First time to EAA Airventure next year

[n7227c]

hello fellow EAA members, wanted to know how the weekly prices work for the event. also what would you recommend seein for a first timer?

[Zack Baughman]

If you are an EAA member, you will definitely save on admission prices for AirVenture. For members, admission is $28/day Monday-Saturday, and then $17 on Sunday. A weekly admission wristband is $119, which is a savings of $68 over purchasing a daily admission for each day. If you purchase your admission before June 15, 2014, you'll have some additional savings on those rates. More info can be found here: http://www.airventure.org/planning/admission.html

Regarding what to see - have a look here for some good tips: http://www.airventure.org/about/newbies.html

There is really so much to see and do that you WILL be overwhelmed. In about late June or early July of next year we'll post the AirVenture schedule, which will allow you to plan out your visit hour by hour if you want to get that detailed. There are a few things that I personally suggest doing as a first timer, in no particular order: 1) spend an afternoon and see the entire air show at least once - there's nothing like sitting out on the flight line and enjoying the show; 2) spend at least one evening at Theater in the Woods - some of my best Oshkosh memories involve the evening programing at the theater; 3) walk/scoot/ride the length of Wittman Road - pick either end, North in Warbirds or all the way South in what we like to call "North Fond du Lac" and make your way to the other end...you'll see a little bit of everything that makes Oshkosh special; 4) take a Bell 47 ride - besides walking the length of Wittman Road, nothing will give you the sense of just how big AirVenture is like taking a ride in one of the flying lawn chairs at Pioneer Field - and it's relatively inexpensive; 5) visit the Seaplane Base - it's a whole other world; 6) visit the museum - I'll admit that I am biased, but we have a SUPERB museum with a fantastic collection - it's worth spending a few hours in the museum; and lastly 7) attend a forum or workshop - the educational opportunities available during AirVenture are really astounding and worth the price of admission alone.

We look forward to seeing you!

Zack

[krw920]

2) spend at least one evening at Theater in the Woods - some of my best Oshkosh memories involve the evening programing at the theater;
Zack

Was wondering what happened to the barbershop chorus last year, did I miss seeing them on the schedule for Theater in the Woods, or were they not included for some reason?

[CarlOrton]

Y'know, Zack, I think that is just about the best summation of the "must do's" for a first timer. Great selection.

Only thing I'll add is that if you're going to be here for the full week, you might try volunteering. For a first-timer, though, I'd do that only if you were starting to have thoughts of "OK, I've done it all - what now?" There's so much to see and do that you probably won't get to that point during your first year.

There are so many volunteer opportunities that you could do anything from taking tickets to parking planes to helping support the other volunteers, to just about anything you see being done on the field. Aside from (?) about 50 EAA employees, every other person you see performing a job is a volunteer. It really brings home Paul's view that "you come for the planes - you come back for the people."

[rleffler]

hello fellow EAA members, wanted to know how the weekly prices work for the event. also what would you recommend seein for a first timer?

Zack did a pretty good job at sharing some hightlights, but the real answer is, what interests you? There is so much to see, you won't be able to get all in and spend any quality time. Make sure you identify the things that you are most interested in and put those first in the priority list. A couple weeks prior, the schedules are published and that's when planning kicks in for most of us.

My first year as a future homebuilder, I spent most of my time in the forums and talking with various vendors. It can take a good 4-6 hours just walking through all the vendor exihibition areas with spending just minimal time in several booths. If you want quality time, plan on talking with vendors during the airshow or make appointments with them. If you are a homebuilder, you could easily spend several days walking the ramps, meeting and talking with other builders. You can do the same in Vintage and Warbirds too.

I did catch an airshow or two that first year as well. On subsequent years, I started venturing further out and investigating other parts of the grounds. I missed the seaplane base the first couple of years, but now I make it a point to visit every year. It's a great place to rest and relax to give yourself a break from the chaos on the grounds.

There are also plenty of breakfast, happy hour, and dinner opportunities during the week. Some are sponsored by EAA for a variety of their programs, such as Young Eagles, Tech Counselors, and Chapter Leaders. The are also several dinner and happy hour sponsored events by vendors for their customers. Additionally there are dinners for Homebuilders (and I assume that there are the same for other areas). Or the VAF guys meeting at the SOS tent on Monday night.

Most the the years, I've camped in Camp Scholler. There are always plenty of evening festivities there. You just have to wonder around and socialize a bit. you'll be bound to find a group someplace that will welcome you and have similiar interests (even if it's a simple as enjoynig aviation and beer).

We all have different interests and the good news is that there is plenty to keep us all occupied for the week. One caveat, at least in the homebuilt area, many folks tend to start leaving on Wednesday. Sunday through Wednesday is usually the best time to catch them if that is of interest to you.

bob

[n7227c]

guys thanks for the valuable information!

i do plan on volunteering (plane greeter or something in that area) if there is a Veteran Guardian position for the Veterans like Bud Anderson and Dick Cole, that would be my #1 slot.

I plan on lookin at the forums and the Seabase this year and goin from there.

still plannin out the flight season so who knows might be comin in on Devil Dog, Diamond Lil or Fifi (if we accept the terms).

Look Forward to the best show in the world!

[Cary]

I think Zack's list is exactly what I'd recommend. I spend all week at OSH, arriving the weekend before and leaving usually before the last Sunday air show. I laze around a lot--it is vacation, after all--so I don't start my days very early. But I've done all the things he suggests. I absolutely love both the museum, which is superb, and the Seaplane Base, which is truly another world, ala Jimmy Buffett. Actually one of the best forums I've attended was at the Seaplane Base, about what to do if it's necessary to ditch in water. But really, don't be surprised if you end your week saying, "Gosh, I didn't see half of what I wanted to see."

Cary

[n7227c]

what would you recommend doing for hotel, im in the process now of planning this trip out and would love to hear ALL recommendations on this.

which is better Dorm, Hotel, or residents?

getting so excited about this trip! XD

[Jeff Boatright]

what would you recommend doing for hotel, im in the process now of planning this trip out and would love to hear ALL recommendations on this.

which is better Dorm, Hotel, or residents?

getting so excited about this trip! XD

YMMV, but I've always had good luck with the residences. EAA keeps a list. Don't be afraid to ask for exactly what you want. One year I simply said "I want the closest you have" and that phone call was made only a few weeks in advance of the fly-in. That turned into a multi-year deal where Chapter 690 members (mainly) had a house on the street facing the North 40 - literally as close as you can be to the field. The nice owners even stocked the 'fridge with beer and cold cuts one or two times. Other people want pools, or extra space, or need special access - EAA does a good job of keep up on those criteria in their listings.

I've also had great times camping. There is no substitute for waking up right on the field to the sounds of a Merlin blowing out the cobwebs. However, that was when I was much younger and a bachelor. I'm completely over ever needing to shower with 20 other people, or walking through mud and muck in the middle of the night to get to a port-a-potty, etc.

[CarlOrton]

Hi, N7227C;

I've only ever stayed in the dorms. So I'm prejudiced.

For a first-timer, I think the dorms are an excellent deal if you're not going to camp with the plane or in Scholler. You can find a hotel, but it's not gonna be close (relatively speaking). You also have to drive-in every day, which can be tiring. Once you have one or two Conventions under your belt, you'll probably find a private residence is better-suited to you, but again that depends on if you're renting a bed or the entire house with 10 other friends.

The dorms have a very efficient bus arrangement with the City. They pickup and drop off right in the center of campus, and frequently have the ability to take short-cuts past all of the traffic jams. Plus, if you're there long enough to make it past the break-even point, you can get a week-long bus pass. This comes in handy if you're just having a bad day or a bad headache and just want to escape the show (!) for awhile - just take the bus to the dorms, then take it back to the show when you're ready.

Once you have your show legs, you'll know where to park, what entrances to use or avoid, and have a general overall lay of the land in the city itself. It's small enough that within a few days you'll know where everything is, especially if you have a rental car and get out in the evenings to sample some of the great restaurants in the area.

The dorms themselves are very well run; this is a big deal for them, and they have it down pat. Yeah, it's dorm bathrooms and showers, but they're kept very clean. Each dorm has a fridge and microwave in it. When we arrive, we make a run to WalMart or Target and get some coffee and Jimmy Dean breakfast sandwiches, along with a case of water bottles and any other snacks you want. I always get up early so I can hit the early forums; my wife gets up when she feels like it, has her coffee and sandwich in the dorm, checks her email, etc., then shows up when SHE wants to show up. She loves Convention, but she doesn't want to get up at 5:30. Dunno if you're coming solo or not, but having the buses makes it easy to have members of your group run to their own schedule.

[Floatsflyer]

what would you recommend doing for hotel, im in the process now of planning this trip out and would love to hear ALL recommendations on this.

which is better Dorm, Hotel, or residents?

getting so excited about this trip! XD


If your question has been asked once on the forum, it's been asked a thousand times. You will get a plethora of responses that offer differing opinions, observations and preferences because everyone has different needs and wants and wallets. So, your question should not be "what's better" but rather "these are my accommodation requirements while at Oshkosh and this is what I'd like to spend per day, how can I best fulfill these?"

Hotel rates within 40 miles of Osh go up 2-2.5 times-very expensive. If you go to Green Bay(50 miles-a 45 min. drive) you will get the everyday normal rate. You will then need a car but those rates in GB are normal as well. Dorms from what I've read here are quite reasonably priced but may not/probably don't have private bathrooms or AC(get's real hot & humid that week). I don't have any info on residences

Once you receive all the info here based on your requirements, you will be better equipped to follow up with your own research.

[Cary]

Since I enjoy camping, that's all I've done at OSH, with my airplane "under the wing", so to speak. I've camped in the North 40, the South 40 (sometimes referred to as North Fon du Lac), and Vintage. The only "bad" experience I've had was a storm hit mid-week a couple years ago, which did a little damage to my tent--flattened some of my neighbors' tents, but I think a lot of that is avoidable if the tent is tied down sufficiently. Showers, potties, and other conveniences have been close enough, so I've never felt inconvenienced. The shuttles and buses offer plenty of transportation convenience to get to show center, from any of the aviation camping areas. Since I've ridden buses which went through the Camp Scholler area, it looks as if transportation from there is plenty OK, too.

Friends rent a home each year which is only a couple blocks north of the field, which sleeps 7 or 8 people. That's certainly convenient, and as you've seen, there are many private homes available. That particular one includes use of an older Buick, and it has a nice back yard with a hot tub. I've met the owner, and he's a really decent guy--he and his family usually go to their vacation cabin in northern WI during Airventure, like many families whose home towns have a huge influx of tourists during a week or two each year.

The only complaint I've heard about the dorms has been the lack of air-conditioning--not sure if that was an anomaly or normal. I haven't met anyone who used a local hotel/motel. I did meet a couple who chose to stay in Green Bay, and they complained about the long traffic lines to get onto the field each day.

My 2 cents.

Cary

[FlyingRon]

First year I stayed in the dorms. No AC, but nice warm full force stay-on when you turn them on showers. You do waste some time getting down to the show.
Every other year I've camped (usually with the plane, but I did a turn in Camp Scholler when the plane was down for restoration). I've got a few friends who do the "BUS Style" RV thing, and others who stay in residences. It's all a matter of taste.

Frankly, camping in Vintage is "right there in the middle of the show" and relatively inexpensive.