Marion, IN - Cruise in, Fly in (KMZZ)

455 Bravo Uniform

455 Bravo Uniform

Final Approach
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455 Bravo Uniform
This looks like a long running annual event. I was wondering if it would be too "hairy" to try to fly into as a new pilot (got my PPL over the weekend)?

I am used to a lot of traffic in the pattern at my towered home field (KLAF), but not uncontrolled. Also, I flew to KMZZ on my night XC dual, so am familiar with the area.

I'm not looking for anyone to tell me "go" or "no go"; I'm looking for experienced opinions on this event so I can make an informed decision.

I can drive my hot-rod to cruise in, but would be fun to use a plane to fly in. Maybe weather will make the decision for me.
 
Well I've been to Sun-N-Fun, AOPA's INDY flyin, MERFI a few times, and most recently Oshkosh. This one doesn't stick out in my head though. Osh is of course the most complex of them. But KMZZ is south of town in corn/bean fields. You can go early to try to beat the rush, but I'd say it's a perfect use for your PPL.
 
I've been to a number of the Marion fly-ins in the last few years and I think they'd be great for a new pilot. Just watch and listen like you should be doing anyway. I've seen a lot of hotshot RV guys who like the overhead approach with others already in the pattern, guys with no radios, those who can't remember downwind from crosswind, those of us with dyslexia who can't remember which runway is 8 and which 26 along with all the joys we usually see at any home airport. Keep your eyes open and pay attention and you'll have a great time. The food is good and helps some of the local organizations, lots of folks show up in all sorts of planes and if nothing else its a great excuse just to fly somewhere. I'm planning on heading up for breakfast with the little woman.

Frank
 
Just use caution, uncontrolled field fly-ins can get pretty busy. Be on your A game and use good SA. Have a great time if you decide to go!
 
Thank you all. I decided I'll give it a shot.

I also called one of the event organizers and he suggested leaving my home field as early in the morning as I was comfortable with doing and tuning in to listen to traffic from way out.

On my night XC to MZZ I was on flight following; I think it would still be a good idea, until maybe 10 miles out. Plane only has 1 radio.
 
Definitely do it! Let us know how it goes.
 
What are you flying, a Cirrus? We're seriously considering the commute and this far out the WX looks perfect. Alternatively, look for the orange Cessna with the can't-miss paint job and say hi, would love to hear how your flight went if we make it. Good luck, relax, and enjoy it, it's only 58 nauticals, you'll be there in no time.
 
Thanks! Is that the plane in your avatar? Will do.

Weather is looking to be decent, and hopefully cool enough where chances of popup TS should be low enough where I can stay til 2p.

I'll be in a rented 152, white, blue accents.

40 minutes if no wind. Trim er out at 3500 MSL, dial up the 90 radial on the VOR at the field and watch for traffic. As close to autopilot as possible, lol.
 
Last year we got a plane wash on the way home to Newcastle (UWL) and that was after leaving the fly-in early. This year is looking a lot better. It should be a lot cooler than a couple years ago too. According to fly-in posters there is supposed to be a P-38 coming to the show as well.
A lot of the traffic seems to be at or around pattern altitude way out. They're harder to see from above. You may want to drop down to 2500 or so a little further out for traffic visibility. It appears a new promoter has taken over this year....or at least thats what I've been told. Not sure what affect that will have...
We're flying a white C175 with red stripes. See ya there.

Frank
 
455 Bravo Uniform said:
Thanks! Is that the plane in your avatar? Will do.

Weather is looking to be decent, and hopefully cool enough where chances of popup TS should be low enough where I can stay til 2p.

I'll be in a rented 152, white, blue accents.

40 minutes if no wind. Trim er out at 3500 MSL, dial up the 90 radial on the VOR at the field and watch for traffic. As close to autopilot as possible, lol.
Click to expand...
Good luck, looking like we might stay in Ohio and visit a couple of county fairs, but please post your experience with your trip, would be interesting to hear a newbie's perspective.
 
I used to fly there every year...from Minnesota. Ain't nothing like airport pancakes to make an 11-hour round trip worthwhile! :D
 
Whew, got here at 8a, now standing in line for a pancake breakfast fundraiser. This event is a LOT bigger than I imagined. A lot of vintage aircraft, D3 rides, and some military planes that I need to look up.

I laid in bed a long time last night before falling asleep. I got 3 hrs. Woke up and thought about cancelling or going later. I crawled back in bed for 15 minutes but was wide awake, so I figured I'd go, maybe not stay past noon.

Grabbed flight following on the way. No traffic in route. Before requesting freq change 10 mi out, I asked Grissom approach if they could advise on how many aircraft they could see around the field. They said 6. Ok, I can do this, I told myself.

But for the VOR, the field was hard to spot. Some ground level haze and sun in my eyes. I started to see a bunch of planes and tried to work myself in what looked like the downwind line of planes. But then I wasn't comfortable with descending below traffic pattern or working my way into the line before actually spotting the field (too tight spacing, many were entering downwind way before midfield)...I broke away, did a loop to decide whether to just give up and head home or work my way in. Found an opening and followed the train. I was #2 on final when a dude sneaks in ahead of me announces "turning short final". I was gonna go around but decided to see what the spacing looked like at his touchdown. Nerves rattled, landing not one of my better ones, worried about floating, bounced it in. Oh well, I'm here and safe.

Lots of radio chatter on CTAF. Who is who?! Geez. The only useful calls were who was turning base and final (dude calling long final like 4 miles out was funny, I shoulda done that :) ).

Gotta eat my pancakes. Will report back later. Wx is awesome by the way.
 
Well that was pretty cool!

Cars, planes, food, met a few new people, and I got served a little hospitality (my daughter's basketball teammate's mom whom I know well is one the organizer's daughter; got shown around and invited to a lunch in one of the hangars, but I was too antsy to eat, was just thinking "I gotta get back". I hung around until about 12:30. What surprised me was how many people that were parked around me had already left! I guess a lot of people come early and leave early.

Met a lot of nice people.

Bumpy ride back, stayed under a scattered deck right at 4,500. Navigated away from Purdue football TFR. Awesome landing to finish up the day. 2.2 more hours of airborne fun and education, plus the great time on the ground. I could do this every weekend (wallet willing).

Thanks everyone for your advice and encouragement!! Glad I did it.
 
That's awesome you went! We made the trip too. I ended up getting marshaled to park on the closed runway instead of closer to the event in the grass. Congrats you tackled it, my arrival was pretty unsettling at first as well. I planned to join the downwind by flying directly over midfield from the east, but there were 2 RV's that were on a way-wide downwind so I just maneuvered in to fall in behind them and landing was a non-event.

We had the exact observation as you: people came early, ate, and then left early. Pancakes were great though. We stayed and looked at the tractors and antique cars and motorcyles. Talked to the Swift avgas guy who even gave us a coozie for our soda cans. Interestingly he said the FAA has issued a SAIB last week stating it was OK to begin using in engines with a MOGAS STC and that one of the airports we would pass on our way back home had the fuel for sale. We stopped there coming back and no one in the FBO knew anything about it!??

Did you see the P38 demo flights? We were right in front of the tent at show center as it made low passes, that is one smooth-sounding cool-azz airplane!
Some low, thin stuff, only clouds anywhere enroute to KMZZ:MarionAirShow.JPG
Could have had a ride for $85 MarionAirShowDC3.JPG P-38 engines were so smooth:MarionAirShowP38.JPG
How to beat the bumps: climb to 7500 MSL for the ride home. Winds were neutral: MarionAirShowOntop.JPG
 
I was going to leave around noon, but stayed to watch the P-38. It surprised me how quiet it was. I was parked at the north end of the grass between the runway and taxi-way. I started up and left right after the 4th pass (once the crowds went back across the taxiway.

I thought about going on top, but chickened out. I'll tackle that on another flight.

Got a cool pic with 2 warbirds behind my rented 152.
 

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455 Bravo Uniform said:
I thought about going on top, but chickened out. I'll tackle that on another flight.

Got a cool pic with 2 warbirds behind my rented 152.
Click to expand...
I totally saw your plane sitting out there. Weren't you behind that warbird with the racy nose-art and the blonde (female) pilot? ;-)

Great pic! Sounds like we may have left right about the same time. I was down low but the report of cool and smooth air above by my buddy in his 152 convinced me to climb on up. The clouds had started to thicken, but the humidity was low enough that it wasn't going to turn into a deck. By the time I landed back home and was driving home, it was late enough in the day it had gone SKC again.
 
Another great event put on by the crew at Air Marion, I have never seen the pattern so full! Great day!
 
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