Pathways to progress

It’s snow covered and cold on the AirVenture grounds, as you would expect in January. But there is plenty going on as we work on the 2010 enhancements to the fly-in site.

Before the ground froze in late November, we finished putting in the electrical work for a nearly 275 campsites in Camp Scholler that will have electric and water hookups in 2010. That is in the same area as the 24-hour generator area was in 2009. It was important for us to maintain the traditional feel of places such as Paul’s Park and the 101 Woods within Camp Scholler while creating areas with upgraded services for those who might want them. All that’s left on the construction side is creating a new well for the sites with hookups.

The exact process of how these sites will be made available is still being determined, so that news should be coming real soon.

Another addition this year is a bike path between the North 40 and the Main Gate area. We’ve had a number of requests for designated pathways for those who would prefer to ride bikes between their campsite and the gate. The bike path will be next to what’s known as Foundation Road in the AirVenture traffic loop, so we don’t create bike/pedestrian conflicts inside the gate. There will also be light towers along the way that will help for that bike path and the parking lots in that area, especially after Theater in the Woods programs or movies at the Fly-In Theater.

Once the snow departs, we’ll be chip sealing a number of roads in the exhibit areas. The chip sealing will lessen the dust on those roadways, but it’s not as expensive as full asphalt, which was really a shock when we saw that estimate. I’ve included a map here that shows the roads to receive the chip seal, as well as where the expansion on Exhibit Hangar C will take place (including restrooms), and extension of some roads within the exhibit area.


Along with all this, we’ve been finalizing plans and getting bids on a variety of projects that will come along in spring. We work with a lot of great contractors in the area who take a lot of pride in the finished product that you’ll see when you get to Oshkosh.

Right now, with the snow and cold, it’s tough to think of how quickly we’ll be on the doorstep of another AirVenture. But it’s less than 200 days away!