Anyone Going to Oshkosh This Year?

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  • Rating - 100%
    22   0   0
    Dec 29, 2008
    3,745
    113
    Danville
    I'm taking my 3 boys and driving up in a Jeep. We are planning to camp. We'll be heading up on Friday the 26th and leaving for home Sunday morning. I'm hoping to leave early Friday morning to catch the Friday air show with the F-35 demo. I have to see if I can get out of a big deal at work that morning. Otherwise, we'll leave at about noon.

    This will be my first trip up there, so we're pretty excited. I've always wanted to do it but it is a busy point in the summer for me, so a trip never materialized.

    How good are the Saturday night airshow and fireworks?
     

    Wstar425

    Sharpshooter
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    May 20, 2018
    440
    93
    Sandia Park, New Mexico
    I’ve never been to the airshow but I’ve been to the museum a few times and drive past it all the time in my job.

    It’s pretty crazy, more people than you can imagine. Traffic on 41 used to be terrible but they’ve improved it somewhat the last few years. I will go out of my way to avoid it, if I can.

    I’m not a pilot or into flying, but I have a friend who is and he goes every year. So, I’m guessing it can’t be too bad. Camping for as far as you can see. I imagine it would be pretty awesome, even if you weren’t all that into flying. I just can’t stand crowds much. Hope you have a good time, I would suggest giving yourself some extra time, even maybe more than you think you might need, to move around. Not sure you can see it all, even with a couple of days.

    Have fun, don’t forget to get your cheese curds on the way home!! I’ll ask my buddy if he has any basic, need to know, suggestions and get back to you.
     
    Rating - 100%
    22   0   0
    Dec 29, 2008
    3,745
    113
    Danville
    I’ve never been to the airshow but I’ve been to the museum a few times and drive past it all the time in my job.

    It’s pretty crazy, more people than you can imagine. Traffic on 41 used to be terrible but they’ve improved it somewhat the last few years. I will go out of my way to avoid it, if I can.

    I’m not a pilot or into flying, but I have a friend who is and he goes every year. So, I’m guessing it can’t be too bad. Camping for as far as you can see. I imagine it would be pretty awesome, even if you weren’t all that into flying. I just can’t stand crowds much. Hope you have a good time, I would suggest giving yourself some extra time, even maybe more than you think you might need, to move around. Not sure you can see it all, even with a couple of days.

    Have fun, don’t forget to get your cheese curds on the way home!! I’ll ask my buddy if he has any basic, need to know, suggestions and get back to you.

    Great! Thanks! Unfortunately, that Friday is the only day I can take at least half off. I've got a feeling that I'll have to go back over the next couple years.

    I didn't even think of the cheese kurds. I'll be all over those!
     

    Jludo

    Master
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    3   0   0
    Feb 14, 2013
    4,163
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    Indianapolis
    I've not been to the airshow but I was in Oshkosh last week for work, my only advice would be to try to get through Chicago before 3. I didn't get out fast enough last friday and it took 8 hours to get back to Indy from there.
     

    Wstar425

    Sharpshooter
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    May 20, 2018
    440
    93
    Sandia Park, New Mexico
    Buddy got back to me, here’s what he said. So, maybe there’s something here you can use or hadn’t thought of. Further down below. Friday afternoons around Chicago are never fun!!!

    Chicago is always a crap shoot. If you have I Pass or the other one they accept it makes life a whole lot easier. Up thru the loop or around 294 is always the big unknown. I’m there a couple times a week and have no use for the place at all. 94 up thru Kenosha and Racine is under construction most of the way to Milwaukee with both sides down to two lanes on one side. Depending on when you hit Chicago it can be a battle all the way up to north of Milwaukeee and that week possibly all the way to Oshkosh. I’d guess traffic is going to be by far your biggest issue and there’s really no other way to get there other then flying. You could do the ferry into Milwaukee ($$$$) or Kewaunee. Going out west around Chicago to Rockford and then upmto Madison and 151 up to Fond du Lac is quite a ways outa your way but might not actually be a terrible idea if you are hitting Chicago from Indiana in the early afternoon. I’m a truck driver, I know those roads.


    “Bring a lot of sunscreen and water are they camping? Or just driving for the day? There’s a lot of walking involved or they can ride trams it will take you to where you need to go also where we camp at it’s about a mile walk to the main gate if they have bicycles that would be a plus.

    Also the food on the field was pretty expensive a hamburger soda and fry is going to cost $9

    We usually just come back to the camper for lunch or just pack some sandwiches to take out there with us The air show usually is from 3 PM to 6:30 PM

    Also if they have small children make sure they have ear protection the Jets get pretty loud”
     

    4651feeder

    Expert
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    3   0   0
    Oct 21, 2016
    1,186
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    East of NWI
    You know if space is available, camping at Scholler is a three day minimum ?

    I've always gone midweek when driving myself, nothing about Oshkosh (Airventure) other than traffic between Burns Harbor and Milwaukee has ever disappointed. However....be sure to check the last minute forecast as some of the heavy storms they experience this time of year can wash out activities.

    To me the ideal Oshkosh drive for a mini-vacation would be crossing the lake from Ludington to Manitowoc on the SS Badger.

    Have fun cause that's what it's all about.
     

    Wstar425

    Sharpshooter
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    0   0   0
    May 20, 2018
    440
    93
    Sandia Park, New Mexico
    You know if space is available, camping at Scholler is a three day minimum ?

    I've always gone midweek when driving myself, nothing about Oshkosh (Airventure) other than traffic between Burns Harbor and Milwaukee has ever disappointed. However....be sure to check the last minute forecast as some of the heavy storms they experience this time of year can wash out activities.

    To me the ideal Oshkosh drive for a mini-vacation would be crossing the lake from Ludington to Manitowoc on the SS Badger.

    Have fun cause that's what it's all about.

    i did that with a semi in 1981, it was 100 for the truck and one driver plus $10 for a co driver. I think a car is more than that now but the big issue is their schedule may not work with yours. 4 hour trip one way, that would be the ticket tho for the airshow vs driving thru Chicago!!! Depends mwhen I’m Indiana you are too I suppose.

    If I was down west of Indy I would think pretty hard about going over to Bloomington/Normal and up to Madison the. 151 on up. It would be a little longer but you could mostly roll. First 40 miles of I-39 is under construction but most of the backups seem to be on the southbound side.

    Realistically, there are no great options Indiana to Oshkosh unfortunately.
     
    Rating - 100%
    22   0   0
    Dec 29, 2008
    3,745
    113
    Danville
    Well, I got some good news today. I'm freed up on Friday the 26th, so we get to go up early enough to see the F-35 demo! Now I have to decide whether to leave on Thursday evening and get up past Chicago or just leave really early Friday. I'm leaning toward Thursday departure.

    I do know it is a 3 night minimum. If I could get out a little earlier Thursday, we could do 3 nights. I don't love arriving to camp grounds late, though, but we do have an instant tent, so set up would be quick and easy other than the noise we'd make blowing up mattresses. So, we may just get somewhere north of Chicago and get a hotel and then set up camp when we arrive Friday.

    I think we'd hit Chicago around 8 or 8:30 pm, which would be 7 or 7:30 pm Central. I'd imagine traffic would be easing up by then, but I'm not really very experienced with that.

    As for camping, are there trams going just about everywhere, or are there places, such as the sea plane base, that you would have to drive to?

    We'll have hats, sunscreen, and money for food/drinks, although we will likely pack some food and drinks, as well.

    Keep the advice coming! We're pretty excited about this and want to make the most out of the limited time we have there!

    The ferry across the lake sounds amazing! How long is the ride? Edit...I see it is 4 hours. I wish we had time to go up that way and then take the boat. That's now on the Jeep trip to do list for the future!
     
    Last edited:
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    22   0   0
    Dec 29, 2008
    3,745
    113
    Danville
    Ok, so we're leaving Thursday afternoon! My nephew is bringing a Freightliner RV that he tows his drag racing car with, so we've got plenty of room to sleep in a nice, air conditioned RV. He's got it set up where we can just get a non-electric site, so we'll just find a regular site in the camp, no water/electricity necessary and we'll use our three night minimum.

    I talked to a neighbor that has a kit plane and he pointed us to a few fun things to do. He said that Honda should have a tent where the first 500 there each day get a nice hat and can fly a Honda Jet on a VR headset.

    Any other suggested activities? I saw that DJI will be at the drone cage with demos of future products. Also, I saw that a newly restored F-82 Twin Mustang will be there! While the USAF will do a demo flight with the F-35A, the Navy will have 2 F-35 C's there. If the Marines have a "B" there, it will be cool to see the differences up close!

    There will also be a gathering of F4U Corsairs. LOVE that airplane!
     
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    22   0   0
    Dec 29, 2008
    3,745
    113
    Danville
    I love to see the ultralight helicopters (helicycles).

    I'll have to check those out! I believe I read that the Redbull helecopter will be there. It does some pretty incredible stuff.

    I watched a video of the STOL competition and it was pretty amazing. If they do that on Friday evening, I may have to see it.
     

    4651feeder

    Expert
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    3   0   0
    Oct 21, 2016
    1,186
    63
    East of NWI
    ...As for camping, are there trams going just about everywhere, or are there places, such as the sea plane base, that you would have to drive to? ....

    Open air trams for the actual airport grounds and hot stuffy school buses to the Museum/Pioneer Field and Seaplane Base, think you'll catch the Seaplane Bus on the far south end of the field after riding a tram down there. Folding chairs with the shoulder strap bag is my hot ticket tip....or you could just purchase them there for bout 4X the Walmart $.
     
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    22   0   0
    Dec 29, 2008
    3,745
    113
    Danville
    Check out this awesome F-35 video. Watch closely at 2:08. This thing makes an absolutely wicked turn! I'm not sure I've even seen an F-16 pull one so tight!
    EAA is now saying the F-35 demo will happen both Friday and Saturday, along with the F-22. It will be something to see them both in the same airshow.
    [video=youtube_share;l2Y_I0Igl2E]https://youtu.be/l2Y_I0Igl2E[/video]
     

    Wstar425

    Sharpshooter
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    0   0   0
    May 20, 2018
    440
    93
    Sandia Park, New Mexico
    Ran up through there Friday aft. Lots of campers and trailers on site already. Traffic was busy but moving, I’d say about normal for a Friday northbound. I think I will find an alternative route if I’m over there this Friday.

    We we have been getting a LOT of rain, but at the moment the forecast is for beautiful weather until next Sunday. But, we all know that will change a few times between now and then.

    Anyone going, have a good time!
     

    ultra...good

    Shooter
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    0   0   0
    Dec 30, 2012
    1,372
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    I am there and it is so muddy they are not letting campers and RV's in as of now because they are just getting stuck and tearing up the ground. They are scattering them around the area, wherever they can find room. It rained 5" on Saturday alone, and the ground was already saturated. Like already mentioned though, the weather is beautiful today and is supposed to be throughout the rest of the week.
     
    Rating - 100%
    22   0   0
    Dec 29, 2008
    3,745
    113
    Danville
    Question. I'm getting the campsite for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. We are doing the show on Friday and Saturday and leaving Sunday morning. Can I just buy the show tickets for Friday and Saturday or do I have to get them for Thursday, as well? We'll be rolling in there around 10pm local time.
     
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