I really liked seeing flights of Mustangs in formation during the airshow, it had been years since I saw that. I liked when they set a group of Mustangs at show center and ran them up. That's huge for AvGeeks. I also saw a few times where FiFi or Overcast had fighter escort while doing their tour flights. That must have been such a rush for the folks on those tours.
Greetings all. Just signed up for the forums and figured I'd start here.
GOOD - almost everything. I love Oshkosh. Certainly things can always be improved but no major gripes. It would be nice to have a store near to HBC, but very manageable without. Cudos to the vastly improved shower facilities.
BAD - not really anything. But I must say I'm surprised reading this forum and the number of folks complaining about the helicopter rides. For goodness sakes, you're at the biggest airshow gathering there is and likely an avid enthusiast. And I'm assuming mostly pilots and mostly aircraft owners. The rides are mostly for folks less committed than you but still enthused with flying and we need everyones support. If the ride gives them a better sense of the vastness of the industry and they walk away that much more impressed, then to me that has tremendous value.
Have any of you been involved with or heard of an airport that is under pressure from local residents who don't see any value in it? One of the most common complaints is the noise of aircraft coming and going. It interrupts their peace and quiet and it's such a bother. The aviation community almost universally discounts this concern as "it's really no worse than traffic noise (semi trucks, loud motorcycles, etc)" or "it's really not that busy". We feel the people are short-sighted and don't understand the value and importance of the aviation infrastructure. And yet, here is this devoted community and there are members bitching about the noise of an aircraft?!?!? Because it temporarily interrupted a seminar or conversation?!?!?
The other common response to public criticism is that "they knew there was an airport there when they bought their house, why complain now?" Well, it seems to me everyone here knew there was an airshow going on when they came to Oshkosh.
How can we possibly expect the general public to accept the intrusion of aviation on their lives if we can't ourselves?
Oh how dependent (and demanding) we have become for "free" WiFi. It's only been on the grounds for a few years. I wonder what we did before that. Oh yeah, we enjoyed airplanes.
Christopher Owens (EAA #808438, VAA #723276)
Germantown, WI
Bearhawk Plans #991, Bearhawk Patrol Plans #P313
I could not help but wonder the same thing. When I go to OSH I go for OSH, the experience. I get sharing the experience and the convenience. But to be honest with you, if there were no wi-fi at all it would not impact my enjoyment one bit. There will be those people who say that they can not attend without wi-fi but really how many people is that? It was only a few years ago that we were filling our data cards with pics to be viewed when we got home. A few years before that we were waiting a week for the photo-mat to return our FILM. To me the reality is that Facebook and Twitter will survive without real time uploads. I do have to say that for the AV app that it would be nice to have the ability to update while on the field. Last time I looked AV Today has the same schedule published in it. It may be the fact that I sit all day programming stuff like we are talking about, but for that one week I can live without all of it.Originally Posted by Chris In Marshfield
Oh how dependent (and demanding) we have become for "free" WiFi. It's only been on the grounds for a few years. I wonder what we did before that. Oh yeah, we enjoyed airplanes.
Rick
Me too. I will be back at Oshkosh in 2016, fully expecting things to be even better than they were this year.
The early EAA really focused on education. It is in our DNA, and the forums at the annual convention are fundamental to what the EAA is. I have no objections about selling rides (although in the early days, before it bacame AirVenture and became focused on making money, one could get in a line for a two seat homebuilt and get a ride for free). After the 2014 convention, where it was impossible to hear the forum presenters for more than a few minutes at a time without their being drowned out by the hilocopters, I suggested to the EAA that the flight route be altered slightly. Alas, there was no change, and the forums in 2105 were also difficult to hear. There is a win - win solution, but the EAA needs to act. That is how things get better.BAD - not really anything. But I must say I'm surprised reading this forum and the number of folks complaining about the helicopter rides.
BJC
Lots of discussion on this sibject last year. My take on WiFi and the AV app:
The young people that we need to bring into sport aviation expect it; therefore, we all need it, even if we all do not use it. And some of us old guys really do want it, for a variety of reasons, all valid.
BJC
I agree. I was not going to say anything but you said it for me. Perhaps I am lucky as I am tethered to the web for the rest of the year thanks (or no thanks) to work, so Oshkosh is the one time I unplug completely. My entire family is with me so I have no need for WiFi on the grounds at all. My sister had to "work remote" two days this year at Osh to get her vacation there in. I told her not to count on the WiFi, and she scheduled a morning near Appleton where a satellite office of hers loaned her a desk. I am not sure what all the *need* for WiFi is I guess.Oh how dependent (and demanding) we have become for "free" WiFi. It's only been on the grounds for a few years. I wonder what we did before that. Oh yeah, we enjoyed airplanes.
Bottom line, we all are there for different things. Some are there as a solo intensive crash course in homebuilding, others in search of certain parts for a project. I am there for a FAMILY vacation. It is my Disneyland. I want to enjoy all it has to offer, but I also want it to be appealing to my family of four as well so they enjoy it as well. I must say the EAA is doing a fantastic job in appealing to everyone in my family. Some may see this as a watering down of the core principles, I see it as an expansion of a great event.
The Good (for me):
~Nine days in Oshkosh camping with 30,000 of my friends, and my wife and kids, plus my brother and his wife, plus my Sister and her Fiancee. We attended with my parents since 1970, I started in 73 at nine months old. My parents no longer attend, but all of us kids and our families do.
~None of my family of four using any electronic devices for a week. Kids never watched TV or even asked to use a tablet or video game. They were too entertained to miss their tech.
~The Mosquito and Lancaster in the show, and Sierra Sue flying as well in the show. Some of the best Warbird shows in a LONG LONG time.
~The dusk afterburner performance of the F-100 and F-4. Do this again!
~The 108 skydiver show. I have been to the Oshkosh airshow for 38 times. Never has 'skydivers' been a thing I mention when people ask me what was cool. That was cool. When they separated from the formation and started pulling their chutes, it looked like a spider egg hatching. Then they landed and each one walking the burn line interacted with the kids. My 7 and 9 year old got to try on helmets and touch parachutes, and loved it. The announcer was off on the location of the divers, but these announcers have never covered anything like this. The parachutes coming down looked like bubbles in the sky. It was visually awesome.
~Texas Flying Legends. Best warbird shows since the 70's or better. Bring these guys back every year.
~Jerry the one man band back for year 29th year. He has been on his 'last year' for many years. When he hangs it up buy his van, park it at his gate and play the tapes there every year. Walking into the grounds from Camp Scholler will not be the same without his music.
~The yodeler (aka Bill Ricketts) replay. I know some hate it, some have no idea the history. For me, my father and I would hear him many mornings as we walked from Camp Scholler to Warbirds. Our goal was always to be well on our way when Bill started yodeling. We did not particularly love the yodeling, but it was tradition. Now when I hear the yodel start, it reminds me of the many precious walks to the Warbirds I shared with dad when he was still alive.
~The RC flying at Pioneer this year in the evenings. It is a bike ride to get there form Scholler, but I did spend an evening over there flying my stuff, and it was cool to fly with permission during the show.
~The Ford display. Yes it is corporate and eats up room, but I am a Ford guy, and my kids just love starting their day with a rock climb or bungee jump. And the freebies are great, especially the ice cream handouts in camp!
~The craft tent. Most of you have no idea what it is, but my nine year old daughter could get you there from anywhere on the field. She makes a bracelet or craft each day and it gives her creative outlet itch a much needed scratch each day. Some day it is only a ten minute visit, but she has made friends there that she sees every year now, and that is what Oshkosh is all about.
~Evening entertainment. We have three options now, not just the Theater in the Woods. Now we have the Fly in Movie, two night airshows, and the concert. For the first time in well 38 years, we ate dinner at camp or on the grounds every night. We would always head into town for dinner one or two nights for a change of pace (R.I.P Kodiak Jacks). The new options really mean you never need to leave the compound!
~Seaplane base, still a great place to go swimming when you need a refresh from the heat and hustle of the main grounds.
~Kidventure (just wish it existed when I was a kid).
~Seeing Tom out in Red 3 again.
The Bad
~Letting people leave unattended chairs on the flight line. We held our spot from Wednesday airshow til the night show. Like well trained attendees we always had somebody in our group watching our chairs. Sure enough shortly after the night show an airplane decide to leave between the rows. My family and I moved our chairs, as well as about 10 or more other abandoned chairs so the guy could get out.
The Ugly
That it has to end. Ending Sunday is the saddest day of my year.
We all go for different reasons and want different experiences. This year was one of the very best from weather to variety of acts to overall attitude. Thank you Jack Pelton, EAA, and the 5000+ volunteers.
~Jim
Last edited by glider90; 08-03-2015 at 02:52 PM.
I got along fine without wifi in Vintage, but the point is EAA claims it's there, it's shown on the maps and mentioned in the writeups, and it doesn't work. Never has. Not that it worked poorly due to demand, it never worked at all. The IT folks at EAA should either make it work or admit it isn't going to and drop it altogether.
Suggestions on how to improve the app are completely appropriate. The change this year, to delete times in the listing of events, was a poor idea. It made the app useless to many of is. i never referred to it at all after the first couple times that were too frustrating to be believed. I trust the appropriate EAA folks have listened and will fix that next year. Thank you.
Also my first time and I had the exact same experience. I chalk it up to experience now, but after about 6 hours being on the grounds the first day and sticker shock from lunch I was wondering what they heck I was doing here. There's a lot going on and a lot of commercial and non-aviation stuff drowning out the EAA stuff. Day 2 wasn't a whole lot better, but I finally started hitting my stride by day 3.
Did not accomplish what I wanted - which was to settle on a kit. But I'm closer and I still have to figure out how to finance the thing anyway. There's always next year, I can work on getting the finances in order and look forward to next year or SnF.
That was my mission, as well! And, like you, I'm still up in the air! Why is that so hard? On my short list: Sonex, Zenith CH-650 and RV-9.
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