Oshkosh Attendance

[[email protected]]

I passed on the trip this year. I heard that attendance numbers were
way down. You guys that were there, what did you see?

Bob

[Dan Luke]

> wrote:

>I passed on the trip this year. I heard that attendance numbers were
> way down. You guys that were there, what did you see?

Seemed down, to me, but I wouldn't call it *way* down.

[Dave Stadt]

Looked normal to me. Every year the doomsdayers come out with stories about
how bad attendance was. Every year they are wrong.

> wrote in message
oups.com...
>I passed on the trip this year. I heard that attendance numbers were
> way down. You guys that were there, what did you see?
>
> Bob
>

[JJS]

> wrote in message oups.com...
>I passed on the trip this year. I heard that attendance numbers were
> way down. You guys that were there, what did you see?
>
> Bob

I hadn't been since 1999. It was so crowded then that it wasn't near as enjoyable. Lot's of standing in lines back
then. I enjoyed this year more than I thought I would and that is mainly due to what I consider manageable crowds,
and reasonable pricing for food. It seemed to me that food prices hadn't risen since I was there last and there was
more to choose from. I didn't feel like I was getting gouged every time I turned around. I would hate to guess on
attendance since I left on Thursday, not sure how the week ended up. I can tell you one thing. The wife sure
enjoyed the Beach Boys! Where else can you watch America's band surrounded by P-51's, P-38's and such.

Joe Schneider
Cherokee 8437R




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[Rich]

wrote:
> I passed on the trip this year. I heard that attendance numbers were
> way down. You guys that were there, what did you see?
>
> Bob
>

Nobody goes there anymore.
It's too crowded.

[David Lesher]

Of more relevance:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/25/AR2006072501452.html

OSHKOSH, Wis. -- Jack Gilbert flew up here Sunday from Louisiana,
parked his homemade plane with hundreds of others on a grass patch
not far from the runway, and set up his tent for the week. Gilbert,
57, a building contractor, was in heaven: sleeping in a tent next
to his plane, with thousands of other aviation buffs and their
assorted aircraft at one of the world's biggest air shows.

Like many others here, Gilbert is worried that he might one day
witness the death of such shows. Most of the others around him are
his age. Fewer young people are discovering the romance of flying.
Whether it's the high cost or the substantial training time, the
number of student pilots has fallen by more than half in 25 years.

........................
--
A host is a host from coast to
& no one will talk to a host that's close........[v].(301) 56-LINUX
Unless the host (that isn't close).........................pob 1433
is busy, hung or dead....................................20915-1433

[[email protected]]

wrote:
> I passed on the trip this year. I heard that attendance numbers were
> way down. You guys that were there, what did you see?
>
> Bob



My first time, I was there Sun- Weds. I really enjoyed it and the
crowds were not too bad.

My observations...

Seems like the Certified Aircraft Assoc, not the "experimental one. The
experimental stuff was pushed to the perimeter of the show grounds.

I went to see all the auto conversions, I swear I looked at all the
planes all three days and found maybe 10 of them,,, Geez

Campgrounds were nice, showers were luke warn but clean and plenty of
portapotties.

All the workers were friendly and helpful.

The main reason I didn't take my fire breathing monster was I really
think the place is due for a very nasty storm and one good thunderstorm
with big hail will ruin 500 million bucks worth of nice toys in ten
minutes. Pray to god that never happens.

Ben
www.haaspowerair.com

[Mike Noel]

We got in on Sunday morning and left on Thursday morning. The general
aviation camping area near the departure end of 27 was full for the first
couple of days. By Wednesday most of the planes in that area had left.
Depending on which day you checked, the attendance could have looked
humongous or moderate.
--
Best Regards,
Mike 'al Koshi'

http://photoshow.comcast.net/mikenoel

> wrote in message
oups.com...
>I passed on the trip this year. I heard that attendance numbers were
> way down. You guys that were there, what did you see?
>
> Bob
>

[john smith]

In article om>,
" > wrote:

> The main reason I didn't take my fire breathing monster was I really
> think the place is due for a very nasty storm and one good thunderstorm
> with big hail will ruin 500 million bucks worth of nice toys in ten
> minutes. Pray to god that never happens.

Sort of lowballing the loss, aren't you?

[.Blueskies.]

"john smith" > wrote in message
...
: In article om>,
: " > wrote:
:
: > The main reason I didn't take my fire breathing monster was I really
: > think the place is due for a very nasty storm and one good thunderstorm
: > with big hail will ruin 500 million bucks worth of nice toys in ten
: > minutes. Pray to god that never happens.
:
: Sort of lowballing the loss, aren't you?

There were sort of nervous jokes about the insurance folks would disappear if one of those big storms that went through
popped off any hail...

The storm Tuesday night really was blowing and pouring - our new tent held fast and only leaked a little bit...

[Kyle Boatright]

> wrote in message
oups.com...
>I passed on the trip this year. I heard that attendance numbers were
> way down. You guys that were there, what did you see?
>
> Bob

An acquaintance of mine who I understand is the head of aircraft parking
operations indicated that this year's aircraft parking seemed to equal last
year's, and last year was huge... We had this conversation on Thursday, when
I ran into him in the Homebuilt Camping area...

KB

[Jay Honeck]

> I passed on the trip this year. I heard that attendance numbers were
> way down. You guys that were there, what did you see?

I thought it was less consistent than last year. Sunday/Monday were
HUGE, with mob scenes everywhere. By Wednesday, though, people started
to leave, and -- unlike last year, when SpaceShipOne, Global Flyer, and
Glacier Girl provided long-term draws -- the place just continued to
empty out throughout the week.

By Friday, our area of the camping area (just north of the arrival end
of Rwy 9) was sparsely populated. By Saturday, it was a ghost town --
and the expected new weekend arrivals never materialized in numbers
strong enough to require "in-filling" out by us. (The areas by the
showers, on the South side of Rwy 9/27, did stay full all week.)

Now, of course, on the weekend is when the vast majority of the
DRIVE-IN crowd shows up, so the grounds were still VERY busy. But the
North 40 was quite peaceful by then -- which, quite frankly, I
thoroughly enjoyed. Fewer lines at the showers, never a wait for a
potty. Nice!
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[Mike Adams[_2_]]

"Jay Honeck" > wrote:

> (The areas by the
> showers, on the South side of Rwy 9/27, did stay full all week.)
>

Not really. We were in row 546, two rows west of the shower building (a great spot by the way), and
there was some open space beginning on Wednesday. By Thursday when we left, there was a lot of
open space. I don't know if anyone filled it in later in the week.

Mike

[Jim Burns[_1_]]

That area filled in by Friday evening. Nick and I walked the length of the
N40 Friday afternoon and there were only a few spots open on the south side
of 9/27 and the area around the showers was completely full. A vast
contrast to the area on the west end of 9/27 which was nearly completely
open.
Jim

"Mike Adams" > wrote in message
news:bFfzg.17256$Nv.4432@fed1read10...
> "Jay Honeck" > wrote:
>
> > (The areas by the
> > showers, on the South side of Rwy 9/27, did stay full all week.)
> >
>
> Not really. We were in row 546, two rows west of the shower building (a
great spot by the way), and
> there was some open space beginning on Wednesday. By Thursday when we
left, there was a lot of
> open space. I don't know if anyone filled it in later in the week.
>
> Mike

[Mike Granby]

A couple of exhibitors I talked to said it had been slowly declining
the last few years, but that they thought it was up this year. YMMV.

[Montblack[_1_]]

("Mike Granby" wrote)
> A couple of exhibitors I talked to said it had been slowly declining the
> last few years, but that they thought it was up this year. YMMV.


Tram "back-seater" said he thought this year's first weekend (+ Monday) had
more people traffic then last year's first weekend (+ Monday). Mid-week
...."much" less.


Montblack

[JJS]

"Montblack" > wrote in message ...
> ("Mike Granby" wrote)
>> A couple of exhibitors I talked to said it had been slowly declining the
>> last few years, but that they thought it was up this year. YMMV.
>
>
> Tram "back-seater" said he thought this year's first weekend (+ Monday) had more people traffic then last year's
> first weekend (+ Monday). Mid-week ..."much" less.
>
>
> Montblack
>

Hey Montblack did you find the parking boards I left by the porta-potties over by the Hilton?
Thanks for their use. They came in handy because I had to move the airplane by hand a couple of times to let some
Mooneys squeeze by. Our parking rows were too close together.

Joe Schneider
8437R



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[Mike Noel]

I suspect some of the people who left at mid-week were getting nervous about
all of the weather rolling through. I sat under my wing several times
praying no micro-bursts or hail hit the field.

--
Best Regards,
Mike

http://photoshow.comcast.net/mikenoel

"Montblack" > wrote in message
...
> ("Mike Granby" wrote)
>> A couple of exhibitors I talked to said it had been slowly declining the
>> last few years, but that they thought it was up this year. YMMV.
>
>
> Tram "back-seater" said he thought this year's first weekend (+ Monday)
> had more people traffic then last year's first weekend (+ Monday).
> Mid-week ..."much" less.
>
>
> Montblack
>

[Dan Luke]

"Mike Noel" wrote:

>I suspect some of the people who left at mid-week were getting nervous
>about all of the weather rolling through. I sat under my wing several
>times praying no micro-bursts or hail hit the field.

Indeed.

One looked at my buddy on Wednesday morning convinced me that he had had all
the fun he could stand after being soaked two nights in a row and trying to
finish sleeping sitting in the airplane. He looked like a drowned cat.

Hated to miss the party, but it was the better part of mercy to take him
home. Naturally, the forecast rain for Wednesday failed to materialize.

--
Dan
C172RG at BFM

[john smith]

> Hey Montblack did you find the parking boards I left by the porta-potties
> over by the Hilton?
> Thanks for their use. They came in handy because I had to move the airplane
> by hand a couple of times to let some
> Mooneys squeeze by. Our parking rows were too close together.

When I left Friday morning the were sitting in the back of the tiedown
rental gator. Two sets, one white, one unpainted. I brought my set home
for use next year.

[Montblack[_1_]]

("Dan Luke" wrote)
> Hated to miss the party, but it was the better part of mercy to take him
> home. Naturally, the forecast rain for Wednesday failed to materialize.


It rained HARD for almost 30 minutes Wednesday evening while we were setting
up for the N40 party.

Before it started raining, my thought was to not bother the gate guards,
since Jay's plane was parked so near the fence. We off loaded the two
vehicles at the Hardee's gate, parked them across the street, then came back
in to set up. That's when the skies opened up.

While sitting tight together in a row of white plastic chairs, attempting to
fend off the near horizontal driving rain with our umbrellas, I was reminded
that Jim had thought bringing the vehicles on-site was a pretty good idea.
Oops!

The Hilton gate guard said he had to take refuge from the rain in the
port-a-pottie, behind his guard shack.

The skies cleared by 6pm and the evening turned out to be perfect!


Montblack
Hey Dan, it was nice meeting you. Was looking forward to seeing you at the
party.

[Dan Luke]

"Montblack" wrote:

>> Hated to miss the party, but it was the better part of mercy to take him
>> home. Naturally, the forecast rain for Wednesday failed to materialize.
>
>
> It rained HARD for almost 30 minutes Wednesday evening while we were
> setting up for the N40 party.

Well, I feel a little better about leaving, then. Poor Jerry was soaked
enough.


> Hey Dan, it was nice meeting you. Was looking forward to seeing you at the
> party.

Same here. Catch you next year.

--
Dan
C172RG at BFM

[Dan Luke]

>I passed on the trip this year. I heard that attendance numbers were
> way down. You guys that were there, what did you see?

According to AvWeb, attendance was down 10% from last year. I hadn't thought
that it was that bad.

[Jay Honeck]

> According to AvWeb, attendance was down 10% from last year. I hadn't thought
> that it was that bad.

The "second weekend" attendance never really materialized this year at
OSH. True, the drive-in crowd picked up (as it always does) over the
weekend -- but the fly-in crowd never did.

Dunno if it was the weather, the fatal crash, or what -- but after the
gangbusters first few days, I must admit I was a bit surprised.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"