Sun N Fun '07 Redux

What? A complaint about =airplane= noise? From a pilot? Jay, no less?
At an airshow?

Whodathunkit?

I know it's funny -- Mary and I had a good laugh about it, as we were
cursing the pilot. It was SO ironic that Boyer would hire someone to
do his publicity in a way that created such ire.

But it was entirely innocently done. The pilot had NO idea what was
under him, in the dark, as he pushed the power forward. All he wanted
to do was get his "target" runway back underneath him...

What kind of airbed do you use? I find them to be appalling - I sink to
the ground in the middle, and all the air goes out to the sides, so I
sleep sort of folded up. Even if it's pumped up hard.

I'm not sure of the brand, but I think it may be Coleman. It does
appear to be optimally designed for two people -- when one of us gets
up, the other sinks dramatically. (Although we won't "bottom out"
unless the bed isn't inflated sufficiently.)

Nevertheless it is vastly superior to the old foam roll-up mattresses,
or (worse) the old blow-up air mattresses. The new ones come with
their own battery-powered blower, and we never added air all week.
They've really got seam-sealing technology perfected in the last few
years.

We've taken to bringing them on motel stays with the kids, as they
prefer the comfort of the air bed over any roll-away or pull-out
couch.

- Much of Florida is still completely undeveloped. Between
Tallahassee and Lakeland there is a lot of absolutely nothing except
trees, even along the sunny Gulf Coast.

I suspect there's a good reason for that. I think a lot of Florida is
sort of low and swampy.

Lots of it is pulp mill forests, too. It's quite pretty, and
unexpected in "the Sunshine State".

I was at SnF a few years ago, and had a great time. It seems you had a
smaller version. What do you get at Oshkosh that you don't get at SnF
(besides mosquitos the size of thunderstorms, and thunderstorms the size
of small states?)

We had a fantastic time at SNF, but there are many things about OSH
that are simply superior to SNF, and many things that are simply
different. Off the top of my head, I would say the superior things
a

- Runway Layout. OSH, having two major runways, plus several little
ones that can be closed during the show, is superior to LAL that has
only two runways.

This sounds trivial, but it's not. Being able to utilize two runways
simultaneously means that the airshow flows better in OSH, the inbound
and outbound traffic flows better, it provides much more airspace to
operate, and thus it's safer.

- Size matters. If you want to see EVERYTHING in aviation, you can
get it at OSH. If you want to see lots of things in aviation, SNF
will do. That's not the same.

- Ground Transportation. OSH has the art of people moving down to a
real science. Everyone, from the State Troopers out on Hwy 41, to the
newest volunteer, understands that keeping the crowd and traffic
flowing is essential.

If you ever drive into OSH, you'll see what I mean, as they have
entire thoroughfares that become one-way in (or out), depending on the
demands of the AirVenture grounds.

There's even a helicopter in the air at all times, directing which
parking lots and roads should be released next, so that traffic never
bogs unnecessarily. It's just an amazing system that has evolved over
many years.

And the tram system at OSH is simply outstanding, while the trams at
SNF are okay at best.

- Grounds Layout. The OSH grounds are laid out in a very logical grid
that makes navigating around the immense show area simple. SNF,
though smaller, is more difficult to navigate, simply because things
are not laid out on a grid.

- EAA. Say what you will about it, EAA is a class act, with a HUGE
resource of volunteers. This gives OSH a focus and an esprit de corps
that SNF doesn't seem to have.

I liken SNF to a frat party -- pretty well done, but not overly
thought out -- while OSH is more like a shareholder's meeting.
Everything is PERFECT at OSH, and has been for many, many years. SNF
is still trying to get it just right.

- Tradition. OSH is the grand old lady of fly-ins, and everyone from
the FAA on down seems to know the routine. People revel in OSH, and
take owndership of it, and wear its attendance like a red badge of
courage. Although I love it dearly, SNF is a distant second in this
regard.

I like Sun N Fun a lot -- it is a fantastic way to start off the
aviation "season" -- but it's still got a long ways to go to match
OSH.

Incidentally, in 25 years of attendance, I've only found the mosquitos
at OSH to be annoying once -- when we were parked next to a drainage
ditch in an unusually wet year. Most of the time they are simply not
an issue.

And weather? I've had far tougher weather getting to/from SNF than
I've ever had at OSH. April weather is simply wild, compared to July.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"