan Herd, Newburg • (left bottom) Aldo Leopold Nature Center, Monona • (abajo a la izquierda) Centro Natural Aldo Leopold, Monona • (links unten) Naturzentrum Aldo Leopold, Monona • (above) Laux Cranberry Bogs, Harshaw, Oneida County • (arriba) Laux Cranberry Bogs, Harshaw, Condado de Oneida • (oben) Laux Cranberry-Sumpfbeete, Harshaw, Oneida County • 72 hanging by a thread A Kite’s View of Wisconsin 73 (left top) Hauge Log Church, Dane County • (arriba a la izquierda) Iglesia de Trozos de Madera Hauge, Condado de Dane • (links oben) Hauge Log-Kirche, Dane County • (left bottom) Dickeyville Grotto • (abajo a la izquierda) Dickeyville Grotto • (links unten) Dickeyville Grotto • (above) Long-term parking, Dickeyville Grotto Cemetery • (arriba) “Estacionamiento a largo plazo”, Cementerio Dickeyville Grotto • (oben) Langzeitparkplatz, Friedhof von Dickeyville Grotto • 74 hanging by a thread The High Ground, Viet Nam War Veterans Memorial, Neillsville • The High Ground, Monumento a los Veteranos de la Guerra de Vietnam, Neillsville • „The High Ground“, Denkmal für Vietnam-Kriegsveteranen, Neillsville • [18.117.153.38] Project...