Wow. I was planning to go this year (driving in from out of state), and to buy my ticket in advance online. I THOUGHT I would have zero wait (a) to park (I attend a lot of other airshows, use remote lots and shuttle buses, and willing to pay for them), and (b) buying ticket, since I would get it online in advance and arrive and just walk in without stopping. Is this not the case?
@saildapper2001 If you get there as soon as they open the line shouldn't be too long. If you get there an hour after they open, or any time later in the day, the line will probably be long. If it rained so the parking is muddy it will be way slower. Hopefully they will fix things this year but I wouldn't plan on it. Get there at sunrise to be safe.
SnF has never been run by EAA. 2010 I flew in and took 45 min to taxi to homebuilt parking, was overheating and pissed off. 2011 was more like 10 min, average of 20 flights probably 10 min taxi. so, just fly in!
How about multiple parking areas off site and using shuttle buses. I used to be an organizer for the Australian International Airshow and to me, this video is completely unacceptable. We have one of the largest publicly attended airshows in the World and we don't have problems like this because we gravel the carparks, have multiple gates, we have dozens of shuttle buses and many feeder car parks, the buses also have ticket sales on board so when you arrive you go strait in.
@tlevans62 It sounds like you're exactly who we need to fix this mess. If it is not fixed next year I would blame the Sun 'n Fun CEO Jack Burton. Right now he seems to be in denial about there being any problem at all. I am hoping by next year he will make some changes and we can all get in on time.
A major complaint is the lack of information regarding your plight if you're actually stuck in that line. The cynical part of me suspects they felt that if they declared how long the wait was, more people would bail, reducing revenue. Either that or they are totally incompetent, not sure which.
John Burton is a lying sack in his AvWeb response, one in a long line of egomaniacal lying sack CEOs of aviation events that includes Bob Woods of Sebring's SPExpo. They have NO REGARD FOR FREE SPEECH... just money... and retaliate any way they can against criticism (which jeopardizes their ego and perqs). SunNFun arrested and banned Campbell, the ANN editor, for accurately listing their safety and admission flaws. YOU MAY BE BANNED NEXT. And traffic Saturday also sucked, as it always does.
Sun n Fun claims the problem is due to the bad weather the day before. Fair enough but the same problem happens every time it rains. in 2008 I waited over an hour due to parking entrances being closed by mud. Considering what they charge for parking you would think SnF would be better prepared for rain.
2011 was my first and last year at SNF. After a 4 hour wait that began at 0900, I had to wait 20 minutes for a ticket. So if the speed of patrons entering was so slow, why was there a line for tickets? Would that line have been even longer if the lots were dry? Thanks for the video!
I have to agree with you. The situation is that you must get there very early especially if you are a vendor.This was my first time in years that I either did not fly in (glad I didn't) or was a vendor. I bet this video gets the attention of the SNF heads. I suggest everyone point them to this.
We arrived at Sun-n-Fun parking ~ 7:15 and got in about 15 minutes after the gates opened at 8 AM. Usually the gates are open by 6 AM, but with the weather the previous day, I was amazed the Sun-n-Fun volunteers & employees managed to get the show going on Friday. We also went on Saturday and arrived about 7:30ish. Our wait to get in was again about 15 minutes. We too had about an hour drive. AFTER attending for at least 25 years, all I can tell you is to GET UP EARLIER.
@UTubeGlennAR That is interesting. I did not know about this. No, I don't think this has anything to do with it. It has taken me 2 hours to get into SnF as far back as 12 years ago. If they speed up the parking to get me parked in 1.5 hours then the ticket buying will take me a half hour. If you don't show up early on a week day it has to be 3 or 4 hours to get in. Thanks for the info.
I sure can see your point. INteresting to learn when the EAA stopped running it. I towed a CH-7 kit heli there on a trailer in 1997 or so, it was not bad parking there then...
I also went through the same routine the video shows. While I can understand the rain effected the parking lots, there is no excuse for the lack of information from the sun n fun officials. There is a radio station broadcasting that had no info. no updates on the web site or facebook. They could of at the least put some signs out or had a golf cart with a sign stating that there was limited parking driving down the road so people could change their plans. Common Sunnfun, Get it together
@breezer2200 This video was on Friday at 2 pm, the day after heavy rain. The rain makes the parking area muddy which slows down the parking rate. Yet this problem has been like this for at least 12 years that I know of. Twelve years ago the parking was faster but then you had to wait even longer to get the ticket. It has always taken me about 2 hours to get in. Yes, the radio (AM 1510) should be telling people they won't be getting in before sundown.
we were also there on Friday morning at 8:30 am, got stuck in traffic at 1.9 miles from the parking lot according to my gps, took an hour and a half to travel to within 1.5 miles of the parking lot before giving up and going back to the motel. I Contacted SNF by phone at 4pm Friday and they still couldn't give a definite answer if the parking problem had been solved for the Saturday show. Made it home to north Georgia at 1am Saturday morning.
Wow. I was planning to go this year (driving in from out of state), and to buy my ticket in advance online. I THOUGHT I would have zero wait (a) to park (I attend a lot of other airshows, use remote lots and shuttle buses, and willing to pay for them), and (b) buying ticket, since I would get it online in advance and arrive and just walk in without stopping. Is this not the case?
saildapper2001 1 week ago
@saildapper2001 If you get there as soon as they open the line shouldn't be too long. If you get there an hour after they open, or any time later in the day, the line will probably be long. If it rained so the parking is muddy it will be way slower. Hopefully they will fix things this year but I wouldn't plan on it. Get there at sunrise to be safe.
WarmWeatherGuy 1 week ago
SnF has never been run by EAA. 2010 I flew in and took 45 min to taxi to homebuilt parking, was overheating and pissed off. 2011 was more like 10 min, average of 20 flights probably 10 min taxi. so, just fly in!
FlyMeAirplane 7 months ago
How about multiple parking areas off site and using shuttle buses. I used to be an organizer for the Australian International Airshow and to me, this video is completely unacceptable. We have one of the largest publicly attended airshows in the World and we don't have problems like this because we gravel the carparks, have multiple gates, we have dozens of shuttle buses and many feeder car parks, the buses also have ticket sales on board so when you arrive you go strait in.
tlevans62 10 months ago
@tlevans62 It sounds like you're exactly who we need to fix this mess. If it is not fixed next year I would blame the Sun 'n Fun CEO Jack Burton. Right now he seems to be in denial about there being any problem at all. I am hoping by next year he will make some changes and we can all get in on time.
WarmWeatherGuy 10 months ago
A major complaint is the lack of information regarding your plight if you're actually stuck in that line. The cynical part of me suspects they felt that if they declared how long the wait was, more people would bail, reducing revenue. Either that or they are totally incompetent, not sure which.
phishstyx 10 months ago
John Burton is a lying sack in his AvWeb response, one in a long line of egomaniacal lying sack CEOs of aviation events that includes Bob Woods of Sebring's SPExpo. They have NO REGARD FOR FREE SPEECH... just money... and retaliate any way they can against criticism (which jeopardizes their ego and perqs). SunNFun arrested and banned Campbell, the ANN editor, for accurately listing their safety and admission flaws. YOU MAY BE BANNED NEXT. And traffic Saturday also sucked, as it always does.
Xenathedog 10 months ago
People that are controlling the parking are morons. Good way to kill GA and piss people off that are using that road!
flyinbry 10 months ago
Sun n Fun claims the problem is due to the bad weather the day before. Fair enough but the same problem happens every time it rains. in 2008 I waited over an hour due to parking entrances being closed by mud. Considering what they charge for parking you would think SnF would be better prepared for rain.
snowbirdpa28 10 months ago
2011 was my first and last year at SNF. After a 4 hour wait that began at 0900, I had to wait 20 minutes for a ticket. So if the speed of patrons entering was so slow, why was there a line for tickets? Would that line have been even longer if the lots were dry? Thanks for the video!
Airshofoto 10 months ago
Great video, but I'll bet nothing will ever change. Oshkosh is the same way. ONe reason that i'll not go back to either
framed30 11 months ago
I have to agree with you. The situation is that you must get there very early especially if you are a vendor.This was my first time in years that I either did not fly in (glad I didn't) or was a vendor. I bet this video gets the attention of the SNF heads. I suggest everyone point them to this.
pody576 11 months ago
We arrived at Sun-n-Fun parking ~ 7:15 and got in about 15 minutes after the gates opened at 8 AM. Usually the gates are open by 6 AM, but with the weather the previous day, I was amazed the Sun-n-Fun volunteers & employees managed to get the show going on Friday. We also went on Saturday and arrived about 7:30ish. Our wait to get in was again about 15 minutes. We too had about an hour drive. AFTER attending for at least 25 years, all I can tell you is to GET UP EARLIER.
jmddsnsr 11 months ago
FYI:
I just learned a month or so ago that SnF is not run by the EAA any longer, perhaps this is the reason?
UTubeGlennAR 11 months ago
@UTubeGlennAR That is interesting. I did not know about this. No, I don't think this has anything to do with it. It has taken me 2 hours to get into SnF as far back as 12 years ago. If they speed up the parking to get me parked in 1.5 hours then the ticket buying will take me a half hour. If you don't show up early on a week day it has to be 3 or 4 hours to get in. Thanks for the info.
WarmWeatherGuy 11 months ago
I sure can see your point. INteresting to learn when the EAA stopped running it. I towed a CH-7 kit heli there on a trailer in 1997 or so, it was not bad parking there then...
UTubeGlennAR 11 months ago
I also went through the same routine the video shows. While I can understand the rain effected the parking lots, there is no excuse for the lack of information from the sun n fun officials. There is a radio station broadcasting that had no info. no updates on the web site or facebook. They could of at the least put some signs out or had a golf cart with a sign stating that there was limited parking driving down the road so people could change their plans. Common Sunnfun, Get it together
breezer2200 11 months ago
@breezer2200 This video was on Friday at 2 pm, the day after heavy rain. The rain makes the parking area muddy which slows down the parking rate. Yet this problem has been like this for at least 12 years that I know of. Twelve years ago the parking was faster but then you had to wait even longer to get the ticket. It has always taken me about 2 hours to get in. Yes, the radio (AM 1510) should be telling people they won't be getting in before sundown.
WarmWeatherGuy 11 months ago
@WarmWeatherGuy
we were also there on Friday morning at 8:30 am, got stuck in traffic at 1.9 miles from the parking lot according to my gps, took an hour and a half to travel to within 1.5 miles of the parking lot before giving up and going back to the motel. I Contacted SNF by phone at 4pm Friday and they still couldn't give a definite answer if the parking problem had been solved for the Saturday show. Made it home to north Georgia at 1am Saturday morning.
breezer2200 11 months ago
Wow, that's a really long wait for parking
combatdstar 11 months ago
god i hope its not like that tomorrow :-(
montu1663 11 months ago