AirVenture Arrivals: Yeah, It’s Wet, Check Text Updates First (Updated)

Some five inches of heavy rain ahead of opening day for AirVenture 2019 have turned parking and camping areas a bit soupy, but EAA says as of Sunday morning, arrivals haven’t been affected.

EAA’s Dick Knapinski said in this podcast that field conditions for grass parking are still too wet. “We’re going to check again in mid-morning to see how that works out,” Knapinski said early Sunday morning. “We’re still accepting tent campers, but some of the motorhomes we’re parking on the roadways,” he added. The forecast for the week predicts warm and dry weather, which should improve conditions. “At least it’s not as bad as 2010,” Knapinski, a year in which record rains turned the North 40 camping area into a swamp. EAA urges pilots flying into Wittman Field to text OSHARRIVAL to 646-00 for real-time updates.

LATE PM UPDATE:By early afternoon, a warm sun and slight breeze dried things enough to allow for homebuilt parking on the grass. Although the Fisk arrival was briefly saturated, enough aircraft made it into Wittman by early evening to fill up GA parking and camping, according to EAA text updates.