Counting down the days

Greetings from sunny (and warm) OSH! The sun is back out after a few days of sprinkles (and a shower here and there), and work continues on upgrades to the AirVenture grounds that you all will enjoy. Thanks for your patience with the latest update. Understandably, we are hard at work readying the AirVenture grounds for your arrival shortly.

Hard to believe in just a few short days we will welcome the first campers into Camp Scholler for 2010. Crews are currently putting the finishing touches on some landscaping in advance of this Friday's opening. We're ready for the early birds!

Campers will now be able to plug in toasters or turn the faucet on if they so incline as the campsites with electrical and water hookups are complete. We've added electric and water to about 250 sites, which run 25x50 feet, and remember they are offered on a first-come, first-served basis.

Look for more of these upgraded sites to be added in the future, however we will still preserve areas for traditional campers who opt to "rough it" a little bit more.

Another highlight of our work this season is the expansion of the warbirds area and creation of Scotts Warbirds Alley. Our week-long "Salute to Veterans" is going to be a big one filled with numerous festivities, and this area is going to be a prime location to see warbirds from all eras on display for you to enjoy.

The area is shaping up as the 300x100-foot concrete presentation pad for "Warbirds in Review" is set (as you can see in Bonnie Kratz's photo below). Seeding has recently completed and sod is being laid around the pad and veterans tribute monument.


Speaking of the monument, this will be a sight to behold. Work on this permanent tribute is ongoing, but I don't want to give you too many details. I want you to experience it first-hand. This monument will be an everlasting reminder of the brave men and women who put their lives on the line serving our great country.

The Hangar C expansion recently was the benefit of a significant gift. The Kohler Corporation has generous donated fixtures for the newly installed restroom. This is just another example of the support EAA receives from regional corporations, and we truly thank Kohler for their commitment to making AirVenture enjoyable for all attendees. Additionally, we will be painting the interior steel in Hangar C later this week. You can see exterior of the expansion completed on the right side:


We are progressing with work on the new North 40 shower building that will be completed in time for opening day. Campers will enjoy this new benefit as now they don't have to trek down to the current transient shower to get refreshed.

As some of these other projects wind down, we'll turn our attention to finishing some recently started projects.

Speaking of the North 40, work on the new bike path from the North 40 to the Main Gate began two weeks ago and will be completed in time for AirVenture. This will now give bikers easy access to points between the North 40 and Camp Scholler.

As you can see below, we started the Vicki Cruse Educational Pavilion addition to the south side of the IAC building last week that will help support the aerobatic group's forums. The frame structure and roof are already in place, and this week we are installing the electrical and audio components. Once that's complete, we're then ready to paint and be all set to go.


You can expect it to be less dusty near the internal exhibits and around Paul's Woods that support bus routes thanks to the chip-sealing done on a few of the roads in those areas. This will reduce (but not completely eliminate) some of the dust that can whip up from time to time.

And last, but certainly not least (especially for those looking to stay "online" at AirVenture), we continue to upgrade and expand Wi-Fi coverage as we will now feature 45 Wi-Fi "hot spots" on the grounds. You'll be able to access the Internet or check e-mail whether you're in the North 40, along the flight line, in Camp Scholler, the Ultralight area ... and virtually all points in between. A map of the Wi-Fi locations as well as signs indicating hot spots will be released in the coming weeks.

Time to get back to work out on the grounds. We've got to install new seats and put a fresh coat of paint on the trams. Only a little over a month away remains before AirVenture's opening day. Can you feel the excitement?