OshKosh

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farky

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farky
If you are only going for 2 days, is there a better or worse time to go as far as early or late in the week?
 
How are you going? Flying in and camping? Driving? Staying on or off the field?

If you are flying in and camping, lots of spots start opening up on the field by Wed. Flying in Thursday morning is often a good bet if you want to stay just a few days.
 
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The right time to go is when the weather cooperates. If weather doesn't prefer a time, then early is better. Everyone is fresh, the vibe is great and it's all pilots. At the end, people are tired and there are a lot of non-aviators. But really, it's weather. Anytime the weather is good, you will have fun.
 
We like Monday - Wednesday, same reason as @rwellner98. Now that they have the Wednesday night show, I don’t feel like I’m missing as much by heading home Thursday or Friday.
 
I've come in on Sunday, and I've come in on Wednesday. Honestly, I couldn't tell much difference in the two as far as the vibe is concerned.

If you go on Wednesday, I would recommend getting there before the afternoon airshow. The airport is only open to arrivals for a couple hours between the afternoon and night shows, and last time I went, there were a whole bunch of people cramming into that window. The Fisk arrival was a little sporty for my taste, and required some laps around the lakes to get in line.

If it's your first time, I would recommend trying to catch one of the night airshows on Wednesday or Saturday night.
 
I want to go to OSH this year, but the whole arrival process has me a little worried. I'd plan on arriving either late Wednesday or any time Thursday. Any recommendations for an OSH virgin?
 
KaiGywer said:
I want to go to OSH this year, but the whole arrival process has me a little worried. I'd plan on arriving either late Wednesday or any time Thursday. Any recommendations for an OSH virgin?
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If you are going to spend the week, the best time to arrive is right after 7:00 am when OSH opens for arrivals on the day before show opening.

Half the fun is being on the ground, camp set up, in a lawn chair, with a portable radio & beer in hand watching the arrival circus during the late morning and early afternoon. That's been my routine every year I've flown in.

If you are coming mid-week for a few days, Wed morning or Thurday mornings are generally fairly quiet. Wednesday afternoon can be busy as the airport is closed for both the afternoon and evening air shows, so you have to hit a short window between them.

Also:
1) Study the NOTAM;
2) There are videos of the arrivals from a cockpit view, including the landmarks, on YouTube, some worth watching;
3) Highly recommend a pilot in the right seat with you to call out landmarks and help with traffic spotting.
 
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KaiGywer said:
I want to go to OSH this year, but the whole arrival process has me a little worried. I'd plan on arriving either late Wednesday or any time Thursday. Any recommendations for an OSH virgin?
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Inbound traffic will be reasonable the morning of either of those days (unless weather caused a lot of people to defer their arrivals). Arrive as early in the morning as possible to miss the rush.
 
KaiGywer said:
I want to go to OSH this year, but the whole arrival process has me a little worried. I'd plan on arriving either late Wednesday or any time Thursday. Any recommendations for an OSH virgin?
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Just don't be the moron that hasn't read the NOTAM. It amazes me that there are still people in this world that seem to just show up without knowing the protocol. IMO, the arrival is actually not as big of a deal as it seems. I've been when it was slow, and I've been when it was a mad house. If you KNOW the NOTAM and what to expect, you'll be fine. I had maybe 100 hours the first time I flew myself, and it was BUSY. No biggie though because I was well prepared. Youtube videos help quite a bit.

I probably wouldn't do it alone. Another set of eyes is invaluable coming in to Ripon, and another set of ears is invaluable when the ATC transmissions are non-stop.
 
KaiGywer said:
I want to go to OSH this year, but the whole arrival process has me a little worried. I'd plan on arriving either late Wednesday or any time Thursday. Any recommendations for an OSH virgin?
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Thursday will be better for a newbie. Late Wed is a narrow window between airshows and is very busy.
 
Study the notam,early in the morning works best,pay attention to the weather. Enjoy the experience.
 
Study the NOTAM? ;) (it really can't be stressed enough) Study and be prepare for the d-bag that didn't.
 
As much as I'd love to fly in, I think I'll be driving in this time. Thanks for the replies so far.
 
Any day you can make it is the ‘right’ time to be there.

Yes, I like to fly over RIPON at 0715 on a weekday morning, assuming the field is open for arrivals.
 
OkieFlyer said:
Just don't be the moron that hasn't read the NOTAM. It amazes me that there are still people in this world that seem to just show up without knowing the protocol.
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But what if you arrive in a Cirrus, aren't you exempt from NOTAMS, and don't they reserve your tie down spot at show center?
 
If you're flying, get in either the weekend prior or after Wednesday. Field often fills up early, but empties out early too. I think last year I flew in on Wednesday and had no trouble finding a good spot to camp in the North 40.
 
I'm with the others in saying the earlier in the week the better. You might miss a few things that come later but the crowds are much smaller, the grounds cleaner, and lines shorter.
 
steingar said:
If you're flying, get in either the weekend prior or after Wednesday. Field often fills up early, but empties out early too. I think last year I flew in on Wednesday and had no trouble finding a good spot to camp in the North 40.
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That's a very good point. You cannot plan on being able to fly in Monday or Tuesday. Particularly, if there is any risk of rain the second half of the week, people will adjust schedules and parking will be full except for vintage.

You can, however, park in Fond du Lac, camp there and get a bus to the show as a plan B.
 
GRG55 said:
If you are going to spend the week, the best time to arrive is right after 7:00 am when OSH opens for arrivals on the day before show opening.

Half the fun is being on the ground, camp set up, in a lawn chair, with a portable radio & beer in hand watching the arrival circus during the late morning and early afternoon. That's been my routine every year I've flown in.

If you are coming mid-week for a few days, Wed morning or Thurday mornings are generally fairly quiet. Wednesday afternoon can be busy as the airport is closed for both the afternoon and evening air shows, so you have to hit a short window between them.

Also:
1) Study the NOTAM;
2) There are videos of the arrivals from a cockpit view, including the landmarks, on YouTube, some worth watching;
3) Highly recommend a pilot in the right seat with you to call out landmarks and help with traffic spotting.
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I couldn't have said it better. I stay the whole week, and will arrive on Saturday, stay the week and leave on Sunday this year weather permitting. Last year I arrived on Sunday at 7AM and it was a breeze getting in. I had never been there, but I watched every YouTube video I could find and it really helped. I felt like I'd seen all of the landmarks before and knew exactly what to do. I printed the NOTAM out, put it in a big clip, and when we were flying in that morning from Watertown, I removed all of the pages that we didn't need based on the active runways that morning. Kept it simple and it worked perfectly.
 
Getting in can vary from piece of cake to irredeemable nightmare. I watched a set of Sunday afternoon arrivals turn into an utter cluster**** a couple years ago. Just trust to your luck and be on your A game.
 
I go the Saturday before it opens. Tons of people already there on Saturday.
 
rwellner98 said:
That's a very good point. You cannot plan on being able to fly in Monday or Tuesday. Particularly, if there is any risk of rain the second half of the week, people will adjust schedules and parking will be full except for vintage.

You can, however, park in Fond du Lac, camp there and get a bus to the show as a plan B.
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Great points. You can also listen to ATIS on liveatc.net and they make announcements when camping/parking is full. You can also hit the EAA website and it gives updates a couple times a day on camping/parking density. Personally, I now fly in Saturday morning for a good parking spot close to the showers, less traffic, and less stress. We get all setup, then hit the rope line Sunday morning and watch all the arrivals. It is alot of fun.
 
Grum.Man said:
I go the Saturday before it opens. Tons of people already there on Saturday.
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Me too. Last year, I got in at 6 pm or so with very light traffic...only about four planes converging on Ripon. I also got a very straightforward route, along Fisk Ave. with a left base entry to 36.
 
SoCal RV Flyer said:
Me too. Last year, I got in at 6 pm or so with very light traffic...only about four planes converging on Ripon. I also got a very straightforward route, along Fisk Ave. with a left base entry to 36.
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Same here though traffic was pretty heavy. The cloud base for most of the day was too low, as soon as it lifted it was a wave of arrivals around 4-5 pm.
 
ytodd said:
Great points. You can also listen to ATIS on liveatc.net and they make announcements when camping/parking is full. You can also hit the EAA website and it gives updates a couple times a day on camping/parking density. Personally, I now fly in Saturday morning for a good parking spot close to the showers, less traffic, and less stress. We get all setup, then hit the rope line Sunday morning and watch all the arrivals. It is alot of fun.
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Yup, we're on the same page. I love the vibe Sat and Sun.
 
Grum.Man said:
I'm with the others in saying the earlier in the week the better. You might miss a few things that come later but the crowds are much smaller, the grounds cleaner, and lines shorter.
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I disagree with this. My experience is that the show is its busiest Monday and Tuesday, and is noticeably slower by Thursday/Friday. Arrivals on Sunday are usually pretty rough.
 
kyleb said:
Arrivals on Sunday are usually pretty rough.
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We chose to fly in to Watertown and spend the night on Saturday, then get an early start on Sunday, arriving just as the airspace opened. I can imagine that later in the day it will get busy on Sunday though.
 
Camping is not my thing. I like the idea of a dorm at the UofW. How do I get one of those?
 
Morgan3820 said:
Camping is not my thing. I like the idea of a dorm at the UofW. How do I get one of those?
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Did that one year, when I had a couple of friends with me where "camping was not their thing". Will NEVER do that again. Hated the time wasted waiting for the shuttle. Hated missing out on the visiting at the campsite. Hated having to taxi back after a late evening at Theater in the Woods (missed last shuttle). Hated not being able to have my first coffee in my chair beside the airplane on a glorious Wisconsin morning. After camping there from my first Oshkosh in 1985, it just didn't feel the same experience at all.

But to each their own. What works for me may not be what makes Oshkosh truly enjoyable and memorable for others.
Here's a link for the dorms; try to get a room with air conditioning.
https://gcc.uwosh.edu/home/eaa-airventure-lodging/
 
EvilEagle said:
@GRG55 : Agree! When I fly a GA airplane to Osh, I camp. When I fly the F-15 to Osh they give me a dorm room and a car to get to/from. It's just too much hassle and IMO you miss out on a lot of the Osh experience.
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This is what’s nice about Scholer. You can bring enough infrastructure that you can be incredibly comfortable while still remaining at the air show. I’ll be at OSH for over two weeks this year (bringing travel trailer, AC, power, grill, fridge, shower, dirtbike).

I’ve flown there at least half a dozen times. Finally got sick of the lack of comfort. Much happier driving there and bringing a house with me.

Scholer also has a way way more active night scene whereas the airplane camping areas turn into a ghost town as soon as the sun goes down.
 
I highly recommend gassing up at Baraboo-Dells. A nice short hop from there to Osh, so your tanks will be mostly full when you leave AirVenture. They treated us like royalty there...super nice folks! They had the Osh ATIS playing from a speaker, a bunch of copies of the NOTAM, and copies of all the parking placards. Nice doggie in the FBO too.

IMG_1917.jpg IMG_1919.jpg
 
jesse said:
Scholer also has a way way more active night scene whereas the airplane camping areas turn into a ghost town as soon as the sun goes down.
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Yes, that's another benefit of camping with the plane instead of Scholler.
 
jesse said:
This is what’s nice about Scholer. You can bring enough infrastructure that you can be incredibly comfortable while still remaining at the air show. I’ll be at OSH for over two weeks this year (bringing travel trailer, AC, power, grill, fridge, shower, dirtbike).

I’ve flown there at least half a dozen times. Finally got sick of the lack of comfort. Much happier driving there and bringing a house with me.

Scholer also has a way way more active night scene whereas the airplane camping areas turn into a ghost town as soon as the sun goes down.
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Hmmm. I don't recall there being any restrictions to airplane campers crossing the fence-line and joining in the festivities in Scholler. The South Africans and the Aussies party the hardest in Scholler, and never difficult to find out where they are congregating in the campground in the evenings. ;)
 
SoCal RV Flyer said:
I highly recommend gassing up at Baraboo-Dells. A nice short hop from there to Osh, so your tanks will be mostly full when you leave AirVenture. They treated us like royalty there...super nice folks! They had the Osh ATIS playing from a speaker, a bunch of copies of the NOTAM, and copies of all the parking placards. Nice doggie in the FBO too.

View attachment 61809 View attachment 61810
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SHARP LOOKING RV!! 7? Or a 6 with the 7 rudder?

More pics!!!
 
GRG55 said:
Hmmm. I don't recall there being any restrictions to airplane campers crossing the fence-line and joining in the festivities in Scholler. The South Africans and the Aussies party the hardest in Scholler, and never difficult to find out where they are congregating in the campground in the evenings. ;)
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Indeed you can. However it’s a bit of a hike. Much easier to just be there.

I would wager that the majority of people in the N40 do not make it to Scholer even once.

I really wish the EAA would run dedicated Scholler - N40 transportation that doesn’t involve switching trams half a dozen times. The trams also don’t run late...it’s a hell of a hike when you’re hammered at 3am.
 
GRG55 said:
SHARP LOOKING RV!! 7? Or a 6 with the 7 rudder?

More pics!!!
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Thanks! It's a -9A, non-aerobatic with a higher-aspect wing with Roncz airfoil. It's about 28' wingspan compared to 25' or so for a -7, and has giant flaps.

Here's one at the gas pumps of my home airport, Cable (KCCB), and a partial panel shot taken coming down the Cajon Pass.

IMG_2585.jpg


IMG_2309.jpg
 
jesse said:
Indeed you can. However it’s a bit of a hike. Much easier to just be there.

I would wager that the majority of people in the N40 do not make it to Scholer even once.

I really wish the EAA would run dedicated Scholler - N40 transportation that doesn’t involve switching trams half a dozen times. The trams also don’t run late...it’s a hell of a hike when you’re hammered at 3am.
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I think there's a few of us airplane campers that can relate to your closing sentence! :cheers:
 
I've got to try camping next time for the full OSH experience. Last year, we stayed in a friend's trailer in Scholler, which was nice, but the hike/tram each day to get to the action grew old very quickly.
 
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