Oshkosh 2025

ColinD said:
I've never attended, but maybe this year will be my first. I'm one state away, fly a homebuilt, and don't mind camping in a tent. I think I can wait until the 11th hour to commit.
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Colin, if you do go I'll buy you a beer just so I can get a good close-up look at an actual completed example of what I'm building!! Never seen one before.
 
Lowflynjack said:
My way is easier and more convenient!! When I wake up, I'm already there. No shuttles!

This is what happens when your friends know you're turning 50 at Oshkosh...
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Until you get hungry.
 
LWGII said:
Until you get hungry.
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If you go hungry at Osh you ain’t doing it right regardless of your accommodations.

We car camped in Scholler a couple of times until my RV-10 was out of phase 1 then we aircraft camped in HBC 2015 thru 2019.
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Then 2020 when we stayed at the Hilton on the field because we could since the show was cancelled.IMG_3536.jpeg

And for the past 4 years we’ve still flown in but traded the tent for a rented 5th wheel:
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flyingcheesehead said:
Never too soon! I start thinking about Oshkosh about the moment my wheels leave the pavement on the field (even though that's usually on the ground these days). We are past the winter solstice of aviation, OSH25 is closer than OSH24 so I'm getting excited. This will be my 21st overall, 20th in a row, and 19th in a row being on the field for the whole week.

Huh? That sounds like a slight. Santa Claus would not be pleased. :rofl:

But seriously, wondering what you mean by that comment? I'm not old enough to have been to Woodstock. :rofl:
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It can be awesome but it can be muddy, dirty, wet, rainy, hot as hell, cold as hell and if you drink too much you will swear you saw Santa Clause and heard Yodeling.
 
Can't vouch for Scholler but it takes a serious amount of water to make the Vintage area soft, let alone muddy. The Sloshkosh year was the only one I can recall and even that year it dried out buy the official opening. Believe me, I know. Me and one other woman used our personal cell phones to call back every single pilot we parked in an alternative location when their areas dried out that year.
 
flyingron said:
Can't vouch for Scholler but it takes a serious amount of water to make the Vintage area soft, let alone muddy. The Sloshkosh year was the only one I can recall and even that year it dried out buy the official opening. Believe me, I know. Me and one other woman used our personal cell phones to call back every single pilot we parked in an alternative location when their areas dried out that year.
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Scholler is more susceptible to mud issues due to the shear volume of vehicular traffic on the exposed dirt lanes going to and fro that can quickly create a quagmire even with a moderate amount of rain. In my experience the aircraft areas only tend to suffer from prolonged bouts of rain.
 
ColinD said:
I've never attended, but maybe this year will be my first. I'm one state away, fly a homebuilt, and don't mind camping in a tent. I think I can wait until the 11th hour to commit.
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My first one we were driving on a family vacation and I convinced the troops to swing by (it was a 1 hour driving detour). We stayed for a few hours and then hit the road. Even if you can’t commit to an overnight it’s worth a visit!
 
With the speed of my airplane, it's probably going to be an overnight before I even arrive from Minnesota. :lol:
 
kmacht said:
Well if it rains you will understand the Woodstock reference. The campground turns into a giant mud pit when there is significant rain.
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In some places, it can. The trick is to not be in those places. ;) After Sloshkosh, we scoped out the places that were clean and undamaged and now we have some good high ground spots that have never been troublesome since, even when other parts of the grounds have gotten soft.
ColinD said:
I've never attended, but maybe this year will be my first. I'm one state away, fly a homebuilt, and don't mind camping in a tent. I think I can wait until the 11th hour to commit.
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rwellner98 said:
If you're only a state away, it would be crazy to not check it out. It's definitely not for everyone. But it sure is home for a lot of people!
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What Rich said. Once you do it, you'll wonder why you haven't before. 20 years in, I've started saying that when I die, I hope I go to Oshkosh. It is heaven to me.
 
flyingcheesehead said:
What Rich said. Once you do it, you'll wonder why you haven't before. 20 years in, I've started saying that when I die, I hope I go to Oshkosh. It is heaven to me.
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I was invited to join the EAA Photo Team in 2017. It was my first time there and I have that same feeling... what took me so long to get here?

We leave Texas, fly to Watertown, WI to spend the night, then into OSH early in the morning to avoid most traffic. When we land and get to our campsite, the first thing we do is setup camp, then it's time to relax and start taking everything in. It's always the same, yet it's always different. A lot of the same planes, a lot of the same people, but also so many new things to see and interesting people to meet.

It's my happy place and when I leave, I'm exhausted and ready to be home... but it doesn't take long to start thinking about next year!
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Sploshkosh was legendary. I had set up my camper the week before, on relatively high ground. Was going to fly in, but decided folks from further away needed the dry parking spots more than me since I live only a 1 1/2 hr drive away. My son and I arrived on Monday, and as we got closer to the campsite, I started smelling a foul odor. We both looked at each other thinking someone had done something nasty in their shorts.

We got out of the car after navigating all the muddy ruts in the grass and I started questioning why I left a nice clean, dry comfy house to come camp in a smelly quagmire. Turns out the area of the campground where we were set up used to be a pig farm in years past. All the rain and driving on the soft ground had churned up the soil enough to create quite the fragrance.

Hope the weather is a repeat of last year. Planning to fly my newly completed Hatz in. Stop by and say hi if you see a blue and silver Classic on the flight line.
 
Now that I have a plane, I'm trying to see how to come up. I'm already behind it seems - the college dorms are sold out. I'll have to try and figure out how to find a place if I can. Yeah, too old for camping. Need a bed, floor, etc. Not THAT picky.

Now, back in the day when I did the 55k X Country Ski race in WI - the Birkebeiner - me and a hundred or so of our closet friends slept in the local school's gymnasium the night before. Yeah, looooooong time ago.
 
WDD said:
Now that I have a plane, I'm trying to see how to come up. I'm already behind it seems - the college dorms are sold out. I'll have to try and figure out how to find a place if I can. Yeah, too old for camping. Need a bed, floor, etc. Not THAT picky.

Now, back in the day when I did the 55k X Country Ski race in WI - the Birkebeiner - me and a hundred or so of our closet friends slept in the local school's gymnasium the night before. Yeah, looooooong time ago.
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AirBnB/Vrbo or a rented RV are most likely your best options at this point if you want to stay near Wittman. If you don’t mind a commute then Appleton or Fond du Lac are also options.
 
WDD said:
Who does one rent an RV from?
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Up at Osh I’ve rented both from a local dealer (Kune’s) and from private owners through RVShare (there’s other owner rental companies as well). What I like about RVShare is it’s a lot less expensive and the RVs generally come fully equipped/stocked with pretty much everything but food. The important thing is filter the search for only owners that will, deliver and setup. Also be aware the campsites are a separate reservation process and additional cost whether you go with Scholler or a private campground.
 
WDD said:
Now that I have a plane, I'm trying to see how to come up. I'm already behind it seems - the college dorms are sold out. I'll have to try and figure out how to find a place if I can. Yeah, too old for camping. Need a bed, floor, etc. Not THAT picky.

Now, back in the day when I did the 55k X Country Ski race in WI - the Birkebeiner - me and a hundred or so of our closet friends slept in the local school's gymnasium the night before. Yeah, looooooong time ago.
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If it is just you or you and a friend in a 172, load that sucker up with a big tent and a couple of cots and find a place in the North 40. Drape a tarp over a wing for more shelter and you'll live like kings.
 
I will stay in the university’s dorm again. It’s comfortable, and good for meeting new people at breakfast in the cafeteria, and on the shuttle.
 
flyingcheesehead said:
I mean, you were drunk, but that doesn't mean those things didn't happen. I have evidence. :D

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Awe! This was the first time I met Glen Towler. Great Guy. RIP. He and Santa and I visited then things got fuzzy. I think because of an allergic reaction I had.

Most of the night after this photo was a blur. I think someone ( @masloki ) invited me to a pregame and gave me a drink that I was allergic to so I was already light headed prior to heading to the North Pole to visit Santa.
I think I may have fallen out of my chair at least once from the allergic reaction. Then a really kind person called @flyingcheesehead drove me to my tent because lets be honest, there was like an 80% chance I was just going to wake up on the runway in the morning if I tried to find it myself. Because of the allergy I was likely experiencing. You can tell in the photo, my face is all red from the pollen. That was a bad year for allergies.
 
AdamB said:
I’ll be there this year in the RV-10 for the first time.
Staying in Sleepy Hollow with my wife and son.
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Ditto (except for the first-time part). We'll be at site 44 in Sleepy Hollow. Swing by and say hi!
 
tsts4 said:
… RVShare (there’s other owner rental companies as well)...
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I’ve used RVshare and outdoorsy, both and for whatever reason RVshare has ended up being a better experience for me.
 
So now it's 166 days. Maybe I'll get my airplane back from the mechanic by then and be able to go this year.
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
Awe! This was the first time I met Glen Towler. Great Guy. RIP. He and Santa and I visited then things got fuzzy. I think because of an allergic reaction I had.

Most of the night after this photo was a blur. I think someone ( @masloki ) invited me to a pregame and gave me a drink that I was allergic to so I was already light headed prior to heading to the North Pole to visit Santa.
I think I may have fallen out of my chair at least once from the allergic reaction. Then a really kind person called @flyingcheesehead drove me to my tent because lets be honest, there was like an 80% chance I was just going to wake up on the runway in the morning if I tried to find it myself. Because of the allergy I was likely experiencing. You can tell in the photo, my face is all red from the pollen. That was a bad year for allergies.
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You should reach out to Patty Wagstaff. She had the same issue with Oshkosh allergies. She didn't have a good friend to tell her to stay off the runway though!
 
Wise ones of the POA. What is this? Anyone buying access to this - recommended?

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WDD said:
Wise ones of the POA. What is this? Anyone buying access to this - recommended?

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Looked into this last year. Day passes were a couple hundred bucks, week was about a grand. Per person.

Aviators Club amenities include:

Air conditioning and outdoor shade
Breakfast and lunch served daily
Snacks and non-alcoholic beverages during the day
Reserved air show seating outside on the flightline at show center
Dinner for Wednesday's night air show and Saturday's night air show
Electronics charging station and bag storage
Restroom facilities with air conditioning and flush toilets
 
WDD said:
Wise ones of the POA. What is this? Anyone buying access to this - recommended?

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It's an air-conditioned flight line pavilion that serves as a place to go to rest, relax, get something to eat/drink and perhaps watch the airshow. Your ticket allows you to come and go all day for the days you purchase. Kinda of expensive for what it is IMO, but I'm biased as a lifetime and a volunteer I already have alternatives. That said, at SnF the Tampa Airport Authority has the same kind of setup that as a hanger tenant I get a one-day free access pass and I find the experience enjoyable, but I wouldn't pay extra for the privilege.
 
tsts4 said:
It's an air-conditioned flight line pavilion that serves as a place to go to rest, relax, get something to eat/drink and perhaps watch the airshow. Your ticket allows you to come and go all day for the days you purchase. Kinda of expensive for what it is IMO, but I'm biased as a lifetime and a volunteer I already have alternatives. That said, at SnF the Tampa Airport Authority has the same kind of setup that as a hanger tenant I get a one-day free access pass and I find the experience enjoyable, but I wouldn't pay extra for the privilege.
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I'm also a volunteer and a lifetime member, so I do get some AC during the day. That alone might be worth the $158 per day ($192 on Wed) for some.

Hopefully they make the lifetime member area a little larger at some point... it's getting crowded!
 
My bucket list has on it "Fly FISK Arrival". When is a good day to arrive and depart as a "first timer"? What day is less crowded than O'Hare at Thanksgiving? Arrive Monday July 21? Tues July 22? When to depart? Friday, Sat, Sun?
 
WDD said:
My bucket list has on it "Fly FISK Arrival". When is a good day to arrive and depart as a "first timer"? What day is less crowded than O'Hare at Thanksgiving? Arrive Monday July 21? Tues July 22? When to depart? Friday, Sat, Sun?
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Depends, If you want a reasonable parking space, I recommend just going ahead and flying it now.

It is of course weather dependent but I would say avoid Arriving via Fisk on Sunday unless you are feeling bold and have a second pair of eyes. If weather messes up Sunday, the hornets nest starts at whatever day/time it clears up. I think Saturday or Monday will give you that bucket list / rush without feeling like you have just flown through chaos. If your plane is like mine and "Can't maintain 90 knots" you can fly the high route which is much quieter but you still have to merge with the common folk when they turn you off the tracks. Read the NOTAM and at the endeavor bridge if it is really busy, just pick a plane and follow it a mile in trail and you will be fine.

Lastly, whatever day you go, plan for early. Stuff can happen, weather, crashes, closed runways, holds, etc and the window to get in before they close the airspace shrinks.
 
WDD said:
My bucket list has on it "Fly FISK Arrival".
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Everyone should have that on their bucket list.

Thursday is a good day to go. A lot of people clear out after the Weds night airshow. But any day can work, so just go when the weather is good.
 
Ok. I’ll plan on staying in Chicago area Sunday night then if weather cooperates fly up Monday at sunrise. Fly out Thurs. If weather is bad I can slide things out.
 
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