Golf Carts at Airventure

[mikw53]

Just being a vendor isn't enough to get a cart. Most of the convention-style vendors (exhibit buildings and even the outside stuff) are expected to use GES to move freight (and yes it is time restricted).

Still there are a lot of logtistical stuff that needs to move around, and it's not stuff that can always be deferred during the airshow. Some of the biggest abuses are still the "VIP" traffic more than anything else. Just look at the number of carts parked around the high $$$ chalets (like the HAI one) and you'll see where some of the unnecessary traffic comes from.

I'll have to admit to driving a golf cart during the airshow, but I tend to only be where people aren't allowed to stand.

The biggest irritant at Oshkosh year after year is the Golf carts.Vendors should only be allowed to restock once a day before anyone arrives in the morning and then again between 12pm and 1pm when there are more people sitting down to eat anyway.Other than vendors no one else should be allowed to drive one.Walk like the rest of us. Your not so important that you deserve to ride around terrifying the paying goers,or if you must get from point a to point be quicker than get bikes with noise makers when they move.
Way to many vehicles running around the grounds.Give us a break please!

[FlyingRon]

Bikes are forbidden on the grounds now. If you think golf carts are problematic, ....

[mikw53]

Bikes are forbidden on the grounds now. If you think golf carts are problematic, ....

I can see your point but I would suggest that being hit by a mustang bike will do nowhere near the damage of being hit by a silent golf cart at the speeds some of them scoot around..
Golf carts are dangerous in a crowd and should be severely restricted.
If they won't get rid of them at least put speed governors on them so that they can go no faster than a fast walk and for heavens sake common sense would tell them that they should at least make a noise loud enough to be heard 20 feet away.
They are my pet peeve and I have heard enough comments from others while there to know I am not alone.
Thanks for allowing me to rant.
Mike

[FlyingRon]

Nope, doesn't hurt to complain. I've certainly made my share of complaints and back before this board came about, there wasn't even a good forum (though I did find the one or two EAAers that actually knew what email was a few years back. Also there were always some key volunteers you could make complaints to. Some times it takes years for things to change, but the suggestions people made are out there.

Like I mentioned, the new "perimeter road" gives a good chance to try to move most of the traffic that doesn't need to be on whitman road out of the show area similar to the "cart free zones" thorugh the main exhibit area that have been in place for a while.

[Bill Greenwood]

It is not going to affect my Osh much if someone has a cart as long as they drive it safely. Seems like more jealousy than something real, though I have seen other same comments.
I actually had someone in a partially full cart offer us a lift and that is rare.

[stummers]

We bring a golf cart every year to camp Scholler and get the proper permits. We limit our use to outside of the Airventure gates. I enjoy the look of surprise and relief when we offer a ride to a weary walker.

[Jeff Point]

I think Bill is definitely on to something with the jealousy issue. Let me take it a step further. One of the big problems with the pedestrian/ vehicle interactions at Oshkosh is that, frankly, too many pedestrians are walking around with poor situational awareness. Oshkosh just lends itself to a lot of "ooh look at that!" moments, plus in this era too many are walking while looking down at their phones instead of around them. In my time as a volunteer I've driven literally thousands of miles inside the Oshkosh grounds in everything from a scooter to a pickup truck, so I've seen the other side of this. Many's the time I've been driving, at a safe speed paying close attention, only to have someone wander in front of me necessitating evasive action because they weren't paying attention. Some even give the stink eye or say something smart, mostly as a balm to their egos, I think.

The restricted vehicle zone around airshow center has absolutely cut down on the amount of vehicle traffic in that area, and anyone who says otherwise is just wrong. However, as a consequence, it has also forced more traffic to the periphery (it has to go somewhere) and increased vehicle/ pedestrian interaction in those areas. Hint- if you are walking on asphalt with lines painted on it, it's a road and you might want to look around before you wander across it.

[Kyle Boatright]

Hint- if you are walking on asphalt with lines painted on it, it's a road and you might want to look around before you wander across it.

One thing I noticed in 2014 was that the lines delineating the walkways on the main N/S roads along the flightline were really faded. Unless you'd been there before, you might not have been aware of dedicated walk lanes for pedestrians. There sure were a lot of people walking out in the middle of the road...

[mmorrison123]

I realize that some cart/gator traffic is necessary, and I too have been the grateful recipient of a random act of kindness by a cart driver offering me a ride. Just goes to show that Airventure people are the best. However the carts do get (in my opinion) mis-used. As I mentioned at the start of this thread they get used for personal mobile seats to view events from and to shop in. The rest of us have to move somewhere else because we can;t see over the cat roofs, or maneuver out of the rows of the flymart so the cart with shoppers can get through. The main N/S road is certainly an area of congestion where us pedestrians, as well as the work vehicles all try to get through. Yes, we often are oblivious to traffic while we gawk at the airplanes, but isn't that what we come to Airventure to do? I don't think the issue is a matter of jealousy. If the EAA wanted to auction off seats in the Aviators Club (or whatever the special seating area is called) I would not have a problem. But promoting personal use vehicle traffic, something that seems to already be an issue, is something that really rubs me the wrong way. As I said before, the EAA and volunteers are top notch. I just wish that they would reconsider auctioning off the use of golf carts for personal use during the show.

[Kevin O'Halloran]

I have use of a golf cart during air adventure.
Have never had a problem (except once)
BUT we never go to show center from 8AM to 7PM and we never get close to Wittman road road during the airshow--just too many people. Plenty of ways to get around using the new perimeter roads
Several years back I was taking a Mag over to Cy's emergency aircraft repair. Saw this women walking right for me. I stopped, she walked right into my vehicle. Her husband started reading me the riot act when several people told him I was stopped at the time. You should never drive faster than a brisk walk and you should stay on the cart paths !
we always pick up old guys (like us) Or if you have a hot looking wife of girlfriend <g>
For safety--I feel that Wittman road should be blocked off to all traffic during the air show ( except for the trams)
speaking of trams---to make them run faster and to get them out of pedestrian traffic---they should make a loop from the north 40.
In the AM should start at the north 40 and go south on Knapp street to the tram terminal area north of building A, then go west up Waukau Ave to the new perimeter road ( east of the fence) along Foundation road. Take it back to the north 40--almost no traffic and very few if any walkers
In the PM reverse flow
This does two things--
one--cuts down on traffic on Knapp street ( lots of walkers on that street)
Two--gets the trams back to the north 40 faster to drop off people or pick them up ( you could put in a new stop where the perimeter road ends at the new shower building in the north 40)
You could also drop off people going to the parking lots west of foundation road
See some of you in May for the first work weekend ( nothing more fun than flying almost 2000 miles to put up signs and move dirt around for the EAA)