Osh Noob Questions

[AdamZ]

As some of you know this will be my first venture to Airventure along with Alon (Armegeddon Aviatior). We will actually be flying GA to Appelton and staying up there and driving in daily. So I have some NooB questions, I expect that we will both bring napsacks to tote around towels and water bottles etc. We' like to stay for some of the evening shows and may invade a POAer or two's camp, Jay has the HOPS party and Steingar was generous enough to invite us to his site for lunch so anyway we thought it would be good to bring those collapsable camp chairs to sit and watch the evening shows. Is there anywhere to store them? should we just throw them near someones plane or camp site?

Anything else we should know about what to do or bring that will make our visit more enjoyable?

 

[Geico266]

Fly into Oshkosh?

 

[CJones]

Fly into Oshkosh?

 

[Henning]

As some of you know this will be my first venture to Airventure along with Alon (Armegeddon Aviatior). We will actually be flying GA to Appelton and staying up there and driving in daily. So I have some NooB questions, I expect that we will both bring napsacks to tote around towels and water bottles etc. We' like to stay for some of the evening shows and may invade a POAer or two's camp, Jay has the HOPS party and Steingar was generous enough to invite us to his site for lunch so anyway we thought it would be good to bring those collapsable camp chairs to sit and watch the evening shows. Is there anywhere to store them? should we just throw them near someones plane or camp site?

Anything else we should know about what to do or bring that will make our visit more enjoyable?

*******...

 

[Teller1900]

Lots of water, a really good camera, and an even better poncho. Oh and very comfortable walking shoes. And water.

When I went I had a camel pack backpack with an easily accessible poncho, spare batteries (and film, which tells you how long ago it was), and a change of socks - it does rain every year! Then I slung my collapsible chair from the backpack using bungees, so that my hands were always free for cameras and food, but the chair was always with me.

And I, too, flew into/stayed in Appleton and rode the bus to the show every day.

Don't forget to take lots of pictures and show them around here!

 

[denverpilot]

It's not unheard of to see chairs stashed near the entrance bicycle racks. Secured or unsecured.

Generally stuff at OSH doesn't "walk off". If they're cheap chairs, you could probably plop them somewhere and they'd be there when you came back by.

I'm with Teller, I just lug mine around if I'm headed somewhere I will need it. Lighter is better.

 

[Jay Honeck]

As some of you know this will be my first venture to Airventure along with Alon (Armegeddon Aviatior). We will actually be flying GA to Appelton and staying up there and driving in daily. So I have some NooB questions, I expect that we will both bring napsacks to tote around towels and water bottles etc. We' like to stay for some of the evening shows and may invade a POAer or two's camp, Jay has the HOPS party and Steingar was generous enough to invite us to his site for lunch so anyway we thought it would be good to bring those collapsable camp chairs to sit and watch the evening shows. Is there anywhere to store them? should we just throw them near someones plane or camp site?

Anything else we should know about what to do or bring that will make our visit more enjoyable?

Adam, just fly into OSH. The drive from Appleton will quickly become your biggest PIA -- it's NOT an insignificant commute -- and you will regret it forever.

To your point, however, there are many things you can and should do to maximize your enjoyment at OSH:

1. Wear different shoes every other day. I alternate between two different pairs of Ecco sandals and comfy tennis shoes. This will prevent/minimize blisters, as you WILL walk 5 - 10 miles per day.

2. Wear a LIGHT COLORED hat, preferably with a big brim. I'm always amazed at the number of pilots I see at OSH wearing black baseball caps, baking their brains (and their ears) in the July sun.

3. If it's really hot (and the hottest I have EVER been is in OSH, and I live on an island in the Gulf of Mexico!) you cannot consume too much water. Getting your loose-fitting cotton shirt wet helps a lot, too.

Oh, and bathe in the spray-on sunscreen. It works.

4. If it's cold (and that has only happened once, in 30 years) pack a sweatshirt and wind-breaker. That's all you'll need.

5. The airshows are fun for a day or two, but the REAL fun is out in the North 40, watching arrivals/departures after the daily airshow. If they're using Rwy 27 (the norm), the departures will be right over your head, so we usually set up our chairs out THERE, rather than on the Rwy 18/36 flight line.

Some of the landings are more, um, aerobatic than others.

6. If you really want to see the big exhibit halls (with all the aviation goodies for sale), plan on hitting them DURING the airshow, when the crowds diminish. It also helps to hit them early in the week, before all the exhibitors get the "1000-yard-stare"... (BTW: I have not noticed any "fire sale prices" near the end of the show in the last 15 years, so don't worry about "getting a better deal later in the week". Ever since Garmin came to dominate avionics, they set the "firm price" tone that now rules everything at OSH, and the days of scoring a great deal on the last day of the show seem to be over.)

7. Do NOT miss taking the bus over to the Seaplane Base. It's a little piece of quiet, cool, heaven in the middle of the action-packed, blazing hot AirVenture. If you can swing it, go there on Friday night for their traditional Wisconsin fish fry. It rocks.

8. Food suggestions. Be sure to eat at Friar Tuck's, just through the North fence of the North 40. It's been our "first night in OSH tradition" for many years, and our group just keeps growing.

Other great restaurants in that area (all walkable from the North 40 -- driveable, for you) are the Charcoal Pit (great lake perch), and LeSeur's (for a great breakfast).

The Hilton also has an all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet that's pretty tasty -- and you get the added fun of eating breakfast with Harrison Ford, Chuck Yeager, Bob Hoover, and whomever else of the Big Wheels of Aviation might be in attendance this year.

The on-field Zaug's food is...okay. We mostly try to avoid it, although some of their stuff isn't half bad. It can be VERY spendy, though -- so for that kind of money I'd rather eat at Friar Tuck's and have some pretty young thing waiting on me...

(An aside: NOTHING smells like Friar Tuck's in the evening during OSH. Take 400 guys who have been sweating profusely for 12 hours, roll them in dirt, and then get them to all sit down in a nice restaurant. Luckily, we all smell the same -- but I don't know how the waitresses can stand it.)

My advice: Make this an annual event. Don't try to see everything, because you will not be able to do it. This will be our 30th in a row, and I could literally spend the entire show in the Warbirds section. Instead, we spend a day there, a day in Vintage, a day doing the buildings, a day...

We leave in 29 days. I can't wait!

 

[flykelley]

Adam, just fly into OSH. The drive from Appleton will quickly become your biggest PIA -- it's NOT an insignificant commute -- and you will regret it forever.

To your point, however, there are many things you can and should do to maximize your enjoyment at OSH:

1. Wear different shoes every other day. I alternate between two different pairs of Ecco sandals and comfy tennis shoes. This will prevent/minimize blisters, as you WILL walk 5 - 10 miles per day.

2. Wear a LIGHT COLORED hat, preferably with a big brim. I'm always amazed at the number of pilots I see at OSH wearing black baseball caps, baking their brains (and their ears) in the July sun.

3. If it's really hot (and the hottest I have EVER been is in OSH, and I live on an island in the Gulf of Mexico!) you cannot consume too much water. Getting your loose-fitting cotton shirt wet helps a lot, too.

Oh, and bathe in the spray-on sunscreen. It works.

4. If it's cold (and that has only happened once, in 30 years) pack a sweatshirt and wind-breaker. That's all you'll need.

5. The airshows are fun for a day or two, but the REAL fun is out in the North 40, watching arrivals/departures after the daily airshow. If they're using Rwy 27 (the norm), the departures will be right over your head, so we usually set up our chairs out THERE, rather than on the Rwy 18/36 flight line.

Some of the landings are more, um, aerobatic than others.

6. If you really want to see the big exhibit halls (with all the aviation goodies for sale), plan on hitting them DURING the airshow, when the crowds diminish. It also helps to hit them early in the week, before all the exhibitors get the "1000-yard-stare"... (BTW: I have not noticed any "fire sale prices" near the end of the show in the last 15 years, so don't worry about "getting a better deal later in the week". Ever since Garmin came to dominate avionics, they set the "firm price" tone that now rules everything at OSH, and the days of scoring a great deal on the last day of the show seem to be over.)

7. Do NOT miss taking the bus over to the Seaplane Base. It's a little piece of quiet, cool, heaven in the middle of the action-packed, blazing hot AirVenture. If you can swing it, go there on Friday night for their traditional Wisconsin fish fry. It rocks.

8. Food suggestions. Be sure to eat at Friar Tuck's, just through the North fence of the North 40. It's been our "first night in OSH tradition" for many years, and our group just keeps growing.

Other great restaurants in that area (all walkable from the North 40 -- driveable, for you) are the Charcoal Pit (great lake perch), and LeSeur's (for a great breakfast).

The Hilton also has an all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet that's pretty tasty -- and you get the added fun of eating breakfast with Harrison Ford, Chuck Yeager, Bob Hoover, and whomever else of the Big Wheels of Aviation might be in attendance this year.

The on-field Zaug's food is...okay. We mostly try to avoid it, although some of their stuff isn't half bad. It can be VERY spendy, though -- so for that kind of money I'd rather eat at Friar Tuck's and have some pretty young thing waiting on me...

(An aside: NOTHING smells like Friar Tuck's in the evening during OSH. Take 400 guys who have been sweating profusely for 12 hours, roll them in dirt, and then get them to all sit down in a nice restaurant. Luckily, we all smell the same -- but I don't know how the waitresses can stand it.)

My advice: Make this an annual event. Don't try to see everything, because you will not be able to do it. This will be our 30th in a row, and I could literally spend the entire show in the Warbirds section. Instead, we spend a day there, a day in Vintage, a day doing the buildings, a day...

We leave in 29 days. I can't wait!

Jay has pretty well hit the nail on the head. You have to camp at Oshkosh at least once to get the real feel for it. I fly in, have driven in and also have flew in to Fond Lau and rode the bus up. If you fly into Oshkosh IFR its much less hassle than VFR.

Mike

 

[Geico266]

The secret to flying into OSH is do it early in the morning. Time your last leg to arrive at Ripon at 7:45am. Yes, you might have to get up early and launch in the dark. Boo hoo. You are a pilot for god's sake. Nothing better than watching the sun come up heading to the "holy land". The controllers are ready to let you into the pattern and there is little to no traffic.

Oh, read and understand the NOTAM. Carry it in the plane with you.

Practice slow flight. Do not do any maneuvers at OSH that you have not practiced in the last 30 days. If you cannot comply with ATC tell them and they will help. They are the best of the best.

Do not fear gong into OSH, just be prepared.


You are welcome.

 

[Henning]

Oh yeah, put a set of foam earplugs in your pocket for the inevitable Harrier demo where they brutalize everyone's ears with that infernal machine.

 

[Jay Honeck]

Oh yeah, put a set of foam earplugs in your pocket for the inevitable Harrier demo where they brutalize everyone's ears with that infernal machine.

Oh, yeah -- I forgot that. When you tent it at OSH, bring foam earplugs.

It will make your sleep situation MUCH nicer, especially if you get parked out near the road.

 

[Jay Honeck]

The secret to flying into OSH is do it early in the morning. Time your last leg to arrive at Ripon at 7:45am. Yes, you might have to get up early and launch in the dark. Boo hoo. You are a pilot for god's sake. Nothing better than watching the sun come up heading to the "holy land". The controllers are ready to let you into the pattern and there is little to no traffic.

Oh, read and understand the NOTAM. Carry it in the plane with you.

Practice slow flight. Do not do any maneuvers at OSH that you have not practiced in the last 30 days. If you cannot comply with ATC tell them and they will help. They are the best of the best.

Do not fear gong into OSH, just be prepared.


You are welcome.

Well put. We will practice all sorts of things that will be applicable for OSH, like slow flight and tight patterns to a spot landing, before heading North next month.

This is Mary's year to fly in (we alternate years), but I will still practice in case she is under the weather when the arrival date comes. That hasn't happened yet, but as long as we've got two pilots on board, we might as well be prepared.

BTW: I disagree with timing your arrival for right when the airport opens in the morning. In my experience, there are a lot of pilots doing the same thing, and it can be a very busy time.

We have traditionally aimed our arrival for 11:30 AM-ish (mostly so that we could launch from Iowa City at a civilized 10 AM -- the earliest anyone could stomach after our pool party!), and that always seems to work out pretty well. The only downside: It means setting up your campsite during the hottest time of the day.

 

[Henning]

Oh, yeah -- I forgot that. When you tent it at OSH, bring foam earplugs.

It will make your sleep situation MUCH nicer, especially if you get parked out near the road.

I had a great camping spot:

Excellent views from Vintage Camping. They even found me a spot though it was announced on the radio inbound there was no more room for twins there, they waved me down to a prime spot:

 

[pilot117]

I concur with Geico's suggested arrival procedure. Usually during the early morning arrival there's little to no traffic. I've had controllers ask which runway I'd prefer and been able to request a runway once because there wasn't another plane heading up the tracks around us.

If you have the opportunity to choose a runway, I'd suggest 9-27. When you land and roll off in the grass you're already in the north 40.

 

[mrindian]

I just found a copilot to fly with me from socal and looking forward to my first trip to osh.
now Im busy with the details.... trying to find a place to stay!
the only hotels i can find are in green bay. I've found room rentals within five miles, so trying to decide the best option.
i don't know if i go with a room rental, do i still need to get a rental car?

if i stay in green bay.... take the shuttle bus or get a car? but how long is that drive?
aghhh so many noob questions.

gary

 

[Henning]

i just found a copilot to fly wigh me from socal and looking forward to my firdt trip to osh.
now im busy with the details.... trying to find a place to stay!
the only hotels i can find are in green bay. ive found room rentals within five miles, so trying to decide the best option.
i dont know if i go with a room rental, do i still need to get a rental car?

if i stay in green bay.... take the shuttle bus or get a car? but how long is that drive?
aghhh so many noob questions.

gary

Tent, camp with the plane at OSH. Flying into Greenbay or Appleton for Airventure is like making out with your sister, or worse, brother... weird and can be a PITA.

 

[murphey]

Lots of water, a really good camera, and an even better poncho. Oh and very comfortable walking shoes. And water.

forget the poncho, takes up too much space. Stop by the AOPA booth and get a couple of those ponchos.

When I went I had a camel pack backpack with an easily accessible poncho, spare batteries (and film, which tells you how long ago it was), and a change of socks - it does rain every year! Then I slung my collapsible chair from the backpack using bungees, so that my hands were always free for cameras and food, but the chair was always with me.

And I, too, flew into/stayed in Appleton and rode the bus to the show every day.

Don't forget to take lots of pictures and show them around here!

 

[bbchien]

I'm in the crowd that says, "don't fly into OSH". I fly into Fon DuLac, and take the bus. $15 each way.

I think the Appleton Bus is more like $20.

This permits in-and-out during the airshow periods.

The trick to flying in, is both of you need be very very familiar with the notam. Four sets of eyes to find the railroad tracks to RIPON and FISKE. Eyes OUT- it's amazing the number of 'drivers" who ignore the notam.

 

[Henning]

Thousands of people do it every year safely, it's not that big of a deal, a lot of us even fly in solo. If you can't find a set of railroad tracks and follow it, I just don't know what to say.

 

[gprellwitz]

Jay had some good advice. Hopefully, here's some more.
They have a lot of road construction going on this year, and it isn't expected to be competed by AirVenture, though Poberezny Rd is done.

If you want to drop off your chairs, you can leave them anywhere and they will still be there. Or you can drop them at our campsite in Scholler and get a cool libation! I would suggest that you join us at the campsite in Scholler, but, IIRC, Alon , who has left one Holy Land for another, would rather have a room with AC.

There's a good Sushi/Japanese steakhouse restaurant, Nakashima's, in Appleton we do every year.

Thursday night will be Jimmy's White House Inn http://www.whitehouseinnonline.com/ where the Babes always went with Moxie. It's in Buttes des Morts, just west of Appleton. Plan on it! After your work with her memorial, you're a Babe! BTW, the Memorial ceremony is Sunday at 10:30. If anyone needs parking tickets for it, let me know ASAP.

We always do the Watermelon Social at the Seaplane Base on Saturday, followed by the night air show.

 

[Jay Honeck]

I'm in the crowd that says, "don't fly into OSH". I fly into Fon DuLac, and take the bus. $15 each way.

I think the Appleton Bus is more like $20.

This permits in-and-out during the airshow periods.

The trick to flying in, is both of you need be very very familiar with the notam. Four sets of eyes to find the railroad tracks to RIPON and FISKE. Eyes OUT- it's amazing the number of 'drivers" who ignore the notam.

Sorry, Doc, but that's just crazy talk. The FISK Approach is simplicity itself, and we have never, ever had a problem with it.

Landing short of OSH, only to take a freaking BUS in, is just...wrong.

 

[Jay Honeck]

I just found a copilot to fly with me from socal and looking forward to my first trip to osh.
now Im busy with the details.... trying to find a place to stay!
the only hotels i can find are in green bay. I've found room rentals within five miles, so trying to decide the best option.
i don't know if i go with a room rental, do i still need to get a rental car?

if i stay in green bay.... take the shuttle bus or get a car? but how long is that drive?
aghhh so many noob questions.

gary

Green Bay! That's not an insignificant drive. You are talking an hour on the road each way, in the BEST of times.

During Oshkosh, you could double that, easily.

My advice: If Green Bay is your best bet -- stay home. It simply would not be worth it to fly all the way from Southern California, to the biggest airshow/fly-in IN THE WORLD -- only to face a FOUR HOUR ROUND TRIP drive each day.

More advice: Buy yourself a $200 tent, and camp with the rest of us in the North 40. You will have the time of your life, and BE THERE.

 

[gprellwitz]

Green Bay! That's not an insignificant drive. You are talking an hour on the road each way, in the BEST of times.

During Oshkosh, you could double that, easily.

My advice: If Green Bay is your best bet -- stay home. It simply would not be worth it to fly all the way from Southern California, to the biggest airshow/fly-in IN THE WORLD -- only to face a FOUR HOUR ROUND TRIP drive each day.

More advice: Buy yourself a $200 tent, and camp with the rest of us in the North 40. You will have the time of your life, and BE THERE.

Can non-flyin participants camp in the North 40? I thought they were relegated to Camp Scholler, where we also have a great time! And you're more than welcome to join the PoA compound in Camp Scholler, too!

 

[Jay Honeck]

Can non-flyin participants camp in the North 40? I thought they were relegated to Camp Scholler, where we also have a great time! And you're more than welcome to join the PoA compound in Camp Scholler, too!

Gary said he found a "co-pilot" to fly in with him from Southern California. That sounds like he's flying in, not driving in.

As to your question, yes, drive-in campers can camp in the North 40 -- if they stay with a fly-in camper. Example: My son will be driving in from Iowa, after he returns from some Army training exercise. He will be staying with Mary, me, and my daughter after he arrives.

 

[SCCutler]

I anticipate being in Vintage, camping with Tommy under the wing of a Beech 18. There is some doubt about that. If the 18 is not ready, we may yet fly up in the Bo. We'll see...

 

[gprellwitz]

Gary said he found a "co-pilot" to fly in with him from Southern California. That sounds like he's flying in, not driving in.

As to your question, yes, drive-in campers can camp in the North 40 -- if they stay with a fly-in camper. Example: My son will be driving in from Iowa, after he returns from some Army training exercise. He will be staying with Mary, me, and my daughter after he arrives.

Cool.

I missed/forgot he was flying. Then I definitely concur with the "fly to OSH" crowd. Heck, if you spend a couple hundred on a tent at the local KMart only to leave it at Goodwill, it's still cheaper than a hotel!

There are (understandable) restrictions on flammables (e.g. Propane tanks) near aircraft, IIRC. But this aren't things you'd really wan to be transporting in a plane anyways.

 

[bbchien]

Sorry, Doc, but that's just crazy talk. The FISK Approach is simplicity itself, and we have never, ever had a problem with it.

Landing short of OSH, only to take a freaking BUS in, is just...wrong.

No, it's not crazy. I am the Seneca pilot who was descended upon by a Baron (at 120 mph, 1500 agl, between Ripon and Fiske per the notam). My right seater saw him first as he was....on the right side, above, behind and descending fast. Then he figured he had already spoken to the FAA, so he turned to land at FNL, not talking to anybody. We were close enough that I thought we would exchange more than paint. Fortunately, when you close throttles on a flaps down gear out twin, you fall from the sky pretty quickly.

When I got to FNL the controllers were ripping him a new one at the refuel queue. That was the last year of "no harm, no foul".

Turns out he had never read the notam. He put RIPON into his GPS and flew there.

There are all kinds of loonies. The ones that read are not the problem. The ones that can't, don't or are unwilling, are.

 

[Jay Honeck]

Cool.

I missed/forgot he was flying. Then I definitely concur with the "fly to OSH" crowd. Heck, if you spend a couple hundred on a tent at the local KMart only to leave it at Goodwill, it's still cheaper than a hotel!

There are (understandable) restrictions on flammables (e.g. Propane tanks) near aircraft, IIRC. But this aren't things you'd really wan to be transporting in a plane anyways.

Grant, although we can't have open fires in the North 40 (for obvious reasons), every year our "compound" gets bigger. We have coffee makers, blenders, microwaves, party lights -- the works. We ain't "roughing it" in the North 40!

We're trying to figure out if our 2000 watt generator would run a refrigerator; if not, we'll just have to double the output to 4000 watts...

 

[SCCutler]

Bruce, what you describe is pretty much what Jesse, Tommy and I experienced last year- a real zoo, and one guy in a Deb who was all over us and just not paying attention. It was... Interesting.

But I'll fly in again.

 

[Henning]

No, it's not crazy. I am the Seneca pilot who was descended upon by a Baron (at 120 mph, 1500 agl, between Ripon and Fiske per the notam). My right seater saw him first as he was....on the right side, above, behind and descending fast. Then he figured he had already spoken to the FAA, so he turned to land at FNL, not talking to anybody. We were close enough that I thought we would exchange more than paint. Fortunately, when you close throttles on a flaps down gear out twin, you fall from the sky pretty quickly.

When I got to FNL the controllers were ripping him a new one at the refuel queue. That was the last year of "no harm, no foul".

Turns out he had never read the notam. He put RIPON into his GPS and flew there.

There are all kinds of loonies. The ones that read are not the problem. The ones that can't, don't or are unwilling, are.

FNL is Ft Collins CO. If you meant Fon Du Lac then how does it make you safer than OSH? The relievers have the people without the confidence to fly to OSH....

 

[Jay Honeck]

No, it's not crazy. I am the Seneca pilot who was descended upon by a Baron (at 120 mph, 1500 agl, between Ripon and Fiske per the notam). My right seater saw him first as he was....on the right side, above, behind and descending fast. Then he figured he had already spoken to the FAA, so he turned to land at FNL, not talking to anybody. We were close enough that I thought we would exchange more than paint. Fortunately, when you close throttles on a flaps down gear out twin, you fall from the sky pretty quickly.

When I got to FNL the controllers were ripping him a new one at the refuel queue. That was the last year of "no harm, no foul".

Turns out he had never read the notam. He put RIPON into his GPS and flew there.

There are all kinds of loonies. The ones that read are not the problem. The ones that can't, don't or are unwilling, are.

Oh, sure, there is always at least one moron who doesn't read the NOTAM. Three years ago we heard a flight coming in, and one guy was READING THE NOTAM ON THE RADIO TO THE OTHER GUYS.

Mary jumped in and read them the freaking riot act, basically telling them to land, get a cup of coffee, and spend 20 minutes in a nice, quiet room studying the danged thing. (When she gets ****ed, and uses that "mom voice", people don't argue -- and we didn't hear them again.)

And she was right. I don't want anyone in that airspace who hasn't thoroughly studied and understood the NOTAM. It's not hard -- but it must be read.

The fact that morons exist, however, should not force you to fly to other airports and use ground transportation to attend AirVenture. You see...and avoid...just like any other time you fly. It all works out.

Quite frankly I find Fond du Lac's insane airspace during Airventure to be far LESS safe than OSH. I don't think you're buying yourself any added margin of safety by landing there.

 

[gprellwitz]

My mother in law will be driving p with us again and camping for the week. I'm trying to convince my sister in law Deborah (whom some of you met at Windwood) to fly up in the King Air for a day, just to experience it

 

[Greg Bockelman]

There are all kinds of loonies. The ones that read are not the problem. The ones that can't, don't or are unwilling, are.

Apparently, by your narrative, it doesn't matter WHERE you go. You will have idiots where ever. So why not deal with the idiots going to OSH if you have to deal with them anyway? :wink2:

 

[Greg Bockelman]

Sorry, Doc, but that's just crazy talk. The FISK Approach is simplicity itself, and we have never, ever had a problem with it.

I am about 2 for 3 on the problems. But on those two times, I ended up arriving during prime arrival times. I will TRY not to ever do that again.

 

[Henning]

Last year I had to lap an Arrow a couple times circling the lake waiting for the airport to reopen. He was flying lower tier speed at the higher tier altitude, but no real problem, I'd just leave him a bit low under my left wing and give a quick announce I was coming by. No sweat really, no worse than lapping 150s in the pattern.

 

[mrindian]

Cool.

I missed/forgot he was flying. Then I definitely concur with the "fly to OSH" crowd. Heck, if you spend a couple hundred on a tent at the local KMart only to leave it at Goodwill, it's still cheaper than a hotel!

ok, I am now leaning towards camping. My first initial reaction to camping: it's hot and humid at OSH (compared to SOCAL!), it rains - so having a/c in a hotel room is always nice to stay cool and dry. Second reaction - I have a SI medical for sleep apnea and I was worried about power for the cpap. I've found a 14lb battery that I can take that can power the cpap for 16hrs - so that could work as long as I can recharge it at the campgrounds.

I do have a tent, air mattress, so I'm now leaning towards the camping, and keep fingers crossed that the tent stays dry! I guess I'll take the back seats out of my C177B so I can have more room for stuff to bring.

Wish I could fly in with Cessna2Osh group, but they are arriving on Saturday, and I can't make it till Sunday, since I will be in Ohio for a antique motorcycle meet that ends on Saturday night. I'll just have to time arrival around the J3 group.

Gary

 

[CJones]

Each of the 5 times that I've been to OSH (all flying in), we planned our trip to arrive just about 15 minutes after the field opened in the morning. It meant some early departure times, but made it worth it on the arrival. I think out of all the times I've made that flight, we've only had to actually follow another plane from RIPON to FISK a couple of times.

 

[Anthony]

I flew into Appleton when I went to Airventure several years ago. I stayed at OSH, so didn't have to do the daily commute. Maybe I was a woos, but it worked out great. It is not only getting into KOSH that can be, ahhh, interesting, it is getting out also, and if you are trying to maintain a schedule, that could be important.

Jay's post should be a sticky.

 

[Jay Honeck]

I am about 2 for 3 on the problems. But on those two times, I ended up arriving during prime arrival times. I will TRY not to ever do that again.

Well, when I say we've had no "problems" in the Fisk Approach, I'm not counting things like the year we got stuck in an interminable hold around Rush Lake because the controllers withheld vital information that would have instantly resolved the problem.

...Or the year we got stuck behind a Cub going 70 mph instead of 80 knots.

...Or the year we ended up following an idiot Bonanza driver who free-lanced his own approach to Rwy 18R.

These aren't "problems" in my world. These are things we deal with, as pilots, when we fly into the busiest airspace in the world. You adjust, and move on.

It's OSHKOSH, people. Mecca. The Promised Land. Heaven. A few inconveniences are nothing, because you do whatever it takes to BE THERE.

 

[Jay Honeck]

I flew into Appleton when I went to Airventure several years ago. I stayed at OSH, so didn't have to do the daily commute. Maybe I was a woos, but it worked out great. It is not only getting into KOSH that can be, ahhh, interesting, it is getting out also, and if you are trying to maintain a schedule, that could be important.

Jay's post should be a sticky.

We've never had a problem flying out. You line up, and a guy in a pink shirt waves you off, just like Maverick and Goose. It really could not get easier.

Just stay below the arrival corridor's altitude, and you will be fine. Once you're outside of Class Delta, you probably won't see another plane all the way home. (Although one year we got to see a B-1 Bomber come in BELOW us. That was kewl. )