Oshkosh 2018: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

[Rm23956]

The good-
Motorized traffic along the flight line did seem to be down a bit this year, after many complaints from previous years. Still way to much, though with drivers who still put pedestrians at risk. Seemed to be more trams along the flight line, easier to find an empty seat this year. I give those drivers a lot of credit for amazing patience. The new policy in the campground of needing to pay before you can stake out a site. Not perfect, but its getting better. Noticed several roped off areas that were over large and never filled in, especially for chapters.
The Bad
People traveling at excessive rates of speed (especially kids who should not have been driving at all) on scooters and ATV's in the camp ground. I was camped next to a dirt road and had mud splashed on the camper, a female friend was splashed while she was walking and I saw several other campers with mud on them. Even had one scooter crash in the mud next to the camper. Not cool.
The Ugly
The camp Scholer showers this year. Arrived a week early this year to work set-up. First shower at the one next to the Bunkhouse was ice cold. Second was just right. Every subsequent shower was so hot I couldn't stand it, even made my scalp peel (yes, it's bare) a few days later. Heard the same complaint from several other campers. One reported kids crying from the temperature, and if I had young kids I wouldn't have let them in there. Complaining to different EAA entities did no good. Needs to be fixed, it was dangerous.

[Rm23956]

You guys are the best. I would never have the patience operate one of those trams.

[mc20]

Every subsequent shower was so hot I couldn't stand it, even made my scalp peel (yes, it's bare) a few days later. Heard the same complaint from several other campers. One reported kids crying from the temperature, and if I had young kids I wouldn't have let them in there.

One morning, Tuesday?, the showers nearest camper checkin were scalding hot. Brief squirts were all I could tolerate. I suppose that's one way to conserve water. And, I could hear a dad nearby with a child who was in tears from the temperature.

The next day, the water pressure was near zero and the water was barely lukewarm. This was my 6th year camping and I've never had shower issues before.

[deftone]

I broke my long running streak this year, missing Airventure due to a heavily pregnant wife. Did you get your twice hourly reminder from the Airshow announcer that we won the Cold War and that is why we can have former Soviet aircraft at Airventure? I used to find it comical, now it drives me crazy enough that I was sitting at home wondering if he said it this year

[Kyle Boatright]

I broke my long running streak this year, missing Airventure due to a heavily pregnant wife. Did you get your twice hourly reminder from the Airshow announcer that we won the Cold War and that is why we can have former Soviet aircraft at Airventure? I used to find it comical, now it drives me crazy enough that I was sitting at home wondering if he said it this year

Airshow announcers are generally horrible if:

A) You've heard that announcer a couple of times before.

B) You know much about airplanes.

Airshow acts and announcers are aimed at the general public. Most of those folks attend an airshow every 5 or 10 years, so the embellishments and repetitive nature of the announcements go unnoticed.

[BeagleOne]

I sure hope the EAA doesn't try any eminent domain grabs on the locals. That would be *really* low.

Isn't that how they got the homes that stood where the forum pavilions are now?

[BeagleOne]

Adding another good: the expansion of the Vintage Bookstore. I really miss the Aviator's Bookshelf tent in the fly market, which was always my first stop. The former owner of that was volunteering at the Vintage Bookstore this year. They are looking for donations for next year, tax-deductible. I am already rereading some of my aviation books and setting aside possible donations.

[N3kf]

I broke my long running streak this year, missing Airventure due to a heavily pregnant wife. Did you get your twice hourly reminder from the Airshow announcer that we won the Cold War and that is why we can have former Soviet aircraft at Airventure? I used to find it comical, now it drives me crazy enough that I was sitting at home wondering if he said it this year

Not sure I heard that this year. But it is bad when you can almost say word for word the dialog the people do for the air show acts. Like little blue the plane that wants to be a fighter jet when it grows up....

While there is bad and ugly, the good far outweighs all that for me. I usually attend with my son and his and my first Oshkosh was when he was 14 (he had just soloed a glider). That was 14 Oshkosh's ago. I had a back surgery go wrong back in 2011, that took me out of the pilot in command seat. Fortunately he is PIC and gives me my flying fix. Even though I am a bit of work to get there, my son perseveres. It's a great week of father and son time. Don't know what the magic is, but something makes you want to be there every year. That magic is the good. And it's a big good....

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

[FlyingRon]

Isn't that how they got the homes that stood where the forum pavilions are now?

The EAA is quick to point out that they don't have eminent domain authority. It was Winnebago county that took the land for the airport. It's not just the SOS property (where the forum workshop buildings are now), but also the stuff on the NW corner of Knapp and Waukau (old Schifflebein property) and probably others. Of course, the airport wouldn't likely have done that deal other than to appease the EAA.

Of course, the airport does other things to annoy the EAA (attendeees). We lost a lot of real estate on the grounds due to the installation of the 8' tall security fence and the "perimeter road. We lost ground years ago when after a DC-3 ended up in the paved ditch that the FAA mandated the burn line moved back 30 feet or so from the taxiway.

The FAA also wanted to cut down all the trees arount the Theater in the Woods to increase the sight lines from the relocated tower, but cooler heads seem to have prevailed.

[Kyle Boatright]

The EAA is quick to point out that they don't have eminent domain authority. It was Winnebago county that took the land for the airport. It's not just the SOS property (where the forum workshop buildings are now), but also the stuff on the NW corner of Knapp and Waukau (old Schifflebein property) and probably others.

Any sense of when those pieces of land were acquired? I'm wondering if the acquisitions happened before or after I began attending Oshkosh.