Kirks Pictures from Oshkosh 2001

Let's start with the biggest of 'em!

What I think of as the queen mother of homebuilts. This Vickers replica is just plain huge. Everything, down to the last leather lace and brass hinge, is just right.

From the biggest to one of the lightest. Believe it or not: This is one of the fastest growing segments of aviation. Simple to operate, cheap to own, and can be packed down and transported in the back of a pickup truck. Watching them it seems it takes some practice to get the sail filled for takeoff, but after that it's easy sailing.

Love the paint job. This is apparently an F-18 painted to play the role of an adversary aircraft in training exercises. I'm imagining those would be Su-27's or Mig-29s, and wonder how well it can model them without their rumoured equipment. Still, mighty pretty plane against an impressive cloud scape.

One of the nicest parts of the Oshkosh scene is the seaplane base. A 10 minute bus ride takes you too a place far away from the usual hot hustle and bustle of the main portionof Osh. Time to lean back against a tree, breath cool air from off the lake, and just watch the sun paint the scenery.

The performers at Oshkosh are always top notch.

If the performers are great, then how can you describe the craftsmanship of the home built aircraft? Like the scheme or not, I had to admire the painstaking work this paint job had to require.

The picture doesn't really get this paint job across. I'm not fond of the vines and leaves, but the clouds on the nose were beautiful.

Purple scallops. If you're going to have a monster aerobatic biplane, why not go all out with it's paint job too?

I was after shots of color this year, and couldn't pass up this racing Corsair.

If I like colorful planes, then I love shiny ones. This is probably my favorite shot from this year, so I saved it for last.