Newbie question about Oshkosh

Hi friends,
I'm fairly new to these forums, but love these airplanes and can't wait to start building one. I think I'm going to make my first visit to Oshkosh this year, and have a quick question: What is the last day at Airventure like? This year, it's Sunday August 1st. Are all the vendor booths still up and running? Workshops, etc? I'm planning to have a few days there, but don't want to have this be one of them if everything is starting to shut down. Thanks for your thoughts!

I'm definitely looking forward to meeting lots of you and checking out some of your handiwork!

Thanks,
Mark

My observation is that a lot of RVs seem to arrive
early in the week and leave before the weekend.
Of course, there will be some there all week.

I don't know much about vendors on the weekend

Tom

As Tom mentioned, Monday through Wednesday are the when most of the RVs are parked. Many start leaving on Wednesday.

The workshops are per the schedule that will be published on the EAA site and do continue through the last weekend. You can review the schedule a couple weeks in advance.

The vendor exhibits will still be open, but most of the people manning the booths will be exhausted. I typically leave on Saturday, so I can't speak to the experience you may have the last weekend.

While you can have a great time later in the week, I would attempt to go as early as you can. If you are only spending a few days, there is no way you'll be able to see everything. If you are wanting to look at other RVs, you'll want to be there the first of the week to ensure you get the most aircfraft to see.

If you are looking for a demo ride, be sure to head to the Van's tent the first. The slots fill up qucikly.

Since Louise and I were both "working the show" for our employers last year, we stayed until the bitter end....and were practically the last RV out on Sunday. EXTREMELY lonely by that day.....

Agree with Bob L. - there's a crowd turnover that takes place around Thursday/Friday and we also usually leave Saturday. Might be different this year since Saturday night will have a night air show! I know we're giving serious thought about staying for that!

Bob
RV-10 N442Pm

Thanks for the information guys. Tremendously helpful!

Mark, I went to Oshkosh one year back when it started on a Thursday and the last day was the following Wednesday. As usual, I showed up early and camped till the weekend, then left.

Because I was off on Wednesday then, I decided to hop into the Yankee and fly back up for the last day. It was really depressing -- kinda like a Baby Gap. Almost all of the planes were gone, with just ghosts of airplanes in the grass where people had trampled the grass flat. Vendors were mostly around, but packing up. It was a pointless trip.

It may be different nowadays, with it starting on Monday and finishing on the weekend, but since most people have to travel on the weekend, it's still a ghost town at Oshkosh on the last day, I'll bet.

I've typically visited on Friday and Saturday, since work makes it hard to get away earlier in the week. I've always sensed that I'm missing some things that go on earlier in the week, but if those are the only days you can make it, it's definitely still worth going. There have always been a good supply of RV's to ogle and the vendors may have more time to chat since they're less busy.

A lot of the vintage planes have left by the end of the week, and I'm sure it is slower paced by then.

I'm hoping to make it for day 1 with my wife this year - she wants to see 14,000 airplanes arriving on the same day!

I also really like being at OSH on Sunday.
Lots of arrivals.
Tom

grifmara said:

Hi friends,
I think I'm going to make my first visit to Oshkosh this year, and have a quick question: What is the last day at Airventure like? Thanks,
Mark

Click to expand...

I'm an old grey haired RV-6A Driver and this will be my 14th trip to "Air Venture". Back when I started going (1986) it was just called "EAA Oshkosh". Anyhow.............. It's been my experience that Tuesday PM and Wednesday AM are the time to be there if you want to walk the "RV Lot", look at and study RV's!

I usually arrive on Wednesday and leave on Saturday. By late Thursday and Friday the crowd has thinned somewhat making it easier to view the exhibits without being punched in the ribs and/or having your pocket picked >)!

Hope this helps,

twsurveyor said:

It's been my experience that Tuesday PM and Wednesday AM are the time to be there if you want to walk the "RV Lot", look at and study RV's

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I've been attending Airventure for only the past 3 years, and now preparing for my 4th trip and have also noticed that Tuesday and Wednesday seem to be the 'peak homebuilt' aircraft days, with a sizable exodus at the end of the day on Wednesday when the runways open back up after the conclusion of the airshow.

Oshkosh

I have been out of town for the past couple of weeks and might have missed the specific posting? Do not know. However, are we as a group going to be camping together again up at Oshkosh? Just wondering if it was going to happen again like last year. I am coming up on Wednesday thru Friday this year.
Thanks

Allan Stern

I have volunteered with EAA in Flight Line Operations since 1987, and have come to find that predicting when things happen at OSH is sometimes an exercise in futility...but having said that, much of what already has been said is very true.

A lot depends on the weather around the country, stalled out fronts can cut off a whole section of the country, and can change the whole dynamic from year to year.

The last day, Sunday, is as people have already said, quite depressing in many ways. People are tired, wanting to pack up, and has the atmosphere of the carnival packing up and leaving town. Having said that, I've been able to score some awesome deals wandering around that last afternoon, after I've already scoped it out and know what I want...that is really the only "up" side. (other than the big wind down party that EAA throws for all the volunteers, that is a big UP side!).

The weekend before, try going to Brodhead in southern WI, to see the alternative OSH (the Hatz and Pietenpol fly in), and then go for the early week at OSH and budget more than one day!

Regards,
Ryan in Madison
N154AB RV-3A

Workshops on Sunday

Mark,

One of your questions was workshop schedules. During the week there are Sheetmetal, Composite, Fabric, Welding and other trades workshops scheduled twice a day, a session in the AM and PM. I volunteer at the Sheetmetal workshop and we typically cancel the afternoon session on Sunday. The morning sessions starts at 8:00 or 8:30.