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Thread: Wittman Airport without AirVenture

  1. #1

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    Wittman Airport without AirVenture

    Just curious.

    What are all the facilities at Wittman Airport used for when AirVenture is not happening? Do all the huge warehouses, etc, remain empty? Is Camp Scholler used for anything else during the year? What's Pioneer Airport used for?

  2. #2
    rwanttaja's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mike A View Post
    Just curious.

    What are all the facilities at Wittman Airport used for when AirVenture is not happening? Do all the huge warehouses, etc, remain empty? Is Camp Scholler used for anything else during the year? What's Pioneer Airport used for?
    The whole airport is completely deserted, and EAA staffers bet on tumbleweed races. :-)

    Actually, I show up there four times a year (non-show periods). Scholler's been empty each time I come, but Pioneer Airport is actually part of the EAA museum and I think they fly rides out of there. In any case, it remains an active runway (e.g., can't walk across). And, as you'll note in SPORT AVIATION, they have events there through the year.

    I suspect some of the facilities support other (smaller) conventions. The DOT course that I'm an instructor on meets in the PHP center.

    The warehouses, etc. I have no idea. But with the severe Midwest winters, there are probably companies that would love to lease facilities to put major equipment out of the weather.

    Ron Wanttaja

  3. #3

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    "The whole airport is completely deserted, and EAA staffers bet on tumbleweed races"

    Thanks Ron.

  4. #4
    CarlOrton's Avatar
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    They rent-out the exhibit hangars A-D for periodic shows like farm equipment / stock show type equipment as well as for midwest exhibition type events.

    I've also been there in late January and saw Oshkosh military vehicles lined up on Celebration Way (the main drag leading to Aeroshell Square / Philllips Plaza / Boeing Plaza.

    Carl Orton
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  5. #5
    Pioneer Airport is indeed a part of the museum and has seven display hangars open from May to October. Young Eagles rides and biplane and/or Bell 47 rides are available depending on the weather. More info here: https://www.eaa.org/en/eaa-museum/mu...ioneer-airport

    A lot of the smaller buildings (Federal Pavilion, Homebuilders Hangar, etc) are used for convention and museum aircraft collection storage. There are a few annual events that use the EAA grounds outside of AirVenture, the Wisconsin Public Service Farm Show being the largest. Camp Scholler has been used for a SDA Pathfinders camporee that takes place every 4-5 years. In the past few years it has been used for a Tough Mudder obstacle course run, and in September there will be a ColorVibe 5K in Camp Scholler. EAA is VERY selective on what types of events can take place on the AirVenture convention grounds.

  6. #6

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    Quote Originally Posted by Zack Baughman View Post
    Pioneer Airport is indeed a part of the museum and has seven display hangars open from May to October. Young Eagles rides and biplane and/or Bell 47 rides are available depending on the weather. More info here: https://www.eaa.org/en/eaa-museum/mu...ioneer-airport

    A lot of the smaller buildings (Federal Pavilion, Homebuilders Hangar, etc) are used for convention and museum aircraft collection storage. There are a few annual events that use the EAA grounds outside of AirVenture, the Wisconsin Public Service Farm Show being the largest. Camp Scholler has been used for a SDA Pathfinders camporee that takes place every 4-5 years. In the past few years it has been used for a Tough Mudder obstacle course run, and in September there will be a ColorVibe 5K in Camp Scholler. EAA is VERY selective on what types of events can take place on the AirVenture convention grounds.
    Thanks Zack.

  7. #7
    TedK's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Zack Baughman View Post
    EAA is VERY selective on what types of events can take place on the AirVenture convention grounds.
    As they should be, we wouldn't want groundlings ruining the grounds.

  8. #8
    Mayhemxpc's Avatar
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    There are also activities in the Civil Air Patrol area, most notably several iterations of their National Flight Academy. In the past EAA has been very good about allowing the dozen or so CAP aircraft temporary parking in one of the hangars during tornado watches and when severe TRW are forecast. (For those of you not from the midwest, a tornado watch there does not mean that the conditions that could form a tornado are present. It means its time to go out and watch for the tornado, cuz its gonna happen. Tornado warnings are like indirect fire warnings in combat zones. By the time you hear it…well at least you are around to hear it.)
    Chris Mayer
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  9. #9
    FlyingRon's Avatar
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    I think part of the impetus for installing heat and flush toilets in the exhibit buildings was to make them useful for events other than the EAA.

  10. #10
    mazdaP5's Avatar
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    Thanks for the insight, I've always wondered.

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