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Thread: Parking Problems at Oshkosh

  1. #21
    EAA Staff / Moderator Hal Bryan's Avatar
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    Thanks for your follow up, Randy, and for having the time and patience to make sure your feedback is heard!

    Hal Bryan
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  2. #22

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    Hal, I didn't mean that the problem was that the man in the truck didn't give us a ride. It wasn't that far to walk to the hotel. It was just that in all my 25 years of attending EAA, this was about the only time I ever encountered someone who was not friendly. Not the ride, but just his being there; he seemed to resent that people were having a good time, and was looking for a problem.
    I never found out who or even if someone really did call him on his radio and send him over to hassle people. He certainly was not one of the orange shirt parking people.

  3. #23
    EAA Staff / Moderator Hal Bryan's Avatar
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    Sorry, Bill - I got that. I just homed in (perhaps excessively) on the ride part of it because that's an area where we all try to lend a hand.

    Hal Bryan
    EAA Lifetime 638979
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  4. #24

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    "Are you with me or against me?" Nineteen years coming to OSH, last 17 consecutively, and I have always been impressed with the treatment until three years ago. I now arrive with a large group on the Saturday prior to OSH and the group had always been well handled (2010 didn't count - we camped on the field without our planes because of the mud). It has been a treat dealing with Jim Casper, volunteer head of parking for many years. He is exremely knowledgeable, experienced, accomodating where he can be, able to give a valid reason for not being able to do certain things. But three years ago the working relationship with the person in charge of North 40 parking began deteriorating and reached a pinnacle this year. Trying to get a reason for the actions from some of the volunteers always brought the same reaction: "We know where she will park your group, but we can't tell you. And don't tell her I said anything or I will be in big trouble." Talking to the folks in registration brought their own disgust with how they as volunteers were handled. Numerous people not with the group had their own problems. Interestingly, all the turmoil on this thread has been caused by one person, but that one person is in charge of the North 40. With us or against us? We will see what next year brings. If it is not addressed, next year will be my last.

  5. #25

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    Quote Originally Posted by Bill Greenwood View Post
    Hal, we had a little problem, not with the parking itself, but with one of the people.
    We came in Sat about 5pm, and they had us land on the last dot on 36, all the way at the south end. I guess I could and maybe should have asked for 27, but it was busy enough that I didn't want to talk on the radio. So we had to taxi all the way from down south to the north 40 on the grass. No real problem, just worried about the prop clearance as we bounced along. The were flagmen all the way, lot's of CAP and some orange shirts.
    We wanted to park near the motels where we were staying. The CAP boys pointed over by the terminal, but a nice guy, Jim in an orange shirt on a small cycle came up and we got to park where we wanted.
    We took a few minutes to relax and then my co pilot tied down the plane. As I was getting the bags out, a guy drove up in a blue pickup that said security. He just sat there staring at us, or at the plane, a C-182 that had pulled into the line next to us. There were about 4 or 5 planes in our row, lot's of other spaces and empty rows.
    We had bags, as did the family next to us, and it was hot; so I walked over to the pickup to ask if he might give us a ride over to the fence. I can't remember all he said, but he was not there to help, despite having an empty truck bed. He gave me some stuff about a plane not following flagmen directions, and parking wrong. Mostly he then clamed up and really I could not carry on a conversation with him, and even try to find out what the problem was. There were 3 planes already parked in the row when I pulled up beside them. He just did not seem like an EAA guy, and I 'd be willing to bet $100 that his normal job is to hassle people. I think he is some type of rent a security, had a real short military type haircut, and I think perhaps a cop uniform or similar. Not EAA.
    I did ask him what the problem was, and how he knew about it, and he said he was called over the radio.
    I really got a hostile feeling from him. Fortunately after a few minutes, Jim came back on his cycle, and I told him about the problem, and he went over and talked to the cop type and we left. The next morning all our planes were there as before, except the 182 was gone. There were a few more planes parked in the row behind us, still plenty of room.
    This probably isn't related, but I spoke with a county deputy down at Vintage early in the week, and she asked us to be on the lookout for a certain aircraft that was going to be seized when it landed - related to a court case. Maybe the "security" type thought the 182 was that aircraft. I'm sorry but I don't remember what make/model we were supposed to be looking for. Ron do you remember?

  6. #26
    There was another horrific parking situation, not so much about the volunteers but instead the situation. The large Handicap Parking area outside the Main Gate after the rain was deplorable. It was bad enough to see rear wheel drive vehicles spinning in the mud, even front wheel drive had issues, but the absolute saddest sight was seeing so many of our aged and truly handicapped members / visitors trying to manuver on foot in and out of this parking area muck. Of course as the vehicle traffic increased the mud, standing water and deep ruts enhanced the problem, made worse by the next day. Sadly I only saw one EAA volunteer on an ATV ferry a handicapped individual to their vehicle and only that one time. Although I am not handicapped, I have a 4WD truck so after watching so many dismal attempts by so many I began to ferry some of these folks to their vehicles. (I had only returned to my truck to drop off items I had purchased). Thankfully I met and was able to thank multiple WWII veterans during this process. EAA should give serious consideration to it's many senior / handicapped attendees and consider properly grading that area of the parking lot for better drainage and even provide a packed gravel base.

  7. #27

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    Kyle responded: "One parking problem and you're not going back?"

    That was an assumption that this was the first time I had a problem getting to row 557 to park and camp.

    While we have been camping in that area since 1998 and attending Oshkosh since 1981 this is not the first year we had problems getting an OK to camp on row 557. In 2008 some of our group were blocked from getting there. Even one guy who got to the event on Friday(three days before it started). After we were not allowed to camp there in 2008 several of us wrote letters to some of the leaders at Oshkosh including some phone calls. We received no real satisfaction from our communications but had a feeling that we had gotten some attention to our problem. In 2009 some of us attended with hope that we would once again be allowed to camp in that area and enjoy our camaraderie (some of us stayed at home, though). The parkers in 2009 greeted us and welcomed us - no problems(we felt our communcations had done some good).

    Of course 2010 was a problem created by mother nature and it is amazing how well the parkers were able to adjust and get folks parked at all. Thank you!

    When we arrived in 2011 the parkers were even more determined that we could not get to row 557 than they were in 2008.
    So my decision not to return was not based on "one parking problem" but by two years of parking problems. So the success we had in our comunications after 2008 was apparently "over-ruled in 2011. Why fight it? Just quit attending.

    Thanks --- Lynn

  8. #28

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    Quote Originally Posted by scoltharp View Post
    Kyle responded: "One parking problem and you're not going back?"

    ...............
    So my decision not to return was not based on "one parking problem" but by two years of parking problems. So the success we had in our comunications after 2008 was apparently "over-ruled in 2011. Why fight it? Just quit attending.

    Thanks --- Lynn
    Lynn,

    I would encourage you not to give up. It's easy to throw the towel in and give up and I could understand if it were the flyin breakfast event down the road. However OSH is more than just a casual fly in. And, I totally agree with you, it's about the camaraderie and friendships we make and renew. Plus all the education, entertainment, shopping, air shows, etc.

    This is an event, a freedom we have, an experience that we should not let someone take from us because they just have a thorn up their ass and are unreasonable. I'm SURE there are ways to make this work for you and it has apparently been successful in the past.

    We need to aggressively work to solve the issue you have. We need to fight to either get rid of this one person that is over controlling or move her to some position where she doesn't have to meet the people. We need better leadership for the north 40 parking and let's fight for it.

  9. #29
    Jeff Point's Avatar
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  10. #30

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    Quote Originally Posted by Lrrryo View Post
    We need to fight to either get rid of this one person that is over controlling or move her to some position where she doesn't have to meet the people.
    Amazing it's so difficult to get rid of someone so obnoxious, damaging and controversial. Kind of the PC attitude that has created such awful employment laws over the years. Protects the wrong people....

    So I only go every few years and ignore the very few stupid people, rules, and charges. Otherwise I wouldn't bother at all. Arlington and Copperstate aren't as big and so full of nonsense.

    They say the fish stinks from the head. Maybe things will change now with a new head?

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