Should AirVenture dates be changed?

AV8R_87

AV8R_87

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As I'm watching the storms move through (hope everyone there is ok, looks like the worst hit further south), I wonder (again) if last week in July is really the best time to hold AirVenture.
For the people that know more about the weather in that part of the country, what's your take on it? Are there better weeks in the year for this event?
 
I’m here now and it’s a light rain supposed to last an hour or so, the rest of the day is supposed to be fine. The rain cools things down too. But yeah, it seems to always have some weird weather every year and it’s too hot. I was thinking mid May would be better.
 
Impractical - Oshkosh is in Wisconsin. By state law, public schools in Wisconsin cannot start before Labor Day without a waiver from the state. Since most, if* not all, private schools follow the state schedule, that means that school year ends around Memorial Day.

*Oh, I hate spell-wreck.
 
You have to do it when kids are out of school in the summer. Once you’ve made that decision, I’m not sure it matters whether the show is may, June , or July. The weather is more or less the same, you just get lucky/unlucky randomly during those 10 or so weeks.
 
Yeah true, I forgot when schools get out but was thinking it should be after schools get out too. Early June weather is usually cooler. Rain is a toss up.
 
Initial Fix said:
How about bringing back the 2 weekend schedule. I get why that changed, but there have always been different crowds on the weekends.
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I was thinking about that the other day.
I could have sworn that Oshkosh used to run like 9 or 10 days, like a Friday through the following Sunday. Was that ever the case? If so, when did it change?
 
fasteddie said:
I was thinking about that the other day.
I could have sworn that Oshkosh used to run like 9 or 10 days, like a Friday through the following Sunday. Was that ever the case? If so, when did it change?
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No. But it was more into the first week of August years ago. It started on a Saturday and ended on Friday. EAA keeps pushing up the dates.
 
I know... a different event...but I've wondered the same thing about Sun n Fun. Seems like a month or so earlier in the spring would be more pleasant all around.
.....just like earlier in the summer seems to this outsider/southerner that the wx up there might be better
and ditto about the two weekend schedule (except that the second weekend is never as good because too many vendors and other folks bug-out)
 
Brad W said:
I know... a different event...but I've wondered the same thing about Sun n Fun. Seems like a month or so earlier in the spring would be more pleasant all around.
.....just like earlier in the summer seems to this outsider/southerner that the wx up there might be better
and ditto about the two weekend schedule (except that the second weekend is never as good because too many vendors and other folks bug-out)
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A month or so earlier for SnF puts people flying in from northern areas more subject to icing conditions. It's about the journey, not the destination - or something like that.
 
TCABM said:
In Spring Break pricing.
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Spring break in the schools up here ranges from early March to mid-April. Daughter's spring break was during SnF. Oldest's was March 3-7. No idea what the spring break pricing time frame is in the SE.
 
lblandina said:
No. But it was more into the first week of August years ago. It started on a Saturday and ended on Friday. EAA keeps pushing up the dates.
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I was at Oshkosh 1999. Opening day was Wednesday July 28. Groups started flying in on Monday July 26.

I was flying a friend's T-34 and we arrived on Tuesday July 27, then flew a 63 plane formation on opening day for 50th anniversary of the Mentor.

It ran to sometime the next week. August 3 (Tuesday) according to AVWEB .
 
Pinecone said:
I was at Oshkosh 1999. Opening day was Wednesday July 28. Groups started flying in on Monday July 26.

I was flying a friend's T-34 and we arrived on Tuesday July 27, then flew a 63 plane formation on opening day for 50th anniversary of the Mentor.

It ran to sometime the next week. August 3 (Tuesday) according to AVWEB .
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Yep, they moved it to allow two weekends of activity. So, you can fly in on Weekend 1, stay until mid-week, and another group comes in behind you and leaves on Weekend 2. Probably helps a lot with attendance that fewer people have to consume vacation days at both ends of their visit.
 
The good thing about summer is that while you're almost guaranteed to have storms in the area at least once during the week, those storms tend to pass by in a couple of hours rather than lingering all day.
 
Half Fast said:
Somehow SNF manages okay, right in the middle of the school year.
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SNF has about a third the attendance of Oshkosh. So if that's the goal, I guess doing it during the school year is proven.


AV8R_87 said:
As I'm watching the storms move through (hope everyone there is ok, looks like the worst hit further south), I wonder (again) if last week in July is really the best time to hold AirVenture.
For the people that know more about the weather in that part of the country, what's your take on it? Are there better weeks in the year for this event?
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I live in southwest Wisconsin. There isn't really a better weather window. There is always going to be a tradeoff. We had storms starting in March this year. If you want to avoid the heat, you'll replace that with nights in the 40's. And, as others have pointed out, it needs to be during summer break to attract the crowds. That being the case, the current plan about as good a choice as any.
 
rwellner98 said:
SNF has about a third the attendance of Oshkosh. So if that's the goal, I guess doing it during the school year is proven.
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SNF is full of kids, though, and they have many teenage volunteers from the high schools and CAP squadrons. The point is that having it in the spring doesn't eliminate youth participation.
 
Half Fast said:
SNF is full of kids, though, and they have many teenage volunteers from the high schools and CAP squadrons. The point is that having it in the spring doesn't eliminate youth participation.
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No doubt. But having Osh in the summer provides a much longer than one week window for people to fly-in, experience the show, and handle the transportation a day or two before or after the show. OR tack on additional side trips to the Oshkosh experience. Spring Breaks are a week long and just don't have the flexibility.

Attendance shows that late summer must be working pretty well for EAA/Oshkosh, so there's no need to change anything.
 
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Half Fast said:
SNF is full of kids, though, and they have many teenage volunteers from the high schools and CAP squadrons. The point is that having it in the spring doesn't eliminate youth participation.
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Sure. Anyone claiming "eliminate" is painting with too broad a brush. "Greatly reduces numbers of kids" or "Dramatically complicates participation of families" would be sufficient, without the need for absolutes.
 
hindsight2020 said:
Schools? Isn't OSH majority middle/geri-aged empty nesters and "dog-kid" owning DINKsters anyways?
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How dare you :oops: Complete coincidence that New Balance has a booth. :) (Ok, that's a joke, maybe)
 
As long as you don't get run over by PBR Patty on the golf cart, then you'd wish you'd spring for the runner's NB... and they do come in off-white as well :fingerwag:
 
hindsight2020 said:
As long as you don't get run over by PBR Patty on the golf cart
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Volunteer girl on a scooter/moped got a bit distracted (allegedly a couple guys were trying to flirt with her) and drove into the public. No serious injuries.
 
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