EAA AirVenture traffic impacted by Waukesha County Airport runway closure
EAA AirVenture traffic impacted by Waukesha County Airport runway closure
Aviation enthusiasts are gearing up for EAA AirVenture next week in Oshkosh. The annual event normally boosts air traffic at local airports.
WAUKESHA, Wis. - Aviation enthusiasts are gearing up for EAA AirVenture next week in Oshkosh. The annual event normally boosts air traffic at local airports.
At the Waukesha County Airport
What we know:
"It’s been super hot with the fryer," said Melissa Jingga Maron. Maron said the equipment in her Curd Girl food truck can reach 400 degrees. But she gladly drives out from Madison to be part of Food Truck Friday at the Waukesha County Airport.
Curd Girl food truck
"We love supporting local communities – small events like this are really our customer base," Maron said.
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The weekly summer event is celebrating a decade of mobile delicacies, and crowds always line up. But this week those visitors may end up seeing more bulldozers than planes.
Aircraft at the Waukesha County Airport
Runway closed
What we know:
"Unfortunately, that main runway shut down," said Airport Manager Kurt Stanich.
Stanich said phase two of a $24 million airport construction project started in April. Stanich said work extending the safety area of the east-west runway meant it had to temporarily shut down at the worst possible time.
"There’s this little thing called the Experimental Aircraft Association…" Stanich said.
Runway construction
EAA AirVenture kicks off Monday in Oshkosh. Stanich said it normally boosts landings in Waukesha by 50%.
"We’re the last full-service stop for people going north" Stanich said.
While the airport tried to avoid any impact on the EAA, engineers said shifting construction dates would have delayed the whole project.
"A lot of the cool stuff, like Warbirds and our bigger jets that come in – they aren’t going to be able to use the airport until about mid-August." Stanich said.
An "X" on a runway is a universal aviation symbol that means the runway is closed and unsafe for any aircraft operations, including landing, takeoff, or taxiing
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Still, there is plenty bringing people in. It is just more "take-outs" than "take-offs."
Food Truck Friday goes on hiatus on Friday, July 24 because of AirVenture, but continues after that through Labor Day. Proceeds from the event support local nonprofits.
Portions of this article were formatted using A.I. FOX6’s Bret Lemoine and an editor reviewed it for accuracy and tone prior to publishing.
The Source: Portions of this article were formatted using A.I. FOX6’s Bret Lemoine and an editor reviewed it for accuracy and tone prior to publishing.