Here's Oshkosh from my perspective. Most of you know I'm a volunteer there, so I may be biased!
My friend and I flew in his Cessna 170. We flew into Watertown, WI on Friday and it took us 12 hours to make the 9 hour flight. There were some storms as we got close to Indiana. We had a hotel in Watertown since it's right next to the airport. It gives us a chance to rest up after the trip before heading into the chaos. Saturday we woke up to low ceilings and rain in the area, but eventually we made it off and did a little scud running to get in to KOSH. All-in-all, not a bad trip.
Some trams were running on Saturday, so I checked in with the Photo Group, got checked in for camping, etc. I then spent a little time wandering around and getting settled in. As soon as I had my tent setup, it started to rain and of course my rain coat was nice and dry at home. I now have a very nice EAA/VAA raincoat!
The weather was nice other than a morning where ceilings were to low for arrivals, and it stormed Wednesday night, but it was just a typical OSH.
I love going to Oshkosh. They treat me right and I like working for them. Because I have on an EAA vest, people vent to me. The biggest complaints were about the trams. Some were mad that the trams didn't stop and pick them up when they stuck their thumbs out! The trams don't stop everywhere, only at the tram stations. You can't get mad when they don't treat you like you're special. The other complaints were about the South 40. It's a long way from where the last bus stops to the back of the camp. This year it was muddy too. There is no food back there other than a small convenience store, so people felt like they were forgotten. This one I agree with. They need to extend the tram further into that area, but I think the trams are only used on pavement, so it would take some work. I wouldn't want to camp back there.
Cool planes this year. The temps were awesome and I really miss them now that I'm back in Texas in 100+ degree days. The showers were great in the Vintage Camping Area, the same as last year. The trams seemed a little more full this year, but attendance was up, so that makes sense. In a few areas, I notice the port-a-potties had lines of people waiting to get in, but for the most part they seemed to have enough. The food stands had good food and the lines were never very long.
A few of you found me on the flight line and said hello, which was great. I met a few of you at Jay's party, and that will be one of the highlights of the trip. I wish I could have stayed longer and met more of you, but with storms closing in, I had to run. I made it back to camp, put my cameras away and it started to rain! Looking forward to next year and meeting even more of you.
