Anybody been to the Oshkosh fly in?

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HatTrickHero11

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HatTrickHero11
I just saw the event on "The Aviators" and it looks way cool to be there. Do we have anyone here that has been?
 
Are there any events near Calfornia that you know of? I would love to go to something like that?
 
Go. Do not think it's "just another airshow". There's no way to describe it without having been there. Stay on the grounds, stuff happens at night that you won't see and can't be immersed in from a hotel room somewhere else.
 
I didn't mean to imply air show. I'm talking where the airplanes are on the ground and we can talk to te pilots and check out the planes.

I for one haven't been there, so there is at least one of us who hasn't.
 
HatTrickHero11 said:
Are there any events near Calfornia that you know of? I would love to go to something like that?
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Osh Kosh is the biggest by far,
The 2nd biggest is in Lakeland, FL called sun-n-fun
The 3rd biggest is in Arlington, WA

2nd and 3rd are far behind 1. I guess Arlington woudl be closest but it's a far cry from osh.
 
HatTrickHero11 said:
I didn't mean to imply air show. I'm talking where the airplanes are on the ground and we can talk to te pilots and check out the planes.

I for one haven't been there, so there is at least one of us who hasn't.
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You have to be new to aviation if you have just heard of it. Listen carefully! MAKE THE TRIP. Fly yourself or take commercial into Green Bay, Chicago, or Milwaukee. If you even like aviation at all it will be one of the best things you have ever done. There is nothing else like it in the world..............
 
Been thinking of flying in myself this year. It would be my first time. How difficult are the fly in procedures for a first timer?
 
dennyleeb said:
You have to be new to aviation if you have just heard of it. Listen carefully! MAKE THE TRIP. Fly yourself or take commercial into Green Bay, Chicago, or Milwaukee. If you even like aviation at all it will be one of the best things you have ever done. There is nothing else like it in the world..............
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Definitely new to all of this. You got that right
 
TangoWhiskey said:
You should go! It's great.

Here's my pictures from flying up there last year in a Turbo 182; we camped on field under the wing all week long.

https://picasaweb.google.com/104864247395730348780/Oshkosh2011

And while there, I got to ride in formation with Team AeroShell! Here's the pictures from that:

https://picasaweb.google.com/104864247395730348780/Jul292011TeamAeroShellT6TexanFormationAcroRide

And here's HD video of it!

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AWESOME! Pictures were good, and the video was tight. Thanks for sharing! Just excites me more about everything airplane related!
 
My camping spot last year:
5998219870_16922d4a26_z.jpg


Some pics, most from my tent:
 
Gubbins said:
Been thinking of flying in myself this year. It would be my first time. How difficult are the fly in procedures for a first timer?
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Dirt simple. Follow the directions, fly at your assigned speed, listen to instructions and get the ATIS as far out as you can so you know which procedure to review.
 
Gubbins said:
Been thinking of flying in myself this year. It would be my first time. How difficult are the fly in procedures for a first timer?
Click to expand...

And practice spot landings before you go.
 
HatTrickHero11 said:
Are there any events near Calfornia that you know of? I would love to go to something like that?
Click to expand...
Honestly, there IS nothing else like Oshkosh! I don't think that the 2nd through 10th runners-up combined could compete with Oshkosh. We've been every year since 2003, usually staying the entire week. Sometimes we stay with family, sometimes we camp in the tent/RV camping (which has 40,000 campsites!), and once we were in and out the same day (but in a King Air). We have yet to experience the ultimate; camping under the wing. To get an idea of the size, go to Google Maps, select satellite view, and zoom in on the Oshkosh airport. That is a satellite picture from last year's AirVenture. That might start to give you an idea of the size of this event. As you look at that image, keep in mind that the north/south runway is 8000' long, or about a mile and a half.
 
gprellwitz said:
Honestly, there IS nothing else like Oshkosh! I don't think that the 2nd through 10th runners-up combined could compete with Oshkosh. We've been every year since 2003, usually staying the entire week. Sometimes we stay with family, sometimes we camp in the tent/RV camping (which has 40,000 campsites!), and once we were in and out the same day (but in a King Air). We have yet to experience the ultimate; camping under the wing. To get an idea of the size, go to Google Maps, select satellite view, and zoom in on the Oshkosh airport. That is a satellite picture from last year's AirVenture. That might start to give you an idea of the size of this event. As you look at that image, keep in mind that the north/south runway is 8000' long, or about a mile and a half.
Click to expand...

There's also some photos taken from the ISS.
 
HatTrickHero11 said:
Are there any events near Calfornia that you know of? I would love to go to something like that?
Click to expand...

First off, there is nothing in the world like AirVenture at Oshkosh, this is the GA one that people fly in from all over the world for. You could combine all the other major GA fly ins across the world and they wouldn't add up to Oshkosh, how ever many have been dual entrants.

What you have in CA area isn't really fly in friendly unless you go pretty far out of town or spend $50k lol. The air races at Reno though are most definitely a trip. You can probably catch some casino shuttle from South Lake Tahoe area. There used to be a bit of a deal in Hollister, haven't heard in years. Here and there, small scale, make a hundred dollar hamburger a bit more worthwhile. Phoenix area has a pretty active CAF chapter;
5857717399_197144f06b_z.jpg
 
This will be our 30th consecutive Oshkosh, if'n the crik don't rise too much.

Go. There is nothing like it. We start dreaming about it every year right about now!
 
Yeah, I've not missed a year since 1992.
Look for the dark blue Navion in the last row before the trees behind the Hangar cafe.
At this point it's more about the people we see once a year there (Hi Jay!) than the planes.

They're will almost certainly be a "what do I bring to Oshkosh" or some similar thread started in late June.
 
Henning said:
Dirt simple. Follow the directions, fly at your assigned speed, listen to instructions and get the ATIS as far out as you can so you know which procedure to review.
Click to expand...

Gubbins said:
Been thinking of flying in myself this year. It would be my first time. How difficult are the fly in procedures for a first timer?
Click to expand...

murphey said:
And practice spot landings before you go.
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And be at the Ripon entry point 10 mins before they officially open. ATC will be more than happy to let you in. I had a good tail wind last year. ;)

The first Airventure I went to was in Rockford, IL. :eek: No, Orville & Wilber were not there. :nono:
 
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You can't get into pilot heaven unless you've gone to OSH. It's our version of the Hajj.

Wait a minute, maybe OSH is pilot heaven!

There's nothing like it.
 
Read the notam, understand the notam, follow the notam.

I usually fly in initially before the procedures are in effect, but almost always I'll have to come back in during the show (either via Ripon or the Warbird arrival).
 
Follow the NOTAM and hopefully Kent will update his very nice "but completely unofficial for legal purposes" one-page PDF this year again. :) :) :)
 
the show is wonderful. Wear good walking shoes and bring a camera!
 
I just can't see the draw of it. Spending several days camping on airport grounds with scores of people in either hot scorching weather, or swampy rainy weather, spending days milling around with throngs and throngs of people, dealing with airspace darkening flocks of traffic, many of whom have not flown since the last Oshkosh. I just cannot justify the expense of flying that far. None of the seminars really appeal to me, My wife and I are not really crowd people, so what would be the point?

Maybe I need my certificate yanked.:dunno:
 
Well Byron, I'm not a crowd person either. And unless you choose to crowd in at the flight line for the airshow, the only time you'll feel crowded is on the bus rides.

And the crowd are all people you'd probably like. It's NOT like going to a museum or Jamboree or anything else. Most big gatherings have a high number of people who are in it for whatever their particular thrill is. At OSH, people seem to really be aware of their part in something special. Things I've seen:
  • A guy losing his fanny pack, with his new digital camera and $2500 in cash in it. It was at the lost and found the next day - ALL of it.
  • 10 people saving and re-staking a tent in a thunderstorm. Wasn't their tent, wasn't even their section of the campground. They just saw the problem and dealt with it.
  • The South African contingent picking the nicest porta-potty in their section, and putting a "ladies" sign on it, with a welcome mat and flowers planted by it.
  • People looking out for each other, everywhere, all the time. If my kid got lost, I'd be worried about her being afraid. I wouldn't worry about her safety.
  • I've stayed till the last days, and the campgrounds look great when people leave. There's no trash left behind.
I'm not trying to sell you on it, sir. I do suggest that you come out some time and see for yourself. Catch a cheap flight to Milwaukee, Green Bay, or even Midway, and drive up. Spend two days and a night (you can find hotels with a 45 minute drive) and hook up with some of your fellow POA-ers.
 
TMetzinger said:
Well Byron, I'm not a crowd person either. And unless you choose to crowd in at the flight line for the airshow, the only time you'll feel crowded is on the bus rides.

And the crowd are all people you'd probably like. It's NOT like going to a museum or Jamboree or anything else. Most big gatherings have a high number of people who are in it for whatever their particular thrill is. At OSH, people seem to really be aware of their part in something special. Things I've seen:
  • A guy losing his fanny pack, with his new digital camera and $2500 in cash in it. It was at the lost and found the next day - ALL of it.
  • 10 people saving and re-staking a tent in a thunderstorm. Wasn't their tent, wasn't even their section of the campground. They just saw the problem and dealt with it.
  • The South African contingent picking the nicest porta-potty in their section, and putting a "ladies" sign on it, with a welcome mat and flowers planted by it.
  • People looking out for each other, everywhere, all the time. If my kid got lost, I'd be worried about her being afraid. I wouldn't worry about her safety.
  • I've stayed till the last days, and the campgrounds look great when people leave. There's no trash left behind.
I'm not trying to sell you on it, sir. I do suggest that you come out some time and see for yourself. Catch a cheap flight to Milwaukee, Green Bay, or even Midway, and drive up. Spend two days and a night (you can find hotels with a 45 minute drive) and hook up with some of your fellow POA-ers.
Click to expand...
:yeahthat:
 
I hate crowds, but I live crowds of pilots. I love crowds of airplanes even better, and those they got at Oshkosh. Yeah, the wx sucks, but it sucks where you live, so what's the difference? I just wish I could go this year. May hit Sun N Fun.
 
Here is my beast I flew to the show a couple of years ago.. I spent 12+ hours a day trying to convince thousands of people I REALLY did fly it in from Wyoming :yesnod::yesnod: and I didn't truck it in :no::no:..




As for flying in the first time, the safe way is to hit your arrival at the very beginning of the day, as in be lined up on Ripon at 7 am... Practice spot landings and once safely on the ground tie the plane down and ENJOY the entire atmosphere.. It CANNOT be missed by anyone even slightly interested in aviation...
 

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Aztec Driver said:
I just can't see the draw of it. Spending several days camping on airport grounds with scores of people in either hot scorching weather, or swampy rainy weather, spending days milling around with throngs and throngs of people, dealing with airspace darkening flocks of traffic, many of whom have not flown since the last Oshkosh. I just cannot justify the expense of flying that far. None of the seminars really appeal to me, My wife and I are not really crowd people, so what would be the point?

Maybe I need my certificate yanked.:dunno:
Click to expand...

Don't try and describe the ocean if you have never seen it! You sound like a virgin talking about how awful sex is.

If you like anything to do with aviation, you can't help but love it........
 
murphey said:
The better question is who here has NOT been to Oshkosh?
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I plead guilty to that :D
I avoid crowded events, generally I like peace and solitude, when everyone heads from A to B I fly from B to A.
 
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