Hello all, I am probably thinking of going to Air Venture for the first time ever, and might try to bring a friend or my brother along.
Go. Enjoy. It's impossible for anyone who likes aviation not to.
I wish I could stay a week, but probably might be too much. I am thinking of staying at Air Venture where the days are the most interesting.
Not sure what you mean by this. If you mean staying on the grounds and camping, the daytime experiences aren't any different from those who are driving in from a nearby town and a hotel room, including finding cover to hide under during the afternoon thunderstorms. The difference is that if you stay on the field and camp, there's an entire small town created by the masses of people and the fun continues far into the night.
Namely, I just want to see LSAs and go to pilot town hall meetings to hear any updates on FAA 3rd class medical reform such as GAPPA or the PBOR2.
Seeing the LSAs is great.
Sitting in the FAA building listening to gibberish from government folk is usually only done when one feels like spending an hour in air conditioning.
There are plenty of safety seminars and other things in there I'd rather see than sit through a presentation on PBOR.
Trust me, if they announce anything, it'll be being talked about all over the field in a heartbeat, and in the daily on-site free newspaper the next morning.
You won't miss anything not sitting through a bureaucrat chat. FAA rarely times announcements to coincide with OSH anyway. There's little reason to.
You'll have way more fun going down to the Honda Pavillion on the north end and listening to a few specialty seminars. Some folk here even present said seminars. Maybe learn how to make a simple weld or something.
Of course, I am not a pilot, just a pilot wannabe, so I am thinking of flying by airlines and driving or taking mass transit to Oshkosh.
Now that's one I haven't heard before. Mass transit to OSH. I honestly have no idea if such a thing even exists, but be aware that OSH is generally rural Wisconsin. The EAA event and a large country music camp out on the other side of the highway are big events for up there and I don't think most of the year (think winter...) there's much activity that big. The town pulls out all the stops for these big events and then quiets back down afterward. It's not exactly on the heavily beaten path of mass transit I suspect. Those who live there may know more info or be able to clarify.
Rental cars do sell out throughout the whole State and even the pickings get slim without a reservation well in advance as far south as Chicago O'Hare. So do book early if you're renting a car.
Is it too late to start planning about going to Air Venture? What do I need to do to get ready for Oshkosh?
Honestly nothing. As far as NEED goes.
If you're planning on camping in Scholler, all you really need to survive is probably available on-site at high prices, other than the camping gear, and you could even hop a shuttle bus from the field into town to WalMart and probably get that.
Most "planners" would be appalled and rather bring our own gear for camping, but you really could survive just fine with a credit card.
If you prefer your own gear and comfort, you probably want to bring your own stuff that you know works and keeps you dry and comfortable.