Oshkosh 2026

kyleb said:
...regular cast of EAA attendees doesn't pay them much attention.
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This is the case for me, if I choose to watch one airshow (other than wednesday night) it won't be till saturday, and all the people/forums/workshops/etc. I want to see are done and or gone. However, its entirely possible I will be done with the show and ready to go home and see the wife by saturday morning. which has been the case the last couple years.

But there is something enjoyable about just sitting down on the flight line with a cooler after the 6-8 days of 25,000+ steps and just taking in the show after having it interrupt thoughts and conversations all week. We shall see what the week holds. :happydance:
 
418KG said:
This is the case for me, if I choose to watch one airshow (other than wednesday night) it won't be till saturday, and all the people/forums/workshops/etc. I want to see are done and or gone.
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We typically go on walkabout (display exhibits, speakers, antiques, whatever) until early afternoon, then retire to the shade of the Homebuilt Pavillion. If you set your chair just outside the pavillion, to the East, you'll have shade and breeze all afternoon while you shoot the bull with your friends and occasionally look up at something interesting during the airshow.

And you're far enough from the show you don't have to listen to hours of "AND HERE'S SEAN TUCKER DOING HIS WORLD RENOUND, ONE OF A KIND, BACK FLIPPER RUSTER DUSTER SPONSORED BY BUBBA'S OIL CHANGE AND LUBE EXPRESS."
 
It's worse at SnF. I have seen the Blue Angels at both places and they evict just about the entire campground.

Not mentioned is that the Blues also evict a bunch of people on the east side of OSH and in the endzones that aren't even part of the show.
 
flyingron said:
It's worse at SnF. I have seen the Blue Angels at both places and they evict just about the entire campground.
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We were in the campground at SnF several years ago and the published practice window for the Blues was 2-4 PM. The campgrounds were marked as "off-limits" for that time. I don't remember why, but their slot was pushed back by an hour and a half, and we couldn't get to our car, tent, or anything from 2:00-5:30. Grrrr.
 
172andyou said:
As Jack pointed out, this is the same flight line as for the blue angels. This is an established practice at this point. I hate it. If this is the cost of having teams like this, skip them.
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Agree!
Jim K said:
Seriously? What's another 100 feet (is it even that much?) off the flightline for the short time they're performing? I'd love to see the Blues or the Thunderbirds come in. Seems like a missed opportunity to not do it this year. OSH is usually the only airshow I get to go to.
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It's a huge deal! Think about 100' down the entire length of the flightline and those areas are already full of people. It pushes them into a much smaller area.
 
Lowflynjack said:
Agree!

It's a huge deal! Think about 100' down the entire length of the flightline and those areas are already full of people. It pushes them into a much smaller area.
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I guess I'm in the minority on this. Last year with the snowbirds was the first time I experienced it, and yeah it sucked trying to walk along Wittman Rd, but only for about an hour before and during the start of the airshow. As soon as they were done everybody moved up and it was business as usual. I didn't think it was that bad.
 
Jim K said:
I guess I'm in the minority on this. Last year with the snowbirds was the first time I experienced it, and yeah it sucked trying to walk along Wittman Rd, but only for about an hour before and during the start of the airshow. As soon as they were done everybody moved up and it was business as usual. I didn't think it was that bad.
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I was working on the other side of the airport when the Snowbirds flew, so I got a pretty good view. I didn't see the crowd that time.

I got to see a little of the behind-the-scenes chaos with the Blue Angels and I think that's a bigger reason they haven't been invited back. Due to some delays on their part, they missed a couple of their practice slots, then decided to shut the airport down with little notice when they were ready. It was not debatable, they either practice flying the area before the show or they don't perform.
 
Jim K said:
Seriously? What's another 100 feet (is it even that much?) off the flightline for the short time they're performing? I'd love to see the Blues or the Thunderbirds come in. Seems like a missed opportunity to not do it this year. OSH is usually the only airshow I get to go to.
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For me it's not that people get packed into a smaller area, seems like there is essentially infinite space. It's not being 100ft further either.

It's that for a normal airshow I can put my chair on the burn line, look to my left and see everything happening all the way down. Look to my right, same thing. When the crowd is pushed back into the planes I can only see things that are 100 or 200 ft AGL and above because I can't see through the hundreds of planes that I'm now embedded in. I love seeing the planes getting staged. Watching them take off and land. Seeing the ground pyro. Seeing the low level aerobatics like ribbon cutting. Seeing the ground performers doing crazy cars and trucks. All that gets blocked, essentially to the point of being eliminated, by pushing the crowd back into the parking. Hell, I'll even admit to being a fanboy and loving when the performers do their car ride down the flight line and finger gun everybody that is showing appreciation.
 
172andyou said:
Hell, I'll even admit to being a fanboy and loving when the performers do their car ride down the flight line and finger gun everybody that is showing appreciation.
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I've known Gene Soucy for most of my life. Yup, I'm a fan boy and loved his reaction when he saw me!

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Oh, and in case anyone was missing my updates... if mother nature let's us get out of town on schedule, it's almost time!
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We’re road tripping it to Oshkosh. We stay with my wife’s cousin who lives 10 minutes from the airport. Several reasons made us decide to drive instead of fly, including needing a rental car for visiting relatives who are not right in Oshkosh and some other stuff we have going. Next year for sure I am flying.
 
Tools said:
MODS!! MODS!! Member openly admitting prioritizing some weird event over Oshkosh!

Isn’t that a violation of SOMETHING?!!!
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Well, in either case he'd be drinking heavily enough that he probably won't be sure which event he's really at except for he'll have a sore @$$ instead of a sore neck. :rofl:
 
418KG said:
Has anyone seen the just released chapter camping locations? im nervous my new favorite spot out by lot S may be taken. Oh well!
:dunno:
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Lots of chapter camping in the open areas north of Schaick and west of the 101 Woods. That said, when I was up there today there was a large open area up toward the northern end of that part of the campground, just south of Waukau, with tons of room for those desiring a large compound.

There were even some tentable camping sites *in* the 101 Woods with lots of shade. I expect those will be gone in the next few days though.

I was pretty surprised at how many sites are occupied all the way out by the highway already.

Oh, and Wal-Mart is ready for us. :D

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I can’t remember… is the EAA museum open on the Saturday/Sunday before the show?


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I may have the opportunity to drive out with my kids with the goal of being there for the day on Friday. Any suggestions for kid-friendly stops / activities on the way from Dallas to break up the 17 hours of driving?

(And yes, I wish I had a plane to take up instead!)
 
Tools said:
MODS!! MODS!! Member openly admitting prioritizing some weird event over Oshkosh!
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This mod will be at San Diego Comic Con, same as every year about this time.
So...what was it you were asking us to do?

Nauga,
and his all-volunteer army
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
Anyone know what unique things are going to be here this year? A couple years back, the U2 was flying, I think year before last, a super guppy.
The mars water drop was cool. I can't find anything online about any special aircraft to expect in 26.
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I heard some guy was coming in in his CRJ club aircraft! :drool:
 
nauga said:
This mod will be at San Diego Comic Con, same as every year about this time.
So...what was it you were asking us to do?

Nauga,
and his all-volunteer army
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You gonna rock the Ronald McDonald outfit again this year?
 
nauga said:
This mod will be at San Diego Comic Con, same as every year about this time.
So...what was it you were asking us to do?

Nauga,
and his all-volunteer army
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Uhhhh…

NORMAL MODS…. NORMAL MODS…
 
RyanShort1 said:
I may have the opportunity to drive out with my kids with the goal of being there for the day on Friday. Any suggestions for kid-friendly stops / activities on the way from Dallas to break up the 17 hours of driving?

(And yes, I wish I had a plane to take up instead!)
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Well, there's a Buc-ees along the way in Oklahoma I think. You'll probably be driving past the arch when you cross the big river. Illinois is going to put all of you to sleep so be sure to stop for an energy drink or three before you get there.

Maybe buy a plane quick... That's not a very exciting drive.
 
flyingcheesehead said:
Well, there's a Buc-ees along the way in Oklahoma I think. You'll probably be driving past the arch when you cross the big river. Illinois is going to put all of you to sleep so be sure to stop for an energy drink or three before you get there.

Maybe buy a plane quick... That's not a very exciting drive.
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Bucees is old hat for us. Twice a week for years...

I have access to several planes and it would be a waste to buy a personal one at the moment, but don't feel like asking for a favor at the moment, either.
 
RyanShort1 said:
Bucees is old hat for us. Twice a week for years...

I have access to several planes and it would be a waste to buy a personal one at the moment, but don't feel like asking for a favor at the moment, either.
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Yeah, you're gonna have a boring drive. You may notice in Illinois that all of the "lakes" (ponds, really) are in close proximity to the overpasses... Yeah, that's because they dug the dirt out of what is now the lake to build the overpass. It's that boring. TBH, even flying over it is boring, no matter how fast you're going, but at least it goes by quicker.
 
Concur on boring drive. Overnighted in Mascoutah, headed north shortly.
 
sourdough44 said:
A pirep, lots of FU in Wisconsin.
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Ugh. It's supposed to get better today and tomorrow--hopefully it will. Current METAR 1153Z vis is 1SM FU. I've got an IFR arrival slot just for tomorrow afternoon just in case.
 
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I love the FU abbreviation. Anyone know the backstory why that is what is used?
 
RyanShort1 said:
I may have the opportunity to drive out with my kids with the goal of being there for the day on Friday. Any suggestions for kid-friendly stops / activities on the way from Dallas to break up the 17 hours of driving?

(And yes, I wish I had a plane to take up instead!)
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Please tell us you aren’t driving that far, just to spend Friday at Airventure……..
 
Lowflynjack said:
I got to see a little of the behind-the-scenes chaos with the Blue Angels and I think that's a bigger reason they haven't been invited back. Due to some delays on their part, they missed a couple of their practice slots, then decided to shut the airport down with little notice when they were ready. It was not debatable, they either practice flying the area before the show or they don't perform.
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Looks like their restrictions have been loosened. Maybe spread some sand and call it Scholler Beach.
 
Made it Monroe, intending to get to Watertown… solid IFR, 1 mile visibility from smoke. Hoping to make it to the hotel room tonight and into KOSH tomorrow.

A lot of people say Monroe is their favorite stop on the way to KOSH… not mine! They’re kicking us out of the terminal at 5PM.IMG_0890.jpeg
 
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sourdough44 said:
A pirep, lots of FU in Wisconsin.
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LOTS. Visibility is bad, though it smells good it also will make for a scratchy throat and the occasional cough.

It's bad enough that apparently it can't get any worse - AQI at my house is at 500, which is apparently the highest on that scale:

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Lowflynjack said:
Made it Monroe, intending to get to Watertown… solid IFR, 1 mile visibility from smoke. Hoping to make it to the hotel room tonight and into KOSH tomorrow.

A lot of people say Monroe is their favorite stop on the way to KOSH… not mine! They’re kicking us out of the terminal at 5PM.View attachment 153494
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FWIW, Monroe is always closed after 5 except for the small "after hours" section that you can get into on the most inconvenient end. Good fuel prices anyway.
 
flyingcheesehead said:
FWIW, Monroe is always closed after 5 except for the small "after hours" section that you can get into on the most inconvenient end. Good fuel prices anyway.
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Even that part is closed tonight. Specifically for OSH.
 
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