Oshkosh 2012

[V1670]

I'm thinking about heading for the EAA meet at Oshkosh. This will be my first time. Any advice for a rookie? Need to start planning.........

[Flyboykelly]

Re: Oshkosh 2012

If you want a hotel room you need to book it now. At this point you may have to look at hotels that are about a half hour drive away. Camping is an experience in its self. You never really did osh unless you camped there. EAA has great guidance online for their camp sites. And last but not least is go there with an idea of what you want to see. The airshow is so big that it takes the whole week to see everything, unless your sprinting. Good luck,

Brian

[GeoffS]

Re: Oshkosh 2012

Camping is (IMHO) the best way to go.
Unless you stake out a spot the week before the convention you should assume you'll have 1/2 to a mile trek from your campground to the grounds; I'd suggest bringing a bike.

As FlyBoy mentions, the more time you can spend on-site the better. It depends a little on what you want to get out of the experience. If all you want to do is see the "big iron", some warbirds, and the airshow, then you could probably spend just a day. Personally, I'd suggest at least three days, and I've never been bored being there from the Saturday before the official opening through closing Sunday (although I'm usually pretty beat after that...).

[rc38pilot]

Re: Oshkosh 2012

Comfy tennis shoes, plan on a late sat nite for the night show and be sure to check out the thunder mustangs!!!!!

[Airpirate]

Re: Oshkosh 2012

Do you plan on flying in? You will have a time window assigned to if IFR, if VFR, study the arrival procedure on the website, check out Google maps and get to know "Ripon". be comfortable with slow flight, keep your head on a swivel and practice some spot landings as you maybe asked to land long or short (they will have large dots painted on the runway for touchdown points).

Camping is the way to go.

Have fun

[ShermB]

Re: Oshkosh 2012

Go to their site to see the layout and locations of various vendors and or attractions.
They also have ride-share info.
The cheapest housing is the Dorm, otherwise even the cheapest motel room can run up to $300.00 per night.. I went for the first time in 2010, roomed with 2 other gals in a private home that was only 4 mileas from the site. Rental cars need to be reserved early, and I flew into Appleton and picked up a car there. That was about 20 miles away from OSH.There are food concessions on site - big variety and not too pricey.
RARA has a booth on Aero-Shell Square, and that's where I hung out. Saw many familiar faces from the many years of attending NCAR.

[Reno_Steve]

Re: Oshkosh 2012

To me the best things at Oshkosh were the mass fly passes and the technical talks by people like Burt Rutan, in the tents. Dont forget to get down to the lake to see the sea planes.


The celebrity talks by Neil Armstrong and Chuck Yeager the year I was there were quite an experience.
I ended up sleeping in my car as I could not find any accomodation close by.

[Airrace7]

Re: Oshkosh 2012

Camping will be be your best experience. Go to there website and there will be plenty of information. Bring tennis shoes and plan on doing a lot of walking. They have trams but you will still need to walk.

[planecrazy2]

Re: Oshkosh 2012

See the museum....prepare for all kinds of weather....take a camera.....sit on the flight line for awhile to rest.....go to the seaplane base.....take time to stop and smell the petrol....bring a lunch.....talk to the pilots....lay under a wing....have a hotdog and watch the flight demos.....take someone with you who loves planes as much as you do....attend a seminar....have good shoes.

[Coyote Chris]

Re: Oshkosh 2012

PlaneCrazy2 about said it all. Join us 20,000 campers in our small city. Lots of free showers and camp stores to buy food at. And outdoor concessions. A bicycle or electric/gas small scooter is a good thing to get to the flight line with and park in the bike coral. If you can see the Pioneer airport/Museum/ flightline/warbird lectures/seminars/ vendor's buildings, and 10,000 aircraft in under 3 days, you are a better man than I was my first time. I stay five days now cause on the last weekend the grounds fill up with non aviation loving day attendees and the charactor of the event changes. I am originally from the mid-west but live in the west and I have to aclimate to the heat/humidity index for awhile, or I get sick.

[V1670]

Re: Oshkosh 2012

PlaneCrazy2 about said it all. Join us 20,000 campers in our small city. Lots of free showers and camp stores to buy food at. And outdoor concessions. A bicycle or electric/gas small scooter is a good thing to get to the flight line with and park in the bike coral. If you can see the Pioneer airport/Museum/ flightline/warbird lectures/seminars/ vendor's buildings, and 10,000 aircraft in under 3 days, you are a better man than I was my first time. I stay five days now cause on the last weekend the grounds fill up with non aviation loving day attendees and the charactor of the event changes. I am originally from the mid-west but live in the west and I have to aclimate to the heat/humidity index for awhile, or I get sick.

We're on the same page: originally from the mid-west but a left-coaster for the last...well....LONG time. Been back to the area and, yeah, that humidity can be brutal. Shoes and walking:check. When I'm at Stead, I'm ALWAYS walking and must make 20 trips a day from the Formula hangar to the Bear-cave. Probably just bum-it and bring a bed-roll and find a comfy tie-down.

Looking forward to this.