Looks To Capitalize On Drainage Problems With New Attraction

Aero-News April 1 Special Edition

The EAA is building a water park on the grounds of Camp Scholler after years of struggling with drainage problems in the popular campground.

“This is going to be a win-win,” said EAA spokesman Dick Knapinski. “We’re looking at a wave pool and water slides that we’ll feed with the water we pump out of the campground.”

Knapinski said that the water park will displace about 100 campsites at Camp Scholler, but the new attraction will give the association the ability to charge a premium for the remaining sites.

“Think about the number of families that will benefit from this feature,” Knapinski said. “When the kids get bored, and dad still has three or four workshops he wants to attend, they’ll have something to keep them distracted. Our research shows that the water park will extend the average stay at the campground by 2.4 days.”

Knapinski said surveys have been passed out to users of the campground over the past several years asking what should be done to improve the site. Fixing the drainage and something for the moms and kids to do at the show were at the top of nearly every list. “We’re killing two birds with one stone with this plan,” he said.

Construction is already underway. EAA is offering refunds to campers who had pre-purchased campsites for AirVenture 2020 in the area where the water park will be located. “It will obviously be in the lowest-lying areas of the campground so the water does not have to be moved very far,” Knapinski said. “We’re very excited about this addition to the AirVenture experience.

FMI: www.eaa.org