Plane camping question

George Mohr

George Mohr

Line Up and Wait
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Gmohr
Hi all!

First time flying my own airplane to KOSH, and first time camping there as well. I'm curious about the mechanics of getting in, and particularly out, of the camp site.

1) Should I plan to pack some boards for under the gear? Is the site ever soft?
2) On the way out, I noticed the requirement to "push the plane out of the camping area before starting". How far away are we talking about pushing it here? Only a PA28, but not looking forward to pushing that thing through soft grass for a hundred yards :)

Thanks for the help in advance!
-George
 
Boards are a great idea. Depending on how wet the ground is, your airplane's tires can create little depressions, making it hard to move the airplane when the time to leave comes.

When you leave, they want you to roll the airplane out into the taxi aisle in front of where you park and turn it 90 degrees so the prop-blast doesn't directly impact other aircraft and items at adjacent campsites.
 
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kyleb said:
your airplane's tires can create little depressions, .
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Little depressions that could swallow a German shepherd. Not the dog, the real shepherd.

For anything up to and including a 210, an 18x18 piece of half-inch plywood for the mains and a 12x12 for the nose will work just fine. 3/4" for anything GA heavier.

Attached zip file is a copy of the article from Kitplanes Jan '13 describing this stuff.


Thanks,
Jim
 

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  • Kitplanes Jan '13.zip
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Jim is right. Never needed them myself with Very small tires but was lucky. If you have room prepare for rain. DEFINITELY don't park in a low area. Can be nice, can rain like hell.
If you luck out camping is so very cool. Waking up to sunrise through the planes is something you'll never forget. Waking up at midnight to pouring rain is too....
 
To keep your plane from sinking into the ground through the week go to the Dollar Store and buy some cheap cutting boards. Light and easy to pack in the plane.
When you're ready to leave and need to push/pull your plane out grab some neighbors or passersby. I've never had one not help.

Don't forget to read the NOTAM and also READ THE NOTAM!!!!
And before you leave don't forget to drop off your camping registration if you're due a refund for days paid for but not camped. Been there done that....
 
Last year at OSH, when it rained... it RAINED. Definitely be prepared by bringing the aforementioned cutting board or some disposable plywood boards. If you have transportation at OSH, you can also go to Home Depot or Lowes and buy boards there. But some 18x18 boards shouldn't be too heavy. If you're going to pound some stakes into the ground for tie-down (you should, winds are no joke at OSH during a storm) bring a hammer. You'll want to get the stakes pretty well into the ground, but getting them out will require some leverage or a hammer. If you have a choice, bring steel stakes instead of plastic ones.
 
Last year was my first at OSH & we camped in the North 40, very near the bathhouse. We arrived on Wednesday during the show and got very lucky. Yes it rained but my 172 didn't sink in and we had a tow bar and some folks ready to push on the wing struts. It all worked out easy peasy but I can see where some boards would be simple and smart to prevent sinkage.

OTOH, I witnessed a guy in a twin (IIRC) power out...POWER OUT...of his parking spot and he was blowing down tents and causing a general mess. Some guy was pounding on his fuselage trying to get him to stop but no such luck. Definitely not the way to do it - I felt sorry for the poor schmucks who came back to find their tent/campsite trashed.
 
Read the NOTAM, then read it again multiple times. Then follow it to a T even though plenty of others seem to consider it only a suggestion....

Bring a hammer and appropriate tie downs for your plane. You need a hammer because the ground in the North 40 is hard as concrete.... which is why I have never needed anything under my main gear or nose gear wheels to keep them from sinking in. Bring a tow bar to steer when you push back in, and when you pull out. Plenty of people will give you a hand if you need it.
 
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rtk11 said:
... If you're going to pound some stakes into the ground for tie-down (you should, winds are no joke at OSH during a storm) bring a hammer. You'll want to get the stakes pretty well into the ground, but getting them out will require some leverage or a hammer. If you have a choice, bring steel stakes instead of plastic ones.
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The rules require all aircraft at OSH to be tied down.
https://www.eaa.org/en/airventure/eaa-fly-in-flying-to-oshkosh/ground-operations/tying-down-aircraft

Bring everything you need for that. EAA will sell you a tie down kit if you forget yours...I don't know what they charge, but I suspect it's less expensive to bring your own.

You'll need the hammer to stake down your tent too.
 
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GRG55 said:
The rules require all aircraft at OSH to be tied down.
https://www.eaa.org/en/airventure/eaa-fly-in-flying-to-oshkosh/ground-operations/tying-down-aircraft

Bring everything you need for that. EAA will sell you a tie down kit if you forget yours...I don't know what they charge, but I suspect it's less expensive to bring your own.

You'll need the hammer to stake down your tent too.
Click to expand...

EAA's tie-downs are cheap, something like $20-25. They'll buy them back when you leave, too, for around $10. So you can basically "rent" tie downs for $15 or so for the entire week.
 
Yup, the EAA tie downs are *very* reasonable. They are clearly put together by volunteers at working sessions in someones hangar (so they aren't pretty!), but they do the job and are cheap. You won't be able to buy anything cheaper and more effective, but you could build a set yourself if you want. They just make a few cuts on some rebar and weld them together.

Equally important if your tie downs ever get tested is knowing how to properly tie your plane down. I'm not going to weigh in on that subject, except to say that experienced pilots may not agree on how to do this right!
 
I've seen some horror stories about flipped over airplanes at KOSH after a big storm. I picked up a Claw kit for like 80 bucks, and coupled with some quality knots I'm pretty confident I'll be covered.
 
George Mohr said:
I've seen some horror stories about flipped over airplanes at KOSH after a big storm. I picked up a Claw kit for like 80 bucks, and coupled with some quality knots I'm pretty confident I'll be covered.
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We use The Claw as well. One thing I might add as I've seen otherwise at Oshkosh, The Claw folks recommend placing the Claw directly/straight down under the tie down rings for best performance, rather than offset or at an angle.
Different techniques for different tie-downs so best to follow the manufacturer's instructions.
 
Not a good solution for Airventure, but since the thread title is more general. These are cheap and *very* strong for situations where you want a longer term solution or can cut off the wire below ground without consequences.

 
A little off topic, but if you're departing at the end of the airshow, have the airplane loaded up and pulled out into the row (as described above) shortly after the last act has completed. Listen to departure ATIS on a handheld radio if you have one.

As soon as you hear the ATIS broadcast come on, that is your cue that you can fire up and taxi out towards the flagmen (assuming someone less prepared doesn't have your row blocked!). The controllers will appreciate that there is one less clueless pilot calling them up and asking "is the field open for departures yet".

Don't forget the "VFR" sign in the window.
 
bradg33 said:
EAA's tie-downs are cheap, something like $20-25. They'll buy them back when you leave, too, for around $10. So you can basically "rent" tie downs for $15 or so for the entire week.
Click to expand...

That might be the best deal one can get for anything, anywhere on the field during Oshkosh week. :cool:
 
Qotile said:
If you don't want to make your own, this style of tie-down is available from Stormforce for $80. Includes a hammer and a storage bag, so it's only a slight premium to DIY.
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Made my own just like this and painted to match my airplane instead of yellow and blue. Worked great last year at Oshkosh, but a hammer is definitely useful for getting the stakes out.
 
I have had tie downs from the swingset anchors from the local hardware store to The Claw to the StormForce (which look like the homemade ones above). I'm sticking with the latter. My first Oshkosh, it was souply and my 172 did indeed sink in. It took several guys on the struts and a lot of power to get us out. The Navion is less of a problem, the big squishy tires don't tend to sink in and they roll over what they do (and chocks smaller than the kind they park 737's with).
 
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