18
AIRVENTURE TODAY
AROUND THE GROUNDS
Seaplane Base Is EAA’s Best-Kept Secret STORY AND PHOTOS BY BARBARA A. SCHMITZ
AIRVENTURE TODAY STAFF
WHEN MOST PEOPLE think of EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, they think of
the main convention grounds: the workshops, the speakers, the exhibitors, the people, and the planes. But just off the shores of Lake Winnebago in a secluded bay is another part of the fly-in convention that many don’t know about or bother to see: the EAA Seaplane Base, presented by Wipaire. While also offering airplanes, exhibits, events, and many amenities, it has one thing that the main convention grounds do not: peace and quiet in a park-like setting. And if you’re lucky, a chance to see a seaplane land or depart. A round-trip bus ticket to the EAA Seaplane Base costs $3 and can be purchased at the EAA Bus Park Tower just outside the main gate and in the amphibian parking area at the south end of the airport. Seaplane Chair Shane Albers, a 27-year EAA volunteer, said former EAA President Tom Poberezny always described the Seaplane Base as EAA’s best-kept secret. “And that’s a problem,” he said. “Everyone should know about this and experience it with their own eyes.” With a light breeze and a musician playing steel drums in the background, people sitting on benches or chairs watching for seaplanes to arrive or depart, and others just enjoying the quietness of the place and taking a quick nap, the EAA Seaplane Base has a Margaritaville feel. “It’s the sun, the shade trees, and the sand beach that is a perfect spot to cool down on a hot summer day,” Albers said.
About 10,000-15,000 people visit the EAA Seaplane Base throughout the convention week. But Albers is certain that once people discover the magic of this place, they’ll be back. “This place is about the lifestyle,” he said. “You can take a break, get away from the concrete. In fact, the most concrete we have is in Lake Winnebago in the concrete blocks that hold the airplanes in place.”
