Money is tight, lots of folks out of work, and the cost of tickets are up costs of fuel is way up, Lots of reasons people do not wish to spend the time/money in this economy.
Money is tight, lots of folks out of work, and the cost of tickets are up costs of fuel is way up, Lots of reasons people do not wish to spend the time/money in this economy.
I was there Saturday to Thursday... More planes than I could look at, more forums than I could attend, not enough tables in the food court, the least amount of rain/mud of the last couple years. We don't need to set any records to make me happy, I saw my friends, enjoyed the camaraderie. I had a great time, so did my kids.
Jim
See y'all in 2013.
EAA 276294 Lifetime
Vintage 722607
1957 Piper PA-22/20 "Super Pacer"
Chapter 32 member www.eaa32.org
www.mykitlog.com/LinerDrivr
Fly Baby/Hevle Classic Tandem
We were there the whole week and attendance was DEFINITELY down. Both attendees and exhibitors. The hangers had way fewer exhibitors, with really wide aisles (you could see the booth tape marks from previous years) and hangar C had huge open areas with no exhibitors whatsoever. At no point did I find any hangar crowded, and Aircraft Spruce was only 1 or 2 people deep, whereas they are normally 5-6 people deep. I asked one of the hangar exhibitors about it and he said that EAA keeps raising the prices every year while he has been noticing a declining attendance. He figures they have probably raised the prices to the tipping point for a lot of companies.
Out where Vans and Bearhawk Aircraft were set up there was only one line of tents. Every other year there was at least two rows of tents.
I have been attending since '93 and this year had the strangest vibe of all. It just didn't feel right for some reason. The crowds were way down, and there just didn't seem to be same excitement. Hopefully it is an anomaly, and we'll go again next year. But if it is the same (or worse) next year, then....
-------------------
Mark
EAA 367635
President EAA 245
1979 Maule M5-235C C-GJFK
RV-8 C-GURV (Sold)
Bearhawk #1078 C-GPFG (under construction)
I agree with rv8bldr. As usual, I had a truly awesome time at Oshkosh again this year spending time with my Dad and friends. However, I told my dad on day one that "it just doesn't feel right". The very first thing I noticed was how few people were there. Then, when the hangars opened up, I couldn't believe how sparce they were. Usually, there's so many people in there it difficult to walk. This year the space was wide open. Even during airshow time it was noticable how few people were there (relative to past years). Even the airshow itself didn't seem up to par with past years.
Yes the down economy plays a part in the low attendence, but I think both the EAA and town of Oshkosh have shot themselves in the foot by gouging all of us on prices.
Will they ever learn...
Mark
2003 RANS S-10
2011 RANS S-6S
Zenith Cruzer
www.aircraftstickers.com Very cool aircraft stickers. Vans, RANS, Kitfox...more!
This is something that has been happening in the last 5-10 years across the trade show / convention industry. I exhibit at a lot of specialty ag trade shows & a good friend of mine does the same in the aftermarket automotive industry (we help each other out at the shows) - everyone is jacking up vendor fees to the point we are only attending the bigger shows with a lot of exposure or the ones that haven't gotten greedy yet. A lot of the problem is with the support companies that set up the booths, curtains, etc raising their prices ridiculously, as well as the convention center fees. They all think they can bleed the vendors to pay for everything. Well, we have to sell 3 times what it costs us for the trip just to break even, so a lot of the vendors just aren't going anymore if the return isn't there.Originally Posted by rv8bldr
Mark, I live out here in Brooklyn just a few miles from MIS. What do you think hotels and resturants do during a NASCAR race week? They gouge the crap out of anyone that comes within 40 miles. Hotel rates in Jackson quadruple over they normal rates. A few yrs ago the township sent out a questionaire for input on how to raise revenue.....my suggestion was to gouge more people during NASCAR races. Well, actually I suggested they find a way to "capitalize" more from the NASCAR events.
It didn't seem busy at the first of the week, but then Monday was an official high of 102 degrees, and like most people I didn't want to be out in the sun.
It picked up later and it was certainly busy, both planes and people on Fri and Sat, maybe not as much as some past years, but still bustling.
He's right. The company I work for was on the fence about setting up a booth last year. This year we decided it would not happen. Can't justify the cost / benefit.
I'm with you. The whole show seemed off. It was more like going to a big mall than the greatest aviation event of the year. Previous years I didn't want to leave. This year I left after two days and went to the Dells for some excitement. In hindsight, I should have stayed home and watched it via the webcams. Next year I'll be trying SnF. AV is no longer a "must see". I guess its time to accept that the new EAA is all about greed and big business while thumbing their noses at the membership.
Anyone know if its possible to cancel an EAA membership?
All they will do is take you off auto-renewal. It's very important to them to keep their numbers up by whatever means possible.
now, that's interesting. not enough top-name bands or comics, but concerned the focus has drifted off aviation? hmmm.
first year i went was '73, i didn't even know they had evening entertainment, i was way too pooped from the aviation exhibits and events. second time was '78, ditto. third time '86, tent camped on the field, would have liked a cold beer in the evening but never bothered to look because i naively figured it was a family show there wouldn't be any. last (maybe a double-entendre there) time was '06, again camped, but by now i knew there was entertainment (?) louder than the airshow who could miss it? and i found there are a bunch of places out around the edges of the area with free beer and free food where one can gate-crash, places where the well-heeled and well-connected carouse until the wee hours. interesting. what happened to the family aviation show? (burp)
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