AirVenture 2011 - Parking / Entering / Ugh
So, my first trip to AirVenture was 2002. And I, along with my pilot father in law, have driven from Chicago for the last 10 years to the greatest air show on the planet on the last Friday of the event.
There has never been a deviation in our flight plan for the 7 years prior to 2009, we got off Rt43, turned left onto the frontage road, past the museum and straight into the RED lot arriving no later than 9:00am. For the last 3 years though, something has drastically changed for the worse, and I just cannot put my finger on what is happening or what the goal of the new traffic patterns is.
This year, I waited OVER AN HOUR in traffic, just to GET INTO THE PLACE. I have been waiting longer and longer each year and now that the line of cars has extended about 3 miles down Rt43, there must be something I am missing.
The last two years have seen traffic increasing on the frontage road almost to the end of that and now this year, the traffic goes way onto Rt43.
What the heck is going on? I know that they are trying to re-invent the entrance to the show moving the Fly-Mart and rebuilding up there at the main gate and that's all really cool stuff, but trying to filter all the traffic down that one area is ridiculous.
I have read horror stories about getting in and getting out of the place over the last three years and I really just cannot figure out what EAA is trying to accomplish.
For the first time, we had to park in the 'brown, I think' lot and ride a bus from the museum after walking about half a mile through some muddy fields. It was not good for my father in law and for the first time ever he is reconsidering returning. (After 10 years in a row)
We will return, but I hope things will improve as far as traffic and logistics of parking and getting cars in and out goes.
The EAA has to remember that a great experience starts before we enter the gates and after we leave as well.
Mark-Chicago
