AirVentrure 2023 wrap up.....

[CHICAGORANDY]

And just like that it's over- sigh. I'm safely back home. Another glorious 9 days of yapping on a microphone, being privileged to be in the company of all the GREAT people who enjoy aviation, good times and new memories made with friends old and new and I'm already counting the days till next year - yep, my motel room for 2024 is already booked. I also promise I'll have a few new jokes to add to the repertoire. Stay well everyone and "See you next year!"

[mazdaP5]

Great job this year Randy. I never rode the trams, but I heard many of your jokes as the tram went by. Never heard about your wife's Cessna though.

[CHICAGORANDY]

12 years ago this very date I got a Cessna 150 for my wife............. best trade I ever made.

[mazdaP5]

:D Yep, still got it.

[Inspector Fenwick]

And just like that it's over- sigh. I'm safely back home. Another glorious 9 days of yapping on a microphone, being privileged to be in the company of all the GREAT people who enjoy aviation, good times and new memories made with friends old and new and I'm already counting the days till next year - yep, my motel room for 2024 is already booked. I also promise I'll have a few new jokes to add to the repertoire. Stay well everyone and "See you next year!"

Yes, Randy, never met ya' but feel like I know ya'. Keep those groaners coming.

[CHICAGORANDY]

Each year sees changes at AirVenture. This year they added the North and South Express trams, both well received by riders I am lead to believe. There was an added airplane parking area just S/W of the South 40 bus stop, added camping spaces. If the pilot I spoke to is to be believed, from the very far end of the South 40 you could see Milwaukee -lol.

More jam-packed trams all week long than I can remember from events past. Still loving the wonderful tall color-coded Tram pylons at all the stops with signage saying where the next stop will be. As attendance continues to climb so will logistical expansion expenses. Could we use more tram trolleys and tractors? Yes, assuming there are enough volunteers to run them. The next two BIG items on MY wish are - Expand the size of the Red/Yellow tram terminal (too crowded) to mirror the Yellow/Blue one. And PLEASE-PLEASE-PLEASE put a small bank of porta-potties at the Yellow/Blue and Yellow/Red terminals. They would REALLY benefit both the tram volunteers and the riders.

I do appreciate that everything involved in this marvelous, but one week only event, is subject to a cost/benefit analysis and 'ya' can't please everyone.'

[TomSteber]

In years past, we never used the trams. As we get older now, and the 90 degree weather, we decided to try out the trams. We would have had to stand there for quite a while. The tram would stop, 1-2 people would get off, 1-2 would get on out of the 15-20 people standing there to get on the tram. I swear it was like that at every stop we saw. I talked to one guy waiting and he said he thought that people were just riding around on the trams. Never getting off. We gave up after about 20 minutes and continued walking.
Not sure how to fix that, but hopefully it'll get better.

[Airmutt]

Not sure about this year but historically they are always short tram drivers/conductors. Driving thru the throngs of totally oblivious pedestrians is really mentally challenging. Moving people efficiently has been a decades long problem. One solution, but not a perfect one, is not to fill the tram at the terminus and give people downstream a chance to board.
I suspect you’re right about people using them just to ride around. I would break up some of the longer routes, in particular the blue route, and require everyone to exit at the terminus. The creation of the express routes were a step in the right direction.

[mcmurphy]

I think the best solution is to build more trams. Maybe there could be a way to keep people off of the roadways, although i would leave that to brighter minds to figure out.