Many spectators where there for sure but there needs to be some portable bleachers . Most could not see the short T/O and landing .
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Many spectators where there for sure but there needs to be some portable bleachers . Most could not see the short T/O and landing .
Big +1.
I suggested this years ago long before the rebranded Fun Zone night stuff started. The same small low capacity single bleacher has been there for many years. If you want to enjoy the events taking place many more are needed because the close proximity of the runway to standing front line viewers hanging on the fence makes it impossible for those behind to see the on-going activity. Ears open EAA Oshkosh organizers!
lol, the announcers commented every evening that more bleachers were needed! Squeaky wheel gets the grease!!
I had a real negative experience at the evening show at the FunFly Zone. When you invite people, say 2000 or so, to a show there is some expectation that it will be run correctly. This is the second year for me to complain about this event. I feel like EAA needs to start hiring professionals to run some of these events like this one. Here are a few points.
1. 5 times as many bleachers needed.
2. Remove all demo aircraft parked along the inside fence so spectators can see.
3. Provide transportation for 1500 to 2000 people to the front gate after the show is over. Gotta be at least 2 miles to the bus park.
4. Add some extra fire equipment during the week so one emergency in the north forty doesn't shut down the activities in the south forty.
5. Please build some paved side walks the length of Knapp St as well as the full length of W. Waukau Ave. Hate to be the guy to sound the alarm but somebody is going to get run over! Think about all those people parked out there along the expressway in the brown lot.
Yes I know that the show is only 7 days long once a year but thats the cost of doing business and yes I will come again as have for many years. Rant over!
I also enjoy the ultralight area. Usually make at least two visits during my week at the show. More seating would be appreciated/is needed. Particularly for the big-draw events. As for transporting people, that comes back to a larger/better overall people mover solution. This might be a subject worthy of hiring a consultant. Heck, maybe Disney even consults on this topic. I believe they sell their customer service model.
Great comments & rants This was my first time seeing the short TO & Ldg event, but it was just too jam packed. I don’t think that I would consider going to this again unless they corrected all of the aforementioned squawks that everyone has barked about. Too bad, cuz this is a great event/show.
There is no doubt that UL strip needs spectator & other upgrades. There is staff and a UL/LSA council of volunteers. Hopefully they monitor this thread and will bring the issue up to management. The show has gotten so large and multi faceted I’m sure that they are flooded with complaints and suggestions. Just sorting out legitimate issues from squawks has to be a daunting task.
North- south access is a real issue. I’m surprised that EAA tolerates the intermingling of people and trams just from a liability standpoint. Efficiency and numbers is another topic and can be found on a couple of other threads.
I for one am just glad EAA hung in there when the UL industry collapsed and did not cut and run. It’s good to see an uptick in activity in the area.
"3. Provide transportation for 1500 to 2000 people to the front gate after the show is over. Gotta be at least 2 miles to the bus park."
As we say in Chicago..."Good luck wit dat."
The average school bus will carry perhaps 40-50 adults. 'About' 40 fit on one of our trams. I project a round trip from the Ultralight flight line to the Main Gate or Bus Park to be well over 30 minutes at the speeds the pavement surface allows (LOTS of bumps).
IMHO - You don't have to be a mathematician or even at the level of "Jethro Cypherin' " to appreciate the impossibility of moving that many people in a reasonable amount of time over that distance. Now I'm not saying it's never gonna happen...… but it's never gonna happen. The considerable logistics requirements far exceed practical expectations. IMHO
It would...again just IMHO.... make more logistical sense to NOT run events that strand the multitudes a couple miles from their vehicles in the late evenings. Why not eliminate such scheduling or move it to "Center Stage" right in the middle of the AirShow flight line leaving just a few blocks for folks to walk through Boeing Plaza straight down Celebration Way to the Main Gate?
Never forget that Oshkosh is actually a combination of two Oneida Native American words - Oshkonna and Koshakalla - which loosely translate to 'It's gonna rain and yer gonna walk yer butt off."