EAA's AirVenture 2024, Oshkosh

[Dave Homewood]

Who from the WONZ Forum will be attending EAA's AirVenture this year?

I am excited to say that for the very first time, I am!

I have wanted to go to Oshkosh ever since I first heard about the place and the huge annual gathering when I was about 13 years old.

But I am worried, I have not yet been able to sort any accommodation.

I have been thinking about camping on site as that looks a lot of fun, are any groups from NZ camping and might have room for one more?

Or if you have any alternative suggestions for a cheap place to stay between for the nights of the 20th to 27th of July, I'd love to hear please.

Any other tips for making the airshow experience good are also welcome please. I freely admit I find it all a little bit daunting to plan by myself.

[Calum]

Nowhere cheap at that time around the area. You have to remember that 10’s of thousands of people attend daily. IRRC on the last 2 days when the big shows are on there was something like 60K people each day.

A mate and I went in 2017 and we stayed at the University. We stayed in a 2 person room and paid extra for air con as it gets quite hot there. We wanted to ensure a decent night’s sleep after a day out in sun. The air con was a window mounted thing and while it worked it was pretty noisy.

Most of the rooms at the Uni are like barracks with shared facilities. They were OK. There is a Laundry so you can wash clothes. And you can dine in the cafeteria for a pretty good price (IIRC dinner was all you can for about $15 USD, probably more now).

We booked via Tori Tours in Australia, but you may still be able to book online via the university itself. Bar Camping that is probably the cheapest accommodation. However the University is broke so have jacked the prices significantly this year for what I’ve seen.

Other advantages to the Uni is there is bar across the road where a lot of the people for the airshow socialise. You also just meet people in the hallways who are there for the same reason you are. Transport from the Uni is easy via a shuttle bus for a nominal few. Don’t drive.

The crowd is probably more aviation literate than your usual airshow crowd because there a re lot of trade event and industry stuff there. Plus the level of light aircraft use in the USA is massive and this a show run by the EAA so it draws heaps of experimental and GA owners

IIRC you must join the EAA so you can go on the Monday to Friday, only the Saturday and Sunday are for the ‘public’. You can do that online and it’s not expensive.

Getting the around the site is easy as they have a great system of shuttle trains that run on set routes that start at a terminus just inside the main gate.

If you want to sit you have to take your own chair, there is a Walmart a little out of town. There are busses, Uber etc to get there.

It’s the best run big event I’ve ever been too. Despite the crowd sizes it never felt crowded and getting to and from wasn’t an issue. Avalon here in Australia could learn a lot form the organisers of Airventure

[Dave Homewood]

Thanks Calum.

I have had a good look at the university option, but I am told they are full and there is a big waiting list of people waiting for cancellations, especially the rooms with aircon (which they don't all have). I did a calculation on the price and for the week I am there with their US$150 a night for the aircon two-bed rooms, plus the %10 tax, it was going to cost just under NZ$2,000, not counting food, etc. So tenting is the way I am looking now and a US mate has invited me to share their camping plot which is good. They go every year and camp under the trees at Vintage, apparently. So I just need to get a tent and airbed at some point I think.

I have joined EAA, by the way. Thanks again.

I hope a few Kiwi friends are going to be there too.

[ZacYates]

That's outstanding Dave! Fantastic! I would say "the trip of a lifetime" but people seem to find it hard to stay away and do just one!

[aileronroll]

Dave, I did Oshkosh in 2017 and as noted above you will just love it! I’m just back from Sun n Fun in Florida. This is like a mini version of Oshkosh but still fabulous and easy to fill in the 6 days. I was very happy to meet Lee Lauderback who has over 10,000 hours in P51D Mustangs, very nice guy and very happy to have a chat. Also managed a quick visit to what is left of Kermit Week’s Fantasy of Flight Museum which is near by. Was very happy to see his P51D “ Cripes A’ Mighty 3rd’, which I think is an ex RNZAF aircraft, possibly ZK-CCG?

When you get to Oshkosh make sure you register at the International Visitors Tent. These folk will look after you very well and provide free water each day and a rest spot from the sun. They also put of an informal BBQ and Beers one evening for the overseas guests which is a fab event.

[Dave Homewood]

Thanks for that.

Apr 18, 2024 8:58:26 GMT 12 aileronroll said:

Also managed a quick visit to what is left of Kermit Week’s Fantasy of Flight Museum which is near by. Was very happy to see his P51D “ Cripes A’ Mighty 3rd’, which I think is an ex RNZAF aircraft, possibly ZK-CCG?

It is indeed, ex-NZ2417

Apr 18, 2024 8:58:26 GMT 12 aileronroll said:

When you get to Oshkosh make sure you register at the International Visitors Tent. These folk will look after you very well and provide free water each day and a rest spot from the sun. They also put of an informal BBQ and Beers one evening for the overseas guests which is a fab event.

That's a great tip, thanks for that!