Smoking at Airventure,

[Floatsflyer]

Floats, a question aside from smoking if I may.
Is Gatinuea (sp) a suburb of Toronto?
I am thinking of attending a seminar soon at the Canadian aviation museum in the next few weeks.
Is the weather really bad now? Are there much non aviation sights to see?
Thanks

And yes, I am lucky to live in a very nice place, the downside is the real estate is so expensive there and the light fun type gen aviation is definitely in minority at our airport. And except for cig butts, it is not considered cool to litter there.
As for cars not having ash trays now, I don't have tray in my car for newspapers or soft drink bottles, but I put them in reclyling, not out the window.

Of course, and thanks for changing the subject for a moment...I was getting so stressed, I had to go outside for a smoke.

Gatineau is as much a suburb of Toronto as Aspen is a suberb of Los Angeles. Gatineau is in the province of Quebec, on the Ontario border across the river from the capital, Ottawa. BTW, fantastic skiing in Gatineau...check out Camp Fortune. Ottawa is 260 miles NNE of Toronto. Are you sure you've got the correct place because the Canadian Aviation Museum(a must see!) is in Ottawa at Rockcliffe Airport(yes, you can fly right to it).

Ya, the weather has been really bad in eastern Canada(just like eastern and midwest US), lots of snow and a particularly horrendous ice/freezing rain storm 3 weeks ago that brought many areas to their knees with power outages lasting up to 12 days. Lots of damage to trees and with ice laden limbs falling on hydro poles and wires knocking out the power(Toronto lost 20% of it's tree umbrella-some parts of the city and burbs looked like Guadalcanal at battles end).

I went to university in Ottawa for 5 years. We say that Ottawa has 2 seasons--winter and August. Seriously, Ottawa is beautiful in the summer(partly because of the one million tulips planted in the spring-no exaggeration- a continuous yearly gift from Queen Isabella of the Netherlands for the sanctuary provided her and her family by Canada during WW11), lots to do with its many museums, beautiful downtown areas to explore, outdoor pedestrian malls, take a ride on the Rideau Canal and visit the Parliament Buildings. You can even visit the Prime Ministers residence(just around the corner from Parliament). Many of these things you can also do in the winter as well. The Rideau Canal turns into the worlds longest skating rink in the winter with a large Winterfest, so don't forget your skates or you can rent. Lots of vendors on the canal for food, etc.

With winter being bad this year, I haven't been able to fly in 6 weeks and now the 182 is almost due for its annual which means another 4 weeks with no flying. At least I can look forward to the Olympics and March Madness.

[martymayes]

Yes, they do throw butts out the window(even in not so nice cars). That's because the north american car manufacturers stopped putting ashtrays in them 20 years ago! Perhaps you should direct your animous to them and suggest on their forums that they should build cars with ashtrays once again.

I own 3 Detroit made cars all less than 10 yrs old and all three have ashtrays. Motorists throw butts out the windows because to them, that's acceptable.

[Joe LaMantia]

OK interesting thread!

Just to continue on flying this winter, I flew on New Years Day just a short 45 minutes but a nice day, vis 10 miles, ceiling 7000MSL, wind 3KTs, pick any runway! I just got back home from another nice day here in Ohio, flew to Grimes Fld for lunch clear skies, wind about 12KTs so had a bit of a crosswind on my return landing (Hartzell Fld). This is 2 flights in Jan 2014 despite the Polar Vortex! Most years I shut it down in Dec and maybe get a flight in mid-March!

I'm not a smoker, but did play around with smoking in my 20's...I quit in 1972 and don't miss that habit. My Dad smoked most of his life, started at 14 and quit at 75...lived to 90! When a kid starts at 14 or so the habit becomes a part of his person, it is an identifying trait. I'm not concerned about smoking at AV, unless I see someone flipping butts around parked aircraft! 100LL can make quite a campfire! When you hold a big event like AV you will always get a few jerks around who's actions screw things up for somebody. Smoking is a dirty habit and if you start it at a very young age you will pick-up the crummy habits of flicking ashes all around the house or car and flipping butts on the ground, kinda of monkey see, monkey do activity. In the end, I agree with some on this thread regarding freedom of choice and if someone decides to smoke knowing the dangers then that is his business. I also agree that with any freedom come some responsibility and here's is where things get tricky. In my opinion, we should allow smokers to smoke in safe areas and if somebody gets upset about some smoking behavior then they are free to complain. As long as we have smoking areas and smoke free zones then there's something for everybody it's a win-win.

Joe

[Jeff Boatright]

...So I and others here don't think there is the slightest problem or issue present...

This is a surprising statement given the thread. Let me be clear: I do not like that smoking is permitted at at OSH.

[vaflier]

This is a surprising statement given the thread. Let me be clear: I do not like that smoking is permitted at at OSH.

That is certainly your right to have that opinion. I do not like that alcohol is permitted at OSH, I however do not feel that I have the right to tell others how to live their life. When and if someone who is imbibing becomes a problem to me then I will respectfully deal with that individual, not try to stop everyone from having a beer and relaxing. Live and let live works pretty well in most instances.

[Floatsflyer]

This is a surprising statement given the thread. Let me be clear: I do not like that smoking is permitted at at OSH.

The word "others" does not mean everybody, so no need to be surprised. Your objection is clearly and duly noted.

[Floatsflyer]

I own 3 Detroit made cars all less than 10 yrs old and all three have ashtrays. Motorists throw butts out the windows because to them, that's acceptable.

Ok, I don't know what you're driving so I stand corrected. No cars of mine have had an ashtray since 1998. You are likely right about it becoming acceptable behavior: lack of objection or consequences over time equals acceptance. That's how society changes.

[Gil]

Bill, I read where Madison/Dane county are voting on a referendum this spring to see if residents want to legalize marijuana use. Perhaps it won't be long before Wisconsin follows Colorado's lead and legalizes marijuana use. By AV 2015, visitors to A.V. might be getting high in more ways than one. On the plus side, nobody throws their marijuana cig butts on the ground.

Madison and Dane County are surrounded by reality.

Outside of Madison and Milwaukee, Wisconsin is mostly conservative. With a Republican governor and legislature, I doubt you will see legal weed at AirVenture.

[miemsed]

I don't smoke, but...

Obesity kills way more people than smoking (either smoking directly or secondhand). I think EAA should ban all of the corn dogs & other "fair food".

While they are at it they might as well ban fat people, they take up more than their share of space & skinny people don't like to look at them.

(Just thought I would make a humorous comparison)

I do not have to eat the corn dog at Airventure that some one else is eating.

[miemsed]

That is certainly your right to have that opinion. I do not like that alcohol is permitted at OSH, I however do not feel that I have the right to tell others how to live their life. When and if someone who is imbibing becomes a problem to me then I will respectfully deal with that individual, not try to stop everyone from having a beer and relaxing. Live and let live works pretty well in most instances.

I do not have to drink the alcohol at Oshkosh that someone else is drinking. I am often forced to breath in the smoke from the smoker.