How should I plan a trip to Oshkosh for AirVenture?
December 31, 2009 11:11 AM Subscribe
How should I plan a trip to Oshkosh for AirVenture?
My partner is a pilot and I'm working on my PPL right now, so we've decided to fly the Cardinal to Oshkosh this year to join the fun. I'm worried about the logistics of 600,000 people descending on a remote area for a week.
Where should we stay? We like our creature comforts and a bit of quiet and privacy, so camping on the field is not for us. The AirVenture site is somewhat helpful with ideas of hotels and houses, any advice on what works? How close do I want to stay to the event? Are all the restaurants in the area overwhelmed?
How do we get around? Since we're staying off-field, we'll need a car. Will driving in to the event every day be awful? How hard is it to find a rental car for that week? I'm considering landing somewhere an hour away and renting a car, but then that'd miss out on the fun of landing at the actual crazy airport.
Special bonus question: I'd have asked this question in an aviation forum, but I haven't found one online I like yet. The AOPA forums are kind of obnoxious. Is there some online GA community site this question would work well in?
My partner is a pilot and I'm working on my PPL right now, so we've decided to fly the Cardinal to Oshkosh this year to join the fun. I'm worried about the logistics of 600,000 people descending on a remote area for a week.
Where should we stay? We like our creature comforts and a bit of quiet and privacy, so camping on the field is not for us. The AirVenture site is somewhat helpful with ideas of hotels and houses, any advice on what works? How close do I want to stay to the event? Are all the restaurants in the area overwhelmed?
How do we get around? Since we're staying off-field, we'll need a car. Will driving in to the event every day be awful? How hard is it to find a rental car for that week? I'm considering landing somewhere an hour away and renting a car, but then that'd miss out on the fun of landing at the actual crazy airport.
Special bonus question: I'd have asked this question in an aviation forum, but I haven't found one online I like yet. The AOPA forums are kind of obnoxious. Is there some online GA community site this question would work well in?
I'm not a pilot (IANAP), but I have a friend that goes annually or thereabouts, and he and his friends rent [the same] house every year. From his description it sounded pretty common.
You might try posting to the Appleton-Oshkosh-FDL Craigslist and see what the locals have to say. I took a quick look and saw one posting in the Housing forum requesting a cottage to rent for the week, so you may be slightly ahead of the curve here. Or not -- from my friend's descriptions, it sounds like the event draws an overwhelming number of participants and visitors. Good luck!
posted by mosk at 2:27 PM on December 31, 2009
You might try posting to the Appleton-Oshkosh-FDL Craigslist and see what the locals have to say. I took a quick look and saw one posting in the Housing forum requesting a cottage to rent for the week, so you may be slightly ahead of the curve here. Or not -- from my friend's descriptions, it sounds like the event draws an overwhelming number of participants and visitors. Good luck!
posted by mosk at 2:27 PM on December 31, 2009
Response by poster: Thanks for the help! I also talked to a friend of mine who's been off and on for 20 years. For the record, some advice from him:
Housing is the big problem, particularly if you want a comfortable hotel. 12 months in advance is the time to book. Oshkosh itself is essentially impossible, Appleton and Fond du Lac are good alternatives for hotels. Also renting a private house can work well. As for a rental car, forget it at Oshkosh. But a nearby airport can work. He also suggested just flying in to Chicago and driving down.
One other thing I forgot to ask: how long to stay? Seven days sounds overwhelming. Three or four days may be more my speed. Things are calmer on the weekdays, but of course the biggest events are scheduled for the weekends.
posted by Nelson at 4:33 PM on January 2, 2010
Housing is the big problem, particularly if you want a comfortable hotel. 12 months in advance is the time to book. Oshkosh itself is essentially impossible, Appleton and Fond du Lac are good alternatives for hotels. Also renting a private house can work well. As for a rental car, forget it at Oshkosh. But a nearby airport can work. He also suggested just flying in to Chicago and driving down.
One other thing I forgot to ask: how long to stay? Seven days sounds overwhelming. Three or four days may be more my speed. Things are calmer on the weekdays, but of course the biggest events are scheduled for the weekends.
posted by Nelson at 4:33 PM on January 2, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
I've never been to AirVenture myself, though I'd like to fly in myself one day, but from everything I've seen/read the single most important thing is to have, and have read, the special NOTAM for the event. There are lots of stories of pilots who have decided just to show up, without knowing or following the special rules. (This doesn't apply as much if you do end up landing an hour away, obviously.)
posted by Godbert at 12:11 PM on December 31, 2009