Airventure Flyin Tips

Geico266

Geico266

Touchdown! Greaser!
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Jun 15, 2008
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Husker Nation, NE
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Display name:
Geico
In no particular order here are some tips I have shared with others flying into OSH. Feel free to add more.

1. Practice slow flight, spot landings, and slow speed turns. Don't do any maneuvers at OSH that you have not done in the last 30 days. If you can't safely do what the ATC asks tell them so. Don't do stupid pilot tricks, watch your airspeed!

2. Read and understand the NOTAM. Carry it in your plane for reference. When it says "fly over the tracks" put the spinner directly over the tracks! ATC is expecting you OVER THE TRACKS!

3. If you see a pilot doing stupid pilot tricks just watch your own flight. Don't become distracted watching them! People act differently to different situations and stress. Be alert, fly like a pro, do your job to be safe and help keep traffic moving. If you need to break out and start over do it.

4. Don't talk on the ATC freqs unless you have to, or ATC asks you a question. If they have the time they really like to chat. Speak only when spoken to.

5. As you are flying to OSH monitor 122.75. As you get closer (100 miles or more) you should be able to hear what runways are in use, and if there are any delays. Take that time to review the procedures for those 2 particular runways. If you have time pass that information on as soon as you hear it so pilots behind you can here the same info. Just like announcing to the "air" at an uncontrolled airport people will be listening and will appreciate the heads up.

6. After landing an official "war hoop" is permissible with one fist pump. Congrats, you have landed at OSH during the "Big Show". Have fun!


Any other tips or questions?
 
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Understand that "spot" landings aren't really what the tower is after. Yeah find if you plant it right on the dot, but they're just trying to space people out on the rollout so 30-40 feet on either side is fine.

What you should practice is flying TIGHT patterns. If you're accustomed to being a half a mile wide on down wind and flying equally long finals you're doing it wrong as it is and it's even worse (especially on runway 27).

As Geico points out, if there's someone ahead or next to you that's causing you consternation on the Ripon transition, turn left (unless he's to your left) and go back again. I kept running up on some idiot 182 that decided he should fly the transition at 70 MPH. I figured I'd put some space between me.

I've never needed to tune 122.75 or really care before I got to FISK what runways were in use (besides it IS on the ATIS that you were SUPPOSED to listen to). The guys at FISK will tell you what is next.

The key is to read through that NOTAM in all the different configurations until you are certain you can fly them AS STATED. Don't invent new procedures or try to game the system for your own purpose. Unless you're flying something odd that can't do 90 knots, go to RIPON at 1800, get on 90 knots and fly up the tracks. FISK can be hard to spot so throwing a GPS waypoint there (the lat-longs are in the NOTAM if you don't have it in the GPS).

Don't forget your tie downs! They are available there for a (somewhat refundable) deposit but it really much better if you bring your own.

I've been flying to Oshkosh for 23 years. I've been both in the tower and to FISK (on the ground) during the show. I've flown the charted arrivals (RIPON and WARBIRDS) more times in the past three years than just about anybody else here (I give rides to volunteers throughout the show).
 
Drink plenty of water, stay hydraded, drink water, take an aspirin a couple of times a day, drink water, lot of water. You should have to pee every 3 hours, if you are not you are dehydrated. Drink water. :D

Wear comfortable shoes. When I stop for lunch I take my shoes and socks off. Clears out the table and keeps my feet comfy! :lol:
 
Geico266 said:
Drink plenty of water, stay hydraded, drink water, take an aspirin a couple of times a day, drink water, lot of water. You should have to pee every 3 hours, if you are not you are dehydrated. Drink water. :D

Wear comfortable shoes. When I stop for lunch I take my shoes and socks off. Clears out the table and keeps my feet comfy! :lol:
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My wife is a firm believer in flip-flops. Every year I tell her to wear shoes, but she says it makes her feet too hot. 5 hours later, "Can we sit down? My feet hurt." She does this everywhere.
 
The one time I wore sandals my feet were striped for a year.

My biggest piece of advice after flying in for a decade is relax. Do read the NOTAM, but remember it isn't really that hard. Really all you need to do is get behind someone and follow them in. That's it. The landmarks are pretty obvious and you probably won't have any trouble at all.
 
Ride the trams whenever it works for you. The steps you save on Monday will make Friday a whole lot easier.
 
Stay off the concrete whenever you can as well. Standing on the exhibit floors or out on the taxiway, it's amazing how hard it is on your back and legs. Standing off on the grass is much easier.
 
As Ron says, practice tight patterns. As importantly, practice tight RIGHT-HAND patterns, cuz that's what you'll get on RWY 27, which is the runway I've landed on most often.

In four-place planes, a right hand pattern feels...different...and we might go half a year or more without running into one in normal flight. As a result, the inclination is to keep the turns more shallow than normal, which can translate into a larger - than - optimal pattern.

Go find a right hand traffic airport and practice spot landings. You will feel much more comfy landing at OSH.
 
steingar said:
The one time I wore sandals my feet were striped for a year.

My biggest piece of advice after flying in for a decade is relax. Do read the NOTAM, but remember it isn't really that hard. Really all you need to do is get behind someone and follow them in. That's it. The landmarks are pretty obvious and you probably won't have any trouble at all.
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An exceptionally good tip! :yes:
 
And for those of you parking, bring 3 pieces of 3/8 to 1/2 inc plywood, each 1 ft square. These go under each wheel to keep the tires from sinking into the mud. There will be mud. You will appreciate it when you go to leave.
 
murphey said:
And for those of you parking, bring 3 pieces of 3/8 to 1/2 inc plywood, each 1 ft square. These go under each wheel to keep the tires from sinking into the mud. There will be mud. You will appreciate it when you go to leave.
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In our Pathfinder, water-saturated 1/2" plywood broke neatly in half. I recommend 3/4" treated, for heavier singles.
 
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