I get there a full week before. We stay at Sleepy Hollow Farm Campground. The past couple of years, I've helped Jeff & Pam get the campground and cabins ready for the next week.
Does all of this apply to early non plane campers? I assume so, just wanted to be sure as I plan to get there on Wednesday myself driving in. Thanks!
Schoeller has many more earlier arrivals than airplane camping. People pretty much start showing up as soon as they open the gates in late June or whatever it is. The Schoeller facilities open earlier and since most people have a vehicle of some sort, they can go off field as needed.
Early arrival is permitted. The convention center area is not up and running yet but camping is available.
Fees are required. The procedure for aircraft is to park and after securing your aircraft you must check in and obtain your campsite credentials and pay for your camping for the week. You pay for prior to convention days and All days of AirVenture. If you leave early you must go up to where you checked in and then you can get a refunds for unused days. Then you depart at approved times. You can not depart during the daily Airshow. Air craft movements are restricted. Their are departure briefs you must attend. Be sure to obtain a “Oshkosh NOTAM prior to arrival and the information in this NOTAM explains all procedures. Print out the NOTAM. Look online at EAA.org for this information. Arrival procedures are required. Your local EAA Chapter members can assist you in planning your journey. Weather is something that you must be prepared to watch closely and be able to deal with for getting there and returning home. See and avoid is the primary rule to avoid conflicts with other arrivals and departures.
There are no departure briefings that are mandatory anymore. That requirement went away when they did away with the pre-airshow flyby pattern. It would however behoove you to read and understand the departure parts of the NOTAM.
Good information! I just finished reading the 2019 NOTAM and think it’s pretty solid as long as no weather system fouls things up. If I do arrive on Thursday it will be a moot point anyway as it doesn’t go into effect until 0700 Friday if I’m reading it right.
Mass arrivals... are they growing in popularity or starting to be viewed as “taboo” because of the ATC disruption they may generate? Just curious.
It was only a real problem last year as the got interrupted with bad weather and the fact that 27 got closed at the same time. It caused a bit of grief getting the rescheduled and pretty much closed down the airport for everybody else.
Some mass arrivals are better than others. The Bos do a very good job, but they have been at it longer than the rest.
Anyone else remember when a group of T-6's planned a mass arrival and didn't bother to coordinate it with anyone at Airventure?
"Um, Oshkosh Tower, flight of 50 T-6's 10 South, inbound for a mass arrival."
Oshkosh Tower: "Whaa?"