Lawn Chairs on Flight Line

[John Leidel]

What ever happened to the long standing, heavily enforced, NO UNATTENDED LAWN CHAIRS policy!? The number one reason was so that they wouldn't get blown into the aircraft. Yesterday was beyond ridiculous! Rows and rows of empty chairs, some set up, some in bags. Not only was there the risk of getting blown around, but it was ridiculous having to step over them everywhere you walk. I am sure lack of volunteers to help enforce it is part of the problem, but just like smoking they could make regular announcements not to do it. And frankly, if people are too darn lazy to stay with their chairs, they don't deserve the spot! We all pay the same admission, I don't think it covers reserved seating. End of rant, thank you for reading!

[wallda]

I am 100% with you. It has completely gotten out of hand.

[Tom Steber]

As much as I agree, it's never going back. But, on a better note, I saw less "tents" and less smoking on the flightline. Now I also feel that overall crowd sizes throughout the week have been down. Yesterday was big because of the Blue's flying as well will today be I'm sure.

[martymayes]

As much as I agree, it's never going back. But, on a better note, I saw less "tents" and less smoking on the flightline. Now I also feel that overall crowd sizes throughout the week have been down. Yesterday was big because of the Blue's flying as well will today be I'm sure.

I'm curious about attendance numbers. I arrived early Sunday morning and I've never seen that many campers in Scholler.

[Bill Greenwood]

I have never seen nor heard of any lawn chair being blown into an airplane in overe 3 decades of being at Osh. I dont think that is the real point of complaints about chairs, rather more of a feeling that someone is getting ahead some way.

I saw a couple of smokers, not many.


As for how many people, if you look on Wed ,most campiing and plane parking was full, dont know about numbers . Tranms are pretty full. Orange car parking lot full.

[azmedic85355]

When I arrived Tuesday night I ended up past Buttercup in Scholler because everything else was full


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Mike M]

What ever happened to the long standing, heavily enforced, NO UNATTENDED LAWN CHAIRS policy!? The number one reason was so that they wouldn't get blown into the aircraft....

IF it's a current policy, and SINCE it's a valid safety issue, one could handle them the way we handled gear adrift in the Navy. Put them in the lucky bag if convenient, if not convenient, just stow them in the blue locker. :D

[1600vw]

Well lets see. They would in force the rule and not allow chairs on the flight line..I wonder if that could be the reason none have blown into an airplane on the flight line? But I agree...smokers are more important.....

[John Leidel]

In my 4 and a half decades, I never seen it happen either. But I have seen storms blow up quickly that blew stuff all over the field. But chairs weren't because they were occupied because there was a policy. I remember security personnel picking up and removing unattended chairs. And frankly between the pushed back flight line for the jet show and the increased crowd it created a major safety hazard for people by having to step over the unattended chairs. I have family members with disabilities that need scooters. It was almost impossible for them to get around on the flight line. But I guess as with everything in todays world, the standards keep getting lowered and nobody seems to care.

[dbarnes]

In my 4 and a half decades, I never seen it happen either. But I have seen storms blow up quickly that blew stuff all over the field. But chairs weren't because they were occupied because there was a policy. I remember security personnel picking up and removing unattended chairs. And frankly between the pushed back flight line for the jet show and the increased crowd it created a major safety hazard for people by having to step over the unattended chairs. I have family members with disabilities that need scooters. It was almost impossible for them to get around on the flight line. But I guess as with everything in todays world, the standards keep getting lowered and nobody seems to care.

I think today's chairs are less apt to be picked up by the wind. Cylindrical rather than flat, and most are steel instead of aluminum.

But I was marveling at the number of them.

[Mike M]

What ever happened to the long standing, heavily enforced, NO UNATTENDED LAWN CHAIRS policy!?

I still can't find a written policy about unattended lawn chairs anywhere on the EAA website. Anybody else come up with one? Anywhere? An unwritten, unpublished policy is not an enforceable policy. Heck, not a policy at all. Anybody?

[choppergirl]

Do you guys really pay $45 a day to go look at airplanes and lawnchairs?

Can't you just got to a museum or your local airport or Walmart and see the same thing for free without any crowds?

*perplexed poor person*

[Auburntsts]

Do you guys really pay $45 a day to go look at airplanes and lawnchairs?

Can't you just got to a museum or your local airport or Walmart and see the same thing for free without any crowds?

*perplexed poor person*

OSH is way, way more than just an air show. We were there from Saturday to Saturday and the only time we were down on the flight line for a show was for the Blue Angel's Friday practice. Otherwise we'd watch it from our tent in HBC, if we watched at all.

[1600vw]

Do you guys really pay $45 a day to go look at airplanes and lawnchairs?

Can't you just got to a museum or your local airport or Walmart and see the same thing for free without any crowds?

*perplexed poor person*

By this comment I can tell you have never been to OshKosh. You have no idea what you are missing. They do and have everything. You can learn more at oshkosh about building airplanes in one day then there is time to take in . They show how to do just about every part of construction on an airplane. hands on, you do the work as they show you.

The parts..wow, I can not describe all the parts for sale for pennies compared to Aircraft Spruce and many others. I still hit my self for not picking up some of the deals. Bags of brand new AN hardware 100 count for a few bucks. I saw a stack of brand new inspection rings for a dollar each. Price those, they are not cheap, turn buckles for a few bucks. These can cost 45-60 or more bucks. You have no idea what you are missing. Then you have the airplanes and the people. It really is one awesome experience every aviator needs to see and experience at least once.

Tony

[CHICAGORANDY]

Do you guys really pay $45 a day to go look at airplanes and lawnchairs?
*perplexed poor person*

ABSOLUTELY NOT! I'm also a never flown 'poor folk', retired on a fixed small pension. I work nine days there as a tram volunteer and all in drop easily TWICE that just to be a conductor and entertain airplane owners and enthusiasts around the grounds. Does that make me some kind of aviation loving lunatic? I sure hope so.

Oshkosh is not just some 'event' It is an experience of a lifetime. Imagine sharing your passion with over 75,000 people a day who also have that common bond.

[wallda]

Do you guys really pay $45 a day to go look at airplanes and lawnchairs?

Can't you just got to a museum or your local airport or Walmart and see the same thing for free without any crowds?

*perplexed poor person*

It is clear you do not understand what AirVenture is about. You also do not understand the size of the event. If I was a "poor person" who enjoyed aviation or was trying to piece together a plane this would be the one event I would attend. Tens of thousands of airplanes, Countless hands on building workshops, forums on every aviation topic, the full spectrum of aviation parts. (From Cheap to Expensive and Old to New), and one heck of an air show.

[glider90]

At one time there was clearly a "no unattended chairs" policy. The unattended chairs were carted off to a holding area and could be reclaimed by owners later. The issue with leaving chairs unattended on the flight line is that there are aircraft movements in and out of each row all day until showtime. If there are 30 unattended chairs in a row that an airplane needs to enter or exit someone needs to move them! This is not work for the volunteers of flight-line safety to perform. Back around the time when the EAA members and the non-members areas where integrated the chair enforcement rule went away to prevent the event from feeling unfriendly. I for one would like to see the rule come back. I have moved many a chair for someone else simply because I was attending my chair. It gets old. I have seen people tossing chairs down at 7:00AM while the yodeler is doing his thing, and not return until the jumpers are out of the airplane at 2:30. Those people either do not know aircraft are moving all day, or think they are too important to watch them so other people should. Neither scenario is good.

[martymayes]

Do you guys really pay $45 a day to go look at airplanes and lawnchairs?

Yes! You don't?? Not sure which one of us is more perplexed..................

[streffpilot]

Yes! You don't?? Not sure which one of us is more perplexed..................

I am sure it is us who are more perplexed.....Come and camp for the week. It is the best bang for the buck for any "vacation" time you will find anywhere.


As for the unattended chairs policy.....As a dad of 2 little girls this has saved my back this week. Now, I am a pilot, so I could see where there was a possibility of being in the way of airplanes and such. I found that if we positioned our blanket with chairs (not set up so no blow away risk) about 20 feet in front of a concrete bench, we were very safe from being in the way of someone else. The concrete benches would also obviously be in the way of taxiing, and by being far away from the flight line, we avoided all of the camera ninjas that are so pervasive and inconsiderate. I would check on our blanket and chairs every little bit to make sure we weren't in the way......Just an opinion from the other side...... :)

[John Leidel]

At one time there was clearly a "no unattended chairs" policy. The unattended chairs were carted off to a holding area and could be reclaimed by owners later. The issue with leaving chairs unattended on the flight line is that there are aircraft movements in and out of each row all day until showtime. If there are 30 unattended chairs in a row that an airplane needs to enter or exit someone needs to move them! This is not work for the volunteers of flight-line safety to perform. Back around the time when the EAA members and the non-members areas where integrated the chair enforcement rule went away to prevent the event from feeling unfriendly. I for one would like to see the rule come back. I have moved many a chair for someone else simply because I was attending my chair. It gets old. I have seen people tossing chairs down at 7:00AM while the yodeler is doing his thing, and not return until the jumpers are out of the airplane at 2:30. Those people either do not know aircraft are moving all day, or think they are too important to watch them so other people should. Neither scenario is good.
Thank you Glider99! I was starting to think I was in an alternate universe :D

[Wrongway Feldman]

Here is a video from the local TV station WFRV in Green Bay WI.
The program is called "Local Live 5" it is on at 9:00 am to 10:00 am CDT daily.
They were broadcasting live from EAA Airventure on Friday 28th of July 2017
Their back drop was the B-1 bomber.

The 1st person they interview was Dick Knapinski Communications Director for EAA.
At 2:05 into the video the news anchor asked him if people can put their chairs over there and walk around, he kind of says "You can"
http://www.wearegreenbay.com/local-5-live/local-5-live-on-location/our-town-oshkosh-eaa-airventure-2017/777506449

The program is a hour but on the TV station's website they edit the program into segments.
Below are some more cool stuff they talked about during the program.

Heritage flight A-10 and F-35 teams.
http://www.wearegreenbay.com/local-5-live/local-5-live-on-location/our-town-oshkosh-eaa-airventure-heritage-flight/777505295

The actual lady that riveted the nose of Doc the B-29 when she was 17 years old.
http://www.wearegreenbay.com/local-5-live/local-5-live-on-location/our-town-oshkosh-eaa-airventure-doc-and-fifi-fly-again/777505010

F-35 Lightning Two Missing Man Formation
http://www.wearegreenbay.com/local-5-live/local-5-live-on-location/our-town-oshkosh-eaa-airventure-missing-man-formation/777503100

Samson Motorworks flying car.
http://www.wearegreenbay.com/local-5-live/local-5-live-on-location/our-town-oshkosh-eaa-airventure-samson-switchblade/777503055

Redtail Exhibit.
http://www.wearegreenbay.com/local-5-live/local-5-live-on-location/our-town-oshkosh-eaa-airventure-redtail-exhibit/777502801

[glider90]

streff, yes your location selection is not a problem. The problematic ones are the ones right on the 'burn line' and between the rows of aircraft. The best option is directly in front of a high wing airplane. Provides shade and 99% of the time you are safe from having to move. Perhaps in the future I should just adopt to the new policy of leniency. I did see an area 'roped off' on Saturday between four airplanes spanning a row. I am not sure if it was EAA or owners doing so, but I can imagine flight line land rush becoming like opening day at Camp Scholler if many adopt this policy:) By the way the line move up land rush Saturday after the last Blue Angel recovered was a hoot!