Wish list for Airventure

[mcmurphy]

So what is on your wish list to make Airventure even better? Right at the top of my list is an easier way to get around the AirVenture grounds in the evening. We stayed in Camp Scholler and were invited to supper by some friends staying in the North 40. We jumped on our bikes, rode across Stits, down Waukau, around Foundation and finally along Knapp to their camp site. After some hot food, cold beer and good stories it was time for a bike ride back to our campsite. By now it was dark and the bikes didn't have any lights. We took our life in our hands and rode up Knapp to Poberezny, across in front of the museum, dodging orange cones and cars the whole way. We finally got to Shaick Rd, turned into Camp Scholler and made it back to our camp site.

There are buses running in the North 40 at night, but the trams have stop running after dark. We could have taken my brother-in-laws car, but there is no place to park at the North 40. I read something about a shortcut by the cemetary on Knapp St., but I didn't see anything there. How about an after-hours bus route from the North 40 to Camp Scholler? I don't feel safe riding my bike along that route at night.

[Kyle Boatright]

I'd love an "Airshow for EAA'ers". Give the announcers and the pyro guys a day off and just let the airplane nuts and pilots watch and listen to the show without any "assistance". Get John Mohr, Julie Clark, the AeroShell Team, Matt Younkin, and Kyle Franklin to perform that day.

I'd also love to see more fly-bys by homebuilts and antiques. There are so many incredible antiques in attendance, and I'll never get to see more than a few of 'em fly.

We need better facilities in the HB area. It is a long walk to food or a camp store.

Overall it is an excellent event and a good value for my money. I'm just disappointed it'll be 51 weeks until it happens again.

[Jim Hann]

So what is on your wish list to make Airventure even better? Right at the top of my list is an easier way to get around the AirVenture grounds in the evening. We stayed in Camp Scholler and were invited to supper by some friends staying in the North 40. We jumped on our bikes, rode across Stits, down Waukau, around Foundation and finally along Knapp to their camp site. After some hot food, cold beer and good stories it was time for a bike ride back to our campsite. By now it was dark and the bikes didn't have any lights. We took our life in our hands and rode up Knapp to Poberezny, across in front of the museum, dodging orange cones and cars the whole way. We finally got to Shaick Rd, turned into Camp Scholler and made it back to our camp site.

There are buses running in the North 40 at night, but the trams have stop running after dark. We could have taken my brother-in-laws car, but there is no place to park at the North 40. I read something about a shortcut by the cemetary on Knapp St., but I didn't see anything there. How about an after-hours bus route from the North 40 to Camp Scholler? I don't feel safe riding my bike along that route at night.

mcmurphy, there is a trail that you can use and basically never ride on a road with public drivers. I also stayed in Scholler and had a get together at the Hilton. I rode my bike. Take a look at Google maps, you can see where I rode. My route:

From the West Camp Store, north on Stits, go all the way to Waukau.
Turn East on the path that runs on the South side of Waukau to Kilps.
Cross Waukau on the path east of Kilps, turn northeast on the path that parallels Foundation Rd.
(The first part of this is a mesh because it is wetlands, no paving allowed.)
Gravel path runs north to Knapp St Rd. After crossing the last bridge a quick right through the car gate (allowed) and left onto road in North 40.
Follow that around to taxiway for Hilton.
Party with buds (and Buds).
Retrace route.

This was completed a year or two ago based on member comments, and I have used it every year since they finished it. Makes it MUCH easier and safer to go north on a bike, like to go shopping.

Jim

[dbarnes612]

Lights on bikes make it easier and safer to ride anywhere at night, not just at Airventure. Just saying.

[glider90]

The bike trail Jim mentioned has really been a welcome addition. Once the show expanded to the west of Knapp it made biking to the North almost impossible. Now, bike access to there is better than ever. Thanks for listening EAA.

I had a great week, but would like to see the new speakers relocated, and the airshow tweaked some.

I feel the warbird shows have gotten kind of stale. Single P-51's doing flat laps for 10 minutes...the B-25's flying high and above the crowd while the O-birds circle on stage center.
Oshkosh brings a large array of aircraft together one time a year, and the airshow would be a great place to showcase this. I offer some possible ideas for improvement:

~We had three great versions of tri-motors on the field, Junkers, Stinson, Ford. How cool would a three ship pass from those be?
~There were at five P-40's on the field. What would it take to get a five ship pass from them?
~How about a tail chase of the A-36 to P-51D progression, going from A-36 to 51A, B, C and D? The planes where there to do it.
~Hinton in the P-38 doing acro was awesome. More vintage solo acts would be great. How about the Horseman?
~Can the tail chase passes be a bit more animated? Some curving passes that show the tops and bottoms of the wings, not just a profile? (More Max Hoffman-ish of you will)
~Really missed seeing FIFI depart and return from Wittman. It would have been nice to see a B-17 in the show.
~I would love for the EAA warbird show to look a bit more like the Legends show at Duxford. No reason it cannot. This 2 minute clip is exactly what I wish the show organizers would plan.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0zG5WLDkNA

Thanks,
~Jim

[TheGreatFlight]

~We had three great versions of tri-motors on the field, Junkers, Stinson, Ford. How cool would a three ship pass from those be?


That would've been terrific!

My one wish - no golf carts parked up by the flightline. I'm not talking staff members doing their jobs, but I'm talking the people who just drove them on the grass and parked - someone even wrapped a blanket around the open area of the cart, making it even harder to see around/through it. On Thursday there were two right by us - one on the right and one on the left. One of them even kept honking the horn for their "clapping".

One more thing on the golf carts, I saw a number of drivers zipping around in the carts (and the larger Gators) talking on their cell phones. If they needed to make a call for instructions, directions, or whathaveyou, they could pull off to the side to make the call.