The Good and Bad and Other of Oshkosh 2014

[Mayhemxpc]

I think most of us can agree that for many people who attend OSH, cell phone coverage, and to a lesser extent internet access, is necessary to job-related functions while in attendance. My opinion is that EAA is in no way obligated to provide it.

To condense some specific comments I remember from the thread (paraphrasing)...


EAA has an app so they should supply the bandwidth to use it....I have LiveATC on my phone, but don't expect them to provide internet so I can access it.

...
I see wifi on the field as a courtesy. We (and yes my wife is one of those critical to the organization folks) were able to use the phone and a personal hotspot for wifi to do anything we needed.

Life is good, folks!! :-) (Flame suit on and locked!!)

Jim
EAA 64315

Jim, although I generally agree with your summary, I think that you are off target on the point about the app and wifi. In years past, yes, it was a very nice courtesy to us all. This year, however, EAA pushed the app as the way for you to stay up on everything, including developments, changes, and so on. For the first few days, it pushing the app and all of the great things it would do seemed to be part of their script. Part of the script was that you stayed connected over the wifi. Similarly, EAA pushed the availability of the wifi for all kinds of AirVenture related purposes. THAT made things different. EAA created an expectation of availability and service in a way they had not done in the past. If an organization promotes a service and creates an expectation then it needs to do its best to fulfill the expectation it created.

[Jetguy]

Chris I couldn't have said it any better! Great job!

[Jim Rosenow]

Jim, although I generally agree with your summary, I think that you are off target on the point about the app and wifi. In years past, yes, it was a very nice courtesy to us all. This year, however, EAA pushed the app as the way for you to stay up on everything, including developments, changes, and so on. For the first few days, it pushing the app and all of the great things it would do seemed to be part of their script. Part of the script was that you stayed connected over the wifi. Similarly, EAA pushed the availability of the wifi for all kinds of AirVenture related purposes. THAT made things different. EAA created an expectation of availability and service in a way they had not done in the past. If an organization promotes a service and creates an expectation then it needs to do its best to fulfill the expectation it created.

We agree more than we disagree, Chris. Perhaps in theory EAA set an expectation of wifi by promoting their app. They certainly promoted it heavily. I (me personally) didn't see anything promoting an unrestricted use of EAA wi-fi as the end-all be-all of communication, but then I wasn't specifically looking.

In execution, any 'full' wifi was almost destined to fail..again, that's an opinion.

An analogy...I have a campground in the Wisconsin woods and I run a few wires around so my campers can have a 100 watt light (the Airventure app) in their tent or camper. My power-happy campers also fire up 1500 watt electric heaters (uploading pix from on-field, at least one user mentioned running their own video stream from the camper, playing internet hide and seek, etc). The lights brown out from lack of amperage...my fault?

My campers say...easy - just get a bigger wire! Problem is I'm in the middle of nowhere and the power company would have to run a new and expensive power line (fiber optic cable) which they will make me pay handsomely for each month, even when there are no campers around to use it.

My long-about way of saying "There may just not be a good and cost effective wi-fi answer until the technology improves". Did EAA over-promote?....justifiably open to debate.

Disclaimer...my membership is my only connection to EAA. I know nothing about the specific infrastructure at OSH. I firmly and unequivocably declare that my opinion is worth every cent you paid for it! :-)

On another subject....love your web site, Chris! Keep 'em flying!!

Jim
EAA 64315

[Jim Hann]

Apparently not as we were on an island 150 miles between Nome and Russia. I'm sure there was some kind of radio communication but nothing we could use to contact the home folks. There were some radio antennas called "White Alice" if I remember correctly (this was 55 years ago) but I'm unsure if they were used for communication or surveillance. Thinking about it...they were pointed at the mainland so I'm guessing communication. I was diesel mechanic so it wasn't really in my field. My only point with the post was we seemed to survive with only written mail from the home folks and girl friends.

Yup, here it is... http://www.whitealice.net/

[Jim Hann]

I was in Oshkosh Friday to Friday, living in Camp Scholler. Before the show started I had spotty cell service and virtually no data at all. Wifi worked fine if I walked towards one of the dedicated buildings in the campground. During the show I had no problem with cell and data service (booster tower? dunno) but I really didn't mess with Wifi on the main grounds because my cell data was fine (and I had plenty in my plan).

T-birds, I left Friday, so it really didn't affect me as far as crowd control. I would have been annoyed if I was not able to access my tent and airplane on the rainy days, so my response next year may be different. Personally, I admire the skill of the jet teams but I don't go to an airshow to watch them. The type of acts that draw me to a show are the likes of John Mohr, Oscar Boesch/Manfred Radius/Bob Carlton, "Flying Farmer" acts, formation Eagles, Matt Younkin, etc. Maybe throw in a micro jet or Jet Waco for good measure but I don't need to see much turbine action.

All of my interactions with vendors was positive, Stewart Systems, Whelen, TAP, Belvoir pubs, Univair, GCA, PCA, Icom, are but some of the folks I talked to. I barely looked at the Fly Market, walked right past the non-aviation folks in the buildings (can we put them in one building so we can skip them?)... okay, I did look at the neon signs, in case I ever have a place to hang one! I also did sell one of the two items I had in the Aeromart, good experience there!

See y'all next year, hopefully with my airplane!

[FlyingRon]

If they want to put up WIFI as a sort of "we're trying it" that's fine.
If you advertise it's presence, then it darn well better work or people are going to be disappointed.

[Spindrift]

I never took a Young Eagle for a ride and had them get out afterwards and say, "That was okay, but not as cool as my ipad."

I took a Young Eagle out last weekend and he was texting most of the flight until I told him it was his turn to fly but he had to let me hold his phone. From then on he was quite a bit more engaged. That said, its not about what is "cool," its about the desire to immediately share experiences with others. I suspect the flight had a positive multiplier effect once he texted all his friends the picture I took of him flying the plane.

-- bill
Seattle

[skyfixer8]

Getting back to trams, #1. I would like to see the bigger tram cars made handicap accessable. I saw where people had to wait for an accessable car many times there, even women with larger carriages could not get on. #2. How about putting weather curtains on the tram cars so riders would have shelter available if needed. Just unroll. #3. Last, the tram route going between the display buildings should go up onto the edge of the Fly market. From what I have seen, I think most of the people comming for the day are more interested in that area than buying overpriced avionics.

[Bill Berson]

They made us get off the tram when we had lightning bolts nearby. I think the tram is the safer place to be with rubber tires.
But that is just my opinion, I suppose.

[FlyingRon]

They made us get off the tram when we had lightning bolts nearby. I think the tram is the safer place to be with rubber tires.
But that is just my opinion, I suppose.

Your opinion is incorrect. The tires don't protect you from lighting. You're sitting a a large metallic lightning rod.

http://www.snopes.com/science/tires.asp