Sun N Fun Expenses

SCS Interiors

SCS Interiors

Pre-Flight
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Duluth, MN
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SCS Interiors
Hi,

Are the prices associated with visiting sun n fun seem high? A normal lunch cost me nearly $15. Compared to Oshkosh, it seems excessive. Thoughts?
 
SCS Interiors said:
Hi,

Are the prices associated with visiting sun n fun seem high? A normal lunch cost me nearly $15. Compared to Oshkosh, it seems excessive. Thoughts?
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As a multi year attender of SnF, I agree that food prices seem pretty high. The solution is BYO.
 
Lance F said:
As a multi year attender of SnF, I agree that food prices seem pretty high. The solution is BYO.
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Bingo. Besides that, I hate waiting in line.
 
Let me get this straight. You're traveling to Florida for an aviation show, then bitching about the cost of lunch? What's wrong with this picture?
 
wabower said:
Let me get this straight. You're traveling to Florida for an aviation show, then bitching about the cost of lunch? What's wrong with this picture?
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Nothing. Pilots get to *****. It's in the DNA.
 
I have plenty of complaints about SnF but the food isn't one of them.
I find the variety and quality of the food at SnF is better than at OSH. There is a particularly good place that makes fresh salads, huge and reasonable cost for an event. A Mexican food place was really good too.
Try finding a fresh food at OSH. Look at notgonnahappen.com
 
I always bring food with me to Oshkosh. You guys think the food there is tough for you? Try doing it as a vegetarian.
 
snowbird said:
I have plenty of complaints about SnF but the food isn't one of them.
I find the variety and quality of the food at SnF is better than at OSH. There is a particularly good place that makes fresh salads, huge and reasonable cost for an event. A Mexican food place was really good too.
Try finding a fresh food at OSH. Look at notgonnahappen.com
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What's the name of the place at SnF? I've always thought the food there was pitiful. And I've only attended about 15 of the last 17 years...

At Osh, I go to the big tent located on private property out near the museum. The brats, the fried cheese curd, the fish, the beer, actually, everything is good and reasonably priced.
 
You guys remember your time in the Army or on a Navy ship? There should be something to please you in the way of food at Sun & Fun or Oshkosh. I agree bringing a little food is a great plan too.
 
Lance F said:
Nothing. Pilots get to *****. It's in the DNA.
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I was once berated on here for bitching about a $20 a night parking fee.

When you're flying a 152 that only costs $50 an hour to run the $20 parking fee really is a kick in the nuts!
 
Lance F said:
Nothing. Pilots get to *****. It's in the DNA.
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Exactly. Amazing how we can drive into any big city and park our car for $20 for an evening catch a diner or show and dinner and not *****. But get charged $10.00 to park over night and watch out. I flew my daughter down to drop her of at Ocean City NJ last summer did a 30 minute turn around and they waived their parking fee as I was there such a short time some guy in a Bo was griping to me about the fee. I pay it when I go for the day and hit the beach. I mean the guy who owns the FBO has gotta make a buck and he's not making it on fuel.
 
Lance F said:
Nothing. Pilots get to *****. It's in the DNA.
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Amen, brother.

You would be amazed at some of the stuff we see/hear, often from pilots who have flown a half-million-dollar plane to the island.

The best one was when I drove a great bargain on a golf cart rental for a pilot guest of ours at the hotel. Basically I managed to get my buddy (the golf cart rental company owner) to cut his rates in half, but the pilot/guest -- a DOCTOR -- turned it down as being "too expensive".

This guy makes $40 per MINUTE as a surgeon, and he rejected $40/day for a golf cart to romp around the island... :mad2:

All you can do is shake your head and chuckle. It doesn't do any good to get upset about it... A lot of pilots are just, er, frugal. :lol:
 
Jay Honeck said:
Amen, brother.

You would be amazed at some of the stuff we see/hear, often from pilots who have flown a half-million-dollar plane to the island.

The best one was when I drove a great bargain on a golf cart rental for a pilot guest of ours at the hotel. Basically I managed to get my buddy (the golf cart rental company owner) to cut his rates in half, but the pilot/guest -- a DOCTOR -- turned it down as being "too expensive".

This guy makes $40 per MINUTE as a surgeon, and he rejected $40/day for a golf cart to romp around the island... :mad2:

All you can do is shake your head and chuckle. It doesn't do any good to get upset about it... A lot of pilots are just, er, frugal. :lol:
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Define frugal, I eat off the value menu and still complain but for some reason, i'm thrilled to have found a refurbished CDI for 500 bucks?
 
My dad has worked in Sales most of his life.

He says, "All prices are negotiable, if someone gets offended you asked for a lower price, that's their problem, not yours."

He also says, "Only you know what something is worth to you."

Wise old guy. Retired at 53 then went back to work because he was bored at a specialty shop where he uses his generous employee discount to purchase his hobby toys. (Ham Radio.) He's 60 now.

He doesn't need the job but they pay his medical insurance.

One more pearl of wisdom...

"Money gives you options. If you have it, you have choices."

He hasn't driven a new car since the 80s, and that was a pretty modest one because he needed to drive customers around back then.

Owned five vehicles up until a year ago. Decided to "downsize". He lets us play with his limited edition 1992 Miata whenever we want.

His house is paid off. Owned a second mountain house/cabin for a couple decades. Talked us out of buying it from him with a frank discussion of how much maintenance work a cabin is and how little time you actually get to enjoy it if you don't have weeks and weeks of vacation or a job you can do with nothing but a noisy phone line.

Does what he wants to do. High school diploma and one tour in the Navy. Fiercely proud of his Vietnam service.

He's planning his free trip to see the Blue Angels perform in Grand Junction, CO months in advance.

Mariott will be picking up the room tab for him, myself, and my wife who's never seen a jet team demo at an Airshow.

We're gonna have a ton of fun. It'll cost us gas money and meals.

You don't get rich by spending money. He was the most frugal bastard I've ever seen for 20 years. It paid off. A few people don't like his frugality (including my mom who divorced him while I was a tiny pup), but it's never bothered him. He pays his own way and does his own thing.

Frugality and asking for a lower price aren't a problem at all. If someone says no, he's decided long before the question if full-price is worth it to him.
 
SCS Interiors said:
Hi,

Are the prices associated with visiting sun n fun seem high? A normal lunch cost me nearly $15. Compared to Oshkosh, it seems excessive. Thoughts?
Click to expand...

Sun n Fun is all about money for the show. The attitude of the volunteers is they are doing you a favor. I still go, but it is my least favorite aitrshow due to the ripoff mentality of the hotels, food vendors, rental car companies, ect.
 
Speaking of that, has anyone ever been to the Florida Int'l Air show in Punta Gorda? March 24-25 the blue angels will be performing there. Might be a good alternative to sun N fun for me...
 
As a recent transplant from Los Angeles to Florida, I can tell you, EVERYTHING in Florida is a rip off. I guess people here just get used to it.
 
saladman said:
As a recent transplant from Los Angeles to Florida, I can tell you, EVERYTHING in Florida is a rip off. I guess people here just get used to it.
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There is a price to running your state without a personal income tax. In Florida, that price is, "sock it to the tourists!" There are taxes on rooms, rental cars and attraction tickets, and ambitious tolls on some expressways. I have no doubt there are taxes somewhere in the event food business, too, but even if there aren't, the attitude of grabbing tourists by the ankles and shaking until no more coins fall out seems pervasive in Florida's business culture.

I lived in the Orlando area for a while, and when I was running behind and at risk of being late to work, I would get angry with myself for leaving no other option but to take the East-West Expressway across town. There is a perfectly workable surface route, and it's free, but the tourists are always in a hurry to maximize the expensive theme park time they're buying, and the toll seems cheap compared to their airline tickets.

If you live in Florida for a while, you learn the tricks to beat the tourist-trap prices. And tourists don't get to vote in Florida, so don't expect things to change.
 
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PW_Plack said:
If you live in Florida for a while, you learn the tricks to beat the tourist-trap prices. And tourists don't get to vote in Florida, so don't expect things to change.
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Bingo. Our politicians have come to view tourism as a cash cow that can be taxed to death, with no negative ramifications on them. And it has NOTHING to do with whether there's an income tax or not.

In Iowa, we had huge personal income taxes -- but we were still forced to extort 12% from our hotel customers. Here in Texas, with no personal income tax, we must add 13% tax onto all of our customers' bills. Not much different.

Moral of the story: Politicians will gore a cash cow, regardless of how much other tax money they've taken.

I can vouch for the pain this causes. In many cases, after I explain up-front the huge gummint-induced jump from the room price to the extorted price, it's the final straw in a person's decision to NOT come to the island.

And when we vacation in San Antonio, the hotels there are forced to charge us 17%. :mad2:
 
I flew into SNF this year and camped in the general aviation camping area. The show doesn't provide squat in the way of infrastructure for pilots. Charging stations for cell phones and tablets were hard to find, with waiting lines at the Honda generator charging station. WiFi was also nonexistent, and that complicated weather checking and flight planning. The Florida Tourism Board had 4 computers with internet connections available, but they were usually occupied by drive-in tourists checking their emails. I was disappointed that so little attention was paid to pilot infrastructure, but I had a great time nonetheless. I met several other Maule pilots, I heard some great stories around the RAF Fire Hub, I got to fly in a couple of LSA aircraft at Paradise City on the edge of the airport and the weather was comfortable, especially overnight for camping. I won't rush back, but overall, it was a good experience for me. If polled by the SNF organizers, I could offer some suggestions that would improve the experience for pilots, but there was more to like than to hate.
 
saladman said:
As a recent transplant from Los Angeles to Florida, I can tell you, EVERYTHING in Florida is a rip off. I guess people here just get used to it.
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This from a guy from the Police State's defacto capital...LA - lol-
 
You want to come to Florida ,in the winter,it's warm,planes are flying,but the food price is high. I think the choices are better than OSH,and plan to only eat lunch at the show. It is about the money. As a regular( every year) at sun and fun ,I totally enjoy the show . Sun n fun is not up to the OSH standards but they're working on it.
 
Been to Osh several times. The other half is wanting a spring trip so we have been studying on SF. Good info. We will keep an eye on the thread..So far I'm understanding it's fun, not up to Osh standards and to bring my lunch :)
 
snowbird said:
Try finding a fresh food at OSH. Look at notgonnahappen.com
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Have you been in the last two years? They finally ran Zaugs out of there and rather than one or two monolithic caterers they now invite various restaurants in the area to come in and operate various operations on the field.

I guess I didn't note the food being that bad at SnF, it was just "state fair" type food trailers plus the big cafeteria style tent. Of course, I got a sweet deal at the HGI and was staying on points.
 
We're hoping to attend SnF this year, and are considering renting a motor home as our abode. I know that they are available at OSH to be delivered and set up on site. Is this also true at SnF? If so, can you direct where they'll be set up? (We'd like to camp with friends.)
 
gprellwitz said:
We're hoping to attend SnF this year, and are considering renting a motor home as our abode. I know that they are available at OSH to be delivered and set up on site. Is this also true at SnF? If so, can you direct where they'll be set up? (We'd like to camp with friends.)
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If you find the answers, let me know. I'm vaguely debating SnF right now.

Sent from my Nexus 9 using Tapatalk
 
What are the accommodation options at SnF?

Because homie don't camp. :no:
 
txflyer said:
What are the accommodation options at SnF?

Because homie don't camp. :no:
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There's an Hilton Garden Inn on the field and there are a quite number of other hotels within a half an hour drive. Driving in is no problem either.
 
gprellwitz said:
We're hoping to attend SnF this year, and are considering renting a motor home as our abode. I know that they are available at OSH to be delivered and set up on site. Is this also true at SnF? If so, can you direct where they'll be set up? (We'd like to camp with friends.)
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Try calling the Kissimmee location of Cruise America.
 
I have even stayed in Tampa (Ybor city). It's not more than 45 minutes from there to the grounds. Many of my friends stay in hotels on the outskirts of Tampa (Seffner/Brandon). It's a far cry from Oshkosh.
 
flyingron said:
I have even stayed in Tampa (Ybor city). It's not more than 45 minutes from there to the grounds. Many of my friends stay in hotels on the outskirts of Tampa (Seffner/Brandon). It's a far cry from Oshkosh.
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Does it not have the same sort of after-hours revelry and camaraderie as OSH?
 
gprellwitz said:
Does it not have the same sort of after-hours revelry and camaraderie as OSH?
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Don't know. All the revelry I've done either was at restaurants in the evening or at the Draken hangar. None precluded me driving back to my hotel.

One thing I can say, is it's much easier to get cars on field at Lakeland. I've run campers back to their tents rather than heading home.
 
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