Happening right now as this is written …a young pilot, with impressive support from his father and sister, is flying to Oshkosh. Have you ever done it? I’ve frequently had the pleasure to fly into KOSH during the show. Every time, it’s been an eye opening experience, literally and figuratively. See this article describing one such experience. Now, imagine making such an epic arrival in an ultralight aircraft… ‘er vehicle, cruising at 40-50 mph. Of course, a Part 103 ultralight means flying solo, so you do your own head-swiveling to look for traffic. Your planning better be solid to make this a reasonable task. Go even further and imagine doing all this while you are 14 years old! Sound crazy? Yeah, it might seem that way but in an hour-long conversation with father William Scott, I came to admire the preparation for son Henry Scott‘s flight.
Flying Into Oshkosh — An Eye-Opener, but What If You Were Really Young, and in an Ultralight Aircraft?
Aerolite 103 manufacturer Dennis Carley seen making the final approach to landing on the ultralight strip at Oshkosh (upper left). Multiple turns are required on final.
Epic Ultralight Flight
At age nine, visiting with Dad, Henry asked, "Could I fly [into Oshkosh]?" That question alone puts Henry in a class of his own. Most kids that age are playing with dinosaur toys, not asking about flying into the world's busiest airport.Henry Scott in flight in his Aerolite 103.
Typical Henry Scott Flight Plan
For most pilots, a 700-mile cross country would be a good voyage. Commonly, though, they would complete the trip with two or three stops. As you can see from the map and read below, Henry had to plan approaches and landings many times while dad and sister raced along in the ground chase vehicle.Detail of the Aerolite 103 by talented artist Rich Jennings.
Minor repair to nosewheel steering linkage shows this is a family affair.