Stop forums during airshows

[Md11pilot]

Hey Jack Pelton!
we can’t hear the speakers at the forums with the air show noise going on. How about stopping the forums for a couple of hours?

[BJC]

Hey Jack Pelton!
we can’t hear the speakers at the forums with the air show noise going on. How about stopping the forums for a couple of hours?
How about a shorter airshow?


BJC

[Auburntsts]

Hey Jack Pelton!
we can’t hear the speakers at the forums with the air show noise going on. How about stopping the forums for a couple of hours?

I’ll second this request. The daily air shows have little appeal to us. The only time we even go anymore is when something unique is flying. I mean how many Lomcovaks do you need to see? Plus the airshow narration is simply awful. The last time we went was the Mars flying boat and its water drop demo. Otherwise the forums draw our interest now.

[Airmutt]

I’m with ya on the airshow length and narration. Pretty tired of being subjected to the afterburner noise too.

[Kyle Boatright]

I’m with ya on the airshow length and narration. Pretty tired of being subjected to the afterburner noise too.

I haven't watched the airshow in years, save for the occasional unique act. BUT, the airshows are popular with kids and with townies from Madison, Milwaukee, Chicago, etc. so they increase attendance and revenue. They aren't going away. I try to pick forums that happen before the show starts, then spend the time during the show either talking with vendors or sitting in the shade somewhere socializing or reading.

I do wish the EAA would make one day the "silent airshow" day. No announcers, no music, etc. Just airplane sound.

[mazdaP5]

I LOVE the afterburner noise and how it thumps my chest. More please.

[steve]

I do wish the EAA would make one day the "silent airshow" day. No announcers, no music, etc. Just airplane sound.

Make that just glider sound. The next day could be ultralight day. The day after could be hot air balloon day. Then we'll all go to seaplane base for a nap on day 4.

[Bill Berson]

Airplane noise happens all day every day, not just the air show. I do a forum at 4pm. No big deal, just pause for 15 seconds a few times.

[CarlOrton]

I LOVE the afterburner noise and how it thumps my chest. More please.
I spent 30 years at the large aerospace manufacturer in Ft Worth TX. Right next to the runway at Carswell AfB / NASFWJRB.

When something took off under full afterburner, I and most others would just stop, turn, and watch. Love how some of them would thump the chest just like when you’re firing a .357 magnum. I know exactly what you’re saying.

In the late 80’s they were adding a basement to the large office building, so a few 100 of us were in portable buildings in the parking lot. You could always tell by the sound profile if a departing F-16 was about to begin air show demo mode. You’d hear calls of “Airshow Practice” and we’d all file out to watch. Loved those days.

[tnathan]

My kids love the air show and I think a lot of townies come in just for the show. I personally would like to go to more forums but get outvoted by the kids. I do recall more than once the speaker just can’t be heard over the sound of say the aeroshell team. At the end of they day, we all got to get along. No way, I would argue for less airshow.

I do wonder though if there couldn’t be some solutions. Eaa is a volunteer run organization and they seem to let folks run with ideas. I wonder if some sponsor could be enticed to enclose some of the pavilions and add ac. That could help.

I have also made this suggestion a number of times to eaa folks but nothing seems to happen. Why not tape the forums? Eaa communications hires college kids for airventure, and they do a good job of producing content for the radio, paper, and webpage. Hire a team of college kids to tape and edit the forums. They could stream it live and store it for viewing later. I think they could charge for access to this content.

Even though I am on the grounds, I would buy access to this content. And, it has happened more than once. What I want to see is 3 trams away and my kids are screaming for lunch and their feet hurt. It would be nice to plop the, under a tree and listen to a forum. Or, the two things I wanted to hear are at the same time at opposite ends of the field. And what about the theater in the woods stuff. This years content seems a little bland to me but in past years they have had some pretty cool shows.

Secondly if they offered something like this for sale I think it would be great for folks that can’t attend. They had a page on the eaa site listed as forums videos but I never saw anything streaming. Would have been nice if they would have.


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[Grum.man]

Add me to the list that wishes the airshow was shorter. We don't need 45 minutes of the same warbirds going back and forth. I don't care about two monoplanes doing the same unrecognizable maneuvers back to back. Homebuilt in review is pretty much the same airplanes doing the same boring thing every year. But let's be honest, they aren't going to do that because the general spectator's probably love it all and I am sure lot's of sponsor dollars are earned during that time. Maybe it's time to enclose the forum areas to help dampen the sound. Even temporary structures like Epic and others have would help.

[Airmutt]

You’ve got to remember the forum buildings are only used for one week and serve as storage for the rest of the year. Making significant, read costly, improvements doesn’t make much sense. The only closed-in forum building is used to store vehicles when not in use.
As mentioned earlier there was a time you could purchase recordings of the forums. It would be nice if they were recorded and archived but I doubt EAA has the assets to pull that off.
Admittedly I’ve soured on air show noise. Too many years around A6s, F4s, Harriers and yea I spent 30+ years in the aerospace industry too. I found the multiple passes of the F18s to be particularly annoying. It probably started with the grating buzz of Samson back in the 80s. I get it….the show is a revenue draw but it’s not for me anymore.

[Grum.man]

You’ve got to remember the forum buildings are only used for one week and serve as storage for the rest of the year. Making significant, read costly, improvements doesn’t make much sense. The only closed-in forum building is used to store vehicles when not in use.
As mentioned earlier there was a time you could purchase recordings of the forums. It would be nice if they were recorded and archived but I doubt EAA has the assets to pull that off.
Admittedly I’ve soured on air show noise. Too many years around A6s, F4s, Harriers and yea I spent 30+ years in the aerospace industry too. I found the multiple passes of the F18s to be particularly annoying. It probably started with the grating buzz of Samson back in the 80s. I get it….the show is a revenue draw but it’s not for me anymore.

Aren't all those glass buildings Continental, Lycoming, Epic, etc only used once or twice a year? Surely if they can afford it EAA with it's massive membership could. I mean look at the massive museum expansion or the banquet hall that hardly get's used.

[CraigCantwell]

I spent 30 years at the large aerospace manufacturer in Ft Worth TX. Right next to the runway at Carswell AfB / NASFWJRB.

When something took off under full afterburner, I and most others would just stop, turn, and watch. Love how some of them would thump the chest just like when you’re firing a .357 magnum. I know exactly what you’re saying.

In the late 80’s they were adding a basement to the large office building, so a few 100 of us were in portable buildings in the parking lot. You could always tell by the sound profile if a departing F-16 was about to begin air show demo mode. You’d hear calls of “Airshow Practice” and we’d all file out to watch. Loved those days.


Even more fun with a 4 or 5 ship ferry cell with an interval takeoff going at 4 am during the week! :cool:

[tnathan]

As for taping the forums, eaa communications seems to have a program for bringing in interns from UW. I bet copying and producing a site hosting a collection of forums wouldn’t be that tough and give some more college kids some resume fillers and a little summer cash. If they sold such a product I would buy it.

As for the economics of airventure, it does seem like a magical place. I am shocked with what is there for essentially one week of the year. Not sure how they justify the expense of the black top, the electric, the massive amount of real estate, the existing buildings, hangers, etc. Not sure walling in 6 little pavilions and adding AC would break the bank. I do like the picnic table, open air, unpretentious vibe they strive for, but have been there too many times where I wish I could escape the storms, rain, hail, and heat.

It still irritates me a little that a few years ago we got caught on the field in a morning hail storm. I was near one of the exhibition hangers and the volunteer there refused to let the public shelter inside. I think the storm was like 20 minutes before they opened to the public. I was there with a group of folks trying to hide my daughter under the hanger door while the volunteer kept telling everyone to step back out into the weather and make way for the vendors so they could get to their booths. We could use more creature comforts.


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[keen9]

Turning the @#%$^&@%^@ PA system off at the north end of the field during the airshow would be a great service to those trying to hear in the forums, and all that wish to not hear what is mostly senseless and often inaccurate commentary.

[Airmutt]

Just a thought….for 2022 how about holding evening forums on a couple of nights during the week as test. It’s a) cooler, b) quieter and c) cheaper than enclosing/air conditioning the buildings. If the topics are good, they will come.

[tnathan]

Turning the @#%$^&@%^@ PA system off at the north end of the field during the airshow would be a great service to those trying to hear in the forums, and all that wish to not hear what is mostly senseless and often inaccurate commentary.

That’s an idea but with Covid the mindset seems to be to spread people down the flightline.


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[Kevin O'Halloran]

I don't go to forms in the afternoon--just can't hear with all the noise
Love Dave Shaws idea about having forums at night--sign me up !!!!!
have a food truck in the middle of the forum buildings--people could eat dinner and learn.

[DaleB]

I don't go to forms in the afternoon--just can't hear with all the noise
Love Dave Shaws idea about having forums at night--sign me up !!!!!
have a food truck in the middle of the forum buildings--people could eat dinner and learn.
Now, that's thinkin'. Good ideas, both you and Dave.

[Airmutt]

Kevin, funny you should mention food trucks. I provided feedback comments about using more food trucks. Personally I think the HBC and Forums area would be a good fit. In today’s culinary world there are quite a few vendors that churn out some high end food. Additionally food trucks catering to an evening forums crowd would not compete with the daytime vendors. Seems like a win-win but what do I know:eek:

[tnathan]

Kevin, funny you should mention food trucks. I provided feedback comments about using more food trucks. Personally I think the HBC and Forums area would be a good fit. In today’s culinary world there are quite a few vendors that churn out some high end food. Additionally food trucks catering to an evening forums crowd would not compete with the daytime vendors. Seems like a win-win but what do I know:eek:

I agree, but I assume the vendors that are there are paying a hefty fee to have captive customers. If they opened the gates, I bet there are a ton of food trucks that would love to work the event.


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[Airmutt]

Not a clue on how that works but I don’t think it would take much to get one or two quality food trucks into that area. Again, if I were king for a day I would give it a go. It all depends on member participation. If it doesn’t pan out then not gonna happen in 2023.

[tnathan]

Not a clue on how that works but I don’t think it would take much to get one or two quality food trucks into that area. Again, if I were king for a day I would give it a go. It all depends on member participation. If it doesn’t pan out then not gonna happen in 2023.

My kids were tickled they added chick-fil-a. Don’t understand the obsession, but they like that addition. As for food trucks there was a single food truck selling egg rolls. Not sure how they worked their way in but they were there so there is some precedent for food trucks. Like you all said, they should park a few outside the forums.


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[troy_m]

My kids were tickled they added chick-fil-a. Don’t understand the obsession, but they like that addition. As for food trucks there was a single food truck selling egg rolls. Not sure how they worked their way in but they were there so there is some precedent for food trucks. Like you all said, they should park a few outside the forums.

I must have missed that food truck. The only one I saw was the one by the Sky Shoppe that was selling Mexican food.

[tnathan]

I must have missed that food truck. The only one I saw was the one by the Sky Shoppe that was selling Mexican food.

They were kind of quirky. They were parked by the eaa press house and the college/job tents.


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[CarlOrton]

I must have missed that food truck. The only one I saw was the one by the Sky Shoppe that was selling Mexican food.
I found it on the Saturday or Sunday before convention. I love Asian, so tried them. $10 for 3 egg rolls. They were ok. I’ve had better and I’ve had worse. Only gripe was that the only sauce they had was condiment packets of duck sauce. Needed sweet sour sauce.

[Airmutt]

I saw the egg roll guy too but when I went by I was either too early or late. Never saw the Mexican food truck. I was told about Chik Fil-a before the show. Not sure that setup qualifies as a food truck. They are a great outfit and treat the. kids really well. Hope they come back. Eons ago Johnsonville and McDonalds had similar trailers there once or twice. McD’s had a good strategy, they sold combos only and the price was in whole dollars but that was before debit cards existed. Their whole strategy was about speed. I think the individual food trucks got lost in the mix. Probably should have done strategically located mini food truck parks. Then it could be easily marked on the map for people to find.

[tnathan]

Chick-fil-a did optimize their operation. Had a limited menu but the food flew out of the both lightening fast. If I get dragged there by my kids I prefer the souther hospitality, free refills at the real stores. But it was a welcome addition as far as my kids were concerned.

And it is funny you mention johnsonville. I am in Wisconsin and for me Wisconsin = brats. And Brats = Johnsonville. Half the booths were serving some low end knock offs. How hard is it to buy johnsonville? I will pay the extra buck. Sell the real thing. [emoji16]

[keen9]

That’s an idea but with Covid the mindset seems to be to spread people down the flightline.
Your right . . . there'd be too many people congregated where the PA is turned off!

[malexander]

The young lady that was with us LOVES Chick-fil-a, so I treated her there a few times. :)

[Kevin O'Halloran]

I know the guy thats head of food services
Who is in charge of forums???figure we could start them 1 or 2 hour after the airshow--maybe later
we would also have to make arrangements for transportation after the forums (long walk to south 40)
we need to get started on this to make it work for next year

[steve]

we need to get started on this to make it work for next year

You have a resounding NO vote from me on the very thought of late afternoon forums. After a long day of volunteering, attending forums, and wandering around, I'm ready for dinner and drinks when 5 o'clock rolls around.

[Kevin O'Halloran]

steve--your not required to go

[steve]

You are correct, Kev.