OSH veterans: help me choose when to go

[LettersFromFlyoverCountry]

Go on the days when it's going to be relatively cloudy.

[RV7Ron]

Go on the days when it's going to be relatively cloudy.

...but not raining

[ScottSchmidt]

This will be my 14th year in a row which still puts me at newbie status to many of you and typically I showed up around Wednesday. The last two years we showed up on Friday or Saturday before the show started and have had a blast.
When we arrived on Friday night (before the show started) last year the fields were still wide open. It was fun to watch them fill up through Saturday and Sunday. Everyone is excited and the energy level is a couple of notches higher.
The concert is great and all the booths are fully staffed with plenty of oil, t-shirts, hats and free promo stuff.

There is one advantage to coming on Wednesday or later though. We always were able to get a great camp spot because people start leaving on Wednesday. If you showed up on Monday and are camping, which I also highly recommend, you may just have a little longer walk but it really does not matter.
My first few years I would stay with relatives in Appleton and then stayed at a hotel for a couple of years before I realized how great the camping facilities are and how much fun it is just to hang out there. We would bring a tent with an inflatable mattress and have a great time. Lately we have been renting a motorhome or trailer that is all set up when we land which is nice but much more expensive. (but I also have my wife there for 8 days)

Like I've said before, Oshkosh is my favorite holiday, sorry Christmas.

[sprucemoose]

Originally Posted by gbrasch

Keep in mind that on some years, the airport has closed for new arrivals after the 1st day or 2, then opens back up. You might want to check a more official source than me on how often that happens, so you don't get hung up. This will be my 25th year, and I never get tired of going! Hope this helps. Glenn

Glenn hit it on the head. If you are flying a spam can (still better than driving or walking!) then it is really a **** shoot getting in on Monday or Tuesday. If you're in a showplane (homebuilt, antique, or P-51) then you will always get a spot on the field. Granted, it might not be a great spot if you get there late, but it will be a spot on KOSH.

I would come Monday and leave Wednesday if you want to look at RVs or other homebuilts. By Friday afternoon (sooner or later depending on the big wx picture) the RV parking corral will be over 1/2 empty. Vendors start gettgin cranky too. If you really want to watch the arrivals, they happen on Sunday not Monday. All the mass arrivlas (Cessnas, Mooneys etc) as well as the big RV formation arrival are all on Sunday, plus about 80% of the total arrivals for the show.

[HighSchoolBuilders]

This will be my first, all the way from Hong Kong for the whole week. Read so much about it, so many things I wanna do. The only concern I have is don't know what's happening and when is happening, and end up missing things that I wanna see.

[Geico266]

Originally Posted by HighSchoolBuilders

The only concern I have is don't know what's happening and when is happening, and end up missing things that I wanna see.

You can go on line and down load a schedule of events, or when you get there they will give you a schedule. At night I go over the next day's events and make a schedule for forums, demonstrations, events, etc.

Good luck!

[rv7boy]

Originally Posted by HighSchoolBuilders

This will be my first, all the way from Hong Kong for the whole week. Read so much about it, so many things I wanna do. The only concern I have is don't know what's happening and when is happening, and end up missing things that I wanna see.

You can plan your trip with the new and improved Airventure scheduler.

Also, note that this year if you have an iPhone or Blackberry or similar device, you can keep up with the Schedule changes as you walk around Airventure.

There is so much to do that I compare it to Disney World. You just have to pick the things you want to do and do them, knowing you can't do them all. I don't get to go every year, but I like to plan my days in morning and afternoon activities and try to stick to my agenda. I try to allow some flexibility; for example, some of the forums are "must sees." The place is so big that you need to plan where you're going to go, because you can easily find yourself walking too much and not doing what you really want to do.

Good luck!

Don

P.S. Here's a plug for NASA engineer, RV-8 pilot and builder, and VAF Forums Contributor Paul Dye. He's on the schedule to speak about the Space Shuttle and how it flies. Be aware there are TWO "Paul Dye's" on the schedule. It appears the other one wrote a book about being a missionary pilot. I don't think our "Paul Dye" has that in his impressive aviation resume.

[Greg Reese]

The mass RV formation on Tuesday and Wednesday around 11am. Falcon's going for a new record this year.