Check field conditions before heading to OSH

Wooo hooo! Outta here and headed to the BIG show! :)
 
Just got off the phone with one of the Cessna group. They've been camping onsite but the airplanes are in Juneau and Fond du Lac. They were about to board the buses to try and ferry the planes back to OSH.

It's soggy.

For those flying in, might be a good idea to pick up 3 boards - 1 in thick, 12 in x 12 in, and angled at one end (like a tiny ramp) to put under the wheels so you don't get stuck in the mud.
 
For those flying in, might be a good idea to pick up 3 boards - 1 in thick, 12 in x 12 in, and angled at one end (like a tiny ramp) to put under the wheels so you don't get stuck in the mud.


More better 3 pcs 1/2" plywood 6" x9" (not so heavy, y'know) and angling with this small wood not necessary.

Used this scheme the last 5 years I was at Oshkosh and it worked well for the 182. Heavier or lighter? Adjust length and width accordingly. ez drivers can prob'ly get by with a popsicle stick. :cheerswine:

Jim
 
Good idea on the boards. I'm off to the shed to fabricate something out of some old 6" deck planks. Off to FLD in the morning (field conditions permitting).
 
Took my IFR slot northbound from St. Louis, got as far as Madison, when madison approach asked my intentions given that a GA plane had just been turned away from OSH. I diverted to KUNU (Dodge County).


Arrived to find 40+ pilots all waiting in the lounge. It was packed. I walk outside to check the fueling of 9093K and make a phone call. I get back into the lounge and everybody's gone! EAA or someone had arranged a school bus to take them up to OSH. Not 15 minutes later, a line kid comes in and announces that OSH is now open to GA traffic.

A quick check on the website to confirm, and then it's off to RIPON!

I landed 10 minutes before they closed the airport for the airshow.

That's the good news.

Bad news is that despite my GAC parking sticker, I get vectored to GAP parking (practically near the Orion FBO), and told that we have to take a bus to our camping site. I'm close to the registration building (row 512) right next to the new(?) shower buildings.

After serveral back and forth trips to the plane, and dinner at Friar Tuck's, im now finally set up at my camping site.

Camping as OSH is great, but not being able to camp next to your plane, blows.

As to the ground conditions, it's not bad. It's worse at the endges of rows, buildings, roads, runways, etc.

Basically if you could get to a camping spot, you'd be fine. It's the getting to it that's the problem.

Still, I'm here.
 
Brian:

doesn't matter what your sign reads, the airplane will be parked where the ground crew puts it based on the condition of the field.
 
I realize (dammit) that I'm not going to get to Mecca on the Winnebago this year, but it sure would be nice to see when and how the field is open to this or that class of aircraft. I've seen warbirds get in when the field is completely closed, show aircraft get in on other pretexts, and the general aviation crowd get in when EAA damned well lets ATC know the knobs.

I'm not sure I buy into that incestuous relationship, but how can I know online what the airport is allowing at any one point in time in REALTIME?

Thanks,

Jim
 
Brian:

doesn't matter what your sign reads, the airplane will be parked where the ground crew puts it based on the condition of the field.

Yeah I understand that now.... Just surprised me when we're taxiing... Following someone that has GAP.

I guess I'm lucky to have made it in. It sounds like they closed GA arrivals after the airshow pretty quickly.

Biggest issue with camping so far from the plane is the amount of time/effort it takes to schlep the camping stuff.... I
 
I guess I'm lucky to have made it in. It sounds like they closed GA arrivals after the airshow pretty quickly.

Yup. I had to wave off, they closed again while I was in the air, so I just flew home. :(

I guess I'm going to drive back up today.
 
Well our Cherokee's to Osh arrival ended up being on a Bus! We parked over at Waupaca all week and did get formation flying training in but never did get to take it to Osh. We did have a lot of fun and met a bunch of really nice folks (Cherokee, Cessna, and Bo owners). Thanks Pete (Manager at Waupaca) for doing a wonderful job with us all. You really did go way beyond your job description and we all appreciate it.

We flew home to Wings (KOM) in Philly yesterday with a hop from Waupaca to Ashtabula County, then into Wings; stopped at the Steakhouse for a big steak and bigger beer, then home to bed.

Even without the formation arrival, we still had a ton of fun. See ya'll in a year.

IMG_4782.jpg
 
If I am not mistaken I would say that the photo shows a head on shot of my aircraft with me and my pal leading the formation in. Pity it wasn't in to Oshkosh, but that is just how things go.
 
Well our Cherokee's to Osh arrival ended up being on a Bus! We parked over at Waupaca all week and did get formation flying training in but never did get to take it to Osh. We did have a lot of fun and met a bunch of really nice folks (Cherokee, Cessna, and Bo owners). Thanks Pete (Manager at Waupaca) for doing a wonderful job with us all. You really did go way beyond your job description and we all appreciate it.

We flew home to Wings (KOM) in Philly yesterday with a hop from Waupaca to Ashtabula County, then into Wings; stopped at the Steakhouse for a big steak and bigger beer, then home to bed.

Even without the formation arrival, we still had a ton of fun. See ya'll in a year.

IMG_4782.jpg

I'm curious, did you go over Lake Michigan, around the tip, or west of Chicago?
 
I went over Lake Erie and Lake Michigan both directions. I flew IFR so Airnav has a good visual on the routing. My only "issue" with my routing happened on the way back yesterday when Detroit tried to vector me 50 miles south to stay out of their departure corridor. When I complained, they give me a little bit of a turn to the SE before finally letting me go direct to Ashtabula, OH.

http://flightaware.com/live/flight_...parturetime=1280242980&arrivaltime=1280256000
 
We went lakeside around the Chicago Bravo on the way in, and over the Bravo on the way back. I would have gone over on the way in, but winds topside were screaming.
 
We went lakeside around the Chicago Bravo on the way in, and over the Bravo on the way back. I would have gone over on the way in, but winds topside were screaming.

Were you VFR over the top of the Bravo? I've heard they won't give you that clearance if you were IFR.

Sorry for the dumb questions, but I really appreciate hearing about the great long XC use of GA aircraft.
 
I went over Lake Erie and Lake Michigan both directions. I flew IFR so Airnav has a good visual on the routing. My only "issue" with my routing happened on the way back yesterday when Detroit tried to vector me 50 miles south to stay out of their departure corridor. When I complained, they give me a little bit of a turn to the SE before finally letting me go direct to Ashtabula, OH.

http://flightaware.com/live/flight_...parturetime=1280242980&arrivaltime=1280256000

That's why I always file to TOL VOR when headed your way.
 
If I am not mistaken I would say that the photo shows a head on shot of my aircraft with me and my pal leading the formation in. Pity it wasn't in to Oshkosh, but that is just how things go.


You're Mistaken :)
 
Were you VFR over the top of the Bravo? I've heard they won't give you that clearance if you were IFR.

Sorry for the dumb questions, but I really appreciate hearing about the great long XC use of GA aircraft.

Yeah, VFR above the class Bravo, which ends at 10K feet. We used an altimeter setting from O'Hare itself. A bit unusual to see airline traffic below us.

Not a dumb question at all. I've been going to Oshkosh for years and this is the first time I've done it. It works great traveling west to east, like I said you can take advantage of some strong tail winds. The other way those tail winds turn into head winds. If you're in a little Cherokee like mine that can take a real bite out of your cruising speed, thus I duck out of it and go low, where the winds aren't so bad. You can go below the Bravo hugging the shoreline along the lake, and get a spectacular view of the city while you're at it.
 
So how much of a swamp is Camp Scholler still? Last reports I heard it was still "spongy" at best and battling a major infestation of mosquitos.
 
Question for those with experience at OSH

Am planning on flying up there today. As of this moment General Aviation Parking is still closed, though it might open later today. I don't want to fly to Fon Du Lac as it seems like the bus only stops once a day? Appleton is a possibility, though shuttle is only hourly.

I noticed that Osh has left all of the 'Showplane' parking categories open. One of the 'Showplane' categories is 'Vintage'-defined as anything manufactured before 1971.

So here' the question - I have a 1967 Cherokee. Not a showplane by any stretch of the term, though she's pretty to me. Do you think I can go directly to OSH and use a showplane parking sign? Is my plane going to be out of place? What, if anything, do I need to know about this little plan?

Thanks so much
 
You can park in the VINTAGE area which (last I heard) is accepting.
 
Now I'm not commenting on how good looking the Aztruck is, but last Year it parked in Vintage so your Cherokee should be fine and fit right in.
 
Re: Question for those with experience at OSH

Your 1967 cherokee is legitimately a Vintage aircraft. Go on in!
 
Oshkosh is open to all arrivals as of 0700 on the airventure status page. GAC and GAP in the North 40.
 
So how much of a swamp is Camp Scholler still? Last reports I heard it was still "spongy" at best and battling a major infestation of mosquitos.

No, it's spongy at worst, and just fine in most places.

As for the skeeters, well, you're camping in Wisconsin. The skeeters have N numbers here. But, bring bug spray and you'll be fine - I got bit a couple of times the first night, but the bug spray has kept them away quite well since.
 
No, it's spongy at worst, and just fine in most places.

As for the skeeters, well, you're camping in Wisconsin. The skeeters have N numbers here. But, bring bug spray and you'll be fine - I got bit a couple of times the first night, but the bug spray has kept them away quite well since.

Cool, thanks! Gunna head up tomorrow then...:)

B
 
Last edited:
Back
Top