See that row of tall corn behind the airplanes? That’s the new south boundary of the AirVenture grounds – an extension of the “South 40” for GA Camping. The extension was added in recent months because construction on the north taxiways of Wittman Field is taking B away about 150 parking spots this year. The “New South 40” is also referred to as “North Fond du Lac” because, well, after the trek all the way down there, you figure that you’re going to run into the Fond Du Lac airport boundary in another few steps.
While it’s true that it is a long way from show center, the EAA has done a good job of running shuttles down there all week to make sure that visitors have quick and easy access to the main show area. One advantage to being parked down here is the peace and quiet – the feeling of remoteness. Because of a slight dip in the terrain, you can’t see any part of the runways or buildings of AirVenture, so it feels much like being camped in a remote grass field among the Midwestern corn. In fact, given the time of year and the freshness of the crop, I have to wonder if a few ears of Wisconsin’s finest sweet corn haven’t made it into a cooking pot next to a tent this week.