The Oshkosh thread

[slushie]

Who else is going?!?!?!

I'm going to be flying a 150 (in a group of 3 150's) to Oshkosh this year.
Looks like Vegas to AZ NM OK/TX KS NE IA IL WI or something like that.
If you're along the way and wanna meet up let me know.

I look forward to flying at 3000' with no terrain worries.

[jrh]

I'll be there from Tuesday, July 25 to Friday, July 28. Probably driving in, but there's a small chance I'll fly in with a friend in his Piper Lance.

Anybody want to organize a JC meeting?

[sleepy3528]

i will be there from the 22 - 1st . i am working at a booth but will be flying a seminole out there and camping with it. praying for no rain.... anybody have any experience camping at their aircraft? any tips or good things to bring?

[Stone Cold]

Originally Posted by sleepy3528

i will be there from the 22 - 1st . i am working at a booth but will be flying a seminole out there and camping with it. praying for no rain.... anybody have any experience camping at their aircraft? any tips or good things to bring?

No experience, but I'd say a sleeping bag? Tent, maybe? And, of course, beer!!!! Oh wait, is it going to be served by your flight attendant? Probably need to leave the beer at home, even though it's sacrilege.

[n57flyguy]

I wish I could go

Looks like alot of fun, have fun guys.

[jrh]

Originally Posted by sleepy3528

praying for no rain.... anybody have any experience camping at their aircraft? any tips or good things to bring?

Have you been to Oshkosh and/or camped in Wisconsin before? Or do you have much camping experience in general?

I've never camped at Oshkosh before, but I've been there several times, and I've done a fair amount of camping elsewhere. Here are some ideas:

If you're going to be there for 9 or 10 days, it *will* rain on you at some point. Bring a good tent. I'd suggest a decent backpacking style tent, not one of those big, heavy, Wal-mart, family-sized tents. Backpacking tents are generally sturdier in wind, more waterproof, and have better ventilation.

It'll probably be hot and humid. I've seen a lot of campers with little 6" battery powered fans inside their tents. I've never used one, but it might make it more comfortable, I don't know. The problem to think about is how to recharge the batteries.

I swear by those microfiber "camp towels" they have in outdoor stores. They're more compact and dry out a lot faster than cotton towels in humid weather.

Bring a sleeping pad. Even a basic "closed cell" foam pad is ten times more comfortable than sleeping on bare ground. You can use an air mattress, but I've always thought those are too bulky, complicated, and worthess if punctured.

Duct tape, a 100' roll of nylon cord, some extra tent stakes, and a big blue tarp from Wal-mart can be combined for millions of uses. That's $20 very well spent.

[slushie]

all I'm bringing for the trip is a tent, sleeping bag, some water, and a box of power bars. The rest will be purchased and given away in WI.

[NW004]

I;m driving up there on the 25th, staying on my uncles house around there! Maybe i can meet some of the crazy people from JC~

[bLizZuE]

i have no idea what you're all talking about

[PhotoPilot]

I'll be there for the whole shebang. It's a blast, though flying in and out of Whitman while giving demos is insane.

Originally Posted by jrh

If you're going to be there for 9 or 10 days, it *will* rain on you at some point. Bring a good tent. I'd suggest a decent backpacking style tent, not one of those big, heavy, Wal-mart, family-sized tents. Backpacking tents are generally sturdier in wind, more waterproof, and have better ventilation.

Amen! I was sleeping under a Cessna wing during the HUGE Monday night storms last year. My 2 person, 4 season backpacking tent held up great in the 50 knot winds, but there were a lot of broken Walmart tents and wet people in the North 40 by the time morning came. Bring cheap camping gear and you won't be happy . . .

[stuckingfk]

Get one of these.

I've heard of some pilots putting these in their airplanes and having sucess.

[slushie]

Originally Posted by bLizZuE

i have no idea what you're all talking about

Sauerkraut.

[flygirl813126]

I'll be up there for part of it, not sure of dates yet. Waiting to see about what days the other half has off. My biggest suggestion is bring snacks or something for the evening. Some of my best experiences have been meeting people and sharing our snacks after the show closes each night.

[sleepy3528]

yeah i have a ton of experience backpacking , camping, and hiking but very little experience in Wisconsin. two of the guys i am going with dont have any experience at all so i am kind of worried. plus i am worried about weight in the seminole vs mailing expenses and how mailing it out there would work out. Someone told me i could mail my pack to the FBO but i havent confirmed it. I heard the mosquitos are like small birds which should be fun. "I have to report a bird strike on short final" "that wasnt a bird champ that was a sqeeto"

yeah i have a sturdy backpacking tent and have had it stand up to some nice mountain winds so i am not too worried about that. but as far as cooking on our campsites is concerned... what is allowed and what do people do? i have a bunch of backpacking stoves that run off white kerosene but i dunno if its allowed or not. what can you bring for fun? the camping part is easy but its just the little details and the things you learn to bring over the years that i am really interested in. any thoughts?

[SteveC]

Originally Posted by sleepy3528

<snip>
but as far as cooking on our campsites is concerned... what is allowed and what do people do? i have a bunch of backpacking stoves that run off white kerosene but i dunno if its allowed or not. what can you bring for fun? the camping part is easy but its just the little details and the things you learn to bring over the years that i am really interested in. any thoughts?

From the EAA website (wasn't easy to find, though ):

The Oshkosh Fire Department strictly prohibits wood campfires and charcoal grills (per National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards) anywhere in the aircraft camping areas on Wittman Regional Airport grounds.

Careful use of white gas or propane fired camp stoves is allowed in aircraft camping, provided they are used in an area well away from parked aircraft, and that the stove is attended at all times. It is strongly recommended that aircraft near the stove be checked for any fuel fumes or leakage, and the stove be elevated above ground level.

By the way, don't forget to bring tiedowns. Here is some good information:
Tying Down Your Airplane

Have a blast!

[flygirl813126]

We always cook with white gas and have never had an issue. It is nice to have a place on the end of a row because then you can just scoot away from your plane a bit if you want to light it. The end of the row is also nice to watch take-offs and landings. If you aren't on an end you can just go down to space bu where it is roped off anyway. There is space between the parked planes and the end of where people can walk.

[desertdog71]

Let me know if you plan on swinging through KCNU Chanute, KS. Also we have our Airfest on August 3rd, so if you are on your way back around that time, might be worth checking out.

[NW004]

Also if any of you flying to OSH are doing their final leg here in Milwaukee, I'm sure wee can met up , eat and have fun talking about aviation.

Check www.flymilwaukee.com for Timmerman Airport information. Its a great airport to do your final leg before OSH.

[sleepy3528]

so now that the date is getting closer if anybody wants to meet up sometime let me know. i am going with my old college and thought it would be fun to put some faces to these screenames. hope to see yall out there. later