Sun N Fun or Oshkosh

SNF has hot, muggy days with thunderstorms, while OSH has hot muggy days with thunderstorms. I prefer OSH.

Bob Gardner
 
I do OSH every other year,and sun n fun every year. Like the smaller venue at sun n fun.
 
I often fly with my wife and dog. My wife isn't terribly fond of airshows and my dog isn't welcome on the field, so I choose Sun-N-Fun. I leave my wife and dog at the beach in St Petersburg and join them there after 2 days of airplane camping on the field. You can always get in to SNF, but OSH fills up quickly and lots of planes are turned away.
 
1 hr to OSH, who knows how much to SNF, ok 2 hours to TPA via United or AA then having to deal with TSA and an hour drive to Lakeland....I pick OSH. Also OSH is not during tax season.
 
I live in Pittsburgh, Pa. If I'm only hitting one, I prefer sun n fun because it's nice to go south in the early spring and get to warm weather. It's a smaller show but still a good one.
 
IMHO, SnF is a fairly small in comparason to OSH, and seems (to me, anyway) to favor the enthusiast without trying to be "all things to all people". By that same token, its less comprehensive than OSH.

We drive up from SoFL, and you can comfortably see the entire show in 2 days (and leave the 2nd day). That includes 2 full, in-depth passes through the vendor areas.

The "apparent" (IE what it seemed like to us) traffic at SnF has been pretty light last couple of years, especially last year. You could move around the vendor areas without bumping into people and you could walk around outside and hear yourself think, both of which were new experiences at SnF. Antique parking area was pretty sparsely settled. This may have been due to the lack of military shows, the economy, or whatever, but it was definitely noticeable. There were some gaps in the vendor area, leading us to think some companies were pulling back to just putting their resources into OSH.

With that said, SnF has significant advantages. Lodging is FAR more readily available (and reasonable), and there are multitudes of alternative activities for the family. We usually stay in Tampa. The rates are better, and it's good to "get away from the show". Some people dig the "full immersion", but YMMV.

Richman
 
Thanks for the answers, looks like Sun N Fun this year and Osh next year...unless that money tree grows quick..
 
SnF is nothing close to the Oshkosh experience, so it's hard to choose one over the other. If there are particular products you want to see and the exhibitors will be in both places, you'll fight smaller crowds at the SnF displays. If you want access to check out every conceivable innovation in the industry, Oshkosh is the only way.

Accommodations in Oshkosh are very tough to find, and expensive, and camping runs the risk of miserable conditions in Wisconsin in mid-summer. After trudging around an airport in the heat and humidity all day, I prefer a hotel shower to the ones at Camp Scholler. The problem for AirVenture is that it's the only big thing that happens all year in Oshkosh, so there's not year-round demand to justify development of more motels. Florida, on the other hand, has a zillion older, cheaper places to stay, because tourists visit year-round.
 
Was into Lakeland today,airport is getting some major improvements for this years sun n fun. Looks like they are putting in a new paved ramp ,on the show side of the field.
 
Flymeariver said:
Any reason to choose one over the other?
Click to expand...
I like both, but if I had to choose between the two it would be Oshkosh because of it's shear size, participation of pilots and vendors, EAA museum and the variety of airplanes represented.

If time and money are not a factor, do both! Even if you had to do Oshkosh one year and Sun n Fun the next, it is worth experiencing both at least once. While AirVenture is the prime attraction of Oshkosh for me, there is so much more to do in Florida near the Sun n Fun flyin. Disney World is just up the road and the Kennedy Space Center is over along the coast.
 
frfly172 said:
Was into Lakeland today,airport is getting some major improvements for this years sun n fun. Looks like they are putting in a new paved ramp ,on the show side of the field.
Click to expand...

KLAL (Lakeland Linder) have been busy all winter with improvements to taxiways/ramp area's. The airport has a very enthusiastic and forward thinking management team.

I will be at SnF for a 4th visit this year, travelling over from the UK, the show works fine for us as we are lucky in having a vacation home a few miles away, and I rent aircraft from a Company on site at KLAL, not that I fly in and out on Lakeland during SnF week, :no: siree ...

Prefer to stay clear and use KGIF (Winter Haven) a few miles away during "crazy" week..

Visiting Oshkosh is on my "to do" list when I can fit it into my schedule.
 
As a S. Fla.Flyer, it has always been KLAL SnF.
I like the smallness of it, yet the crowd is great & the air show alwasy good. Camping 2-3 nites this year.
AnyOne want to plan on a "Meet-UP"???
CaptGary
 
SnF is good, but it doesn't compare to OSH. If it's one or the other, OSH for sure.
 
capg2000 said:
As a S. Fla.Flyer, it has always been KLAL SnF.
I like the smallness of it, yet the crowd is great & the air show alwasy good. Camping 2-3 nites this year.
AnyOne want to plan on a "Meet-UP"???
CaptGary
Click to expand...

Possibly...
 
capg2000 said:
As a S. Fla.Flyer, it has always been KLAL SnF.
I like the smallness of it, yet the crowd is great & the air show alwasy good. Camping 2-3 nites this year.
AnyOne want to plan on a "Meet-UP"???
CaptGary
Click to expand...

Might work for me.
 
So far I have managed to refrain from suggesting that you check aero 'news' network for a recommendation, but I don't know how much longer I can hold back.
 
Flymeariver said:
Any reason to choose one over the other?
Click to expand...

If you HAVE to pick one, please pick Oshkosh. Fly your airplane there and camp under/next-to the wing. It was and will continue to be the best aviation experience I have ever had.

Just my opinion....

Kevin
 
I have been to OSh 5 times and Sun N Fun 4 times and I always have a better time at Sun n Fun.

First, OSH doesn't have the facilities for the crowd...hotels are lacking, costs are extremely high, there is little or nothing to do other than the fly in. Its a drag for your family if they do not want to follow you around the airport two or three days (which most do not). There is very limited parking. I have personally known four people who have had their cars towed away while shopping down town or eating at restaurants away from the field.

Second, it is miserable weather either wet and muddy or humid and uncomfortable.

Sun N Fun is well located so that you can make it a family vacation and go to Disneyworld, Seaworld, the Ocean, Key west, Miami, Tampa or many other localities on the way or afterwards. Your family could do other things not aviation related if you wanted to spend more than one day there. There are plenty of hotels, rental cars, restaurants and in general they handle the crowds quite a bit better than OSH.

Sun N fun is very comfortable weather wise even if it rains its dry in a matter of hours.
 
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