Under-the-wing camping

[GroupW]

This will be my first time at Oshkosh. I was planning on camping under the wing, but an acquaintance told me that several years ago he had found that all the available spots were taken on or before the first day. I plan to arrive some time Sunday, so I'm concerned there won't be anywhere to camp when I arrive after my 3+ day flight. So my questions are:

-- Is it likely or even possible there won't be any spots available when I arrive?
-- If there are no spots available, what happens? Will ATC wave me away to land at some other airport? If that happens, would I be able to camp at the alternate airport? Or do I fly into Oshkosh, park, leave every evening, find a place to stay, and fly back the next day?
-- Is it wise to pay the camping fees on line before I go?

I really appreciate any advice you can give. Thanks!

[FlyingRon]

It used to be the case where the field filled but except for the sloshkosh year where much of it was under water, I don't think they've completely filled up in recent years. What sort of airplane do you have? There are separate camping and parking areas for Vintage (Built before the end of 1970), homebuilts, and the rest.

In Vintage, we just keep putting people further down the line (so you'll feel like you're in Fond du Lac). If there is no parking available ATC will suspend arrivals. It's up to you to figure out where else to go. If you can't camp, you're not going to be able to park either (at least in Vintage, and I suspect in the North 40). Of course if you can get a parking space you can hump your gear over to the camping area or to scholler and pitch there.

I believe only Scholler has the prepay of camping fees on line this year. You still have to register even there when you arrive so I'm not sure what it buys you other than not having to get your credit card out when you arrive.

[N546RV]

This will be my first year flying in as well. What Ron is saying echoes what I've been reading - that the last few years, it's been pretty rare for the North 40 to fill up. (though I'll be arriving early Saturday morning just to be sure!)

If you haven't seen it already, there's a page which is supposed to be kept up to date with the status of aircraft parking. I'll be checking it Friday night, that's for sure: http://www.airventure.org/aircraft/parking_status.asp

[GroupW]

Thanks very much for the info, especially for the link to the parking status page.

Gee, I never considered my 1967 Cessna 150 to be "vintage", and the only award it's won, and probably the only one it ever will, was for greasiest belly. Seriously, I'll of course be parking with the other ho-hum planes.

I'm really glad to hear there's a good chance I'll be able to camp. If I get turned away by ATC and left on my own to find a place to stay and transportation to the show, I'll probably just wave off. The trip won't be totally wasted, since I'll be going to the Cessna 150-152 Club convention in Iowa a few days later. Actually, the trip wouldn't be wasted anyway because it'll be a blast flying there and back.

Thanks Ron for the info about prepayment for under-the-wing camping. I thought I had seen a way to do it on the web, but on second look you're right -- there's no way to prepay it anyway.

[FlyingRon]

Your '67 150 is welcome down with us in Vintage no matter what condition it is in.

[slin]

It used to be the case where the field filled but except for the sloshkosh year where much of it was under water, I don't think they've completely filled up in recent years.

My memory may be foggy here, but if I'm not mistaken, the North 40 (that is, non-showplane camping) has been filled/closed at least for a short time pretty much every year except last year. Sloshkosh was worse - closed even with relatively few planes because some parts of the N40 were waterlogged, but except for last year I seem to remember it closing due to capacity generally from say Monday afternoon through Tuesday evening or Wed morning most other recent years. By then, enough of the early birds leave to allow them to reopen it.

[FlyingRon]

Yeah, sloshkosh was an anomolie. Even previous water logged years were not as bad. The north 40 was pretty much closed to arrivals. Down in Vintage, we parked people in the paved ditch and along taxiway P (which normally served as a taxiway) until things started to dry out. I got the last of the planes out of there just in time to have Jack Rousch crash his jet into that area. The North side begged us to take some of their arrivals. They had NOTHING.

[Rob Flansburg]

This will be my first time at Oshkosh. I was planning on camping under the wing, but an acquaintance told me that several years ago he had found that all the available spots were taken on or before the first day. I plan to arrive some time Sunday, so I'm concerned there won't be anywhere to camp when I arrive after my 3+ day flight. So my questions are:

-- Is it likely or even possible there won't be any spots available when I arrive?
-- If there are no spots available, what happens? Will ATC wave me away to land at some other airport? If that happens, would I be able to camp at the alternate airport? Or do I fly into Oshkosh, park, leave every evening, find a place to stay, and fly back the next day?
-- Is it wise to pay the camping fees on line before I go?

I really appreciate any advice you can give. Thanks!

we arrive every year on Saturday. I spend quite a bit of time watching arrivals on Sunday and Monday. I recall that the north forty does not usually hit saturation until late Monday or Tuesday and re opens for arrivals the next day as planes start to depart. You will be fine on Sunday.