AOPA open house June 4

I wasn't aware of a November open house.

The AOPA open house is a really good get-together tho with lots of info, vendors, vintage and new aircraft, and generally a rip-roaring good time.

If the "spatical disorientation simulator" is there, it's a MUST TRY - its a real eye opener as to how little you can trust your body.

Sadly, I won't be there.

I'll be in Florida, harassing Ken...
 
It frequently does. If I'm not mistaken, the last three years running have been MVFR to solid IMC.

Just ask Ron Levy to relay his own experience with one of our compatriots during that last solid imc fly in...
 
Greebo said:
It frequently does. If I'm not mistaken, the last three years running have been MVFR to solid IMC.

Just ask Ron Levy to relay his own experience with one of our compatriots during that last solid imc fly in...
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Last years' was all rainy, cloudy, and cold. Even the drive down was challenging at times. On the plus side, the lines at the vendors were almost non-existent, and we spent very little time standing around, despite a surprisingly big crowd. Still didn't get in to hear Rod Machado speak, though :( We had a good time, even if we did have to keep running back into the AOPA building to warm up.
 
First, yes, I'll be there, if the weather is decent. The avionics in the Cheeger are original 1979 Narco, and aren't as relieable as they were a quarter-century ago. I'm not comfortable in low IFR with them.

Second, the June gig is an Open House at AOPA Headquarters, with the show spread out over the ramp and in the building. It's a big one-day fly-in. The November gig is the AOPA Expo held in a convention center, alternating East/West Coast, and is less a fly-in and more a week-long convention.

I was out of the country last year and missed it, but I can say that the 2001 and 2003 Open Houses were notable for their really lousy weather -- ILS to mins both times, although it opened up later in the day.

I can definitely say that you'd better be real careful arriving, especially in the 1000-1200 time block. Too many folks making this trip remind me of the Smoketown Bandits -- haven't read the NOTAMs/procedures and aren't real good at their radio and stick/rudder skills. You'd better have memorized the arrival procedure, be disciplined enough to NOT transmit unless asked, fly the procedure EXACTLY (including speeds in the ingress route), and be able to land the plane so you make a specified turn off the runway -- no landing short and taxiing forever to get ther, no missed turns, and know which is the right turnoff. As always, head on a swivel big-time, as there are folks who won't be doing what they're supposed to.
 
Ron Levy said:
Too many folks making this trip remind me of the Smoketown Bandits -- haven't read the NOTAMs/procedures and aren't real good at their radio and stick/rudder skills. You'd better have memorized the arrival procedure, be disciplined enough to NOT transmit unless asked, fly the procedure EXACTLY (including speeds in the ingress route), and be able to land the plane so you make a specified turn off the runway -- no landing short and taxiing forever to get ther, no missed turns, and know which is the right turnoff. As always, head on a swivel big-time, as there are folks who won't be doing what they're supposed to.
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I've been to AOPA open house twice. Tying down the aircraft after the first arrival I swore I would never go back for all of the reasons Ron mentions above. I heard pilots chewing on each other using ATC frequency--for minutes at a time. I saw pilots cutting into the arrival conga line well inside the collection fix. I saw pilots blowing across the arrival conga line, at conga line altitude, clueless of where they were or how to get to where they needed to go. I saw pilots wandering around FDK airport clueless as to which runway was which, or where "downwind" might be normally located. The open house just wasn't good enough to justify my death. Tying down the aircraft after the second arrival I reminded myself of my previous pledge. I need to go this year for a 10 AM meeting but I will either arrive at 7 AM or I will drive--I am not flying amidst those yahoos ever again. BTW, I go to Oshkosh every year. Based on my casual and totally unscientific observations EAA pulls an order of magnitude better caliber pilots than AOPA. My guess is that the AOPA open house's proximity to so much east coast population temps the pilot who hasn't flown for the past millennia or two to come out for a day.

YMMV, opinions may differ, you are welcome to yours, etc., but if there weren't a compelling reason to go (and the open house itself isn't a sufficiently compelling reason) I'd give it a miss.
 
Ed Guthrie said:
snip
BTW, I go to Oshkosh every year. Based on my casual and totally unscientific observations EAA pulls an order of magnitude better caliber pilots than AOPA. My guess is that the AOPA open house's proximity to so much east coast population temps the pilot who hasn't flown for the past millennia or two to come out for a day.

snip
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My equally unscientific guess, based on having lived in a number of areas across the country, is that what you are seeing is more a difference in the people's attitudes than piloting skill. I find driving here is much like the flying you describe, and haven't run into equal pushiness even on more crowded roads. Folks in the Northeas are just pushier and less considerate on a non-personal basis.
 
Joe Williams said:
Folks in the Northeas are just pushier and less considerate on a non-personal basis.
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There you go with those generalizations again Joe! You're going to get dinged again by all those Noreasters! :D
 
bstratt said:
There you go with those generalizations again Joe! You're going to get dinged again by all those Noreasters! :D
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Probably LOL. But when my in-laws were visiting this last weekend, they gave up the keys and had me drive their Durango when we went anywhere. Said the folks here are bonkers.
 
There you go with those generalizations again Joe! You're going to get dinged again by all those Noreasters!
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Nope - he's right.
 
Joe Williams said:
Probably LOL. But when my in-laws were visiting this last weekend, they gave up the keys and had me drive their Durango when we went anywhere. Said the folks here are bonkers.
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:yes: Any time I travel out east I have to change my driving from easy going to right foot all the way down and hand on horn.
 
Joe Williams said:
Said the folks here are bonkers.
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Yep. Reminds me of when I worked in Pittsburgh, PA. Anyone else here know what a Pittsburgh left (turn) is?
 
inav8r said:
Yep. Reminds me of when I worked in Pittsburgh, PA. Anyone else here know what a Pittsburgh left (turn) is?
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Yeah, three rights across four bridges.
 
Greebo said:
Yeah, three rights across four bridges.
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Incorrect. It's when you turn left in front of on coming traffic as the light turns green (because left turn arrow's are (were) uncommon). I've seen people go while the light was still red...
 
I'm going, not sure if I'm gonna Fly , drive or ride. Booked a room and plan to arrive on Friday afternoon.
 
Too many folks making this trip remind me of the Smoketown Bandits -- haven't read the NOTAMs/procedures and aren't real good at their radio and stick/rudder skills. You'd better have memorized the arrival procedure, be disciplined enough to NOT transmit unless asked, fly the procedure EXACTLY (including speeds in the ingress route), and be able to land the plane so you make a specified turn off the runway -- no landing short and taxiing forever to get ther, no missed turns, and know which is the right turnoff. As always, head on a swivel big-time, as there are folks who won't be doing what they're supposed to.


"I've been to AOPA open house twice. Tying down the aircraft after the first arrival I swore I would never go back for all of the reasons Ron mentions above. I heard pilots chewing on each other using ATC frequency--for minutes at a time. I saw pilots cutting into the arrival conga line well inside the collection fix. I saw pilots blowing across the arrival conga line, at conga line altitude, clueless of where they were or how to get to where they needed to go. I saw pilots wandering around FDK airport clueless as to which runway was which, or where "downwind" might be normally located. The open house just wasn't good enough to justify my death. Tying down the aircraft after the second arrival I reminded myself of my previous pledge. I need to go this year for a 10 AM meeting but I will either arrive at 7 AM or I will drive--I am not flying amidst those yahoos ever again. BTW, I go to Oshkosh every year. Based on my casual and totally unscientific observations EAA pulls an order of magnitude better caliber pilots than AOPA. My guess is that the AOPA open house's proximity to so much east coast population temps the pilot who hasn't flown for the past millennia or two to come out for a day.
Ed Guthrie said:
I've been to AOPA open house twice. Tying down the aircraft after the first arrival I swore I would never go back for all of the reasons Ron mentions above. I heard pilots chewing on each other using ATC frequency--for minutes at a time. I saw pilots cutting into the arrival conga line well inside the collection fix. I saw pilots blowing across the arrival conga line, at conga line altitude, clueless of where they were or how to get to where they needed to go. I saw pilots wandering around FDK airport clueless as to which runway was which, or where "downwind" might be normally located. The open house just wasn't good enough to justify my death. Tying down the aircraft after the second arrival I reminded myself of my previous pledge. I need to go this year for a 10 AM meeting but I will either arrive at 7 AM or I will drive--I am not flying amidst those yahoos ever again. BTW, I go to Oshkosh every year. Based on my casual and totally unscientific observations EAA pulls an order of magnitude better caliber pilots than AOPA. My guess is that the AOPA open house's proximity to so much east coast population temps the pilot who hasn't flown for the past millennia or two to come out for a day.

YMMV, opinions may differ, you are welcome to yours, etc., but if there weren't a compelling reason to go (and the open house itself isn't a sufficiently compelling reason) I'd give it a miss.
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Generally true of fly-ins, the busier, the weirder the "pattern" gets. But it is a great experience to be in the "pattern" (let's 'fess up and call it a convergence zone !) with 30 or more other aircraft including jets, with a minmum voice ATC/tower and flying egos wider than the Wild Blue Yonder.

The typical en mass take-off after an airshow airport closure runs a close second in wierdness and is not to be missed -at least once in a lifetime.
 
woodstock said:
ditto. definitely right. and they do get pushier the farther north you go.
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Heck, in Michigan, MDOT is looking to see how it can add potholes to the traffic pattern....fair's fair after all.
 
Oshkosh is staffed by a very select volunteer crew competitively chosen who do a lot of special training and come back year after year. At FDK the controllers staffing the temporary tower are just folks snatched out of BWI tower and Potomac TRACON, with, AFAIK, no real special training for the event, and with no preference of which I know for those who've done it before. As a result, they aren't used to this kind of operation and are sometimes as clueless as some of the pilots. The combination is scary, so I always arrive early before the mad rush, and leave late after the main departure stampede.
 
woodstock said:
anyone here going to go?
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I've just decided to go. I'll be arriving by car for a 10:00 meeting. Should be free by noon.

Anyone else going to be around?
 
Carol said:
I've just decided to go. I'll be arriving by car for a 10:00 meeting. Should be free by noon.

Anyone else going to be around?
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We're driving down. From the comments of others, and my still developing ability to deal with crowded patterns, flying doesn't seem like a great idea.
 
MSmith said:
Nope - he's right.
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All prejudice are right. They don't apply to all in the category, Buy they do in the masses. You don't think all those "Drunk Irish" Jokes came about for no reason , do you? (I picked that because I am Irish & we do, as a whole, Like to drink)

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In the NE we are all running around trying to cut the 2 & 1/2 hr commute down to 2 houses so we can get to our second job & still make it home to spend 12 quality mins with our family before we pass out.

One thing I have found out is that no matter where I go, people are about the same. The area they are in makes then appear different, But they are not.

In the South, your neighbor says Hi, with a big smile & then says "Guess what that ***** is doing...." to her friend after you leave.

In the NE we just say "get out of my way *****"

At least in the NE you know who your friends are. No time for fake niceness BS.

Here in Louisiana, People drive worse than people from NJ. :)

Maybe it is all the Daiquiris they drink on their way to church? :) :) :)
 
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