College Students on a Budget

[Mtns2Skies]

Hello,
I'm a mechanical engineering student at Colorado State University and a SEL Commercially rated pilot. Myself along with another private pilot from the school have scrounged up enough to travel to Oshkosh this year in a rented Piper Arrow. As we are on a fairly strict budget, I had a couple questions about things I was unable to locate on EAA's website.

We will have our airventure tickets purchased beforehand, but how much is it to camp at the aircraft per night?

I see that bringing food will cut down on costs significantly, any other tips to keep it as cheap as possible?

I don't suppose there are any college student discounts are there?

On a separate note,
We are hoping to arrive in the "fray" of it to get the full experience, but would also like a near certainty that we will get a parking spot. What is the best time to arrive Monday to assure both of these things?

Any other tips for Airventure beginners would be fantastic!

EDIT: Also, I noticed a statement about only having one tent. We will likely have 1-2 more passengers so 2 small tents that will easily fit in the footprint of the Arrow will be best for us. Is this allowable?

Thank you!

Austin Levin
1064968

[FlyingRon]

To camp you need to be EAA members. Of course, they will happily sell you a membership at the registration if you haven't got one already (same with your admission wristbands). Camping is $26 /per day/ per unit. No discounts, there is a student discount on admission though.
A unit in the airplane area is your plane and a tent, you can usually get by with two tents (tell them they are family).
Barring disasters like the sloshkosh years, you can usually get in somewhere you just end up parking further and further away. While they may temporarily shutdown arrivals for the North 40 usually it's just because they got backed up trying to find places for people. Vintage never really shuts down.


I'd avoid immediately after the airport opens or right before closing and right before and after the airshow. I'd also try to avoid the mass arrivals of the Bonanzas/Mooneys/Cessnas,etc... they take over 18/36 which jams up all the other traffic on 9/27.

What year is the arrow? If it was built prior to the end of 1970, then you can camp/park in Vintage.

[Katie Meyer]

If you are looking to not only get the full experience but do it in a cost effective way, we suggest you check our EAA’s new Collegiate Volunteer Program.

The idea behind the program is if students can find their way to Oshkosh and are willing to volunteer their time then will take care of the rest!


Admission wristbands (weekly wristband for volunteers logging at least 40 hours; a daily wristband for volunteers logging at least four hours on a specific day)
Complimentary camping for those volunteering at least 40 hours
A meal and beverages during volunteer shifts
A one-time, free six-month EAA membership when you complete an application
An experience of a lifetime!


The volunteer opportunities vary but include aviation-related, grounds/facilities, events, and many more!

If you are interested in the Collegiate Volunteer Program, check out our website and fill out an application: http://www.eaa.org/en/eaa/volunteer/collegiate-volunteer-program

If you have any questions about the Collegiate Volunteer Program, please feel free to reach out to me at hr@eaa.org and I will be happy to help. Hope to see you there!

[Mtns2Skies]

What year is the arrow? If it was built prior to the end of 1970, then you can camp/park in Vintage.

It's a 1989 Piper Arrow: http://rmflight.com/N811MS.html
Thanks for the info! If you see that plane there come on by!

If you are looking to not only get the full experience but do it in a cost effective way, we suggest you check our EAA’s new Collegiate Volunteer Program.

The idea behind the program is if students can find their way to Oshkosh and are willing to volunteer their time then will take care of the rest!


Admission wristbands (weekly wristband for volunteers logging at least 40 hours; a daily wristband for volunteers logging at least four hours on a specific day)
Complimentary camping for those volunteering at least 40 hours
A meal and beverages during volunteer shifts
A one-time, free six-month EAA membership when you complete an application
An experience of a lifetime!


The volunteer opportunities vary but include aviation-related, grounds/facilities, events, and many more!

If you are interested in the Collegiate Volunteer Program, check out our website and fill out an application: http://www.eaa.org/en/eaa/volunteer/collegiate-volunteer-program

If you have any questions about the Collegiate Volunteer Program, please feel free to reach out to me at hr@eaa.org and I will be happy to help. Hope to see you there!

I didn't even think of this! Thank you for the info I think we'll likely volunteer.

[FastEddie]

Least expensive lunch is at the food stand just outside the entry, run by a local church. Great brats, great people, lowest prices.

[Cary]

I'll be coming from Greeley (I live in FtC, but hangar at GXY). Monday is usually a really high traffic day--not difficult to fly in, but where you'll be placed is often problematic. You also have to plan your arrival around the air show, as the field is closed for half an hour before through roughly half an hour afterwards, so arrival timing gets more critical. The field is absolutely closed at 7 p.m. local with no night arrivals allowed, so that window between the end of the airshow and the night closure isn't very large. As the NOTAM reminds you, you'll always want a Plan B--probably Fond Du Lac or Appleton, just in case.

That's why several years ago, I started coming on the Saturday or Sunday before. I've been parked at the "far" North 40 (north of 9-27) twice, at the North 40 several times (in fact, last year I was 2 airplane spaces away from where I'd parked the previous year, in the same row), Vintage, and the South 40 (also affectionately known as North Fond Du Lac) a couple of times. No place is bad, just some are more convenient than others. With the shuttles and trams, getting around is pretty easy.

A couple of tents within the approximate footprint of the airplane isn't a problem. Many campers have both a tent and a screen room, and you'll see many with a couple of small tents. As long as you're not interfering with others, no one complains.

I like to arrive with way more than enough fuel. Although it's only happened once, I've been held at Green Lake for nearly an hour, so it's nice not to worry about fuel. Fuel prices at the field aren't bad--the FBO doesn't take advantage of anyone--but personally I like to watch my airplane being fueled, and that's hard to do unless someone stays behind and waits for the fuel truck--kinda like waiting for Comcast to install a cable TV line, you never know when it'll show.

There are obviously lots of routes you can take, as long as you ultimately get to RIPON for your VFR arrival (going IFR is possible, but the hassle of a slot reservation is pretty daunting). I have 2 that I've used regularly. My "southern" route has stops at Grand Island (GRI) and Dubuque (DBQ), mostly because in the past, both have offered gas discounts and have restaurants on the field, both of which are very good (and inexpensive). My "northern" route is to Lavern, MN (LYV)--they offer a free lunch to OSH-bound travelers of pulled pork and great blueberry muffins plus the lowest price gas just about anywhere. Next stop is LaCrosse, WI (LSE), which last year had a discount on gas. I haven't eaten at the field restaurant there. If you go on my "northern" route, beware of the very tall towers southeast of Sioux Falls, which are just about on a direct route from FNL to LYV. They stick up 2000' AGL, so don't start down early. On gas discounts, typically if you mention you're on the way to OSH, they'll be offered. Or you can ask.

When the NOTAM comes out, I like to print it in large format as well as download it to my iPad. It's good to spend some time with it, so that you're familiar with all of it that applies to you.

Lastly, take the time in the weeks before you go to practice slow flight and spot landings. From RIPON on past FISKE and to the airport, you're at 90 knots, and then on downwind get slowed to your slowest approach speed. You cannot believe how many pilots cannot hit the spot, and a lot of that is because they get nervous and stop flying the way they were taught (usually too fast on final)--not many of us have lots of experience with 4 airplanes on downwind, 1 on base, and 3 on final! Get your speed under control, plan on a pretty tight pattern, and when the controller tells you to start your descent, do it then. Since landing on 27 is a right hand pattern, practice that a few times, too--most of us are weak on right hand patterns (28 at GXY is right hand, for practice purposes).

Mostly, have a lot of fun! Flying in and camping on the field is part of the OSH experience, but there is so much to do that every year when I head home, I find myself tallying up what I missed--and I stay the entire week!

Cary