Strange OSH behavior

denverpilot

denverpilot

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What is it about OSH that triggers this behavior...

"I want to go to OSH. Should I?"

I would assume the exact same person would not say...

"I want to go to a concert. Should I?"

Or...

"I want to go on a cruise. Should I?"

Just something I noticed. What triggers the worry about showing up?
 
If it's about flying in, perhaps they're just scared of crashing (rightly so, it seems to happen to at least one person every year) or being overwhelmed. Otherwise, I'm not sure. It's certainly not for lack of information--about 10% of the Internet is devoted to airventure information, helpful tips, trip reports etc.
 
Just my thoughts...

If flying in...trepidation about making the flight. It's what caused me to avoid OSH for years until I pulled the plug.

For first timers, curiosity as to what OSH is all about. Or, maybe trying to find out the most cost effective/fun way to experience OSH. Hence all the threads about flying in/driving in/camping/hotel-ing/yadda yadda yadda.
 
Brad Z said:
If it's about flying in, perhaps they're just scared of crashing (rightly so, it seems to happen to at least one person every year) or being overwhelmed. Otherwise, I'm not sure. It's certainly not for lack of information--about 10% of the Internet is devoted to airventure information, helpful tips, trip reports etc.
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I bet for every one person injured or killed in a plane while headed to or from Osh, there are 5 times as many hurt or killed in cars...
 
For me:

1. It's an 800 mile, 6+hr. flight. Not exactly a short hop for some.
2. The arrival can be kind of crazy and nerve racking. Never done it as PIC.
3. The family isn't nearly as into such things as I am, and to commit to a few days away from the family for an air show type event can be a bit of a decision for the family man.
4. Got to take time off work. Vacation is usually reserved for doing things with the family.

None of these things are deal breakers, but taken together, they cause me to have pause about going to OSH.

However, I have thought about hauling the fam to nearby Wisconsin Dells during Airventure. Kill two birds with one stone, ya know.
 
N801BH said:
I bet for every one person injured or killed in a plane while headed to or from Osh, there are 5 times as many hurt or killed in cars...
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Driving to or from OSH? A lot more people die in planes to and from OSH than cars, and magnitudes more cars drive Oshkosh than airplanes.
 
My father and I flew into the show quite a few years ago. We lived in the Chicago area, so it was a day trip for us. What a blast, it was a perfect Midwestern summer day and the show was fantastic.

If you can go, do go.
 
Brad Z said:
Driving to or from OSH? A lot more people die in planes to and from OSH than cars, and magnitudes more cars drive Oshkosh than airplanes.
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I would like to see some validation of that...:rolleyes:
 
Untill you've done it,you tend to believe the war stories,of what can go wrong. Once you do go ,then you realize how easy it is,if you read and understand the notams. With all the alternate airports in the area,there is no reason not to at least fly into the area ,for the show.
 
frfly172 said:
Untill you've done it,you tend to believe the war stories,of what can go wrong. Once you do go ,then you realize how easy it is,if you read and understand the notams. With all the alternate airports in the area,there is no reason not to at least fly into the area ,for the show.
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Agreed....

Read the NOTAM....... Arrive at Ripon, look around, get in the conga line, follow the tracks........... and enjoy the show....

Easy Pleasy.....:yes:
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
26 page notams give one pause.
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The part that actually applies to you is only a couple pages. Unless you're going to fly a piston single in, then leave and fly back in a warbird, then leave again and fly back in a seaplane, and then depart IFR…

Read the two or three pages that you need and do it. Honestly, it is neither difficult nor particularly dangerous. Operations around crowded uncontrolled fields worry me more.

A week spent camping among airplanes and talking airplanes with pilots. I just can't imagine a better vacation.
 
I decided to fly my CTSW into OSH this year. It's a bucket list item, no time like the present, and all that.

I've read the NOTAM a million times, but if I somehow screw it up, I'm sure I won't be the first. It's unlikely that any mistakes will harm anything more than my ego.
 
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Brad Z said:
If it's about flying in, perhaps they're just scared of crashing (rightly so, it seems to happen to at least one person every year) or being overwhelmed. Otherwise, I'm not sure. It's certainly not for lack of information--about 10% of the Internet is devoted to airventure information, helpful tips, trip reports etc.
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Do you have some data to back this up? We're talking about flying into or out of KOSH. Random airplane accidents around the country that week don't count. And neither do test pilots showing off their airplanes at the show, or airshow performers. We're talking a regular GA pilot trying to decide if it's safe to fly his/her airplane to Oshkosh, and certainly is.
 
Gsxrpilot said:
Do you have some data to back this up? We're talking about flying into or out of KOSH. Random airplane accidents around the country that week don't count. And neither do test pilots showing off their airplanes at the show, or airshow performers. We're talking a regular GA pilot trying to decide if it's safe to fly his/her airplane to Oshkosh, and certainly is.
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In reluctant defense of the fellow's point, there are a lot of crashes of aircraft coming to and from Oshkosh. I hear one or two on the radio just about every year. I read and hear about more. It is to be expected though, when 10,000 aircraft all start flying at the same time.
 
I didn't ask if I should go, I'm just flat out not going, though I would like to.

Just too far away for me.
 
True, but the crashes are because more people are flying that week, and not because of the FISK arrival or the "danger" of KOSH. Just because some poor fella decides to fly his Mooney from KAUS to KOSH and happens to run out of fuel and crash somewhere in Kansas, doesn't mean flying to KOSH is dangerous.

My point is that KOSH is very safe. It's well run and no more crash prone than your average $100 hamburger run. It does require skill, and advance planning, read and know the NOTAM, etc. But no way does the arrival or departure to KOSH cause crashes every year.
 
steingar said:
The part that actually applies to you is only a couple pages. Unless you're going to fly a piston single in, then leave and fly back in a warbird, then leave again and fly back in a seaplane, and then depart IFR…
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lol. I think you've just given me an idea... ;-)
 
steingar said:
The part that actually applies to you is only a couple pages. Unless you're going to fly a piston single in, then leave and fly back in a warbird, then leave again and fly back in a seaplane, and then depart IFR…
Click to expand...


or arrive in a helicopter, or an ultra-light.
 
bullwinkle said:
I've read the NOTAM a million times, but if I somehow screw it up, I'm sure I won't be the first. It's unlikely that any mistakes will harm anything more than my ego.
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Nope, you won't be the first one. In fact, it's extraordinarily unlikely that you won't hear someone screwing up as you listen to ATC on approach.

But what you'll also hear is ATC keeping things well under control and safe while fixing the screw up and never getting mad or making someone feel like a screw up.

But, yeah, read the notam and try to do everything right. You'll be fine.
 
Gsxrpilot said:
True, but the crashes are because more people are flying that week, and not because of the FISK arrival or the "danger" of KOSH. Just because some poor fella decides to fly his Mooney from KAUS to KOSH and happens to run out of fuel and crash somewhere in Kansas, doesn't mean flying to KOSH is dangerous.
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In complete agreement, indeed that was what I was trying to convey.

Gsxrpilot said:
My point is that KOSH is very safe. It's well run and no more crash prone than your average $100 hamburger run. It does require skill, and advance planning, read and know the NOTAM, etc. But no way does the arrival or departure to KOSH cause crashes every year.
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Again in agreement. Midair collisions are astoundingly rare at the event, especially given the amount of traffic. Most accidents are due to the kind of stupid pilot tricks that cause accidents everywhere. I imagine that distraction can play a bigger role at Oshkosh than elsewhere, though.
 
Brad Z said:
Driving to or from OSH? A lot more people die in planes to and from OSH than cars, and magnitudes more cars drive Oshkosh than airplanes.
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Not sure how we would know this unless they are filing "Drive Plans" with the DOT!!!!
 
N801BH said:
I would like to see some validation of that...:rolleyes:
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Sure, when the "five times as many" fact is validated.

Geico266 said:
Complete BS.

More myths perpetuated by ignorance.
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I enjoy flying, and I enjoy Oshkosh as much as anyone else. But to kid ourselves that there isn't risk is fooling ourselves and being disingenuous. Instead, we need to ask why the crashes are happening and work to avoid them.

steingar said:
In reluctant defense of the fellow's point, there are a lot of crashes of aircraft coming to and from Oshkosh. I hear one or two on the radio just about every year. I read and hear about more. It is to be expected though, when 10,000 aircraft all start flying at the same time.
Click to expand...

Pretty much my point. And most of them aren't at OSH or in the arrival. But when you have 10,000 pilots flying planes packed to the gills with get-there-itis, there's bound to be a few bad decisions along the way. Sadly, a few of them result in fatalities.

Change behaviors, not statistics.
 
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