Airplane camping availability?

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pilotjlr

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james
Good morning,
For those with experience going to Oshkosh - does the north 40 / GA Camping section tend to get full?

I've seen that there is a dial-in and website that EAA will update 4 times per day with availability, so I'll be checking that... but historically, do you see the GAC / North 40 area get full frequently? Or not at all?

I'm planning on flying in either Thursday (July 23rd) after the airshow, or 8am Friday morning, and intend to camp until Sunday.

Thanks!
 
Until you get there, you really don't understand how big and how much acreage there is. The last half of the week, no problems at all. But if you're coming in after the show, be aware of departing traffic. Lots of departing traffic.
 
In the North 40 General Airplane Camping (GAC) along the south side of RWY 9-27, there are the newer Green Shower buildings near the show entrance and the Red Shower buildings that are just before abeam the numbers on RWY 9.

I consider parking near the Green Shower buildings to be ideal. If you are near the Red Shower buildings it is a loooooong walk to the show entrance. If you are wrapped around the north side of RWY 9-27, then you are screwed. :)

Last year, I arrived in the middle of the afternoon (3pm?) Saturday BEFORE the show started and was lucky to get marshalled into an empty spot in a row of twin engined planes and I was parked nearest to the runway directly north of the Green Shower buildings. By that time GAC was already parked halfway to the Red Shower buildings. The next day when the B2OSH, Cessnas2OSH, and Mooneys2OSH mass arrivals showed up, they filled up all the remaining space on the south side of RWY 9 past the Red Shower buildings. Arrivals that came later looped around the grass on RWY 9 past Friar Tucks, and eventually got parked in front of the Hilton hotel.

Two years prior, I arrived around 9am Saturday morning BEFORE the show started and I was conveniently parked east of the Green Shower buildings. Short walk to get to the show. :D

If you arrive in the middle of the week, you may luck out and get parked in a recently vacated empty spot closer to the show.... or you might be stuck on the north side of the North 40. :yikes: Having a bicycle helps because otherwise it is a long trudge or a long wait for the slow school busses.
 
I'll be arriving early afternoon on Sunday, Will there be room for a little ol' arrow in GAC?
 
pilotjlr said:
Good morning,
For those with experience going to Oshkosh - does the north 40 / GA Camping section tend to get full?

I've seen that there is a dial-in and website that EAA will update 4 times per day with availability, so I'll be checking that... but historically, do you see the GAC / North 40 area get full frequently? Or not at all?

I'm planning on flying in either Thursday (July 23rd) after the airshow, or 8am Friday morning, and intend to camp until Sunday.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

15 years ago, North 40 camping would get full several times throughout the week, if not daily. Within the past few years I don't remember seeing it get full more than a few times total. You've probably got a pretty good shot at getting in. (For your sake, I hope I don't have to eat those words. ;))

Back when it was getting full consistently, I always had luck trying to time the trip to get there just as the field opens in the morning. Good luck and have fun!
 
By mid to later week some early birds will be vacating, should be no issue. If for some reason there are issues just go to Fond Du Lac.

I'd keep an eye with what the EAA site says about % full too. Just a slight delay here or there and you will get in when conditions change.
 
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