Is this the year you will be making the trek to EAA AirVenture in July—or another smaller airshow—with the family? It’s time to make your plans now because the logistics of getting everyone—especially the smaller kids—to an aviation event takes planning and preparation.
Lots of preparation.
At FLYING we take great pride in hitting the ground running. So sit back and take notes on best practices for navigating an aviation event with the family in tow.
Dress to Survive, Not Arrive
Dress for the occasion, starting from the ground up. A good pair of walking shoes is a must. You will be traversing a variety of surfaces, mostly asphalt and uneven grass, so make sure you have good traction, insoles, and socks to avoid blisters.
Have a cap with a chinstrap—like a Tilley hat—because unsecured headgear becomes FOD (foreign object debris) if hit with prop or rotor wash on the flight line. If you don’t have a hat with a chinstrap, use a lanyard. The hat is not a fashion statement—it shades your face and keeps the sun out of your eyes.
Bring sunglasses and have these on a lanyard as well.
Dress in layers, wearing light fabrics and clothes you can get into and out of easily when nature calls because the restroom facilities at airshows and fly-ins are often portable toilets, and there isn’t much room to maneuver.
Bonus tip: Some families wear matching apparel—like neon green T-shirts—so it’s easy to spot each other in the crowd.
Use AirTags to keep track of personal items if possible, and put one in your car so you remember where you parked. You may also even want to put them into the pockets of each family member. This will enable you to track them like they are sea turtles.
Pro tip: If you have younger kids who might turn an AirTag into candy, write your cell phone number inside their shirts on the back collar. It is not obvious, and if they get separated from you, it can help airshow security track you down. Teach the kids that the number is for emergencies—like when they get lost—and should only be shared with a police officer or airshow security.
Best Practices for On-Site Operations
If you have young children, and it is allowed on the site, use a stroller or wagon to haul them around when they get tired. The stroller and wagon can also be used to carry a small first-aid kit containing aspirin or ibuprofen, Band-Aids, toilet paper (in case the portable toilets run out), antidiarrheal medicine, antacid, hand cleaner/sanitizer, moist towelettes, bottled water, and snacks.
- READ MORE: EAA AirVenture Oshkosh NOTAM Now Available
Carry a rain poncho even if the weather is sunny because it can be used as ground cover to watch the airshow and as an emergency changing table if the kids are in diapers.
Earplugs are a must. Those jets are loud and can damage your hearing. Children, especially, are sensitive to the noise, but it can be a challenge to get them to wear earplugs—or keep them in. If you plan to attend lots of airshows, you might consider a child-sized hearing protection headset to block the noise.
Use sunblock. Apply it frequently. Don’t forget to get the back of the neck, ears, and legs.
Use lip balm to protect from chapping. Apply it as often as sunblock.
Have a designated pocket for your cell phone. Make sure to charge it before the event, and carry a charging battery pack or cable just in case.
However, it is not uncommon for the cell phone towers to become jammed during these events. You may want to write your name and cell phone number on your belongings, so if you lose something, there is a better chance of getting it back.
Streamline the contents of your wallet and key ring for the show, so if you lose them, there is less to replace.
When You Get to the Show
Get a map of the grounds. Note where the first-aid and lost and found are in the event you need them. Tell your children to go there if they get separated from you, and ask an adult who is part of the airshow to call you.
Once you get on-site, designate a place to meet inside the show grounds at the end of the day, preferably away from the exit gates. For example, the base of the tower facing the runway is a good location—then walk to the exit as a family.
If there are exhibit hangars, visit them early in the day, since the temperature in the buildings rises rapidly and is usually 10 degrees hotter than outside.
Airshows and fly-ins often have a lot of swag like posters and toys as giveaways. Think carefully before buying an item or picking up the pencils, posters, and other handouts from the exhibitors because whatever you pick up you will have to carry.
Avoid walking and talking on your cell phone at the same time. Step off the path so your lack of attention doesn’t cause a collision with another person or tripping over an aircraft tie-down, etc.
When the sun is at its zenith, rest in the shade. Stretch out that tarp and hand out the snacks. Drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration. Avoid sugary drinks as they increase your thirst.
You may want to think about keeping smaller kids on tethers. Attach one end to the kid, the other to a responsible adult.
Plan your visit to the flight line well before the airshow begins. Warn the kids not to touch anything that doesn’t belong to them. Make sure they know the rules about how to behave around airplanes. These aren’t climbing structures at the park, but if the owner of the airplane offers you a chance to hop into the cockpit, say yes.
And make sure to get a photo!
