Airventure Tips

steingar said:
I really liked Vintage for a lot of reasons. Ihe one thing I didn't like was its lack of proximity to off site eateries. At the time there was little on the field that I could eat, and it was a long walk off site.
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The food has gotten a lot better. It's not just brats and "crispy" (read soggy) chicken anymore.
 
Timbeck2 said:
For someone who hates crowds and waking up in a tent covered in sweat, with the "sweltering heat", "thunderstorms", "mosquitoes", etc. what is the one thing about this fly in that makes it all worth it?
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LOL. For someone who hates those things? Nothing!

Seriously, for those who do like it, camping with friends (old and new) and running into interesting pilots from all over the world is the reason for the season. If that's not your bag, you'll have more fun elsewhere for sure.

For me, I like those things. I don't think of "waking up in a tent covered with sweat" I think of the first light coming up and having that soon followed by the sounds of the Merlins cranking up. I don't think about "crowds" I think about the time I met a guy from Canada who flies my type, needed to borrow some tools and ended up becoming a friend that I value.

That's why I look forward to it anyway. YMMV!
 
kyleb said:
Yep. And for a not too high fee, you can get the Kobussen folks to take you wherever you need to go in one of their vans, and they can take the van to your campsite (if necessary) for drop-off. Very helpful if you're buying a case of bottled water, a case or two of soda, and a case of beer, complete with a bunch of ice and 4 bags of groceries.
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Tell me more about this. I've been to Oshkosh at least 10 times, never heard of this, but it sounds awesome.
 
Timbeck2 said:
For someone who hates crowds and waking up in a tent covered in sweat, with the "sweltering heat", "thunderstorms", "mosquitoes", etc. what is the one thing about this fly in that makes it all worth it?
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I hate all those things. I especially despise camping. I go every year. I camp every year. I also go on a cruise every year where I'm treated like royalty but I like Oshkosh better. Somehow all the planes & pilots make it worth it for me.
 
Dave Theisen said:
This will be my 3rd time there, but first time camping. I was planning on the North 40, but realized since I was flying a 63' Mooney, I could probably camp in Vintage. Pros and Cons to both?
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We could also camp in IAC area as I am memeber. That looks close to stuff as well.
Anyone have pros or cons to staying there vs N40 or vintage.
 
bradg33 said:
Tell me more about this (The Kobussen Van). I've been to Oshkosh at least 10 times, never heard of this, but it sounds awesome.
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Go to the transportation plaza. Walk North across the street to the Kobussen trailer/tent. Inquire about hiring a driver and van.
 
Timbeck2 said:
For someone who hates crowds and waking up in a tent covered in sweat, with the "sweltering heat", "thunderstorms", "mosquitoes", etc. what is the one thing about this fly in that makes it all worth it?
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Well, looking back on the one time I went, I know I experienced all of the things you mentioned above, but compared to overall experience, they were just minor footnotes.

I don't know that there is one thing that makes it worth it. For me it's the experience of spending a few days in a world that is about nothing else but pure aviation. Back home, there aren't many people who share a love of aviation, very few who enjoy talking about aviation, very few who really know anything about aviation at all. At Oshkosh, every single person on the field loves aviation enough to make the trek many miles to immerse themselves in it. Think about it, thousands upon thousands of people take off work and leave the comfort of their home to sleep in a tent, in a dorm, or in a camper on an utterly flat piece of ground in Wisconsin, just to be a part of some airshow. Must be one heck of an airshow! I'm sure everyone's reasons are different, I just love to wake up in a pasture full of airplanes, walk miles everyday looking at airplanes, go to forums about airplanes, stand on the flight line watching airplanes, talk to people about airplanes, watch movies about airplanes, then retire for the evening back in the airplane pasture. In the midst of all that, any minor inconveniences like you mentioned above, simply fade into obscurity in my mind. Can't wait!
 
Kinda unrelated, but I'm looking for a wing to sleep under at Airventure on Monday Night. Anyone have some space free??
 
Timbeck2 said:
For someone who hates crowds and waking up in a tent covered in sweat, with the "sweltering heat", "thunderstorms", "mosquitoes", etc. what is the one thing about this fly in that makes it all worth it?
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You're from Arizona? You will laugh at this claim that it gets hot at Oshkosh. It does not. LOL. I'd say occasionally warm and humid but mostly pleasant and yes sometimes cold.

Thunderstorms? It's adds a little excitement. Mosquitoes? Use bug spray.

What makes this fly in worth it? More warbirds than you will ever see in one place. 14,000 likeminded aviation nuts who flew in using their own plane in one place. Great exhibitions.
 
flyingron said:
The food has gotten a lot better. It's not just brats and "crispy" (read soggy) chicken anymore.
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Amen to that. Wasn't it just about the same time that the exclusive food vendor went from (what the hell was their name that got a buck upcharge from a "hamburger" to a "bermuda burger" with a thin slice of bermuda onion) to half a dozen different competitive vendors?

Jim
 
StevieTimes said:
did I mention the mosquitos are really bad this year? some years are worse than others; this is one of them.
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I'll be bathing in DEET then. I'm one of those poor souls mosquitoes love to eat. I had welts on my ankles into late September or early October last year. Ugh.
 
They chow me too... and the... whatever the heck they are... horseflies? deer flies? I don't know, the biting flies that draw blood are out in force this year too.

The mosquitoes are not only bad this year, they are stupid ninjas too. Don't hear them, don't see them, yowch, they're on you.
 
weirdjim said:
Amen to that. Wasn't it just about the same time that the exclusive food vendor went from (what the hell was their name that got a buck upcharge from a "hamburger" to a "bermuda burger" with a thin slice of bermuda onion) to half a dozen different competitive vendors?

Jim
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Zaugs...gone. Not a trace of them left. They switched to a group of local restaurants/caterers. The Zaugs management encampment back near the gate by the UL is gone. The Vintage judging teams have taken over those trailers.
 
One more question; how strict do they enforce the 1 tent per plane rule? I was planning to bring my small 1 person tent. While there woukd be room for @Dave Theisen to sleep there, it woukd require an Everest level storm for that to happen.

Based on the no alcohol, but everyone has booze attitude, I assumed the tent thing was the same.

What about ezups and other shade devices?

Thanks
 
ChemGuy said:
One more question; how strict do they enforce the 1 tent per plane rule? I was planning to bring my small 1 person tent. While there woukd be room for @Dave Theisen to sleep there, it woukd require an Everest level storm for that to happen.

Based on the no alcohol, but everyone has booze attitude, I assumed the tent thing was the same.

What about ezups and other shade devices?
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Here's the published rule: "Only one tent per plane unless a second tent is needed for immediate family members. If additional tents are needed, they must fit within the footprint of the aircraft."

You will see lots of picnic shelters and other stuff too. It's a pretty well behaved crowd, never heard of EAA stopping any reasonable behavior.
 
I have had two tents on my spot. One for my daughter and I, and one for my friend (not family) and nobody said a word. In fact, after looking around at the insane campsites, I doubt anybody would give a second look to a campsite with two tents on it.
 
My friend and I had 2 small tents in 2014 and plan the same this year. But we still fit within the footprint. I've seen folks who think they are entitled to sprawl into neighboring spaces with their tent compounds but I will never be one of them...
 
Been running a camping canopy for years along with my tent. No one has said a thing.
 
We run have run multiple tents. The registration people will even give you one "additional" sticker. I don't know about the other camping areas, but Vintage goes on credential hunts but not too much worrying about multiple tents per plane but the scofflaws who camp out without buying any.
 
Tip number 1:

Do not refer to it as "airventure".

Tip number 2:
Wear good walking shoes

Number 3:
Get a sturdy golf umbrella that will double as a walkin stick

Number 4:
Folding camp stool that will fit in your back pack

Number 5:
Do not be a tool that takes pictures with an iPad
 
StevieTimes said:
They chow me too... and the... whatever the heck they are... horseflies? deer flies? I don't know, the biting flies that draw blood are out in force this year too.

The mosquitoes are not only bad this year, they are stupid ninjas too. Don't hear them, don't see them, yowch, they're on you.
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Those are black flies. You don't feel the bite, but they draw blood, and will have a small oval red spot right away that will stay with you for over a week. They're by bodies of water, so Deet up if you are going to the Sea Base.
 
Make sure you have a good air mattress in the tent, normally I'd get the queen size one that's about a foot high, use a couple sleeping bags like normal blankets, giant improvement in how enjoyable your camping will be.
 
I have up on air mattresses. We now using folding camp beds with a thin pad on top. Gives us room to store things underneath as well.
 
I'll probably be flying (via airliner) into Milwaukee KMKE - what's the best way to get from there into Oshkosh (like a shuttle service or something)? It's about 90 miles.
 
James331 said:
Make sure you have a good air mattress in the tent, normally I'd get the queen size one that's about a foot high, use a couple sleeping bags like normal blankets, giant improvement in how enjoyable your camping will be.
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+1

I use a Queen size air mattress on top of a queen size folding camping cot. You can store all your crap underneath and it feels just like a real bed you would climb onto at a hotel. Big, comfortable, at the right height.
 
camel said:
I'll probably be flying (via airliner) into Milwaukee KMKE - what's the best way to get from there into Oshkosh (like a shuttle service or something)? It's about 90 miles.
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I'm not aware of any sort of shuttle. I'd just rent a car.
 
camel said:
I'll probably be flying (via airliner) into Milwaukee KMKE - what's the best way to get from there into Oshkosh (like a shuttle service or something)? It's about 90 miles.
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I flew into MKE years ago and just rented a car. Don't recall how long a drive it was, but it was a pleasant drive on an interstate all of the way I believe.
 
flyingron said:
I have up on air mattresses. We now using folding camp beds with a thin pad on top. Gives us room to store things underneath as well.
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And look for snakes underneath! Oh wait, maybe that's Sun-n-Fun....;)
 
Yeah, the few snake we have in WI are harmless.

When it comes to biting insects, there are just to many people, it comes down to just a bug or three per person.
 
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