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OSH flybys and attendance 2012?

The crowds appear thinner to me as well, but it's hard to tell. RV attendance is huge though!
 
I hope they do well but ...

Another indicator is shortly before the AirVenture Cup Race I was able to go on-line with Orbitz and get a room in the Holiday Inn Express in Oshkosh on the other side of highway 41 just north of the airport.

I did not go to the event but driving to the award gathering Sunday evening at Wents Marina I saw airplanes on approach to runway 27 and felt some excitement about being near it.

Bob Axsom
 
I thought it was interesting that one of the display buildings had a large open area. In past years, there were no open spaces in the buildings. This might be a sign of the tough economy limiting the expenditures of suppliers.

Tom RV-7A Flying
 
Ya reckon the price of a bottle of water at $2.95, when it sells at the grocery store for 48 bottles for $7.00 had something to do with it....15 cents each is cost:eek:

Best,
 
pierre smith said:
Ya reckon the price of a bottle of water at $2.95, when it sells at the grocery store for 48 bottles for $7.00 had something to do with it....15 cents each is cost:eek:

Best,
Click to expand...

The vendors have to pay huge fees just to set up shop on the grounds of OSH. Don't shoot the vendor. ;)
 
Speaking of flybys--------------anybody got a photo of the 1-->14 string???

Or better, a video??
 
expensive

I'll have to agree with Pierre.......it has just become too expensive to participate and it doesn't have to be that way.
 
tacaruth said:
I thought it was interesting that one of the display buildings had a large open area. In past years, there were no open spaces in the buildings. This might be a sign of the tough economy limiting the expenditures of suppliers.

Tom RV-7A Flying
Click to expand...
Noticed the same, and fewer browsers/buyers than in past years. It seemed also that more vendors were represented at multiple booths in the same or different buildings.....anybody else notice this? The ceremony for Van at the Theatre in the Woods was terrific! Neat that one of the teen build RV-12's was just completed and one of the builders just got his PPL shortly before the fly-in. Van is surely a gracious man and it was excellent to see him honored; he deserved it and even more IMHO. The RV-8 get together before this was much fun. Met very nice people including (finally) Rosie. What a spark plug is he! There were many RV's for sure; hopefully Jeff Point will tell just how many and if it's a record. Hope the rest of the week is great with good attendance and perfect safety.
 
pierre smith said:
Ya reckon the price of a bottle of water at $2.95, when it sells at the grocery store for 48 bottles for $7.00 had something to do with it....15 cents each is cost:eek:

Best,
Click to expand...

Does water need to cost anything at all at such an event? Not to change subject too much, but I went to a big air show in Sioux Falls last weekend and drinking water was FREE. I believe it was the National Guard that was giving it out, but could be mistaken.
 
diamond said:
Does water need to cost anything at all at such an event? Not to change subject too much, but I went to a big air show in Sioux Falls last weekend and drinking water was FREE. I believe it was the National Guard that was giving it out, but could be mistaken.
Click to expand...

Well, you used to be able to get free water from various vendors at OSH, but Aramark (who had the food vending contract at the time) complained because it was cutting into their sales so EAA told vendors they could no longer give away free water.
 
Vendors, do not shoot them

One tool vendor who works with RV people, told me that it cost them over $25,000just to set up an indoor booth. Just think how much they have to sell to cover that much,,, This show is becoming just a money pit for a few people in eaa
 
The IAC building has cold bottled water for $1.00. They are 16.9 oz but beats paying $2.95 for 20oz!!!
 
there is plenty of free water around. just ask. stay in the ac buildings during the heat of the day as much as possible. shade and a breeze and a bottle of free water. come ride with turbo in a cool helicopter. dont forget your VAF hat.
img0940cp.jpg
 
Bill Dicus said:
.... There were many RV's for sure; hopefully Jeff Point will tell just how many and if it's a record. Hope the rest of the week is great with good attendance and perfect safety.
Click to expand...

At the Tuesday night banquet Jeff Pont said he had counted 476 RVs -- a new record -- and that there were more in other locations (not RV parking area).

Chris
 
Not as much Bumping and Shoving

I, too, thought the vendor building traffic was down. Also saw lots of empty booth space. But, hey! That ferris wheel was always full.
 
Must be a lot of VAFers there. I figured I'd have a lot more responses to my thread about ordering the -8 fuse. I am waiting out the week on pins and needles for the VAF traffic to return.
 
Um Economy...

I may be way out of line here, (I'm not) but the economy is in the pot! Unemployment is through the roof. I know this fact because every time the economy gets bad for a month or a year + my Subways explode. We have whole foot of food for the $5 thing. No I will not sing it... So it goes to say that people are not going to buy big nice luxury items when they are wondering if they have a job. I have a friend on here that sold his RV for just that reason.

Give it a few years and it will be PACKED again. Everything goes in cycles. It sounds like it will soon be called EAA RV anyway. All the other planes are going to have to park somewhere else. :D
 
With the exception of a record number of RVs, yes it does seem like attendance is down from years past. The ABCD hangars do seem pretty sparse, all the smaller avionics dealers are not here this year. I'm leaving in the morning and the HBC area thinned out quite a bit already today.
 
I agree. I commented to my friends while I was there that attendance seemed light - at least Sun/Mon/Tues that I was there. There were saying like 500 RVs though - too cool!
 
Mike S said:
Speaking of flybys--------------anybody got a photo of the 1-->14 string???

Or better, a video??
Click to expand...

I hope someone took some video and pictures....but we were pretty high on the fly-by, so not sure how good it'll be. Taxiing in might better better.

A friend gave me two camera's. I attached 1 to the underside of the wing and 1 suctioned to the canopy centerline. I have no idea how it turned out. But I will say, it was HOT and bumpy. Were we were a hodge podge of experienced formation talent and rookies with no practice. Either I was awful or everyone else was.:eek: But it was a great honor to be a part of history.

Special thanks to Rosie for all the help.
 
I also noticed the attendance seemed down. But one of the othre things I noticed was the ratio of men to women was better. Lots more women. I stood behind a woman asking some questions that made it clear she was building a plane and was well along on it. So, they did not come to "hang out with their man".

The other thing is a huge emphasis on kids. There were young eagles groups, the high school builders, and generally just more teenagers around. Hope this is a good sign.

Maybe it is the economy that is keeping attendance down or maybe it is causing Oshkosh to become the family vacation.

I was hoping to help the economy and came prepared to spend money. But kept it in my pocket because of either confusion on the choices or the ridiculous prices. Too many EFIS's too choose. Guess I will have to call Stein when he gets back. Anyone who buys a used 430w for more than brand new is crazy.

The bad thing was there was not a big draw item. The RV 14 was a supprize and it stole the whole show. The other aircraft of intrest was the twin engine electric ultralight.

I go for the friends so I had a good time.
 
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