AirVenture in Oshkosh / Page One

[gary_in_neenah]

Kind of a big deal for those that live in this area. We'll get to the statistics in a bit but first a little background. Our namesake, John Dee was a fan of aviation and once was fortunate to hitch a ride in a P51 Mustang. John welcomed the news and events of the Fly In in Oshkosh which brings us to the present. The airshow runs from Monday through Saturday, July 21, through the 26. Now for the numbers from last year;

Attendance: 686,000 (a new record).
Aircraft: Over 10,000 aircraft arrived at Wittman Regional Airport and other airports in east-central Wisconsin.

Wittman Airport Operations: 16,780 aircraft operations (take offs & landings) during the event.

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We live a little more than 10 miles from the airport which makes it an easy commute. That, and being a local, I probably know of a couple of shortcuts to beat the traffic. As a volunteer, I'll spend each day from around 5:30 to mid afternoon in the area of logistics. Imagine the amount of water, sun screen, food, and just about everything that a half million people go through in a week's time. That, and transporting people from point A to point B is another challenge. But we make it work! The key is having a dedicated workforce of volunteers that get the job done, on time and with a smile. My time spent at AirVenture is incredibly rewarding. I've met people from all walks of life and from all countries near and far. My only regret is that I don't have enough time to enjoy the air shows and view the planes up close. Just too darn busy. I'm an avid fan of the Vintage Warbirds and I hope to share some photos in the coming days.

If you're going. Lodging has been booked long ago, so without it you're likely limited to a one day visit. Traffic is incredible but managed efficiently. Wittman Field sits adjacent to the Interstate/41 so when you get there, you'll be there. Lots of walking, you're outside at an airport, wear comfortable shoes, a hat, etc
The young folks under 18 get in free, thanks to Boeing, and for all other information visit https://www.eaa.org/airventure

The following are pictures I pulled together from last year and beyond. In the coming days I hope to update with current photos on later postings.
Enjoy the show!





















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[skiroule]

The size of this event is just mind-boggling.

 

[wiharley02]

Hey Gary, I'm in the area as well. Not a big aviation nut, but welcome the event and what it does for the local economy. I enjoy most being on the water on our boat floating/swimming/sandbar'ing and watching the planes and airshows.

By no means do I want to negatively reflect on the size & awe of this event, but I'm pretty sure the attendance record 686k is the total sum of gate admissions for the 7 day event? So lots of the same people passing through the gates multiple days? Again, it's an awesome event that without the volunteers and staff wouldn't run so smoothly.

It would be really interesting to know the population (head count) in places like the camper-campgrounds and the airplane-campgrounds, the UW Oshkosh dorms, the hotel room head counts, etc. to get a feel for just how many actual people are "extra" in the area for the week. But I understand it's hard to make that head count!