Are you going to Oshkosh 2025 (Poll)

[201er]

Are you going this year? What days are you gonna be there? How are you getting there?

[natdm]

You are the poll master. 
 

Don’t take that the wrong way. 

[201er]

I’m flying in FISK on Monday morning and departing Wednesday morning. This is gonna be the first year going to Sun n Fun and Airventure in the same year.

Edited June 23 by 201er

[231MJ]

Taking the Mooney, parking Fond du Loc, arriving Saturday.  This will be my 5th visit, the best was the Mooney caravan about 15 years ago.

[Danb]

Answer not available— staying in Green Bay. About 10th time staying in GB 

[Paul Thomas]

I'm planning to fly to OSH. I would have done the Caravan, for the social aspect, if they had something closer to FL for training. 

[201er]

3 hours ago, Danb said:

Answer not available— staying in Green Bay. About 10th time staying in GB 

Well that's either gonna count as driving or fisk. Are you flying in every day??

[Danb]

Flying staying in GB driving to Airventure 

[ElkoRandy20J]

Flying into Waupaca.  Staying at an AirBnB in Oshkosh.  Volunteering at the Timeless Voices Booth.

Arriving on Sunday and leaving Friday.

[Parker_Woodruff]

Driving and staying in/near Waupaca.  Booth in Hangar A.  Come visit.

[M20F]

Fisk on Friday, out on Sunday 

[Andy95W]

I’m just bumping this thread since OSH is almost upon us.

I have a question for those who responded that they “Don’t even want to go”- 

Just out of curiosity, have you ever been?  Or have you been and don’t want to go back?  I was like that 25 years ago, I’d never been and didn’t see the sense in going.

(My wife and I go for 10 days straight now, I do volunteer work and she volunteers with GirlVenture.)

[KSMooniac]

I'm an element lead in the Caravan for the first time, and one of my wingmen has been flying 50 years, but never to OSH!  Can't wait to get up there!

[Paul Thomas]

On 6/23/2025 at 10:38 AM, Paul Thomas said:

I'm planning to fly to OSH. I would have done the Caravan, for the social aspect, if they had something closer to FL for training. 

Work is getting in the way; it doesn't look like I can make OSH this year

[NickG]

Yeah… love to go but…. Have job.

[donkaye, MCFI]

This is our 25th year.  I fly into Madison and drive up.  My mentor flight instructor used to go every year, but I thought it would be boring.  Then I went, and haven't looked back.

[DCarlton]

9 hours ago, Andy95W said:

I’m just bumping this thread since OSH is almost upon us.

I have a question for those who responded that they “Don’t even want to go”- 

Just out of curiosity, have you ever been?  Or have you been and don’t want to go back?  I was like that 25 years ago, I’d never been and didn’t see the sense in going.

(My wife and I go for 10 days straight now, I do volunteer work and she volunteers with GirlVenture.)

If you find lodging and a rental car outside the area and drive in, what’s the traffic and parking like when you get to the field?  Is entry well organized, does the traffic flow, plenty of parking?  Plenty of food vendors and porta-potties without long lines?  Plenty of tables to sit to eat when you buy food?  Any shade structures with tables?  I’ve always imagined it being a disorganized cluster without the facilities to comfortably and efficiently accommodate the masses of people that show up.  Tell me I’m wrong and I might give it a try!  

[donkaye, MCFI]

1 hour ago, DCarlton said:

If you find lodging and a rental car outside the area and drive in, what’s the traffic and parking like when you get to the field?  Is entry well organized, does the traffic flow, plenty of parking?  Plenty of food vendors and porta-potties without long lines?  Plenty of tables to sit to eat when you buy food?  Any shade structures with tables?  I’ve always imagined it being a disorganized cluster without the facilities to comfortably and efficiently accommodate the masses of people that show up.  Tell me I’m wrong and I might give it a try!  

You are completely WRONG!  AirVenture is the most organized event you will ever attend.  They have their act together with more than 5,000 volunteers who joyfully are there to assist.  Plenty of tables, many with umbrellas surround the food vendors, plenty of food vendors all over the venue, although expensive.  There are many, many port-potties scattered at convenient places all over the venue and they are maintained throughout the day multiple times.  No lines for them.  No Smell to them.  For over 650,000 people the grounds are kept immaculately clean.  Traffic is as well organized as possible with "In" direction in the morning and reversed to "Out" direction in the afternoon.  I will say, though, that it is a pain in the butt.  Police man the main entry roads and control the traffic lights, and volunteers direct traffic once you gain entry.  Busses are provided from the parking areas and have priority with their own special lane.  The venue is huge and there are multiple trams that have various routes throughout the grounds.  Anybody who is anybody in aviation is there hawking their wares in 4 large hangars.  The new airplanes from the big and small companies are displayed outside.  There is fly-in airplane camping parking surrounding all the runways; enough for the 10,000 airplanes that fly in.  The RV area is like a city in itself.  The "cream of the crop" air traffic controllers from around the country control all of the air traffic.  There are forums in the forums area every day given by many well know speakers.  The FAA also has a building and has seminars all day long.

If you're a lifetime member of EAA, the Oasis on the front line has all kinds of snacks and tables for free in an air conditioned building.  If you are a donor you step up even more and have access to the PHP house, that also has even better snacks than the Oasis.  EAA hosts almost a dinner there from 4-6 Monday, Tuesday. and Wednesday.  If you're a donor or exhibitor, AOPA puts on a great free breakfast and has an outstanding dinner at the Waters house of the Lake on Tuesday evening.  Hundreds of people show up to that.

As you get older, 4 wheel scooters are available to rent for the day and have enough charge to get you anywhere on the grounds.  Many years ago I almost laughed at the thought of ever needing one but, alas, for the past year and now again for this year I've needed to rent one for my special person.

Flying in with the Mooney Caravan was fun for a number of years.  The camaraderie is great.  However, I park in Madison and drive up to Oshkosh because I don't want to park on the grass for the week, and I found that by the time everyone had debriefed and I got set to fly back to Madison, the thunderstorms often started building.  So I haven't flown in with them for the past few years.

And then there is the pure adventure of traveling more than half way across the country, stopping at places you probably never would have seen, meeting people you never would have met (I've got some great stories of people I've met going to Oshkosh at fuel stops).

This is year 25 and counting.  I hope I've conveyed a little bit of the excitement of AirVenture,  It's a lifetime experience not to be missed.

 

[DCarlton]

7 hours ago, donkaye, MCFI said:

You are completely WRONG!  

 

That's a glowing report.  Nice to hear.  I've thought about trying Sun and Fun as a way to kick off spring but I'm sure I would enjoy WI in the summer too.  

[KSMooniac]

I'll endorse Don's detailed reply.  It is an amazing event.  IMO, the experience is best enjoyed camping with your plane so you avoid the awful logistics of driving/parking/hiking/sitting in traffic every day.  The permanent facilities include buildings with real sinks, toilets and showers so as far as camping goes, it is NOT roughing it all.  You cannot beat the camaraderie when hanging out with so many like-minded folks and the coolest planes on the planet everywhere.  Arriving with the Caravan doubles the fun too, and having the big party tent and meals there (along with tables, chairs, lights, etc) make it even easier to stay in the North 40.   

[Ibra]

I am visiting this year, no private flying unfortunately (it’s a long way in Mooney from France, maybe for 40 years old or 50 years old).

I am very motivated to get there Wednesday night airshow: leaving wife and kids in Canada, flying WestJet from Montreal to Green Bay on Tuesday, Oshkosh on Wednesday day & night, then flying WestJet from Green Bay to Montreal before heading back to France on Friday. 

Hopefully meeting some Mooneys !

 

Edited July 16 by Ibra

[Parker_Woodruff]

On 7/16/2025 at 1:05 AM, DCarlton said:

If you find lodging and a rental car outside the area and drive in, what’s the traffic and parking like when you get to the field?  Is entry well organized, does the traffic flow, plenty of parking?  Plenty of food vendors and porta-potties without long lines?  Plenty of tables to sit to eat when you buy food?  Any shade structures with tables?  I’ve always imagined it being a disorganized cluster without the facilities to comfortably and efficiently accommodate the masses of people that show up.  Tell me I’m wrong and I might give it a try!  

I stay in Waupaca and drive in every day.  It's not bad getting in on the exhibitor side.  I haven't seen anything disastrous about arriving on the attendee side.

[Parker_Woodruff]

22 hours ago, DCarlton said:

That's a glowing report.  Nice to hear.  I've thought about trying Sun and Fun as a way to kick off spring but I'm sure I would enjoy WI in the summer too.  

All the other logistics about SnF are easier than OSH (travel, being right between Tampa and Orlando...though I'll do anything to avoid MCO as an airline passenger).

[Scott Ashton]

I'll be there all week in Hangar A....Flying commercial on Sunday out of PGD (ugh!) but if anyone is headed to SWFL maybe Saturday and wants a CFII copilot, there might be a free oxygen system as part of the deal for the ride home!   

[Mark89114]

I am flying into Madison WI Sunday, spending night at friends house and driving up Monday morning.  

Staying in the dorms, couldn't see spending $600/night for a Hotel 6 equivalent.

Haven't been for 40 years.  Been meaning to go every year for last 15....don't know what happened to the time.