AirVenture draws nearer and nearer

[CHICAGORANDY]

https://howmanydaystill.com/its/airventure-2

I DO luv me some airplanes - lol

[mazdaP5]

Ear to ear.

[skyfixer8]

I wonder if EAA staffer in charge of grounds map will ever correct the statement that "shuttles run from 6:30 AM to 11:30 PM. That statement has always been a "bone of contention" to Tram operators on late afternoon shift when at *8 PM we are told to terminate. We always get people wondering how they are going to get around. The Busses seem to disappear around 9 or so. I asked this question a few months ago and was asked to e mail someone at headquarters. To clarify, the word tram was changed to shuttle a couple years ago.

[CHICAGORANDY]

That will probably happen in the same timeframe as they correct the grounds maps to draw Vern Ave correctly from Wittman Rd to Knapp St and past Parking Lot F to our tram turn North between the exhibit hangars. - lol

https://www.eaa.org/-/media/Files/AirVenture/PlanYourTrip/2018_VisitorsMap_frontback.ashx


Somehow they have a pronounced north dogleg drawn in at Knapp for Vern that does not exist as drawn. It actually is an almost straight shot from Wittman on past Hangar B.

[MEdwards]

There’s an article in the new Sport Aviation about the expanded South 40. The article and the accompanying map show tram service to the very south end. ChocagoRandy has already told us that will be busses, not trams down there, which would be consistent with last year. And makes more sense. I guess the people who do these articles and maps never ride either the busses or the trams, they tool around in golf carts, so they don’t know or care about the difference. I appreciate both the tram folks and the bus drivers.

[skyfixer8]

It's a rough job, but we love to do it, but Randy needs to come up with some new jokes.

[CHICAGORANDY]

I always add a few new ones to the repertoire each year, to accompany the moldy oldies in rotation. lol

[Mark17]

Chitown Randy- Do you know what time the last tram or bus service pickup at the Warbirds pickup area is? Last year we got stranded up there when the tram driver told us his tram was the last tram for the evening but the buses would be picking up very soon. It was at 8pm and we waited until 9pm for a bus but none came. Don’t want that to happen again! Oh and Thanks for your kind words on my Dad- He appreciated it coming from a fellow Vet:)

[CHICAGORANDY]

We tram volunteers just follow orders (more or less - lol ) from the Tram chair-people and supervisors. When they say "Go out of service" that is what we do.

Sometimes special evening events mean that EAA security closes down the North/South road the trams use at Celebration Way to allow unrestricted East/West pedestrian traffic. This means that prior to that shut down all the trams have to get South of Celebration Way or be trapped on the North end of the grounds. It is NOT uncommon for the tram crew to find this out 'on the fly' which 'could' result in would-be passengers being disappointed.

YES, the saddest faces I see at AirVenture are in the evening on the folks learning that they must now deal with even more walking. The AirVenture grounds are a whole lot bigger than it seems looking at a map.

[Sam Oleson]

A quick clarification on the shuttles schedule -- they do still run from 6:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., as buses are around until that time. As far as the map, we're working to get that straightened out. Thanks!

[CHICAGORANDY]

Thanks for the update Sam, in truth I'm a pretty laid-back, non-anal kind of geezer - lol - but as a conductor I spend a bit of time helping folks with the AirVenture grounds map.

Regarding ground transportation? I suspect it will always be like herding cats who are on a meth and catnip induced buzz - lol

[RC Gregg]

I always add a few new ones to the repertoire each year, to accompany the moldy oldies in rotation. lol

An A&P walks into a bar. The bartender says; "DON'T YOU START ANYTHING!"