EAA is awesome; PM/email before your next trip, would not mind starting a group of local BMW buddies with some common interests other than the car make.

Insane story about EAA; in the 80s we went the day after it was over (got the date wrong). Best EAA trip *of ever*. After walking half a mile across an empty field parking lot, came across a fence that seemed to go a mile every way w/o a gate and hopped over (was more of a crowd control than 'keep off the runway' kinda fence) and was able to approach one of the only TWO planes remaining; and Antov AN-124, that was open in the back for people to walk in. We climbed in and while wondering around a russian crew member came down from the 'loft' above and one of my friends who knew enough russian to get by talked with him a bit...

2 minutes later we were invited to the cockpit to take turns at the controls and take pictures... almost better is the part that the plane was parked perpendicular and nearly nose-to-nose with a C5 galaxy so that was MOST of the view out the cockpit of the AN-124.

Helova 'missed the EAA by a day' situation, talk about a 'save'. I have to track down those photos.