First thoughts: Oshkosh 2017

Better weather
 
Yeah I'm really gonna try to make it next year.
 
Going to bring my two boys to their first Oshkosh ! This should be fun. Already starting to plan my schedule for it. Hopefully my father will join us and possibly my brother. We will stay in the dorms as usual.
 
Gives all of the Cirrus drivers time to repack the chutes they used this year ;-)
 
We aren't even home yet (we spent last night in our favorite B&B in San Marcos, TX -- a real bed, and a real shower!), but are already making plans for 2017.

It will be our 35th in a row!
 
Jay Honeck said:
We aren't even home yet (we spent last night in our favorite B&B in San Marcos, TX -- a real bed, and a real shower!), but are already making plans for 2017.

It will be our 35th in a row!
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We started making our "bring" list for 2017 Thursday evening at our mid-stop in Kansas City. We'll be back in Grass Valley on Friday with a few more items on the list, I'm sure.

This was my 42nd, with a few gaps in the middle for domestic tranquility ... which problem has been rectified.

Jim
 
Sun Canopy / sun shade. The tent gets too hot and there's no shade otherwise
Bindfold and earplugs.
Some kind of drying rack / clothes line.

All of which should fit easily in the back of a cherokee 180 or an early m20
 
bflynn said:
Sun Canopy / sun shade. The tent gets too hot and there's no shade otherwise
Bindfold and earplugs.
Some kind of drying rack / clothes line.

All of which should fit easily in the back of a cherokee 180 or an early m20
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We endured many Oshkosh fly ins with those cheap sun shades. Instead of providing protection, we always ended up having to save THEM during storms.

We have now solved that.
f8e7caffd6ff74323341184cb8c4c04c.jpg
 
The bug has bitten, I've never had such a great time, with meeting really friendly people and so many aircraft, and a bonus actually being on the cockpit of Aluminum Overcast during taxi and take off.. (Still grinning)

But alas. I think 2018 will be the next earliest time I could get back over... But stranger things have happened.

Even though I had three full days, I still never got to the museum and the sea plane base... So..... Maybe...

Special thanks to Jay & Mary for begin great hosts, and apologies for not meeting evilEagle, every time I wandered past they where all talking to joe public and long queues.
 
Biggles1998 said:
The bug has bitten, I've never had such a great time, with meeting really friendly people and so many aircraft, and a bonus actually being on the cockpit of Aluminum Overcast during taxi and take off.. (Still grinning)

But alas. I think 2018 will be the next earliest time I could get back over... But stranger things have happened.

Even though I had three full days, I still never got to the museum and the sea plane base... So..... Maybe...

Special thanks to Jay & Mary for begin great hosts, and apologies for not meeting evilEagle, every time I wandered past they where all talking to joe public and long queues.
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It was our pleasure, Biggles! I regret that we didn't get to spend more time together, but, hey -- there's always next year, or the year after.
 
I'm definitely going to try and make it happen next year.
 
Congrats on those who enjoyed it and are looking forward to the next opportunity.

In my case, I went two years ago, wondered around for a day and a half, and left with the felling of that song in my head, "Is that all there is to that?"

Didn't go back and have no plans to do so.
 
Well, at least you went once. It affects everyone differently obviously, but you should go at least once to see what it's all about. Sun-N-Fun in the early spring in Lakeland FL almost as big (gets bigger every year) as Oshkosh and just as fun and enjoyable as Oshkosh.
 
Jay Honeck said:
We endured many Oshkosh fly ins with those cheap sun shades. Instead of providing protection, we always ended up having to save THEM during storms.

We have now solved that.
f8e7caffd6ff74323341184cb8c4c04c.jpg
Click to expand...

Awning is a must, particularly when in a low-wing...

We walked by and admired your setup. Didn't make the connection as I hadn't followed much pre-OSH discussion. Next year!
 
mscard88 said:
Well, at least you went once. It affects everyone differently obviously, but you should go at least once to see what it's all about. Sun-N-Fun in the early spring in Lakeland FL almost as big (gets bigger every year) as Oshkosh and just as fun and enjoyable as Oshkosh.
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Sun N Fun is less than 25% the size of OSH.

We attended both events this year, for the first time since 2004. We were able to see everything at SNF twice in 2 days. We were barely able to see everything at OSH in 7 days.

Nothing against SNF -- we love it, and it reminds us of what OSH was like, 30 years ago -- but the two events are not comparable in size.
 
mscard88 said:
Well, at least you went once. It affects everyone differently obviously, but you should go at least once to see what it's all about. Sun-N-Fun in the early spring in Lakeland FL almost as big (gets bigger every year) as Oshkosh and just as fun and enjoyable as Oshkosh.
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OSH this year was my first. Having been to both I agree. I did enjoy watching some people clecoe, dimple, and deburr sheet metal and others practice laying up glass. We went to the seaplane base in the middle of the afternoon but there really wasn't much to do or see there other than Harrison Ford walked through looking like a miniature Grizzly Adams.
 
tinerj said:
In my case, I went two years ago, wondered around for a day and a half, and left with the felling of that song in my head, "Is that all there is to that?"

Didn't go back and have no plans to do so.
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I must say, I've never met a pilot who went to OSH who felt that there wasn't enough aviation stuff there to do. Usually, first-time attendees are so blown away and disoriented by the sheer size of the event that they feel they never even scratched the surface.

What would you add to OSH to make it better?
 
scottfromboston said:
Awning is a must, particularly when in a low-wing...

We walked by and admired your setup. Didn't make the connection as I hadn't followed much pre-OSH discussion. Next year!
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Yup. The Trailer Trash (our group in the OSH trailer) voted to add that awning (we call it "the Chalet") after OSH 2014. We had spent 3 (of 7) days trying to prevent our little Walmart awning from becoming airborne FOD, and realized that it was time to get something that sheltered us, rather than the other way around.

It cost almost $500, and it takes an hour up and down, but it is well worth it. We are "Coffee Central" in the AM, "Beer Central" in the PM (sometimes the line gets blurred), "Shade Central" in the midday sun, and "Charging Central" when everyone needed to top off their devices.

Best of all, when it storms, we don't have to all hold it down! lol
 
Jay Honeck said:
Sun N Fun is less than 25% the size of OSH.

We attended both events this year, for the first time since 2004. We were able to see everything at SNF twice in 2 days. We were barely able to see everything at OSH in 7 days.

Nothing against SNF -- we love it, and it reminds us of what OSH was like, 30 years ago -- but the two events are not comparable in size.
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Sun-n-Fun is getting to be a bigger event, but I agree, it is nowhere near the size of Oshkosh.

I was able to see everything in a day and a half this year, despite being hobbled by a work injury. They do seem to have a bigger focus on Ultralight and light-sport though.
A LOT more campers and visiting aircraft this year than last. Fuel prices do have an effect on turnout.

It's more like Spring Break for pilots...
 
ChemGuy said:
I plan on spending at leat 100hrs at the SOS beer tent next year.
Planes, meh.:D
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What's funny is I've attended 34 years in a row, and still have never had a beer there. I suppose if you're camped in the middle of the field it's the closest beer venue, but out in the North 40 we have several air conditioned bars to choose from, and (of course) every site has beer.
 
We're planning to rent an RV, probably a Class C, and take it up next year. Any suggestions on what to look for in an RV are welcome! It'll be 2, perhaps 3 adults.
 
We decided to get an air-conditioned dorm room for next year instead of camping out as we normally do. Already a waiting list for them.
 
Bought a real tent last night to replace the $20 Bass Pro special I bought 15 years ago that I used this past trip.
 
Funny, we're talking about OSH 17 as well.

It looks like my daughter may not be able to drive up next year, if she's taking summer classes at A&M, which means she can't haul my generator. (It doesn't fit in the RV-8, dang it!) Which means the Trailer Trash (our gang that keeps all of our camping gear permanently in Oshkosh) will have to pony up for a generator.

And should we add a real fridge to the 2017 compound? ;)

And our tent has a sketchy hinged pole that kept folding up on us. I lashed it to the big awning pole, but that's not a permanent solution.

Lists. We're making lists. (That we will lose by next July. lol)
 
Jay Honeck said:
We endured many Oshkosh fly ins with those cheap sun shades. Instead of providing protection, we always ended up having to save THEM during storms.

We have now solved that.
f8e7caffd6ff74323341184cb8c4c04c.jpg
Click to expand...
ITs a family! What a lovely community.
 
So considering I've had my plane for what will be 5 years in March I've decided this is the year to take the trip. Thus I bid and received one of my weeks of vacation for 2017 over the week of Oshkosh. I'll be making the pilgrimage from Daytona Beach up to OSH in my 182.

Anything I need to know or should start planning now for a first time attendee?
 
Just accept that you cannot prepare for, or plan for, your first Oshkosh. Overwhelming is the only word I can use to describe the experience, and it simply doesn't do it justice.

Having said that, a few tips.

Read the arrival notam.
Watch YouTube videos of the arrivals
Practice flying at 90kts and holding altitude.
Practice precision landings.
Reread the arrival notam.
Talk to people who have gone about the arrival.

It will go a lot better if the only thing you are worried during the arrival is looking for traffic, not flipping through the notam book and figuring out what happened next.

Once there, you will need your standard camping fare, lightweight clothes that dry easily,

An outfit for heavy rain
Something to keep you warm at night if/when it gets chilly and you are wet

A chair
A cooler

Lots of AMUs, and as much self control as you can muster to avoid spending all of them.
 
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