Oshkosh - 2019

Have to see what the new NOTAM has to say this year. Jack gave us a peek up thread. I suspect some growing pains.
 
zbrown5 said:
Can't wait- already have the fever. Just trying to decide whether to park in Vintage or the North 40, since I have a vintage plane now.

We came in last year on Saturday IFR and then broke it off to try the FISK arrival because it was being reported as good vis. It was drizzly MVFR and I will never do that again. Way too much traffic density for low visibility AND looking for the tracks, etc.
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Heads up. I had vintage signs for parking but on Monday, they were already sticking us way back on the South 40. So far out there are signs saying we were in Fon du Lac. lol.
 
Mooney Fan said:
Heads up. I had vintage signs for parking but on Monday, they were already sticking us way back on the South 40. So far out there are signs saying we were in Fon du Lac. lol.
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We've been calling that area Fond du Lac North for quite a few years now.

Jim
 
Vintage parking in the past has been fluid. Monday and Tuesday (early) are perhaps the worst days to come in. A large groundswell shows up the previous week and stays through the first day or two of the show. Come Tuesday evening, we're back filling spaces up fron that have been vacated by early departures.

However, expect things to get worse. Vintage has steadily lost space over the years. First due to the FAA moving the flight line back after the DC-3 ground loop a few years ago, we lost more by encroachment of commercial VIP bogosity from the north, the loss of space due to the erection of the 12' barbed wire fence and it's idiotic interior perimeter road by the fAA, and the fact that they'd rather make sure that you can fly your late model spam cam in and be guaranteed of a space (after more airport-related bogosity in the North 40) which resulted in getting rid of a good area of Vintage parking (such as it was) down south. They've also taken parking spaces to give the showplane judges a more palatial accommodation than the old trailers they had.
 
Dumb question for those who know: Can an EAA member buy tickets at the member rate for their non-member spouse?

I went to buy tickets from the EAA website. I looked around there but couldn't find the answer to my dumb question. I don't want to get to the gate and have an issue because my wife has a member rate ticket but no member number.
 
Mooney Fan said:
Heads up. I had vintage signs for parking but on Monday, they were already sticking us way back on the South 40. So far out there are signs saying we were in Fon du Lac. lol.
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I've probably posted this before, so forgive me if I'm repeating myself. When riding around on a golf cart one night, I headed back into the South 40. Since I had my EAA vest on, I got an ear full. People were mad about the muddy conditions, the lack of stores (only one small one), the fact that they were so far away from their friends in the North 40, and the distance they had to walk from the last tram stop. The trams only operate on pavement. I'm hearing they're going to expand the South 40 to try to get as many planes into OSH as possible, with a goal of turning nobody away. I'm really hoping if they do that, they extend the pavement so the trams can go further into the area. If not, I think it will be a disaster.
 
Juliet Hotel said:
Dumb question for those who know: Can an EAA member buy tickets at the member rate for their non-member spouse?

I went to buy tickets from the EAA website. I looked around there but couldn't find the answer to my dumb question. I don't want to get to the gate and have an issue because my wife has a member rate ticket but no member number.
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I have a few connections! I called to verify. You can buy a ticket for you and your wife. Essentially, as a member, you can buy 14 daily passes or 2 weekly passes. Your wife will need to enter with you, and you will be asked to show your membership card. She would be considered an EAA Member Guest and the price is the same as it is for you. You can only have one guest per day and if you buy a weekly pass it will have to be the same guest every day.
 
Lowflynjack said:
I have a few connections! I called to verify. You can buy a ticket for you and your wife. Essentially, as a member, you can buy 14 daily passes or 2 weekly passes. Your wife will need to enter with you, and you will be asked to show your membership card. She would be considered an EAA Member Guest and the price is the same as it is for you. You can only have one guest per day and if you buy a weekly pass it will have to be the same guest every day.
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Thank you sir! That brings me to the next challenge which is figuring out the current location of my membership card. :eek:
I'm sure I can get a replacement if I can't find it.
 
Juliet Hotel said:
Thank you sir! That brings me to the next challenge which is figuring out the current location of my membership card. :eek:
I'm sure I can get a replacement if I can't find it.
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IIRC, they can just look your number up. I flew in one year and forgot my card. Either at the registration or the EAA Member Center that simply printed me out a little receipt with my number on it so I could get the EAA member discount at the various sites on the field that offer Member discounts.
 
Lowflynjack said:
FISK arrival looks like it will be the same, but instead of starting at Ripon and going to Fisk, we'll start at Waupun, then Ripon, then Fisk. If it's marginal VFR, they'll only allow ADS-B Out equipped planes to come in and you'll fly the FISK approach.


They address this as well. Last line below.

These are the proposals:

Arrival Procedures (FAA Operations)
  • Creating a new arrival gate (VFR waypoint, GPS and visually identified) that is further out than Fisk in order to facilitate consistent spacing prior to arrival at Fisk.
  • A new depicted (GPS defined waypoints) VFR Fisk arrival overlay that is for marginal VFR weather (1,000- to 1,500-foot ceilings) operations. Aircraft that will be allowed to use this procedure must be ADS-B Out equipped.
  • A raised minimum ceiling for all other aircraft operations on the Fisk arrival to 1,500 feet AGL.
  • A procedure to address temporary airport closures and provide a “bail out” track that enables an orderly transition from the final inbound leg to KOSH to KFLD. Aircraft arriving KFLD along the defined route will either land at KFLD or be directed back to the initial for KOSH depending on airport closure status.
  • –The FAA should create a revised policy for mass arrivals that restricts the arrival day/time to the planned time only with limited ability to shift due to weather. If the arrival slot is unsuitable due to weather at the designated time (mass arrival group is airborne) of the slot, then the mass arrival group should split up and arrive via the normal NOTAM procedure.
EAA Process Improvements
  • Expand aircraft parking to the south and improve parking management strategies to maximize use of the space. By 2020, EAA will achieve a “no aircraft turned away” condition for general aviation camping parking, weather and ground water saturation concurring, and explore means (e.g., a potential reservation system or other incentives) to shift arrivals to days with lower volume.
  • An extensive educational campaign to highlight arrival informational tools, weather planning and preparedness, and best practices during arrival operations. Distribution will include a potential online training course (with incentives), Chapter Video Magazine, online webinars, EAA magazines, EFBs like ForeFlight, and other web resources. Member incentives for participation in training/education will be developed.
  • A text messaging arrival update tool for ATC that will be available to attendees.
  • Work with the FAA to create an overhead break protocol that enables ATC to determine if overhead operations can be authorized at any given time.
  • Encourage military aircraft to favor arrivals during air show waivered airspace times.
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Lowflynjack said:
Click here to see the new proposed arrival gate.
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Looks like they pretty much did none of what they were threatening to do except the bail out.

That's probably a good thing - Making the arrival procedure longer doesn't solve anything, it just moves the problems farther from the airport and invites people to start cheating and cutting in. Minimum ceilings might have been good, and the GPS overlay would be good as well (it'd help keep people on the tracks...). Maybe next year.
 
So what do I need to bring as a first timer that might not be obvious? I am flying the F33A and staying at the UW campus.
 
Groundpounder said:
So what do I need to bring as a first timer that might not be obvious? I am flying the F33A and staying at the UW campus.
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If you search you can come up with a good list, but here's some universal items:

- Credit Card
- Sunscreen
- Comfortable walking shoes, preferably 2 pairs
- Hat
- Jacket/hoodie (the cool night temps might not be an issue for you but for us southerners, it can get uncomfortably chilly)
- Shower/personal hygiene kit
- Shower shoes/flip-flops
- Towels
- Phone
- Phone Charger
- Sun glasses
- Baby wipes
- Ear plugs
- flashlight (I like the headlamp type to keep my hands free)
- Emergency tool kit
- good tie-downs
 
I went last year and camped on the field. It was my first time at Oshkosh. I can't speak to the UW situation and I won't tell you what to bring when you fly or travel in general. Here are the Oshkosh-specific things I brought with that I was very happy to have:
  • 24"x12" pieces of plywood to put under my tires when I parked
  • The Claw tie-down system
  • Small backpack with a hydration bladder, sunblock, rain jacket, phone charger, USB battery pack, and a lightweight camp chair that I could assemble in about 15 seconds when I wanted to sit down somewhere
I brought a solar-charged USB battery pack but I wish I had tested it out beforehand. It had good reviews on Amazon but it was utter crap in practice and I was never able to get any useful charge out of it at all.

I wouldn't recommend bringing a credit card. Carry enough cash to buy food and an early-bird ride on the Trimotor. Credit cards are just going to get you into trouble. You'll be over your credit limit and over gross weight trying to leave with all the stuff you end up buying.
 
tsts4 said:
- Jacket/hoodie (the cool night temps might not be an issue for you but for us southerners, it can get uncomfortably chilly)
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We do live in houses here... So those temps are uncomfortably chilly for us too! Lows are usually in the 50s or low 60s, but radiation on a clear night will make it even colder near the ground, and suck the heat right out of your tent.

- Ear plugs
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If you forget these, go to the Honda Generator tent near the fly market, and they have freebies.

Also, bring a spare pair of feet. Yours will be sore no matter how many shoes you bring. You'll be doing a LOT of walking, and there's so many airplanes to keep your attention you won't realize your feet are in pain until way too late... Make use of the many trams and buses even if you aren't tired, your first pair of feet will last much longer this way!

Small/light camp chairs are a wonderful thing.

iamtheari said:
I wouldn't recommend bringing a credit card. Carry enough cash to buy food and an early-bird ride on the Trimotor. Credit cards are just going to get you into trouble. You'll be over your credit limit and over gross weight trying to leave with all the stuff you end up buying.
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I *would* recommend bringing the credit card. That way you'll be able to eat after you blow all your cash on the first day, and get home afterwards, though you may need a divorce attorney when the credit card bill arrives. :D
 
flyingcheesehead said:
I *would* recommend bringing the credit card. That way you'll be able to eat after you blow all your cash on the first day, and get home afterwards, though you may need a divorce attorney when the credit card bill arrives. :D
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Some of us plan ahead and get divorced before we even go to Oshkosh. It's just easier that way.

flyingcheesehead said:
Also, bring a spare pair of feet. Yours will be sore no matter how many shoes you bring. You'll be doing a LOT of walking, and there's so many airplanes to keep your attention you won't realize your feet are in pain until way too late... Make use of the many trams and buses even if you aren't tired, your first pair of feet will last much longer this way!
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Definitely use the trams. I didn't even get on one until the third day I was there, because I figured it was faster to walk than to stand in line. Guess what, I figured wrong.

I thought of another thing to add to the list:
  • A reasonable plan of securing accommodations in the event you divert for the night. I was going to camp at the airport anyhow so, when I spent the night at KUNU along with a hundred other Oshkosh-bound poor souls, I just pitched my tent and ate a bologna sandwich from my stash. If I had not been planning to camp, I may have been in a bind and had to land somewhere, use my phone to find a hotel, and probably fly some more to get to the hotel when I was already fatigued from spending over 2-1/2 hours total in the very full Green Lake holding pattern.
 
Thanks for the input, all.

I have The Claw for tying down the aircraft.

Planning on bringing folding chairs. Is it verboten to deploy the chairs somewhere in the morning, and leave them there while you walk around? I've done that at many other airshows without much fuss.

I have a Camelbak I plan on bringing. Are there places to fill them up inside the airshow?
 
Groundpounder said:
Planning on bringing folding chairs. Is it verboten to deploy the chairs somewhere in the morning, and leave them there while you walk around? I've done that at many other airshows without much fuss.
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I haven't seen if the Blue Angels are performing this year. If so, don't leave you chair out past their show line. They pull the crowd back for their show and they give you plenty of warning that your chair will be moved.
 
Groundpounder said:
Thanks for the input, all.

I have The Claw for tying down the aircraft.

Planning on bringing folding chairs. Is it verboten to deploy the chairs somewhere in the morning, and leave them there while you walk around? I've done that at many other airshows without much fuss.

I have a Camelbak I plan on bringing. Are there places to fill them up inside the airshow?
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People do it but to me it's a pretty selfish move. There are plenty of places to sit to watch the airshow and well.... it's in the air so sitting front row doesn't buy you a whole lot.
 
Lowflynjack said:
I haven't seen if the Blue Angels are performing this year. If so, don't leave you chair out past their show line. They pull the crowd back for their show and they give you plenty of warning that your chair will be moved.
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Neither the BA's or the Thunderbirds are going to be there this year

Grum.Man said:
People do it but to me it's a pretty selfish move. There are plenty of places to sit to watch the airshow and well.... it's in the air so sitting front row doesn't buy you a whole lot.
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I would just do it to keep from having to hump the chairs around all day.
 
Groundpounder said:
Neither the BA's or the Thunderbirds are going to be there this year



I would just do it to keep from having to hump the chairs around all day.
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To answer your other question, yes there are water trailers throughout the show grounds you can fill from or they usually have little cups to drink from.
 
Lowflynjack said:
I haven't seen if the Blue Angels are performing this year. If so, don't leave you chair out past their show line. They pull the crowd back for their show and they give you plenty of warning that your chair will be moved.
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No demo teams at Oshkosh this year. Please don't leave your folding chairs set up where they can blow into aircraft. We used to take unattended ones down, but now you just jeopardize your pilot friends who brought their plane for display with your inconsideration.

There's no particular reason to be on the burn line anyhow. The airshow is IN THE FREAKING AIR.
 
Mostly the usual WWII stuff with whatever flybys they can wrangle from the AF. I kind of like the Snowbirds but they don't fly fighters.
 
Don't forget the sunscreen ... FOR THE AIRCRAFT WINDSHIELD. It gets hot enough to literally fry an egg on the glareshield with that flat black surface.

Jim
 
I brought a solar-charged USB battery pack but I wish I had tested it out beforehand. It had good reviews on Amazon but it was utter crap in practice and I was never able to get any useful charge out of it at all.
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I had the same issue and I bet I have the same charger too.

I suggest bringing mosquito repellant in case you get stuck at FLD and have to fight your way out at night. We brought a small camping stove and table to cook some meals on. (Shopping near by and on premises at OSH)

I'm curious as whether any of you have any suggestions on a cooler? We are looking for something that will:
-Hold a decent amount of food.
-Fit in the baggage compartment (PA28R)
-Keep Ice for at least a day or two
-NOT remove too much money from my bank account.

Also, where are these water trailers? We could only find the filling station near homebuilts and spent way too much money on cold water bottles last year. Guess I didn't look hard enough!

I can hardly wait!
 
I suggest bringing mosquito repellant in case you get stuck at FLD and have to fight your way out at night.
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That's the state bird of Wisconsin you're talking about there. Actually, bring the repellant if you're staying on field at Oshkosh as well (like for the night airshow).

There are water buffalos down the line. There's always one between the Vintage Cafe and the Hangar Cafe on the flight line for sure.
 
flyingron said:
That's the state bird of Wisconsin you're talking about there. Actually, bring the repellant if you're staying on field at Oshkosh as well (like for the night airshow).

There are water buffalos down the line. There's always one between the Vintage Cafe and the Hangar Cafe on the flight line for sure.
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I guess I didnt look hard enough. Maybe you guys can relate, but I start looking for something and th....wait, was that a Turbine Lancair that just went by with the Garrett engine?!? I gotta get a closer look at that!
 
Avi8or2012 said:
I'm curious as whether any of you have any suggestions on a cooler? We are looking for something that will:
-Hold a decent amount of food.
-Fit in the baggage compartment (PA28R)
-Keep Ice for at least a day or two
-NOT remove too much money from my bank account.
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I borrowed a Yeti Tundra 45. It fit perfectly into the baggage of my Arrow, sharing that space with a folding plastic box full of camping gear. It worked out for my use, which was camping next to my airplane from Sunday evening until Saturday morning. I did buy ice one time at Oshkosh. Borrowing made it affordable. The RTIC 45 is $100 less but a half inch taller. I think that would still fit through the baggage door but I would want to measure before ordering one.
 
iamtheari said:
I borrowed a Yeti Tundra 45. It fit perfectly into the baggage of my Arrow, sharing that space with a folding plastic box full of camping gear. It worked out for my use, which was camping next to my airplane from Sunday evening until Saturday morning. I did buy ice one time at Oshkosh. Borrowing made it affordable. The RTIC 45 is $100 less but a half inch taller. I think that would still fit through the baggage door but I would want to measure before ordering one.
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I have a yeti 45 and was debating bringing it in the 182 due to its size. I’ll be solo so no real issue with space and W&B. How far away are the “ice stands” from the camping areas? This will be my first time at osh.
 
Somedudeintn said:
I have a yeti 45 and was debating bringing it in the 182 due to its size. I’ll be solo so no real issue with space and W&B. How far away are the “ice stands” from the camping areas? This will be my first time at osh.
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I camped in Vintage aircraft camping, and the closest ice vendor to my campaign was the Ultralight Barn. There are other places to get ice throughout the show, so wherever you end up you should be able to make a fairly short schlep out of it.
 
iamtheari said:
I camped in Vintage aircraft camping, and the closest ice vendor to my campaign was the Ultralight Barn. There are other places to get ice throughout the show, so wherever you end up you should be able to make a fairly short schlep out of it.
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Thanks for the info. I’m planning on camping in vintage.
 
They also have sold ice at the Vintage Red Barn (by the charging station) and via a gator that runs around with a big box on the back full of ice.
 
Avi8or2012 said:
I had the same issue and I bet I have the same charger too.
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Check out the wattage rating on anything you buy with solar. You need at least a couple square feet of panel to do pretty much anything useful. And remember that the wattage rating you see is generally the maximum theoretical wattage, with the sun perpendicular to the panel, a clean panel, no cloud cover or other atmospheric obscuration (which pretty much doesn't exist in reality), etc...

I bought a solar panel and a separate battery, hoping to charge the battery during the day and plug my phone into it at night, but it just doesn't have enough "oomph" to give the battery any meaningful charge. So, it got repurposed: I have a fan in my tent that uses 8 D batteries because, even though you may be cold at night, you'll start to bake as soon as the sun hits your tent.

Anyway, the fan had a cigarette lighter power adapter with it as well, and I used that to plug it into the solar panel and faced the panel east. Now, it's the perfect solution: I don't even have to wake up to turn the fan on, as soon as the sun rises the fan starts up. :)

It is nice to buy one of the larger Anker type batteries, so that you can keep your phone with you all day and charge it in your tent at night. Then, just plug the Anker in at one of the shower buildings for an hour or two during the day.

Also, where are these water trailers?
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Aside from the aforementioned one near Vintage, there's also one in the North 40 along the fence on the south side of 9/27. I think there's another one near the south end of the exhibit hangars (near the bike parking).

Avi8or2012 said:
I guess I didnt look hard enough. Maybe you guys can relate, but I start looking for something and th....wait, was that a Turbine Lancair that just went by with the Garrett engine?!? I gotta get a closer look at that!
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Like the rest of us, you have AADD: Aviation Attention Deficit Disorder. Easily distracted by cool aircraft...
 
I am going to try to go out as well... and camp. Is it possible to get there a day or two earlier before the show opens? And how easy is it to to leave... say, on the second day? I would assume they have a time window to leave. Do you have to "Sign up" to leave? Or, just get in line with the others. Thank you in advance.
 
flyingron said:
They also have sold ice at the Vintage Red Barn (by the charging station) and via a gator that runs around with a big box on the back full of ice.
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I bet I was thinking of the Vintage barn in writing my post above. And I do vaguely recall a Gator coming by with ice.

AGLyme said:
I am going to try to go out as well... and camp. Is it possible to get there a day or two earlier before the show opens? And how easy is it to to leave... say, on the second day? I would assume they have a time window to leave. Do you have to "Sign up" to leave? Or, just get in line with the others. Thank you in advance.
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I don’t know about arriving early. They have to transition from normal airport to massive campground at some point. Leaving is easy, though. The airport is closed to traffic from sunset until sunrise and during the air show performance times. Other than that, you just get packed up and ready to go (but leave the plane tied down!!!!!!!!!!!!!!), find a marshaller, and do what he says as far as untying the plane and getting it started up. Then put your “VFR” sign in the window, follow where people tell you to go, and monitor tower until you hear them tell you to go.
 
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