Planning a trip to Airventure 2022

Sounds like fun, but I'm not a camper. :oops: I get that it would be fun to hang out with a bunch of other pilots and check out new stuff, but I'm just not a camper. I like things like AC and a modern private bathroom; spoiled first-world person. ;)

I have yet to make to Airventure, even though I've been in Wisconsin two or three times while it's on. We were there visiting my wife's family. Some time when we're up there I'll need to drive in for the day to see it.
 
steingar said:
There were tornadoes in Ripon though...
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That's right. Which really means it all boils down to luck. That 2021 storm could have been absolutely devastating for AirVenture had those tornados touched down just a few miles from where we did. I am very glad the Oshkosh airport was spared this fate, but I'm not taking this for granted.

- Martin
 
Martin Pauly said:
That's right. Which really means it all boils down to luck. That 2021 storm could have been absolutely devastating for AirVenture had those tornados touched down just a few miles from where we did. I am very glad the Oshkosh airport was spared this fate, but I'm not taking this for granted.

- Martin
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A tornado hit Sun N fun a few years back, totaled some airplanes too. Some guys got insurance checks, my buddy printed off some T shirts, sold them all and made a tidy profit. Yah takes yer chances.
 
wayne said:
Sounds like fun, but I'm not a camper. :oops: I get that it would be fun to hang out with a bunch of other pilots and check out new stuff, but I'm just not a camper. I like things like AC and a modern private bathroom; spoiled first-world person. ;)

I have yet to make to Airventure, even though I've been in Wisconsin two or three times while it's on. We were there visiting my wife's family. Some time when we're up there I'll need to drive in for the day to see it.
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There’s plenty of pilot camaraderie in the dorm lounges. I enjoy camping, but don’t let anyone pressure you into it if it’s not your thing.
 
I was like Wayne, never camped, barely tolerated the unairconditioned dorms the first time to Airventure. The second time I brought my wife and she determined that camping under the plane was "the way" to see the show from her research. I told her fine but she would be 100% responsible for the camping aspects as I never have camped and she grew up in a family that would take camping vacations. The first year she brought a tent that was 6' (I'm 6' 1") and what she thought was extravagant (these self-inflating pads). It was rough. I had come up in a 172 so I threw a tarp over the 172 wing as well (someone had suggested that, which did keep the sun off the tent in the daytime). The owner of the flying club also had donated a set of fancy slack adjusting tie down straps.

That night came perhaps the worst storm I experienced in Oshkosh. It was 70+ MPH winds and t-storms all over the place. The little dome tent was blowing over flat on top of me (Margy was happy I was larger and kept it from laying on her). After a few minutes, I heard a snap and went out to find that one of my tie downs had come loose. Apparently, the ground was so soft that the plane had started to sink (I hadn't gotten the tip of putting boards under the wheels) which made the straps slack enough to allow the S hooks to jump the ring. Fortunately, I had brought rope and I'm out there in my underwear retying the plane in the storm.

That night I got a lot of respect for the CAP cadets. As soon as the storm stopped the kids were out there helping people reset their collapsed tents. If any were beyond repair, they moved them into the CAP hangar. They also were handing out hot chocolate as the temperature had dropped.

Notwithstanding that, we've camped every year since. We've done two years in the north 40, one year in Scholler with our EAA chapter when the plane was under restoration, and the other 20 years in Vintage.
 
I soooooo, want to do AirVenture this year. Reading all of this is great. The idea of camping under the plane sounds amazing. I would only fly and a buddy is off to the airlines in a week, or so, and doubts he'll be able to get the time off. Unless I can find someone else to go with from SoCal (not flying alone) I'll be waiting two years for another chance as I have something else planned in '23. I would love, love, love if my wife flew out there with me but the idea of flying a small plane round trip across the country and camping for a week sounds like absolute hell to her.
 
I would probably set up a camping spot to have a base camp during the day, but schlep to the dorms for sleeping. Maybe someday in a few years when I can swing owning my own plane.
 
RudyP said:
You can still get a room at Hilton Garden Inn on the airport but you have to pay for 7 nights at $700+ per night.
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Do you have to call the hotel, or how do you book these? I checked the website, but all I see is "sold out".
 
What? You don’t know…what you don’t know. Go…you could stay with family…stay in Greenbay and drive in daily…or stay at the Super 8 in Fondu lac. It’s all good.
wayne said:
Sounds like fun, but I'm not a camper. :oops: I get that it would be fun to hang out with a bunch of other pilots and check out new stuff, but I'm just not a camper. I like things like AC and a modern private bathroom; spoiled first-world person. ;)

I have yet to make to Airventure, even though I've been in Wisconsin two or three times while it's on. We were there visiting my wife's family. Some time when we're up there I'll need to drive in for the day to see it.
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Some of the local RV places rent out campers and will park them in Camp Scholler too as another option instead of a tent.
 
Martin Pauly said:
Do you have to call the hotel, or how do you book these? I checked the website, but all I see is "sold out".
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GTFOOH with that noise. $700/night? I don’t like air shows that much.
 
does it storm there every year? The year I camped there I remember thunderstorms a couple times. One night in particular was the hardest rain I've ever experienced in a tent. Luckily it was at night and I was zipped up tight, and I didn't mind it. It was just one more thing that added to my adventure. That was a really good week!
 
Martin Pauly said:
Do you have to call the hotel, or how do you book these? I checked the website, but all I see is "sold out".
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Word on the street is they sell out during the show. At this point, a call and asking for the waitlist is the next best bet.
 
Never hurts to keep inquiring. I got a hell of a rate at the Hilton at Sun n Fun one year. Upon talking to the manager it turns out I hit a window that they were trying to sell some cancelled rooms or something.
 
Brad W said:
does it storm there every year? The year I camped there I remember thunderstorms a couple times. One night in particular was the hardest rain I've ever experienced in a tent. Luckily it was at night and I was zipped up tight, and I didn't mind it. It was just one more thing that added to my adventure. That was a really good week!
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Every year? No. Probably 12-15 of the 20 years I've attended (and I typically stay 4-5 nights), there has been a significant storm. Midwestern T-storms kick serious ass...
 
Martin Pauly said:
Do you have to call the hotel, or how do you book these? I checked the website, but all I see is "sold out".
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Yes, you have to call the manager directly. But I haven’t booked my room yet so please don’t sell them out!
 
I went in 2019 with my Dad, and we stayed in an air conditioned dorm room. It was nice to have a cool room to come back to every evening, but I really felt like I missed out on a lot of the experience. Taking the bus back and forth wastes at least an hour a day, and it would have been nice to have had a "home base" to come back to during the day to relax. It also made the day of the night show a really long day. I am hoping to go this year, and I plan on camping out next to the airplane.
 
Martin Pauly said:
That's right. Which really means it all boils down to luck. That 2021 storm could have been absolutely devastating for AirVenture
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I was there and wondering how devastating it would have been for general aviation. It could have been the end of aviation insurance.
 
Lowflynjack said:
It could have been the end of aviation insurance.
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I think that's a real concern. A good-sized tornado moving along runway 9-27, picking up everything left and right of the runway. Yes, that's not a probable scenario, but certainly one that could happen. Thousands of planes totaled in one event - it would not just end insurance for light GA, but also put further strain on the aircraft market. It's hard to buy a plane right now; imagine what it would be like after an event like that?

- Martin
 
They had a tornado hit SnF a few years back. There's been pretty big single airport devastation at other places (like Tune in Nashville a couple of years ago). Despite concentrations of planes, it's not the end of the world.
 
flyingron said:
They had a tornado hit SnF a few years back. There's been pretty big single airport devastation at other places (like Tune in Nashville a couple of years ago). Despite concentrations of planes, it's not the end of the world.
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It could be if thousands of planes were destroyed. The one that hit SNF was an EF-1 tornado... or as we call them in Texas, a dust devil! Something like 40 planes were damaged and not very many of those were destroyed.

I had to look up the Tune tornado. Looks like 90 planes were damaged. EAA says over 10K airplanes were at Oshkosh.
 
The EAA lies. There aren't that many at one time. It maxes out at well less than 5,000. That's about 2.5% of the single engine fleet.
 
Lowflynjack said:
I was there and wondering how devastating it would have been for general aviation. It could have been the end of aviation insurance.
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I'm more worried about my butt being flung into Lake Winnebago.
 
we got good luck booking an AirBnB last year, we booked in January and got a full house split across 5 pilots.. it was great to have the pool, AC, and a base camp. I like camping, and it might be fun someday.. but tbh it is nice to get back to an AC'd house in the evening, hit the pool, shower, grill some burgers
 
I plan to stay with a friend who rents the same lakeshore house from the same owner every year... but he hasn't made the arrangement yet. No hurry for him because the owner doesn't market the house, and is only interested in the same reliable renter or nobody. So... as a backup I reserved a low grade basic hotel room in Fond du Lac yesterday, for $325/night! It's an amazing price but hopefully I'll cancel the reservation by May, opening it up for the next guy.
 
Hey, another question I have is if it is even necessary to pay for a rental car? I noticed there are shuttles to and from Airventure as well as to and from nearby commercial airports. Would it be worth the savings to rely on shuttles for transportation at Oshkosh? What about getting around the area in general? Example a shuttle to and from Green Bay Airport GRB is $20 each way (in 2021 fares).
 
Three times I've had to go to/from the Appleton airport. The first time I took the provided shuttle bus. This works well. Appleton isn't a big place so you're only a short walk to the curb. Hop on the bus and you're on your way to the main gate in a bit over half an hour.

The second time I was talking to the guy sitting next to me on the plane and HE had reserved a rental car. I offered to give him directions in exchange for a ride and he did

The third time it was my wife travelling back home early (grandbaby born) and I borrowed someone else's truck to drive her up there.
 
Yes, you can rely on shuttles. There's lots of Uber available that week, too.
 
Groundpounder said:
it would have been nice to have had a "home base" to come back to during the day to relax.
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Just a comment on this particular comment. I've flown and camped at OSH a few times, and the first time thought "hey great, I can come back to the plane in the middle of the day, relax, watch planes, then head back in for more". It happened exactly zero times. It very well could be different depending on where you park, but in the North 40, from some areas of the event it can take 40 minutes one way to get to your plane - even using the trams. No, after the first day I resigned myself to once I was "in", I was "in" for the day and would only go back to the plane at the end of the day.

That realization did let me pack lighter, though - the first year I brought all kinds of "lounging around" stuff. The next year I didn't bother.
 
OneCharlieTango said:
Yes, you can rely on shuttles. There's lots of Uber available that week, too.
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How much is the price for Uber in general during Airventure? I assume it must cost a lot per ride.

Also are there shuttles operating the Sunday to and from nearby commercial airports like ATW before the start of AirVenture? Or would I be left with an Uber to take me if I did not have a rental car?
 
@RussR at the risk of sounding like a communist . . . What do you do once you are “in.”?

other than the afternoon air show.

Let’s say you know you aren’t buying a new plane. You aren’t building a kit. Probably not shopping at the air mart as a renter.

What do you do inside OSH outside of the air show? Seminars?
 
Terry M - 3CK (Chicago) said:
@RussR at the risk of sounding like a communist . . . What do you do once you are “in.”?

other than the afternoon air show.

Let’s say you know you aren’t buying a new plane. You aren’t building a kit. Probably not shopping at the air mart as a renter.

What do you do inside OSH outside of the air show? Seminars?
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Have lunch/dinner with people I only see once a year (or in this case, it's been 5 years!)
Visit the museum because there's no way I can see everything in one half-day visit (which is all I usually have)
Various meetings for chapter and/or other committees.
Drool over stuff at the vendor displays.
 
Terry M - 3CK (Chicago) said:
@RussR at the risk of sounding like a communist . . . What do you do once you are “in.”?

other than the afternoon air show.

Let’s say you know you aren’t buying a new plane. You aren’t building a kit. Probably not shopping at the air mart as a renter.

What do you do inside OSH outside of the air show? Seminars?
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I went to AirVenture 16 years ago as a teenager and I was NEVER bored the whole time we were there. 2022 is slated to be my first time back since '06 and I couldn't be more excited. Its row upon row of awesome things to see/do. If you REALLY get bored, there are outlet malls nearby, the EAA museum (takes at least a day to see everything, especially if you like to read the display plaques or you can browse it in 2-3 hours if that's all you have), or you can just watch planes all day. They have demonstrations going on almost constantly it seems. I saw a B1 pull a vertical, gyrocopters, F-16s, F18s, ASELs, AMELs, you name it, it's at Oshkosh.

Personally, additionally, as you can guess from my screen name, I'm a pastor and a local church is holding special services that week that I'll be attending. And there is a group that helps missionary pilots called "Wings as Eagles" that is based on the field that I'll probably be spending some good time with.

(Oh, and did I mention, they have AIRPLANES!?!?!?!?!?)
 
flyingpreacher said:
I went to AirVenture 16 years ago as a teenager and I was NEVER bored the whole time we were there. 2022 is slated to be my first time back since '06 and I couldn't be more excited. Its row upon row of awesome things to see/do. If you REALLY get bored, there are outlet malls nearby, the EAA museum (takes at least a day to see everything, especially if you like to read the display plaques or you can browse it in 2-3 hours if that's all you have), or you can just watch planes all day. They have demonstrations going on almost constantly it seems. I saw a B1 pull a vertical, gyrocopters, F-16s, F18s, ASELs, AMELs, you name it, it's at Oshkosh.

Personally, additionally, as you can guess from my screen name, I'm a pastor and a local church is holding special services that week that I'll be attending. And there is a group that helps missionary pilots called "Wings as Eagles" that is based on the field that I'll probably be spending some good time with.

(Oh, and did I mention, they have AIRPLANES!?!?!?!?!?)
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You (and others) might be interested in dropping by the Fergus Chapel at 7 am every morning of AirVenture for a short service of music, prayer for the show and performers that day, and an aviation speaker talking about their walk. Called the Fellowship of the Wing, it's run by EAA Chaplin Cam Martin plus local pastors, and is a wonderful way to start the day. (See https://www.eaa.org/airventure/plan-your-eaa-airventure-trip/guest-services/worship-services). The chapel is beautiful and the fellowship real as regulars greet one another for yet another year. The stained glass windows? Famous aircraft. And the closing hymn every day? I'll Fly Away.
 
murphey said:
Have lunch/dinner with people I only see once a year (or in this case, it's been 5 years!)
Visit the museum because there's no way I can see everything in one half-day visit (which is all I usually have)
Various meetings for chapter and/or other committees.
Drool over stuff at the vendor displays.
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I spend a much time at seminars with knowledgeable, famous, entertaining, and enthusiastic speakers. The Air Traffic Controllers (NATCA) booth speakers and topics are excellent (arrive early). FAA and AOPA have some great talks too. Seminars everywhere about every aspect of flying: history, engines, weather, ATC, techniques, regulations, flying clubs, financing, buying, etc., etc., etc.

Watch the air shows, wander around and look at planes, try to catch a glimpse your favorite aviation blogger/vlogger, talk to your favorite aviation writer, watch the night airshow/fireworks, find the best ice cream, buy books/clothing/electronics/etc. that you never knew you needed, volunteer in any of a thousand ways, try Friar Tucks/Ardy & Eds and other local restaurants, drink Spotted Cow and eat cheese curds, visit the sea plane base, get soaked in a thunderstorm, and on and on. But the biggest thing to do is to talk to other people, not just the famous ones. Their stories, experiences, advice will make you a better pilot.
 
N918KT said:
How much is the price for Uber in general during Airventure? I assume it must cost a lot per ride.

Also are there shuttles operating the Sunday to and from nearby commercial airports like ATW before the start of AirVenture? Or would I be left with an Uber to take me if I did not have a rental car?
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Uber: This year, who knows? Five years ago, it was like $30 to go from ATW to OSH.

Shuttles: They publish the shuttle schedules on the EAA site.

Also: Kobussen Buses has vans that function as taxis. I haven’t done that in 10 or 12 years, but I remember it being relatively inexpensive.
 
wayne said:
Sounds like fun, but I'm not a camper. :oops: I get that it would be fun to hang out with a bunch of other pilots and check out new stuff, but I'm just not a camper. I like things like AC and a modern private bathroom; spoiled first-world person. ;)
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For what it's worth, outside of Oshkosh, I tend to be over camping in 1-2 days. We have quite a few events in Texas where we can fly in and camp and I'm usually ready to pack up after a couple of days of roughing it.

At Oshkosh, it's not bad. Yes there are port-a-potties, but you do get a private shower and they're quite nice. I take a battery to charge my phone and you'll find plugs around the camps you can use too. It's cool enough at night, you won't miss the AC. It's the only time in my life I've ever camped for 5-7 days and I've done it for 5 years now.
 
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