Question for WIX

[Dan K]

And I understand exactly how you feel. Being a round motor fan, I'd have liked to see a Jug, Tigercat, or Bearcat. On the other hand, the last time multiple P-38's regularly attended was back when I was a teenager! It's only been within the last few years that the SB2C (and now B-24A) have made OSH a regular stop.

EAA is a big organization that affects many people, thus the bashing is inevitable. Personally, I don't attend Airventure because of my great love for EAA or the Poberezny's. I attend because it's a big family reunion. It's a week of airplanes, food, fun, and blowing off work for a week. It's reconnecting with old friends and making new ones. It's the one place where all the latest warbird (and other) restorations flock to like the swallows returning to Capistrano. OSH can't possibly be everything that every aviation fan wants it to be, but for one week in July you can immerse yourself in a world that comes pretty darn close.

[NathanT24]

Boy it looks like I opened a can of worms, I wish I could do both but cant afford time wise and money to do both, because I would do a week at OSH to take everything in because it would be my first time, and TOM has a great warbird lineup but I am leaning toward OSH due to seeing some of the warbirds I would not see down here in Houston ala the new restorations!. I got plenty of time to save up and decide but man you guys up north make it hard.

From what I have been finding out based on my experience at TOM from 2005 thru 2007 (didn't make it this year), and what I have seen in researching what has taken place at Oshkosh the last few years (relative to warbirds primarily), I would have to say both would be ideal.

But regarding vintage JET warbirds, my impression is that Oshkosh is the place to be east of the Mississippi unless TOM really pulls the stops out on a jet warbird gathering one of these years.

Based on what Rich and Paul (T33Driver) and others have told me here and over on ASB, and based on my own findings the last few years, I am tentatively planning on making at least the Friday and Saturday at the end of Oshkosh next year. The T-33s, FJ-4B, F-86, etc. seen in past years at Oshkosh and the 3 T-33s, FJ-4B, Hunter, Buckeye, etc., this year there have pretty much convinced me that Oshkosh may be my best bet. Looking forward to hopefully a 4-ship T-33 group there next year, hopefully the F-86F and A-4B from the WHF, hopefully the FJ-4B Fury again, and hopefully other jets.

Some of these may show up at TOM, but based on what has occured at least from 2005-2008, Oshkosh looks like a more promising spot to see the jets. (By the way I don't get excited about L-39s).

If I am lucky I will make 2 or 3 days at Oshkosh next year and TOM - I am looking forward to hearing in the next several months what next year's theme for Thunder will be.

[richkolasa]

Another factor is that after 1pm, Oshkosh has very good lighting. Thunder is the opposite, so unless they are curling around from behind the right of the crowd, photos aren't too good. When the warbirds fly at Oshkosh, the light is perfect with the sun behind, and the crowd line lets you pick where you want to be.

Rich

[garbs]

For what it's worth, 408 is the final OSH Warbird count and that does include all of the ships on Aeroshell Square but not anyone who decided to stay down with the Vintage bunch. This is the largest pure number since 2003 - previous years were:

2004 - 388
2005 - 386
2006 - 387
2007 - 365

Those are our counts from registration - given enough time I could go through the reports and see how many prop-driven fighters (or classic jets) came each of those years. Of course, we beat 500 for a few years back in the mid-90's.

On the original research question, after 10 days at OSH I'd be hard pressed to take off for TOM. If you do the 2 day version of OSH though, I think you have your days right (Fri-Sat). No WB show at all on Thursday and Sunday has become a real yawner unless you want to watch Warbirds from the departure end of either runway.

For a few years they did an all Mustang show earlier in the week but that seems to have gone by the wayside. Maybe everyone else felt left out?

[richkolasa]

I think this number is pushed up by a huge increase in Yak/Nanchangs, which I'm not knocking. They're a very interesting bunch of aircraft, with so many different paint-schemes.

Rich

[P51DFltLn]

For what it's worth, 408 is the final OSH Warbird count and that does include all of the ships on Aeroshell Square but not anyone who decided to stay down with the Vintage bunch. This is the largest pure number since 2003 - previous years were:

2004 - 388
2005 - 386
2006 - 387
2007 - 365

Those are our counts from registration - given enough time I could go through the reports and see how many prop-driven fighters (or classic jets) came each of those years. Of course, we beat 500 for a few years back in the mid-90's.

On the original research question, after 10 days at OSH I'd be hard pressed to take off for TOM. If you do the 2 day version of OSH though, I think you have your days right (Fri-Sat). No WB show at all on Thursday and Sunday has become a real yawner unless you want to watch Warbirds from the departure end of either runway.

For a few years they did an all Mustang show earlier in the week but that seems to have gone by the wayside. Maybe everyone else felt left out?

On Wednesday, Warbirds are granted 20 min in the airshow by the EAA powers that be. In previous years, it was, indeed a 'mustang' show, which became a 'fighter' show. This year, in honor of the Yak/CJ anniversary, it was a 'red star' show. I understand discussion is underway to 'modify' the weekly show lineup... whatever that may mean for the future.

[RickH]

Nathan, you can see multiple jets without all of the crowds or travel within 5 miles of your house ! We'll even let you get your hands dirty, no little CAP Nazis will harass you, and you won't have to dodge aviation luminaries trying to make their way across the airport !

All YOU gotta do is show up !

[richkolasa]

I understand discussion is underway to 'modify' the weekly show lineup... whatever that may mean for the future.

Let me interject my own idea of what this means...people who expect AirVenture to make more money and are tired of attendence and public opinion decreasing year after year. No offense to individuals, but Chandy Clanton, Mike Wiskus and Bob Davis are not the performers that people come from all over America, Australia, Europe, etc to see, while so many amazing warbirds and classics are sitting on the ground.

20 minutes "granted", that is so f'ing disrespectful to those who've fought and died for America, which is what the Warbird movement represents IMHO.

Rich

[Zachary]

Back to the original question - do both! I work for EAA, so AirVenture is mandatory. Just got back tonight from my "vacation" away from AirVenture, which was a long camping trip over to TOM with my 6-year-old. You're going to see great things at both events. Some of the warbirds that come to Oshkosh won't be at TOM, and vice-versa. Since the last weekend of AirVenture is usually just a week from the start of TOM, if I were you and had the time, I'd use a week of vacation and see both. There's plenty of great stops in-between.

Zack

[NathanT24]

Nathan, you can see multiple jets without all of the crowds or travel within 5 miles of your house ! We'll even let you get your hands dirty, no little CAP Nazis will harass you, and you won't have to dodge aviation luminaries trying to make their way across the airport !

All YOU gotta do is show up !

True Rick I should come out to EFD and help sometime, I am going to put in I cannot work on weekends now so some Sat I will come help.

[garbs]

On Wednesday, Warbirds are granted 20 min in the airshow by the EAA powers that be. In previous years, it was, indeed a 'mustang' show, which became a 'fighter' show. This year, in honor of the Yak/CJ anniversary, it was a 'red star' show. I understand discussion is underway to 'modify' the weekly show lineup... whatever that may mean for the future.

Hey, Rhonda

I'll be interested to see what 'they' come up with - do they ever let you in on the planning? I got the see the Midland show a few years ago. They sent the planes up in groups by themes (Tora, Navy Fighters, etc) and after they beat up the field for a while, everyone got in a long daisy chain and came by in 1-2 photo passes. The main difference (maybe you've seen it too) was that they started the pass way left and behind (for example, over the approach end of 9 at OSH) and came by in a wide arc, banked toward the crowd. Made for some great photo ops anyway, and seemed almost like each plane was taking a bow.

Sorry, but I had to laugh when I read your post in a different thread on the "bingo" F/A-18's. I was south of show center when I heard the airboss tell the bombers & top cover to stooge around over the lake so they could recover the -18's. I was sure I could hear you cussing all the way down there!

Those guys blasted out early the following morning, didn't they? Nice gig if you can find it. Just imagine how many of our tax dollars were saved by not diverting them to MKE or calling in a KC-10, though.