Evening at Ultra Lites

[skyranger]

Many spectators where there for sure but there needs to be some portable bleachers . Most could not see the short T/O and landing .

[Floatsflyer]

Big +1.

I suggested this years ago long before the rebranded Fun Zone night stuff started. The same small low capacity single bleacher has been there for many years. If you want to enjoy the events taking place many more are needed because the close proximity of the runway to standing front line viewers hanging on the fence makes it impossible for those behind to see the on-going activity. Ears open EAA Oshkosh organizers!

[martymayes]

lol, the announcers commented every evening that more bleachers were needed! Squeaky wheel gets the grease!!

[Floatsflyer]

lol, the announcers commented every evening that more bleachers were needed! Squeaky wheel gets the grease!!

Those announcers are not EAA HQ staff so hopefully they will convey in writing the squeaky needs to the appropriate EAA Oshkosh decision makers/organizers. If I can find out who to talk to, I'll do it.

[martymayes]

Those announcers are not EAA HQ staff so hopefully they will convey in writing the squeaky needs to the appropriate EAA Oshkosh decision makers/organizers. If I can find out who to talk to, I'll do it.

I think they were trying to convey to the crowd that there is more strength in numbers.....

[Jetguy]

I had a real negative experience at the evening show at the FunFly Zone. When you invite people, say 2000 or so, to a show there is some expectation that it will be run correctly. This is the second year for me to complain about this event. I feel like EAA needs to start hiring professionals to run some of these events like this one. Here are a few points.
1. 5 times as many bleachers needed.
2. Remove all demo aircraft parked along the inside fence so spectators can see.
3. Provide transportation for 1500 to 2000 people to the front gate after the show is over. Gotta be at least 2 miles to the bus park.
4. Add some extra fire equipment during the week so one emergency in the north forty doesn't shut down the activities in the south forty.
5. Please build some paved side walks the length of Knapp St as well as the full length of W. Waukau Ave. Hate to be the guy to sound the alarm but somebody is going to get run over! Think about all those people parked out there along the expressway in the brown lot.
Yes I know that the show is only 7 days long once a year but thats the cost of doing business and yes I will come again as have for many years. Rant over!

[Low Pass]

I also enjoy the ultralight area. Usually make at least two visits during my week at the show. More seating would be appreciated/is needed. Particularly for the big-draw events. As for transporting people, that comes back to a larger/better overall people mover solution. This might be a subject worthy of hiring a consultant. Heck, maybe Disney even consults on this topic. I believe they sell their customer service model.

[ecipcic]

Great comments & rants�� This was my first time seeing the short TO & Ldg event, but it was just too jam packed. I don’t think that I would consider going to this again unless they corrected all of the aforementioned squawks that everyone has barked about. Too bad, cuz this is a great event/show.

[Airmutt]

There is no doubt that UL strip needs spectator & other upgrades. There is staff and a UL/LSA council of volunteers. Hopefully they monitor this thread and will bring the issue up to management. The show has gotten so large and multi faceted I’m sure that they are flooded with complaints and suggestions. Just sorting out legitimate issues from squawks has to be a daunting task.
North- south access is a real issue. I’m surprised that EAA tolerates the intermingling of people and trams just from a liability standpoint. Efficiency and numbers is another topic and can be found on a couple of other threads.
I for one am just glad EAA hung in there when the UL industry collapsed and did not cut and run. It’s good to see an uptick in activity in the area.

[CHICAGORANDY]

"
3. Provide transportation for 1500 to 2000 people to the front gate after the show is over. Gotta be at least 2 miles to the bus park."

As we say in Chicago..."Good luck wit dat."

The average school bus will carry perhaps 40-50 adults. 'About' 40 fit on one of our trams. I project a round trip from the Ultralight flight line to the Main Gate or Bus Park to be well over 30 minutes at the speeds the pavement surface allows (LOTS of bumps).

IMHO - You don't have to be a mathematician or even at the level of "Jethro Cypherin' " to appreciate the impossibility of moving that many people in a reasonable amount of time over that distance. Now I'm not saying it's never gonna happen...… but it's never gonna happen. The considerable logistics requirements far exceed practical expectations. IMHO

It would...again just IMHO.... make more logistical sense to NOT run events that strand the multitudes a couple miles from their vehicles in the late evenings. Why not eliminate such scheduling or move it to "Center Stage" right in the middle of the AirShow flight line leaving just a few blocks for folks to walk through Boeing Plaza straight down Celebration Way to the Main Gate?

Never forget that Oshkosh is actually a combination of two Oneida Native American words - Oshkonna and Koshakalla - which loosely translate to 'It's gonna rain and yer gonna walk yer butt off."

[robert l]

"
3. Provide transportation for 1500 to 2000 people to the front gate after the show is over. Gotta be at least 2 miles to the bus park."

As we say in Chicago..."Good luck wit dat."

The average school bus will carry perhaps 40-50 adults. 'About' 40 fit on one of our trams. I project a round trip from the Ultralight flight line to the Main Gate or Bus Park to be well over 30 minutes at the speeds the pavement surface allows (LOTS of bumps).

IMHO - You don't have to be a mathematician or even at the level of "Jethro Cypherin' " to appreciate the impossibility of moving that many people in a reasonable amount of time over that distance. Now I'm not saying it's never gonna happen...… but it's never gonna happen. The considerable logistics requirements far exceed practical expectations. IMHO

It would...again just IMHO.... make more logistical sense to NOT run events that strand the multitudes a couple miles from their vehicles in the late evenings. Why not eliminate such scheduling or move it to "Center Stage" right in the middle of the AirShow flight line leaving just a few blocks for folks to walk through Boeing Plaza straight down Celebration Way to the Main Gate?

Never forget that Oshkosh is actually a combination of two Oneida Native American words - Oshkonna and Koshakalla - which loosely translate to 'It's gonna rain and yer gonna walk yer butt off."



Word !

[dougbush]

As for transporting people, that comes back to a larger/better overall people mover solution. This might be a subject worthy of hiring a consultant. Heck, maybe Disney even consults on this topic.
Please not Disney! Disney has perfected the science of crowd control by managing how long people spend in transit to their destination, so only the number Disney wants are present at any time.

[Floatsflyer]

Please not Disney! Disney has perfected the science of crowd control by managing how long people spend in transit to their destination, so only the number Disney wants are present at any time.

Why not Disney? Oshkosh needs a monorail. Faster and more efficient for transit and transit users and safer for pedestrians. M-I-C, see ya real soon, K-E-Y, why, because we like you....

[PaulDow]

With all the water on the grounds in recent years, how about dredging a canal? It would collect water from areas where it isn’t wanted, and Jungle Cruse type transportation could run on it. It would also separate mass transportation from the pedestrians.

[robert l]

When I hit the lottery I'll see what I can do about the monorail and jungle cruse.
Bob

[Low Pass]

Please not Disney! Disney has perfected the science of crowd control by managing how long people spend in transit to their destination, so only the number Disney wants are present at any time.
And they manage to keep people happy while waiting!! Perception is as powerful as reality in many cases.

Someone's gotta have some reasonable ideas for moving more people faster and safer. I'm still amazed no one has mixed it up with a John Deere tractor..... Maybe we just never hear about it.

[martymayes]

There's still plenty of farmland South of the Airport. Roll out some asphalt so the dust won't be bad and make a big sidewalk to the main gate.

[robert l]

There's still plenty of farmland South of the Airport. Roll out some asphalt so the dust won't be bad and make a big sidewalk to the main gate.

An escalator !! With seats !! And a waitress, with free beer and soda !!!

[Floatsflyer]

An escalator !! With seats !! And a waitress, with free beer and soda !!!

I'm sure you mean a moving sidewalk, not escalator, like found at large international airports. Waitress, free beer and soda is all good.

[CHICAGORANDY]

Or as suggested, just hold all big evening events on the flight line by Boeing Plaza? In fact, come to think of it, Celebration Way would be the PERFECT location for some moving sidewalks! A pair right down the center. One going East the other West. After the evening events you could even program them both to just run westbound. Able to move huge numbers of people all day long with NO waiting and no wondering where the sidewalk will take you. lol

Now we just need to find that philanthropic bazzillionaire to fund the project..

[Floatsflyer]

Celebration Way would be the PERFECT location for some moving sidewalks! A pair right down the center. One going East the other West. After the evening events you could even program them both to just run westbound. Able to move huge numbers of people all day long with NO waiting...

Now we just need to find that philanthropic bazzillionaire to fund the project..

No bazillionaire required. EAA is unbelievably good at finding corporate sponsors to fund and support anything and give them naming rights."The Ford Moving Sidewalk" The Airbus Moving Sidewalk" " AMJ Campbell Moving Moving Sidewalk"

[robert l]

I'm sure you mean a moving sidewalk, not escalator, like found at large international airports. Waitress, free beer and soda is all good.

Yes Floats, I don't fly commercial very often. Thanks for clarifying.
Bob

[dougbush]

Why not Disney? Oshkosh needs a monorail. Faster and more efficient for transit and transit users and safer for pedestrians. M-I-C, see ya real soon, K-E-Y, why, because we like you....
A monorail could be fast and efficient, but Disney uses it as another way of managing (i.e., slowing) crowds. You wait and wait and wait in line for a monorail, and when Disney is ready, they send one to pick up the next group. Then you get off and walk to the next line.

There is no good reason for the Disney parks and hotels to be so far apart. But Disney controls the busses and boats, too. Even if you drive to the Magic Kingdom, you must park far away and take a monorail or ferry. At the end of the day you are exhausted and wonder why you only rode three rides.

[dougbush]

And they manage to keep people happy while waiting!!
Not in my experience.

[Floatsflyer]

A monorail could be fast and efficient, but Disney uses it as another way of managing (i.e., slowing) crowds. You wait and wait and wait in line for a monorail, and when Disney is ready, they send one to pick up the next group.

EAA wouldn't do that? Would they?

[PaulDow]

A problem with a transportation solution is they can't put anything in that would bypass the many vendors who have paid thousands of dollars to be there. I'd like to see something that would get me from the main gate to the half mile away show center, but that won't happen. Even at Disney parks, once inside one, there's few transportation options to get around.
I just did a rough check on the Earth program, and see one side of the Magic Kingdom to the other is about 2,000 ft. Warbirds to Ultralights is about 8,000 ft.
Maybe it's a good place to have a demonstration project for the Boring Company (https://everipedia.org/wiki/lang_en/The_Boring_Company)