OSH Questions

Phil · #1 04-17-2008, 01:36 PM

I've wanted to attend OSH since I was a kid and I've never made the trip.

This year, I didn't think I would make it either. But my schedule changed earlier in the week and I'm doing everything I can to make it happen.

Since this is my first trip up there, I've got a whole host of questions.

1) How many days does it take to get through it?
2) Is there anything for the wives who might get burned out in middle of the day?
3) What's camping like? Are there facilities to shower/etc?
4) What days are best to attend? Avoid weekend days?
5) How safe is the arrival procedures in case we decide to fly ourselves?
6) Is there anything else in the area to see besides OSH?
7) What are some of the better places to stay if you decide to stay in a hotel?

I'm sure there will be plenty more. But I'm trying to figure out what our plan is going to be.

Thanks,
Phil

Geico266 · #2 04-17-2008, 01:46 PM

1. I go all days, 3-4 min.
2. & 6. There is alot for her to do and see too, but get a rental car and take in the sites around the area too.
3. Yes, there are showers, bathrooms, medical facilities, ect.
4. I like during the week over the weekend, but the better airshows are in the latter part of the week.
5. You definately want to fly in. Read and understand the NOTAM, have it with you. Don't do anything in the plane that you haven't "intentionally" done before.

You'll be fine
7. A hotel may be tough at this point, but worth a try. Check out the EAA site for accomidations. Don't overlook staying with locals. We pay $45 a night for laundry, A/C, adult beverages at night, and breakfast in the am. Been doing that for 8 years same house. Great friends.

rleffler · #3 04-17-2008, 01:53 PM

Since this is my first trip up there, I've got a whole host of questions.

1) How many days does it take to get through it?

More than you have, but do you really want to see everything? It really depends on your objectives and how much time you spend with the various vendors. Doing serious research can be quite time consuming.

2) Is there anything for the wives who might get burned out in middle of the day?

Yes, there is a craft tent. Also, I would recommend camping at the RV-10 HQ. If you're on the Matronics RV-10 list you should start seeing some postings as we get closer to OSH. There are many RV-10 spouses camping. Many go do their own thing (i.e. hit the malls) during the day. My wife is planning on attending.

3) What's camping like? Are there facilities to shower/etc?

I camped for the first time last year. The dinners and after hour converstation at the RV-10 HQ in Scholler were more informational and benefit to me than the show. Where else can you have a dozen or more RV-10 builders to pick their brains?

The shower facilities aren't too bad. I never had a hot water problem last year, but I usually showered around 7am.

4) What days are best to attend? Avoid weekend days?

Monday and Tuesday are busy if you fly in. The last SAt and Sun have more locals. I'm planning on arriving ealy on Sat to watch all the mass arrivals and depart the following Saturday morning.

Vendors start getting burned out towards the end of the week and their supplies usually diminish pretty quickly too. If you are looking to buy something, the earlier in the week is usually better.

5) How safe is the arrival procedures in case we decide to fly ourselves?

I flew in early Sat morning around 10am. I was IFR and the traffic was light enough I wasn't asked to cancel. When it's busy, you will want a second set of eyes on board. The procedures are pretty straight forward.

6) Is there anything else in the area to see besides OSH?

There is a nearby factory outlet mall. To be honest, I've never had enough time to even consider seeing anything else.

7) What are some of the better places to stay if you decide to stay in a hotel?

Good luck finding a hotel. They are probably all sold out. There usually are a bunch of last minute cancelations. But since you are building a RV-10, I highly recommend camping with the rest of us at Scholler.

I'm sure there will be plenty more. But I'm trying to figure out what our plan is going to be.

Thanks,
Phil[/quote]

Fell free to email me if you have more questions.

bob

steveKs. · #4 04-17-2008, 02:57 PM

I have flown in and camped... I believe it was 05 with 5 1/2 inches of rain but then it always rains. I flew to New Holstein and camped with the Supercub guys one year, only 4 inches of rain that year.
Last year I flew to a airfield with ten other RV's about 40 minutes driving time from OSH and we drove in with rentals. That worked out pretty good. We had hot showers, warm beds and nice restaurants for evening meals. The less interested spouses got together and did their own things.. although I can't imagine why a wife wouldn't want to hike miles and miles, see and talk airplanes in 90/90 heat and humidity for a couple days.

If you fly in be prepared to listen and not talk. Know the procedures for each and every runway approach. Also know the holding procedures. Be a proficient spot lander.
In most cases flying in is very simple, approach the checkpoints and do what they tell ya....switch over to tower and land on the correct dot.

pmccoy · #5 04-17-2008, 03:11 PM

When you need a break from the heat, or just from all the walking, take the shuttle to the south end of the airport. For a dollar, a bus will drive you over to the lake where the float planes take off. It's was the best part of the trip for me. Sitting on the shore of the lake, in the shade, with a cool and gentle breeze blowing. Top that with a view of the planes landing and taking off.... it's a wonderful way to spend a couple of hours.

RScott · #6 04-17-2008, 04:02 PM

If camping doesn't work, you can stay in the dorms. I think they always have room. Typical college dorms, bathroom down the hall. Men's bathroom is on one floor, women's on another. I think couples stay on anyfloor, but one person has to go to another floor for the bathroom. Singles get assigned to a floor with an appropriate bathroom.

Pros: Cost, convenient for food--eat breakfast at the Student Union, dinner at the dorm cafeteria, good selection, not spendy. You meet folks from all around the world in the cafeteria, but they may not all speak English. Bus to & from the airport is convenient & you don't have to pay for parking. Bus runs until 9 or 10 in the evening so you can see all the evening stuff.

Cons: Hot unless you pay a lot extra to get in the air conditioned dorms. Buy a little fan at Walmart; maybe $10. Can be noisy at times and in the middle of the night, some inconsiderate slobs just let their doors slam.

gvgoff99 · #7 04-17-2008, 05:30 PM

Try the links below. They have the answers to most of your questions and you can "pre-purchase" your tickets on line. You need to be a member of EAA if you aren't already but the price of membership is petty much off set by the reduction in cost of the tickets. Hope this helps.

http://www.airventure.org/

http://www.eaa.org/

Geico266 · #8 04-17-2008, 05:50 PM

You can order an advance hard copy of the NOTAM here.

http://www.airventure.org/2008/flying/index.html

It comes in a nice cabin size.

Read it several times and post any questions you may have.

Make sure you read the NOTAM and the EAA ground procedures. The ground procedures did not match at SnF, specifically, the booklet did not call out to have a sign ready for the ground crew.

sprucemoose · #9 04-18-2008, 12:50 AM

4) What days are best to attend? Avoid weekend days?

Really depends what you want to do. But, I'll go out on a limb and say that you want to look at RVs. In that case, the best days are Monday through Wednesday. By Thursday morning the departures will start to outnumber arrivals, and by Friday afternoon half the airplanes will be gone. This is somewhat dependent on the wx but tends to hold true year to year.

Sunday is a great day to be there to watch all the arrivals. By far the busiest day of the show, and most of the facilities (eats etc) are up and running.

And Larry has it right- READ THE NOTAM AND HAVE YOUR SIGN!

bcondrey · #10 04-18-2008, 07:49 AM

I will second Bob L's advice. A group of RV-10 folks have been camping together in Scholler for the last couple of years and it's been great. Last year there was about 20 of us and there's a fantastic amount to learn just hanging around the group in the evenings. We generally have at least a couple of group gatherings for dinner but for the most part it is unstructured. It's also common for vendors and notables to stop by.
I've organized this in the past along with Gary & Tim and will be doing so again this year. The approach that we've taken is for a couple of us to get there early the week prior to the show and get the camp sites staked out. This requires that the sites are paid for in advance but guarantees a good location with a group of like minded builders.

There are general several wives among the mix (don't recall the exact number from last year but 6-8). There are definitely things to do besides just walking around airplanes. There's a local quilting guild, shopping at the outlet mall and several historical things to see in OSH and surrounding towns.

Even if you don't camp with us, be sure to stop by. I'll be posting info soon, right now I'm prepping for my DAR inspection so there's a little distraction...

Bob #40105/N442PM