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Thread: Trams. Oh, those Trams

  1. #51

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    Quote Originally Posted by skyfixer8 View Post
    How fast would you envision a John Deere tractor to go to become an express tram ? Tractors have the transmissions locked into low range and the best you can get is 7 mph ( We are not allowed to exceed that even if we could) When driving the "yellow route", with all the people you are constantly dodging, I am lucky to hit 2 mph. I get to take the Make A Wish kids on tour on last Saturday. Part of this is getting them to the VIP / Airshow center tent at end of the day. Even with the Border Patrol and Forest Service agents making way for me, I am crawling at best to get there and people still "have a problem" of moving out of the way.
    Buses are fast. A tram at 7mph on a taxiway is safer and better than 2mph in a crowd.

  2. #52
    FlyingRon's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bill Berson View Post
    Maybe 8 feet of the taxiway could be sectioned off with cones for trams or buses. I couldn't find the exact taxiway width, but appears to be about 35 feet wide from measuring the sat view compared 150 feet wide main runway. Large airplanes are not common going to south 40. The tram drivers might need to be pilots with some ability to take instructions from the tower if needed.
    Waupun intersects the taxiway. There's a few hard surface turnouts along the taxiway (see sat view), a few more pads could be made if needed. Otherwise, aircraft can drive on the grass as needed.
    Even light singles have wingspans approaching 40'. There's no consistent place to "taxi off" in many places and aircraft can't back up (for practical matters neither really can the trams). The "tower" isn't commanding things on Papa (which sounds like the one you want to use) most of the time. It's controlled by Vintage FLO on the south side and Flight Line Safety on the north side. What you suggest is entirely unworkable. It also can't happen at all during the actual airshows.

  3. #53

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    Then I suppose another express tram option could be a tram road just inside the safety line. At least pedestrians would not have any access to either side of that tram road. A new tram road anywhere else would have inattentive pedestrians on both sides.
    I only suggest these ideas because the Airventure plan is always growth and expansion. The tram is largely overloaded now. I frequently walk instead because it is quicker. To make it to various distant events, forums etc. on time, can be a problem.
    I suppose a new express tram route on Knapp might be a better option.
    Last edited by Bill Berson; 08-13-2019 at 03:33 PM.

  4. #54
    mazdaP5's Avatar
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    Everywhere else in the USA, pedestrians have the right of way. People not moving out of the way isn't the problem, driving through crowds of people is.

  5. #55
    Wrongway Feldman's Avatar
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    Forget those trams and embrace the future Magic Carpet Ride Remember the Jetsons.
    They also told the guy that invented the light bulb he was nuts.

  6. #56

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    Is this not the EAA? We should design and build a flying tram to move people from one end of the show grounds to the other!

  7. #57
    FlyingRon's Avatar
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    They might be able in some places make use of the assinine SECURITY road which is where the trams were redirected to during the T-Birds/Blue Angels performance. Of course, that doesn't pass through the show center. Of course during peak times, they can continue the policy of discontinuing the tram service through those few blocks that they did this year right after the airshow finale.

  8. #58

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    "
    they can continue the policy of discontinuing the tram service through those few blocks that they did this year right after the airshow finale."

    When EAA security closes off Celebration Way to cross traffic each year for the special evening events, ALL the trams that operate North of there, Yellow, Red and Green, go out of service till the next morning.
    "Don't believe everything you see or read on the internet" - Abraham Lincoln

  9. #59

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    Trams nor the passengers should not get anywhere near the taxiways used by airplanes, that's a safety feature.

  10. #60

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    Quote Originally Posted by Bill Berson View Post
    Buses are fast. A tram at 7mph on a taxiway is safer and better than 2mph in a crowd.
    Main problem with the buses are they are not friendly to persons with handicaps or older seniors who have trouble with the steep stairs. I have only seen one small handicap Kobusson running around and she is not usually anywhere near where people want to go.

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