Airventure Tips

OkieFlyer

OkieFlyer

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Andrew L.
As I sat here making out a list of items to pack for Airventure, and trying to come up with a plan once I get there, it got me thinking that we could use a thread to post any questions we might have about the event, such as: what to see, what to avoid, best places to get stuff, what to pack, where to go to cool off, where to go to warm up, where to eat, or anything else a noob might need to know.

I have been to Airventure once, back in 2011. It was kind of impromptu, and I rode along with a friend of mine. As such, I didn't really know what to expect when I got there, other than looking at a bunch of airplanes (which was enough for me), and I was fairly ill prepared. After we parked and set up our tent in the vintage camping area, I remember realizing that I didn't even know if I could find a place to shower, get a drink of water, or find food. I thought we could use this place to answer those types of questions for the OHS noobs, so that we can all make the most of the event. Hopefully the AirVenture Vets can lend a hand.


I'll start:
1. Where is a good place to pick up some bottled water, sodas, snacks, and ice for the cooler?
2. Is it likely that I would need warm clothing at OSH? It was 95°F last time I was there.
3. Are there any must have items that you find necessary?
 
The only one I can answer for you is YES you will need warm clothing. It can get very chilly at night.

My other suggestion for must haves is a full brim style well vented hat. Keeps the sun off your face and neck and keeps you feeling much better after a long day.

I want to fly the venture this year but it cannot go in grass and gets hot quickly on the ground.
 
I've stayed at the Hilton a few times (no more). In that case I'd say money is what you need.

For camping in the north 40 I do always bring something warm, just in case. If it does get cold it's bad enough walking to the head head without freezing. But probably the number one thing for me is an air mattress. Comfort for sleeping and a few extra inches of height if there's a torrential rain.
 
Assume you are flying in and camping in the North 40?

A few suggestions:
- Shower facilities are quite good, but if you are a late arrrival and end up on the far side of the field it's a bit a pain having to walk around the runway or take the shuttle to access them. For a bunch of reasons, including proximity to facilities, I am always on the ground no later than 9 am on the day before show opening.
- A Gortex or similar outer shell can be useful on those occasions when its a damp or misty day; echo the above that nights can be cool.
- I prefer to use a good pair of lace-up shoes (Nike) when out on the airfield, but sandals are more comfortable at the campsite.
- A comfortable lawn chair (the Chinese specials at WalMart are garbage, I have a couple of aluminum frame rockers).
- A portable aviation radio - one of the best parts of OSH is sitting in the lawn chair after setting up camp and watching arrivals during the rest of Sunday with the radio tuned to the tower (the controllers generally seem to be enjoying the experience, and some of them should be doing stand-up comedy).
- A basic aid kit - Bandaids, antiseptic wipes, ointment, bug spray, sunscreen, headache tablets, any other minor comfort stuff.
- A lightweight folding luggage carrier - Use it to haul water in a collapsible plastic water carrier and ice for the coolers.
- An ample sized beer cooler; there's no such thing as one that's 'too big'.
 
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To start, check out the airventure.org website. It has a number of sections devoted to all these topics as well as a map of the grounds. The number of porta-pottys, showers, etc is growing every year altho the permanent structures are limited in number.

Next, check out the earlier threads here in the Airventure forum. It's a historical collection of everything you want to know.

In short - bring money, hat, sunblock, hiking boots/shoes. Be prepared to freeze and swelter. Almost a gurarantee that there will be one day of massive tstorms with some flooding, and at least one episode of incredible winds.
 
this year the mosquitos are as big as horses. bring spray.
 
Are you going to be in Vintage again? If so ice is available in the little triangle where the trams change color, at the Red Barn (at the charging station around the right rear), and there's a gator that cruises around selling ice out the back. Don't know about buying water on field. You can try the Scholler camp store. We usually borrow a vehicle and go to walmart.

Oshkosh can get beastly hot to down right frigid. I gave my wife a hard time for bringing 20 degree sleeping bags but we've needed them a couple of times. You can count on it raining hard at least once. Some rain gear or one of those folded up plastic ponchos is worthwhile. Sunscreen and but repellant are essential as well.

There are three sets of showers in Vintage. One is the traditional plywood building up between the red barn and the theatre in the woods. Shower trailers are located right by the hangar cafe and again further down towards "Fond Du Lac." The trailers they used last year in Vintage were quite nice. Two large semitrailers with individual showers, hot water that stays on, regular shower heads, and a little dressing area inside.

WIFI sucks in vintage, don't expect it to work. The EAA admits the node there was one of the very old one and consumer grade and just doesn't work.

If you have time, volunteer. THere's a volunteer desk by the red barn. If you want to work in the vintage flight line, we hold training sessions every day at 9 and 1 PM (you only need attend one). Work whenever you like. Lots of things to do from parking/sorting airplanes, clerical work in the operations building, crowd control during the airshows, etc...
 
Some obvious, some not so much, but here's a couple things to consider.

Comfy shoes, sandals, extra socks
First aid kit (I keep one in my plane always)
1000ml water container (I have a camelback one) easy to carry and refill
4 one gallon water jugs frozen (remove a little first) in my cooler. They keep things cold and as they melt, I have water. Easily lasts 5 days with my cooler
boonie hat to keep the sun off my ears and head
sunglasses
comfy chair
warm clothes and good sleeping bag
3-5 outlet power strip (the outlets at the charging stations fill up, unplug somebodies phone plug in strip and you have more capacity)
sunscreen and bug spray
jetboil and coffee press (the coffee they sell is horrible, or maybe I am a java snob)
wifi hotspot
long sleeve tshirts (after you forget to put on sunscreen and get burned)
throw away towel, wash cloth, shampoo, soap and shower flip flops
garbage bags
backpack
 
A strong tent. The thunderstorms that always ravage Oshkosh certainly have some energy.
 
Will be my first time. On the Fiske arrival, how do you judge you are 1/2 mile behind the guy in front of you? 1/2 mile at 90 kts is 20 seconds. That's easy to measure on a highway; not so much in the air. Suggestions?
 
So far all I have packed is a pancho and a flashlight.
 
In case I can't find the pancho at night.
 
Van Johnston said:
Will be my first time. On the Fiske arrival, how do you judge you are 1/2 mile behind the guy in front of you? 1/2 mile at 90 kts is 20 seconds. That's easy to measure on a highway; not so much in the air. Suggestions?
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There are a lot of 3000 - 6000 foot runways out there. Use one as a benchmark to figure out how far away a plane should look at half a mile. It's not an exactly science, but that will get you in the ballpark and that's all you need for Oshkosh.
 
Van Johnston said:
Will be my first time. On the Fiske arrival, how do you judge you are 1/2 mile behind the guy in front of you? 1/2 mile at 90 kts is 20 seconds. That's easy to measure on a highway; not so much in the air. Suggestions?
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Just leave a safe distance between you and the guy in front of you. 1/2 a mile is the length of a moderate size runway or the distance away from the runway you should typically be on downwind.
 
Van Johnston said:
Will be my first time. On the Fiske arrival, how do you judge you are 1/2 mile behind the guy in front of you? 1/2 mile at 90 kts is 20 seconds. That's easy to measure on a highway; not so much in the air. Suggestions?
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Take the square root of the altitude, multiply it by the sine squared of the angle between you and the Fisk controllers, do a cross vector with the tower frequency, the divide it by the absolute value of how many beers you had the night before.

Or take an educated wild @$$ guess like the rest of us.

Your choice.

Jim
 
And be ready for the three ring circus that the Fisk arrival can become.
 
I fly with my buddy a lot. With him in front in his 152, if I can clearly see his main gear, I'm close enough. If I can't it's too far.

Oh, and I'll add that 1 year, I was 2 hours south of KOSH at another flyin the same week. I froze my head off when it got in the 40*s one night. Everyone went scurrying to Wallyworld for warm gear.
 
Wonderful information guys. There is indeed quite a bit of this type of info in past threads, but I didn't see one dedicated purely to this type of info. I think it'll be really handy for noobs. There is much information at http://www.eaa.org/en/airventure, but the experiences of the pilots who have been there and done that are the best info. Thank you for putting in your $.02, and keep it coming.


One thing I learned when I was there in 2011 is an extra tarp to put over the tent in the event of a rain storm is really handy. We had a good tent with a rainfly, but the rain was fairly torrential one day and water made it's way inside eventually. The ones with a tarp looked much more comfortable than I. Lesson learned.


What about food? I ate breakfast at a place over near the ultralight strip, can't remember the name, but it was pretty good eatin'. For lunch and dinner we just ate at the food court set up inside the grounds. It was pretty expensive fare, but pretty good too. What do you other guys do for grub. We did go into town to a Mexican food joint. Any suggestions? Are there any more reasonably priced eateries on or near the grounds? Any really good, must do restaurants in the area?
 
OkieFlyer said:
One thing I learned when I was there in 2011 is an extra tarp to put over the tent in the event of a rain storm is really handy. We had a good tent with a rainfly, but the rain was fairly torrential one day and water made it's way inside eventually. The ones with a tarp looked much more comfortable than I. Lesson learned.
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I have my tent and rain fly setup in my hangar right now so I can put several coats of waterproofer on them. I setup the tent under the wing (C182) and then put a tarp over the wing and it provides additional shade and rain protection.

OkieFlyer said:
What about food? I ate breakfast at a place over near the ultralight strip, can't remember the name, but it was pretty good eatin'. For lunch and dinner we just ate at the food court set up inside the grounds. It was pretty expensive fare, but pretty good too. What do you other guys do for grub. We did go into town to a Mexican food joint. Any suggestions? Are there any more reasonably priced eateries on or near the grounds? Any really good, must do restaurants in the area?
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I bring 80% of my food for the 4 days I am there. Eat breakfast and dinner at the campsite, usually pack lunch in my backpack and eat it during the airshow. Healthier, and cheaper. :)
 
OkieFlyer said:
...What about food? I ate breakfast at a place over near the ultralight strip, can't remember the name, but it was pretty good eatin'. For lunch and dinner we just ate at the food court set up inside the grounds. It was pretty expensive fare, but pretty good too. What do you other guys do for grub. We did go into town to a Mexican food joint. Any suggestions? Are there any more reasonably priced eateries on or near the grounds? Any really good, must do restaurants in the area?
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Been to OSH enough times now that I like to spend mornings around the campground visiting with neighbour pilots, having my coffee and starting my day at a leisurely pace. So the now well established routine is to walk though the pedestrian gate at the NW corner of the field and hike over to the grocery store for light breakfast and simple lunch provisions. Need to do that about twice in the week. When the weather is hot I get by fine on fruit, yogurt, cheese, etc. Most evenings if we are not going to the Theatre in the Woods we end up hiking through the same gate and walk to any one of the numerous places nearby with cold beer and a good meal.
 
ytodd said:
I have my tent and rain fly setup in my hangar right now so I can put several coats of waterproofer on them. I setup the tent under the wing (C182) and then put a tarp over the wing and it provides additional shade and rain protection.


I bring 80% of my food for the 4 days I am there. Eat breakfast and dinner at the campsite, usually pack lunch in my backpack and eat it during the airshow. Healthier, and cheaper. :)
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Yes sir. I was thinking about draping a tarp over the wing as well. Glad to know it works well.

I will likely bring some food as well. I do like to partake in the local fare when I travel though. We certainly don't have much German grub like Wisconsin does. Nothing like a German inspired gut bomb when you're gonna walk a few miles on a hot day. ;)
 
OkieFlyer said:
Yes sir. I was thinking about draping a tarp over the wing as well. Glad to know it works well.

I will likely bring some food as well. I do like to partake in the local fare when I travel though. We certainly don't have much German grub like Wisconsin does. Nothing like a German inspired gut bomb when you're gonna walk a few miles on a hot day. ;)
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By the time the week is over you'll have had enough cheese, beer and brats to last you until next year's show! :p
 
This will be the first year when I intend to cook most of my own meals. I'm bringing 1 propane burner, 1 white gas burner (never used one), and 1 JetBoil. I went through my credit card statements for the last few years and it looked like I was trying to break some sort of record for money spent on crappy restaurant food.

To each his own but the worst times I have had at OSH were back when I thought a department store tent was good enough. I guess that might be fine if all you have to do is run 50 feet to your car and drive to a hotel but you won't catch me in one at OSH. The rain fly has to go all the way to the ground. You're not going to be sitting in chairs around a card table inside a good tent but they will stand up to high winds and blowing rain.
 
weirdjim said:
That's easy. Pancho was the fat one with the lousy Spanish accent. Cisco was the thin one that was actually Hispanic.
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If you're talking about the old TV show, Duncan Renaldo (Cisco) was NOT hispanic but Romanian. As with most of the early TV / Movie industry almost any ethnic character was portrayed by some "character" white guy.
Renaldo did have the "reality" of being a wet back (arrested for illegal entry in to the US).

Leo Carrillo (Pancho) was actually of Castillian Spanish ancestry, his great grandfather being part of the Spanish colonization of California (Fr. Junipero Sierra and all that). He was born in Los Angeles.
 
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flyingron said:
If you're talking about the old TV show, Duncan Renaldo (Cisco) was NOT hispanic but Romanian.


Leo Carrillo (Pancho) was actually of Castillian Spanish ancestry, his great grandfather being part of the Spanish colonization of California (Fr. Junipero Sierra and all that). He was born in Los Angeles.
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Renaldo's birthplace has never been determined. He never knew his parents, and his later years recollection was that he "grew up" in Romania. His birthplace has been placed at several Hispanic locations, but again, nothing definite. And his Spanish accent was horrible.

Leo Carillo was born in Los Angeles but spent most of his younger years in San Diego. Several streets in San Diego Old Town (near the Presidio) bear the name(s) of his relatives. I had the privilege of Boy Scout camping several times on his ranch in Northern San Diego County, but I never had the privilege of meeting him. His stage name colloquially translates to "fat belly".

He played in "The Cisco Kid" while he was in his 70s. I remember him as looking about 40 or so in that series.

His great-great-grandfather was married by Fr. Junipero Serra (NOT Sierra, which means "sharp-toothed" and is a mountain range stretching from the Cascades in Canada to the Cuyuamacas in Mexico. It is also a species of fish with needle-sharp teeth.)

Back to you.

Jim
 
Oshkosh is my one vacation a year, so I don't scrimp. I spend serious coin on tents. Never had so much as a leak, and never had one blow down.
Most camping is done with shade and windbreaks. Oshkosh is in the middle of a field. You get everything a Wisconsin summer can throw at you, and it's a lot. Most of the guys who brag about their bargain tents wind up having to dry their **** out.
 
You will find me in a little encampment of Cabela's Arctic Guide tents in the woods behind the hangar cafe. We've been camping at Oshkosh for 24 years and have gone through a number of tents for a number of reasons, but these have served us for the past six or seven years and are in good shape and maintain their form in the inevitable Oshkosh thunderstorm. My tents over the years:

1. Small 6' dome tent my wife had. Too small for my 6' 1" frame.
2. Larger dome tent. Better.
Both #1 and #2 were supplemented by a tarp we through over the wing of the 172 we flew in. Then we got the Navion.
3. Older cabin style tent my wife had, figured we could bring a bigger tent now that we had the bigger plane.
4. Went to pack for Oshkosh a few years later and couldn't find the tent. Found it in the garden shed where apparently one or both of the kids had set it up in the woods and then packed it away wt. A mess, went to 24 hour Walmart and bought a cheap dome tent the night before we departed.
This tent lasted two years where upon it shredded itself the last night of the show. Tossed it in the dumpter on the field.
5. Eureka cabin tent with metal poles. Worked for a few years and then got really bent in a late storm. Could never get the poles quite straight again so while you can put it up it strangely lists to one side.
6. Gander Mountain monster two room tent. Still in the locker at Oshkosh. We use this one to house the massage table and use it for evening drinking sessions if rain/cold prevent us fromd doing this outdoors. This tent is fine but it does rock and roll a lot in the wind.
7. The arctic guide.
 
Just go to the YMCA....and sleep in a dry AirConditioned soccer field. Your tent won't matter. Lots of hot showers and all the facilities one could want to include a hot breakfast and coffee.
 
This will be my 3rd time there, but first time camping. I was planning on the North 40, but realized since I was flying a 63' Mooney, I could probably camp in Vintage. Pros and Cons to both?
 
Dave Theisen said:
This will be my 3rd time there, but first time camping. I was planning on the North 40, but realized since I was flying a 63' Mooney, I could probably camp in Vintage. Pros and Cons to both?
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Vintage is closer to everything. That would be my vote.
 
I've always flown there...but..this year I decided to drive there. Mostly so that I can be way more comfortable all week. Bringing the camper and dirtbike. It'll be nice having wheels, heat, ac, and a proper bed.
 
I'll be driving this year. Won't be able to get my annual and BFR done. My own fault for making the rest of my life busy this year. One thing I haven't seen people mention is a collapsible cart. If you have to walk to Target or the grocery store, you can load up the cart on the walk back to the gates. I've helped someone a few years ago pick up their groceries off the street after their bag ripped open.
 
tmcquinn said:
The bus runs to Target and the grocery now!
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Yep. And for a not too high fee, you can get the Kobussen folks to take you wherever you need to go in one of their vans, and they can take the van to your campsite (if necessary) for drop-off. Very helpful if you're buying a case of bottled water, a case or two of soda, and a case of beer, complete with a bunch of ice and 4 bags of groceries.
 
Dave Theisen said:
This will be my 3rd time there, but first time camping. I was planning on the North 40, but realized since I was flying a 63' Mooney, I could probably camp in Vintage. Pros and Cons to both?
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This. I'm in a '62 C-182, and could do also park in either place.


When I went, we camped in Vintage. I liked it fine, but we got parked about 300 yards south of the Rwy 36 threshold, which according to Google Earth, is 1.2 mile from show center, and about 1/4 mile from the nearest tram stop. I had planned on camping in the North 40 to be at least a little closer to everything, but since we're not coming in until Wednesday, I'm going to assume we'll be getting parked a long way from anywhere. Does the North 40 include the parking area on the north side of 9/27 or just along the south side of it? If you're on the north side, it's still quite a haul. Truthfully, since I don't have a preference, the only real deciding factor was proximity to the H.O.P.S. Party.

Interestingly, I was able to find myself on Google Earth on the 2011 scan. I'm in the most southerly row on the field.
 
Dave Theisen said:
This will be my 3rd time there, but first time camping. I was planning on the North 40, but realized since I was flying a 63' Mooney, I could probably camp in Vintage. Pros and Cons to both?
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I really liked Vintage for a lot of reasons. Ihe one thing I didn't like was its lack of proximity to off site eateries. At the time there was little on the field that I could eat, and it was a long walk off site.
 
did I mention the mosquitos are really bad this year? some years are worse than others; this is one of them.
 
Brings lots of money, spend half of it on wine and women and the other half foolishly !!
 
For someone who hates crowds and waking up in a tent covered in sweat, with the "sweltering heat", "thunderstorms", "mosquitoes", etc. what is the one thing about this fly in that makes it all worth it?
 
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