Alright Yall Convinced me!! I am going to the 2012 Airventure!

Now with that said, I am a Flightless pilot (No aircraft) so I will be driving up from West Virginia...Pause....Thats right I said WEST virginia! I intend to bring my grandson with me and he is 9 years old and loves aircraft. I intend for him to help me pick out my first ELSA that WE are going to build. Now I have never been to" The show of shows", so I intend to ask a lot of questions about what I should do and bring.
First I will say I am not without skills, I retired from Law enforcement in 2002 and spent many hours camping..the real camping in a overhead cover not a "camper" I have a 10X10 cabin tent with 3 rooms and a shower tent. I have cooking gear tables and a Air conditioner for the tent.

The one thing I do have is a physical disability (recieved on duty) that prevents me from walking a great distance. I can walk but I am very slow. I would like to reserve(?) a place near a shower facility and latrine if possible. Can a vehicle be parked near the tent? in my case a chevy 1500 4X4.
and are tent sites available with electric or someplace to plug in the cord for the A/C or do I just rough it?


My grandson is screaming happy, and I know that there are many things there to keep his interest, but I would like to find, while we are there to get him involved in the "young Eagle" program, is that available there?

Now this next question is not ment to cause any hard feelings but, is there some sort of security in the camping area to look after the goods of folks while they are out of the area? If not I, humbly would volunteer for that position, I have over 22 years in Law Enforcement and Corrections as well as Army 95B (MP). All I really want to see there are the aircraft that I am interested to build next year, and the warbirds and also the modern aircraft....O.K. I want to see it all!

So, I will leave for a while you all talk among yourselves, see if I can help out and think where a older guy like me should do because I intend to be there all week!


I understand that this is kinda late in this preperation but I have finally paid my pennance to my overlord (AKA Wife) and she has, out of her loving merciful heart, and a strong crevat of "dont spent all the money ...we still have grand kids to get through College"! allowed me limited time to once again walk among the "crazy few" of aircraft manipulators.

Hints, tips and ideas are always welcome!

Thanks: Mike

At Scholler (the non-airplane camping) you can park your car IN the camp site. There are no reserved spaces but there is two handicapped areas (still first come, first serve).

Information available here:

http://www.airventure.org/planning/c...uidelines.html
http://www.airventure.org/planning/av11_campingguide.pdf

There's a volunteer center in Scholler that can probably help you once you are on site, I don't know much about the scholar volunteer network or their security, but I know they do have such.

I don't think theft is a big problem, just lock any semi-valuables in your vehicle. Not many attendees want your dirty underwear. There are a lot of seminars & entertainment events scattered about, I'd look over a schedule & attend those that interest the Grandson & yourself. You should have a great time & a lifetime memory for both of you.

For your grandson, there is easily a full day of full day of younger generation activities at KidVenture, which is usually located over at Pioneer Airport.

Even with a campsite near the showers, there is a lot of walking involved. The parking spot for your vehicle while at OSH is your campsite. Can't drive your vehicle from your camp to the exhibits and activites. There are various modes of public transportation, tram, bus, new Ford car demos, etc., but unless you have a wheelchair scooter or something, everything in between is on foot.

You're not late in planning, I usually don't firm up my plans until the first week in July.

Hey Thanks for the replies, I went to the website to get advance Camping permits and was STUNNED when I seen the price for camp scholler!
I seen the price for admission for the full week with my grand son I thought "thats alright, I can see the value in the cost for admission for both of us, no worries" cant really do much anywhere for 185 a week. Then I went to the camping site, because I figured 25 bucks a day not bad...then I put in my info and WHAMMO 888.00 buck for the week!!! Really...REALLY .....ummmmm no! My math says 24.00 a day times 7 days makes 168.00 add two more and at worst and 216.00 plus tax not 888.00 a week! Oh, and my Overlord went ballistic! So my question is very simple....Is this for real or is the reserved camping not set up yet on the website? I do not want to drive 11 hours just to turn around and go back for the lack of no where to stay for the week. I want to go, I need to go, I dream of going! BUT, Holy Moley thats expensive!

Also, a query, about my 9 year old grand son admission, is he also under a guest member or a student? I understand that if my wife goes its full 110.00 a week but what about my grandson is he a "guest" at the 110.00 or a student at 85.00 enquiring minds want to know! (and so does the Overlord)

Thanks guys for any help!

As an alternative you could camp off-site & drive over to Airventure. Yes I realize you wouldn't get the full effect. We all have to adjust for our pocketbook, 3 full days or so would give you good exposure. If you have a camper & your own power/water & such they will always have room for you on site. I bet the premo sites are already reserved anyway. You could pull in early on the 1st day & leave late on the 3rd day of your stay. You have to allow for some of your travel time & costs too. I'm more of the type to wait til it's closer. I also have to get time off work so I don't really know when I can go yet either.

I think any electrical sites are hard to come by, unless reserved ahead of time.

Sounds like some math got broken somewhere, definitely! Can I ask you to send an email to membership@eaa.org or give them a call at 1-800-564-6322 to A) help you get the right numbers, and B) help us figure out what went wrong?

Thanks - and we're glad you decided to come!

- Hal

The campsites are paid from the time they are setup until the end of the show and you get a refund on early checkout (as long as you buy at least three days).
Are you sure you put the right arrival date in? The web registration thing pops up on JUNE not JULY (yes some people actually get there a month early).
Anybody under 18 (and over 5) is a "student." Guests are adults (and the guest designation doesn't mean as much as it used to. It used to be spouses got a substantial discount. Now your guest thing just allows a non-EAA member accompanying you to get the member price).

I just tried registering on line and the prices came out where I think....You get $888 only if you say you're going to set up on JUNE 23.

Mike, to cut down on costs, I would suggest coming for less than the whole Airventure, maybe about 4 nights. Also that way a 9 year old won't get too tired or bored. Of course, on the other hand, you do have to drive a long way. Find some good amusement park , maybe some water thing on a river, and stop on the way for the boy. There is actually a small amusement park about one mile on the south edge of FonduLac, has go carts etc. , no water sports however.

As for as guarding your stuff, there is no guard system set up; no offense to your profession, but thank God that Oshkosh is still one place you can go and get away from the Gestapo mentality of much of the rest of the world. There aren't people walking around with guns and no TSA to hassle everyone.
As for as I know, you are more likely to find honest people at EAA Airventure than most anywhere else. Use common sense, don't leave an expensive camera on the hood of your car, or some parts to a rare airplane sitting around. But it feels like a safe place. In there other life, some of these guys may be the hit man for Bain Capital for all we know, but mostly folks at EAA act like it is a small village.

At 9 years old ,the boy is fine for Young Eagles, call and see if there is a chapter near you doing rides.
The EAA main phone # is 1 800 564 6322, and they may be able to help you with some info on those with some handicap or just less moblity. That may be one con for you, Osh is a big airport with much to see. Give them a call and good luck.

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Originally Posted by Gently56

....Is this for real or is the reserved camping not set up yet on the website? I do not want to drive 11 hours just to turn around and go back for the lack of no where to stay for the week.

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Humm.....I take it you haven't driven through Chicago lately......That can be several hrs by itself.

Camp Scholler never runs out of campsites so if you have your camping gear, you'll have a place to stay. It will be roughing it as far as no electricity but you can take a hot shower which keeps you feeling human. The price is less than a comparable campsite in a commercial campground and unless you just want to pay early you can pay at the gate.