Oshkosh - 2018

I think the ‘official’ HOPS party is the one night, but plenty of other events to capture interest. I think that S.O.S. Tent is still up and running.

If weight is an issue you can always buy a few six packs locally.
Weight isn’t an issue. I am coming by myself and I pack light. Is the ‘official’ HOPS party Friday night at the end of the week? No such thing as a dumb question, just a dumb North Dakotan showing up with a sixer on the wrong day.
 
Since I’m in the middle of building an RV-14, I decided to fly in and go whole hog. I’ll come in Sunday and leave on Saturday. I am camping and would not mind tips on vintage vs. general aviation camping, since I have a 1968 Arrow. I want to fly in early to get as much access to helpful seminars and to minimize the chance of camping being full when I arrive.

I have to stay through Friday afternoon because I volunteered for the One Week Wonder project and they assigned me the Friday afternoon session. Here’s hoping that they get it done and the Friday afternoon people get to test fly it.

As far as Vintage vs GA, I'd say it is 6 of one, half a dozen of the other. Vintage is closer to show center, North 40 is closer to homebuilts and possibly SOS.

I'll do my best on Monday and Tuesday on the one week wonder so you can take the day off on Friday. ;-)
 
As far as Vintage vs GA, I'd say it is 6 of one, half a dozen of the other. Vintage is closer to show center, North 40 is closer to homebuilts and possibly SOS.

I'll do my best on Monday and Tuesday on the one week wonder so you can take the day off on Friday. ;-)
Does vintage tend to fill up like GAC?
 
Weight isn’t an issue. I am coming by myself and I pack light. Is the ‘official’ HOPS party Friday night at the end of the week? No such thing as a dumb question, just a dumb North Dakotan showing up with a sixer on the wrong day.
HOPS is on Wednesday sometime in the afternoon to watch the airshow and if you are still sober enough to watch the night fireworks then more power to you. My brother, a surfer native Southern Californian got a football scholarship to the U of ND, brought his ND bride home, and still pronounces it Nooorth Dakooota. His bride has COMPLETELY lost her ND accent.

Jim
 
As far as Vintage vs GA, I'd say it is 6 of one, half a dozen of the other. Vintage is closer to show center, North 40 is closer to homebuilts and possibly SOS.

I'll do my best on Monday and Tuesday on the one week wonder so you can take the day off on Friday. ;-)
I've stayed in both....both are fine. The Vintage section does get rather large and fills by Tuesday....but by late Wednesday there are free spots.
 
Wow.. Can't believe I'm actually able to post this, but it looks like I'll be able to do a day trip to OSH on Friday (and maybe Saturday if I'm feeling froggy)! Have to be in MKE for work that week and everyone else is flying home Friday morn. I think I'll stick around and *ugh* DRIVE north to the show for a day or two.

First time getting to the show after going for several years in a row from 2000 - 2005 and first time ever having to DRIVE to the show. Any tips for beating traffic to/from?

Glad you'll be able to make it Chris!

I have no tips for beating traffic, but if you don't get in first thing in the morning it really isn't that bad IME. Yes, despite the number of times I've flown in, I also live only an hour away, and once in a while will bail out and spend a night at home, especially if it's going to be really cold out overnight.
 
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First time getting to the show after going for several years in a row from 2000 - 2005 and first time ever having to DRIVE to the show. Any tips for beating traffic to/from?
At OSH, follow the signs when they relocate the road divide and it shows multiple lanes open, whiz right past the other cars that don’t bother to pay attention. Otherwise, check Waze for construction alternates. Coming from MKE sometimes the bypass is faster, sometimes through the city.
 
At OSH, follow the signs when they relocate the road divide and it shows multiple lanes open, whiz right past the other cars that don’t bother to pay attention. Otherwise, check Waze for construction alternates. Coming from MKE sometimes the bypass is faster, sometimes through the city.

From MKE (the airport), the bypass is the only way to go this year, I think the 94 ramp on the Marquette Interchange is closed.
 
With an Arrow, I'd go North 40. Then you have easy access to walk out to a couple of restaurants, and a beer (oops) grocery store.
 
With an Arrow, I'd go North 40. Then you have easy access to walk out to a couple of restaurants, and a beer (oops) grocery store.
How about showers? I’ve heard horror stories about waiting in line at 5 a.m. to get a shower. I could always skip those, but I can’t quite pull off that Jeremiah Johnson mountain man vibe so it may not go over well for those camping 3 or 4 spots away from me.
 
How about showers? I’ve heard horror stories about waiting in line at 5 a.m. to get a shower. I could always skip those, but I can’t quite pull off that Jeremiah Johnson mountain man vibe so it may not go over well for those camping 3 or 4 spots away from me.

LOL. Everybody’s camping, nobody cares. But there’s a bunch of showers. You’re on vacation anyway so if the particular shower house near your campsite is a little busy at a certain time of day, you can always toss yourself in a few hours later.

Many look busy outside and it’s really just people crowded around the gadget charging stations, too. Go inside and there’s open showers.

I can’t remember ever waiting more than a few minutes if at all. Usually after a long day of hiking around for miles I’d toss myself in in the evening, which was usually a ghost town.

You’ll like the ingenuity of the showers. They’re kitchen dish sprayers hanging down from an overhead pipe. Brilliant. Cheap, easy to repair, work well. Haha.

I joked on FB last year that I was missing OSH and posted a photo of my kitchen sprayer. :)
 
Officially, I don't think we're ever full. There have been times when the airport might not have accepted an arrival but that would be a transient issue.
Thanks- I will be VFR, so weather permitting I plan on attending. I'm flexible so I can leave anytime from Sunday thru end of event. I am planning for (2) nights arriving on Sunday. Have my VAC placard ready.
 
LOL. Everybody’s camping, nobody cares. But there’s a bunch of showers. You’re on vacation anyway so if the particular shower house near your campsite is a little busy at a certain time of day, you can always toss yourself in a few hours later.

Many look busy outside and it’s really just people crowded around the gadget charging stations, too. Go inside and there’s open showers.

I can’t remember ever waiting more than a few minutes if at all. Usually after a long day of hiking around for miles I’d toss myself in in the evening, which was usually a ghost town.

You’ll like the ingenuity of the showers. They’re kitchen dish sprayers hanging down from an overhead pipe. Brilliant. Cheap, easy to repair, work well. Haha.

I joked on FB last year that I was missing OSH and posted a photo of my kitchen sprayer. :)

One of the best "pro tips" I got prior to camping at Osh was to bring a small clamp to hold down the button making the shower easier. I am also a fan of the night shower. Get off the sunscreen, bug spray, sweat etc.
 
The "permanent" buildings and some of trailer buildings a small elastic cord works well. The newer "smokejumper" trailers that they have by the Hangar Cafe actually have shower heads attached to the walls and knobs that stay turned on.
 
My grandfather used to say taking baths was for Saturday only

Avoid OSH on Saturday and there you have it
 
How about showers? I’ve heard horror stories about waiting in line at 5 a.m. to get a shower. I could always skip those, but I can’t quite pull off that Jeremiah Johnson mountain man vibe so it may not go over well for those camping 3 or 4 spots away from me.

5 AM? I doubt you'll have a problem, but if I'm awake at 5 AM, I'm looking for a bed, not a shower.
6:30-8 AM will be busier, you may have to wait a few minutes.
After 8 (when most of the show venues open), it generally slows down again and you can get right in.
A fair number of people will just wait and shower in the afternoon so as not to be hurried or have to wait.
 
I used the mobile showers they had their on some kind of trailer truck and they were freaking nice. They were not much worse than my shower at home there was no handheld thing you had to deal with and I would generally shower in the evening and I don't ever recall more than a minute or two of waiting
 
On some mornings I open up the ops buildings at 7 or so. Not had much problem with a line for the showers earlier though there were people waiting when I came out.
A good time to shower is during the airshow.
 
In the morning, it's hard to arrive at the showers before the guys that are farmers.:) But at the showers over by the Scholler registration road, there's usually a few spots free at 5:30 to 6 am.
 
If you're camping, the best time to shower is in the evening. Shorter lines and when you hit the sack, you don't feel nasty.

Getting up in the morning to shower, the first thing you do after getting clean is slather on sunscreen and put on a hat, both of which defeat some of the major reasons for taking the shower in the first place.
 
I used the mobile showers they had their on some kind of trailer truck and they were freaking nice. They were not much worse than my shower at home there was no handheld thing you had to deal with and I would generally shower in the evening and I don't ever recall more than a minute or two of waiting

You were in HBC. Those trailers are nice. North 40 has perm shower houses, but there are plenty.
 
If tent camping under the wing in N40, can you come and go off site 24 hours a day? Or is there a time when it gets "locked"?
 
If tent camping under the wing in N40, can you come and go off site 24 hours a day? Or is there a time when it gets "locked"?

You can come and go. They might give a look to see that you have your wristband on if you look like trouble. :)
 
If tent camping under the wing in N40, can you come and go off site 24 hours a day? Or is there a time when it gets "locked"?

They do close some of the gates overnight. I have it on very good authority that it is possible to climb over or under said gates should you stay for the closing of SOS Brothers and find the most convenient gate to your campsite closed for the evening.
 
Glad you'll be able to make it Chris!

I have no tips for beating traffic, but if you don't get in first thing in the morning it really isn't that bad IME. Yes, despite the number of times I've flown in, I also live only an hour away, and once in a while will bail out and spend a night at home, especially if it's going to be really cold out overnight.

Thanks. I just remember flying in all those times and seeing all the traffic backed up on the roads and thinking "Oh man.. I'm glad I'm not one of those poor guys having to DRIVE to OSH..." ...... and here I am. ha.

Still trying to talk dad into flying up in the -10 on Thurs and swinging by MKE to pick me up enroute. Fingers crossed that the schedule works out.
 
You were in HBC. Those trailers are nice. North 40 has perm shower houses, but there are plenty.
oh. As a N40 camper, can I cross the tracks to the HBC side?
That was nice.

If not, I am sure the Cirrus folks have a nice gold plated shower and bathroom with a bidet I can use.
I am going to the COPA deal Monday evening. I want to see how the other half Oshkoshes
 
I've been to OSH thrice. From a "facilities" standpoint I rank them as HBC, N40, Sholler.
 
If tent camping under the wing in N40, can you come and go off site 24 hours a day? Or is there a time when it gets "locked"?

The gates at the Hilton and at the corner of the road on the south side near warbirds and the North 40 are staffed 24 hours, so you can come and go as you please from there. I think the Super 8 gate might get closed.
 
From MKE (the airport), the bypass is the only way to go this year, I think the 94 ramp on the Marquette Interchange is closed.

The interchange is open going from the airport staying on 94 west. Coming 94 east it's closed at the interchange and you have to take 794 to Layton to get to the airport.
 
Someone should check for a conflict - I think there's a chance that this might get cancelled as I understand there's another fly-in that same date at Wittman Field.

https://www.pilotsofamerica.com/community/threads/come-to-my-fly-in.112043/

I am reaching out to the EAA today to see if they can push theirs back a week.
My fly in is starting to gain some traction.

I have a handful of confirmed attendees and there is talk of vendors possibly showing up.
I am not sure how it will play out but the EAA is a good group of folks. I suspect they won't mind waiting one more week.

(The comments on the video are awesome)
 
It says you must be an EAA member to camp in N40. Question: I'm a member, can my non member daughter camp with me?
You need to be a member to buy the credentials. If they're staying in your tent or as a "second tent" in your campsite, then they don't need their own membership.

By the way, membership is required to camp anywhere (GAC, HBC, VAC, Scholler, ...).
 
The gates at the Hilton and at the corner of the road on the south side near warbirds and the North 40 are staffed 24 hours, so you can come and go as you please from there. I think the Super 8 gate might get closed.

Yeah that Hilton gate is always open. One year we got into OSH late and ended up camping by that gate. One night walking back from the porta potties I saw a guy on what appeared to be a a 1970's era bicycle approaching that gate at a frightening speed, one case of bud light under his left arm, another in his left hand and I'd wager another 12-18 beers inside him. He was wobbling and weaving all over and I thought for sure there was no way he'd make it through the gate unbalanced and at that speed. Somehow he miraculously straightened up, shot through the gate and swerved right onto the road and never slowed down. It was amazing!
 
The gates at the Hilton and at the corner of the road on the south side near warbirds and the North 40 are staffed 24 hours, so you can come and go as you please from there. I think the Super 8 gate might get closed.

Super 8 gate is open 24/7.
 
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