Here's my disappointment... I had trimmed this oak back prior to my plans for airlayering it. I was stunned to see absolutely NO back budding on any branches, with the exception of the very top apex area, and very low on the trunk. I even had new buds pop through the very thick corking at the base of the tree, but nothing in the middle.
At this point I am still planning on proceeding with air-layer plans, but I have to hope that I will get new growth somewhere on the trunk or I may lose the trunk when I separate the airlayer. The small branches are almost completely dead now - at least they show now signs of budding, though they are still somewhat flexible and have not dried out. I may try defoliating the tree completely to see what I get. The apex is so ridiculously strong right now I am not worried about losing the tree.