Mark Dickens

Mark Dickens

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We're flying up from the Shreveport, LA area on the afternoon of the 26th and would like to find a good airport for overnight prior to flying into OSH the next morning. I know some EAA chapters sponsor activities and/or dinner for transient pilots to and from OSH...any recommendations south of OSH?
 
Overnights south of Oshkosh

This is a good thread to start. My son and I are flying from Delaware starting early morning and we could make it in the same day. However, I'm not getting any younger and may plan an overnight about an hour out of KOSH. Going around/under the Chicago Class B.
 
Several of us are overnighting Saturday in Prairie du Chein, WI (PDC). At this point, there will be an RV-6, my RV-8A, two Arrows, and a Lance in our group, heading into OSH on Sunday before noon.

It's a pretty airport, at the confluence of the Mississippi and Wisconsin Rivers. Lot's of motels and restaurants, and a riverboat casino. Best of all, it leaves you with an easy flight into OSH on Sunday, so you arrive in the FISK approach fresh.
 
jjhoneck said:
Several of us are overnighting Saturday in Prairie du Chein, WI (PDC). At this point, there will be an RV-6, my RV-8A, two Arrows, and a Lance in our group, heading into OSH on Sunday before noon.

It's a pretty airport, at the confluence of the Mississippi and Wisconsin Rivers. Lot's of motels and restaurants, and a riverboat casino. Best of all, it leaves you with an easy flight into OSH on Sunday, so you arrive in the FISK approach fresh.
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I'll check this out...thanks!
 
I like staying at KOVS Boscobel WI several times traveling from the LEFT Coast.

From the South, KLXT Lee's Summit MO was great but that may be farther from KOSH than you want.

Also had a great stay at KIOW Iowa City IA. At one time the Alexis Park Inn (walking distance from the air field) was an aviation themed hotel. It was still an aviation themed hotel back when I stayed there. There were a lot of aviation types also staying there on their way to OSH.

Mason City, IA KMCW is another great RON location.

Finally, Sterling/Rock Falls, IL KSQI is another fine place to RON on the way to OSH. Mike at M&M aviation runs a first class FBO.

This is only a few of the places that I have stayed over night on the way to OSH.

I could list more but these are the ones that jump to the top of my head when someone asks about a place to RON on the way to AirVenture Oshkosh.
 
Stops

Coming from the west or southwest, Reedsburg, C35, is a good stop. Motels within walking distance. Portage,C47, is second choice, motels are further away. Both offer a straight shot to Ripon for the arrival, start early, beat most of the traffic.
 
KRYV (Watertown) is a good airport with several motels and restaurants only a block or two away. about 50nm from OSH.

Actually, I wish we had a master list here of Airports with Motels within walking distance. I know D.R. probably doesn't have the time to manage it. I just created a simple Google Doc with Public Access and Editing Rights. Perhaps this could be used as a data base for this sort of info?
 
Great idea

Tony, that is a very good idea. We are always looking for places to go and i spend a ton of time finding airports with good fuel prices on foreflight, then google earth or tripadvisor the town searching to see how far hotels are away.

Funplaces to fly and other websites are so outdated, little value.

I now get my wife to jot down identifiers of town that look cute and appear to have hotels etc close to the airports as we fly over. Kind of fun but not very efficient.

Another tip for those that dont cross country often, many FBOs, even small ones have excellent deals at hotels. I have found very nice hotels, and often free shuttles much cheaper than any online hotel booking site can offer just by asking FBO front desk. Even the big fbos that charge $10 or $15 a night have often saved us $50 or more a night just on the hotel, usually under a $100 and never been a dump.

I say run with the idea, it would be great to have resource put up like that. In airnav, there is some basic info when you search a airport showing how far hotels are from the airport at the bottom if you scroll down.
 
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Airports with overnight accomodations

Using Skyvector.com, I use the sectional charts to pick out several airports that are close to town. I then do a search using "motels in (Reedsburg, Wi)" as one example. This will usually bring up a map option that will show the airport and motel locations. Get the street location and then for additional details go back to skyvector and chose the satellite view for further information.
 
Hotel within walking distance

I can't seem to add to the spreadsheet. Would like to add Jennings, LA (3R7). Motel is 100 feet from your plane and restaurants a block away.
 
Wautoma (Y50) is 30 miles west of KOSH. I used to stay there every year from 2007-2010. Camping on the field is available and the FBO has showers. The local EAA chapter cooks meals in their hanger every evening of Oshkosh week. The hotels in town often have rooms available during Oshkosh week and run shuttle buses run back and forth each day.
 
apkp777 said:
KRYV (Watertown) is a good airport with several motels and restaurants only a block or two away. about 50nm from OSH.

Actually, I wish we had a master list here of Airports with Motels within walking distance. I know D.R. probably doesn't have the time to manage it. I just created a simple Google Doc with Public Access and Editing Rights. Perhaps this could be used as a data base for this sort of info?
Click to expand...

Watertown was our last fuel stop on the way up last year. We were blown away by their hospitality and will definitely be stopping there again.
 
RV6_flyer said:
Also had a great stay at KIOW Iowa City IA. At one time the Alexis Park Inn (walking distance from the air field) was an aviation themed hotel. It was still an aviation themed hotel back when I stayed there. There were a lot of aviation types also staying there on their way to OSH.
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We sold the Alexis Park Inn in 2011. Sadly, the new owners had no interest in the aviation theme, so we stripped all of the artwork and memorabilia out. It is an extended-stay motel, nowadays. :eek:

(They even filled in our beloved pool, where we hosted all those Pre-Oshkosh Fly-In Pool Parties! Augh!)

The good news? All that aviation art and memorabilia now graces our new hotel in Port Aransas, Texas, called Amelia's Landing Hotel.
:) :)
 
Iowa City

Iowa City is the oldest continuously operating airport west of the Mississippi. Opened in 1918. Lots of airmail and airline history. United Airlines served Iowa City in the DC3 Era.
 
From the South

If you are flying from the South and would like a pit stop airport, I just called and spoke to a very nice gentleman that said that he is having an Oshkosh Special on his fuel price at KHNB (Huntingburg, IN). Starting Monday 7/21 their self serve will be $5.12 until after OSH if over. I'm planning on stopping there even though it's less than 2 hours from me, it will be good for my back to get out and stretch :D
 
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