Oshkosh Camping Suggestions

Is the weight penalty worth the comfort of an air mattress for a week?

Montblack

Do the words HELL YES mean anything to you?

Dave

Dave S wrote:

Is the weight penalty worth the comfort of an air mattress for a week?

Montblack

Do the words HELL YES mean anything to you?

Dave

I'm still waiting to reach my limit on W&B with only 2 people and
gear in the cherokee 180. And I don't pack light...

"Blanche" wrote in message
...
I'm still waiting to reach my limit on W&B with only 2 people and
gear in the cherokee 180. And I don't pack light...

The real question isn't so much the weight limit (though in some cases that
might be relevant). It's that every pound added to the airplane costs you
in cruise speed, and thus in everything tied to cruise speed (fuel costs,
maintenance expenses, etc.).

IMHO, you'd have to be pretty stingy for that cost to not be justified if
you get a week's comfort out of it (especially when you consider that a
well-rested pilot is a safer pilot). But it is true that there's a
measurable cost. (I haven't done the particular calculation, but it
probably amounts to a fraction of a percent increase in expense, even after
you add in every possible related cost you can possibly think of).

Pete

Peter Duniho wrote:
"Blanche" wrote in message
I'm still waiting to reach my limit on W&B with only 2 people and
gear in the cherokee 180. And I don't pack light...

The real question isn't so much the weight limit (though in some cases that
might be relevant). It's that every pound added to the airplane costs you
in cruise speed, and thus in everything tied to cruise speed (fuel costs,
maintenance expenses, etc.).

IMHO, you'd have to be pretty stingy for that cost to not be justified if
you get a week's comfort out of it (especially when you consider that a
well-rested pilot is a safer pilot). But it is true that there's a
measurable cost. (I haven't done the particular calculation, but it
probably amounts to a fraction of a percent increase in expense, even after
you add in every possible related cost you can possibly think of).

Pete, et al....

If I were doing calculations to worry about weight v. expense, I
wouldn't own an airplane. Reality check, please!

My first choice when traveling is always a Marriott. For the past
few years I've been staying at the dorms in Appleton. This year,
I'm trying the camping concept. But my idea of camping, now that
I'm not longer young and stupid (afterall, I'm no longer young. But
I am still stupid...) is a comfy tent, cd/mp3 player, comfy twin or
larger air mattress (taking the idea from the OP, I've decided against
the sleeping bag and just packed the sheets), a couple pillows -- much
easier to sit up and read, etc. If I brought the RV (the camper, not
the airplane!) which I sold a number of years ago I'd have the
airconditioner, full bath, comfy bed, kitchen, satellite dish...etc.

I stopped "roughing it" many years ago when I quit being a white-water
rafting guide here in Colorado.

Come to think of it, the "emergency equipment" for the aircraft weighs
more than everything else. That includes 1 of every type of lamp,
couple quarts of oil (no, I'm not bringing a spare filter), tools,
safety wire, extra batteries, covers, tie-down kit, and so on.

I told you I didn't travel light!

On the other hand, I've spent a month traveling in Europe with
nothing more than a carry-on bag and the AMEX card. Of course I always
knew where the closest laundromat was located. And yes, because it
was business, it was always the Marriotts.

Knowing full well I'm about to perpetuate the stereotype, you're talking to a
Jewish American Princess. And yes, I consider the cell phone, AMEX
card and a nail file mandatory flight equipment in my flight bag.

(*chortle*)

Personally, I'm really bringing a mostly-empty aircraft. I fully
expect to do serious shopping both in Bldgs A-D as well as the
outlet stores on the other side of the interstate...we'll see
how much I can spend at the LandsEnd store...

As for cruise speed -- oh please! I'm in a cherokee 180 that on
a good day with a tail wind, I might see 110-115 kts. Of course where
I live, that 180 hp engine is only pushing out 108 hp. I'm really
looking forward to seeing how it performs below 5000 ft MSL.

I'm hoping to be part of a flight of 2. The other aircraft is a
2002 Grumman Tiger. I get an hour's head start.

Blanche wrote:
Peter Duniho wrote:

"Blanche" wrote in message

I'm still waiting to reach my limit on W&B with only 2 people and
gear in the cherokee 180. And I don't pack light...

(SNIP)

I went into OSH in an ARROW with two other people and some gear. We were
at Gross, no questions asked.


Come to think of it, the "emergency equipment" for the aircraft weighs
more than everything else. That includes 1 of every type of lamp,
couple quarts of oil (no, I'm not bringing a spare filter), tools,
safety wire, extra batteries, covers, tie-down kit, and so on.

I told you I didn't travel light!
(SNIP)

Neither did we. But in our case we shipped over 100 pounds of camping
gear in boxes to the on-site post office.

We brought tarps, an ice chest, clothes, sleeping bags, pillows and our
flying gear in the plane.

We shipped tents, a cookstove, a lantern, folding camp chairs and other
bulky stuff by postal ground, a few days early.

The tarps were in case we got there and our gear didnt, or we had to
land somewhere else and camp unexpectedly.

Dave

You can ship TO the post office on the field?????? I had my Archer
packed up like Uncle Jed's truck last year and there were still things I
wished I had. (My Di Blasi scooter would have been nice to have.) I
had weighed everything and was 100lbs under gross and within the CG
limits but it sure looked like "Forest Gump's Cargo, Inc.".

If any of you see a run down, gray haired guy, with two young boys, one
with hearing aids, that will probably be me! Last year I swore I would
never do this again after a they parked a freakin' jet in front of me
and.... oh never mind, you can imagine the rest, but now I am itching to
go again.

Plywood load spreaders to park on???? Is that what the smart people are
using in the north 40? I wouldn't have thought of that but I'd rather
pack a little more crap than get stuck in a field.

I saw a couple of references to internet access on the field. Just as a
point of reference, my Treo gave me access to e-mail and web browsing of
'small screen' (is that called WAP?) sites. If anyone is on the fence
about purchasing one, it's a nice thing to have when you're otherwise
disconnected. I bought a cheap charger for mine on Ebay that uses AA
batteries. And I assume everyone has a stockpile of them!

Tom


Dave S wrote:


Blanche wrote:

Peter Duniho wrote:

"Blanche" wrote in message

I'm still waiting to reach my limit on W&B with only 2 people and
gear in the cherokee 180. And I don't pack light...


(SNIP)

I went into OSH in an ARROW with two other people and some gear. We were
at Gross, no questions asked.


Come to think of it, the "emergency equipment" for the aircraft weighs
more than everything else. That includes 1 of every type of lamp,
couple quarts of oil (no, I'm not bringing a spare filter), tools,
safety wire, extra batteries, covers, tie-down kit, and so on.
I told you I didn't travel light!

(SNIP)

Neither did we. But in our case we shipped over 100 pounds of camping
gear in boxes to the on-site post office.

We brought tarps, an ice chest, clothes, sleeping bags, pillows and our
flying gear in the plane.

We shipped tents, a cookstove, a lantern, folding camp chairs and other
bulky stuff by postal ground, a few days early.

The tarps were in case we got there and our gear didnt, or we had to
land somewhere else and camp unexpectedly.

Dave

I saw a couple of references to internet access on the field. Just as a
point of reference, my Treo gave me access to e-mail and web browsing of
'small screen' (is that called WAP?) sites. If anyone is on the fence
about purchasing one, it's a nice thing to have when you're otherwise
disconnected.

I'm getting a little off-topic here, but:
What model of Treo did you buy? I was looking at one recently and they
looked pretty neat...
Interested in a PIREP!

Ryan Wubben
Madison, WI

(taking the idea from the OP, I've decided against
the sleeping bag and just packed the sheets)

For many years we have packed the sheets AND the sleeping bags. Usually we
just sleep with the sheets, but very occasionally -- like four (?) years
ago -- the temperatures dip into the low 50s at night in OSH during the
convention.

Sheets alone didn't cut it, that year. And the other years we just sleep on
top of the bags...

Knowing full well I'm about to perpetuate the stereotype, you're talking
to a
Jewish American Princess. And yes, I consider the cell phone, AMEX
card and a nail file mandatory flight equipment in my flight bag.

AMEX? Nowadays you'd starve to death trying to survive without a VISA
card!

;-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

All this stuff about packing, W&B, etc., makes me glad I'm a "local"
(1.5 hrs drive to OSH) and bring my pop up camper.

John

All this stuff about packing, W&B, etc., makes me glad I'm a "local" (1.5
hrs drive to OSH) and bring my pop up camper.

We did that from 83 - 97ish.

Although it's easier, and fun, too, it ain't the same thing.

There is nothing -- NOTHING -- in this world like waking up under the wing
of your plane at Oshkosh.

Stand up, stretch the kinks out, step up on the wing, and gaze in wonder at
10,000 airplanes, parked wing-tip-to-wing-tip, as far as the eye can see.

I shiver just thinking about it.

:-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"