Dummies Guide to flying to Oshkosh

(Ian Baren) wrote:

Any pointers to websites or message board records would be greatly
appreciated.

Yep, like the others have said, read the NOTAM, and get familiar with the
landmarks. Your situation will be much like ours last year (first time, and
with 2 pilots on board). We found it worked fine to have one person flying
(staying on speed and altitude, watching for traffic separation), and the
other person reading the notam, watching the landmarks, etc. "There's the
railroad tracks, follow them. See the strobes", etc.) It was a lot of fun,
and no problem. The wildest thing for us was as we got closer we were
amazed that we weren't seeing more traffic forming up, and then I did a
little clearing turn, and saw 4 planes right behind us. It was hilarious -
"They're following US, are they crazy?"

Interestingly, we tried a similar experience in October, flying in to the
nearby Copper State flyin. It was much smaller, but total chaos by
comparison - planes busting into the pattern at high speed, poor radio
work, etc. Oshkosh was much better organized and I think everyone is a
little more sharply focused, knowing that it's "the big one".

Mike

Interestingly, we tried a similar experience in October, flying in to the
nearby Copper State flyin. It was much smaller, but total chaos by
comparison - planes busting into the pattern at high speed, poor radio
work, etc. Oshkosh was much better organized and I think everyone is a
little more sharply focused, knowing that it's "the big one".

Very true.

Heck, I've had worse experiences flying into little EAA Chapter breakfasts
than I've EVER had at either Oshkosh or Sun N Fun.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Ian,

a sort of dummies guide


That's easy: Dummies should walk, drive or take the airlines.

--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)

Go he

http://www.airventure.org/

for a lot of good info.


In article , Ian Baren
wrote:

Please pardon if this has been discussed here, but I am planning to
fly to Airventure / Oshkosh with a pilot friend (both of us are
pilot,) and I have to imagine that some kind soul out there has
written a sort of dummies guide to what to do, go, bring, see, not
bring, avoid, etc.

Any pointers to websites or message board records would be greatly
appreciated.

We will be flying from Ct, (DXR) and in a 1979 PA-28-180

Thanks!

Well, Thanks to all who posted, I am certainly better informed on the
beer situation, though I am more of a bourbon type, my own self.

Perhaps "Dummies Guide" was not the right phrase - What I am looking
for is advice to a first-timer, not only the flying/ landing part
(I've nearly got the NOTAM from previous years committed to memory,)
but how to improve our chances of having a good time. What to see,
what to avoid, thing you wish you'd done or not done. Its a little
overwhelming to get a handle on, just interested in some thoughts or
experience, admonisions (sp?)

Thanks


Ian


PS - No lite beer. Check.





http://www.airventure.org/

for a lot of good info.


In article , Ian Baren
wrote:

Please pardon if this has been discussed here, but I am planning to
fly to Airventure / Oshkosh with a pilot friend (both of us are
pilot,) and I have to imagine that some kind soul out there has
written a sort of dummies guide to what to do, go, bring, see, not
bring, avoid, etc.

Any pointers to websites or message board records would be greatly
appreciated.

We will be flying from Ct, (DXR) and in a 1979 PA-28-180

Thanks!

Ian Baren wrote:

but how to improve our chances of having a good time. What to see,
what to avoid, thing you wish you'd done or not done. Its a little
overwhelming to get a handle on, just interested in some thoughts or
experience, admonisions (sp?)

Well, I'd say decide what you want to see. One thing for sure; if a day is perfect
weather, drop everything and watch the airshow. There's plenty of time for the
museum and vendors when the weather is less than perfect, but there's nothing like
seeing something like Sean Tucker's performance against a spotless blue sky.

George Patterson
Love, n.: A form of temporary insanity afflicting the young. It is curable
either by marriage or by removal of the afflicted from the circumstances
under which he incurred the condition. It is sometimes fatal, but more
often to the physician than to the patient.

Perhaps "Dummies Guide" was not the right phrase - What I am looking
for is advice to a first-timer, not only the flying/ landing part
(I've nearly got the NOTAM from previous years committed to memory,)
but how to improve our chances of having a good time. What to see,
what to avoid, thing you wish you'd done or not done. Its a little
overwhelming to get a handle on, just interested in some thoughts or
experience, admonisions (sp?)

What, you wanted REAL advice? :-)

Well, assuming you did the Google Groups search, you should know most
everything from last year. However, here are a few tips:

- Carry water. Drink it a lot.
- Don't pack dark-colored clothing. You will die wearing a black t-shirt.
- Buy "Oshkosh shoes" in April. Wear them every day until thoroughly broken
in.
- Bring sandals for the showers, and for the end of the day. Your feet
will appreciate it.
- Spend at LEAST three days at the show. Don't even dream of seeing
everything in less than a week.
- Spend one afternoon at the seaplane base. It's worth it.
- Bring an air mattress. Oshkosh ground is harder than concrete.
- Wander the Fly Market. There is cool stuff to be had there.
- Park a lawn chair alongside RWY 09/27 after the airshow, to watch arrivals
and departures. That's the REAL airshow, and what you will see will astound
you.

We've gone to OSH 21 years in a row, and we haven't EVER felt like we've
seen everything. OSH is heaven on earth, and every pilot should try to
attend one.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message newsEOUb.231279$I06.2585781@attbi_s01...
..
- Park a lawn chair alongside RWY 09/27 after the airshow, to watch arrivals
and departures. That's the REAL airshow, and what you will see will astound
you.

Or you can volunteer and be standing out in the middle of the 18/36 parallel
taxiway when some yahoo decides to land on the taxiway rather than the runway.
Or see all the arrivals up close as you welcome them to the show.

In article oEOUb.231279$I06.2585781@attbi_s01, Jay Honeck wrote:
- Bring an air mattress. Oshkosh ground is harder than concrete.

Except on wet years, when the air mattress will double as a floatation
device.

I'd add:

If you're not normally very active, take it slow and don't push yourself
too hard the first day or two, or your knees/legs/ankles will hurt so bad
you won't enjoy the rest of the week.

Along those same lines - draw a line on the map for what you want to see
each day, or you'll spend a lot of time backtracking back and forth. If
you don't finish it all, then do it the next day.

Even in a week, you can't do it all. Don't push yourself, or you'll miss
a lot of the fun. Oshkosh is meant to be wandered through in a Cub, not
sped through in a Concorde.

Nothing starts conversations like a compliment on someone's plane, but
don't overdo it. If you can't complement it, ask a question - "Wow,
that gear looks sturdy - do you fly off a rough strip?" . Some of
my favorite Oshkosh time was spent talking to people on the way to or
from the showers.

If you're camping:

If you have a high-wing, bring wooden clothespins, and you can hang wet
towels or other wet clothes on the tie-down ropes. You can also
clothespin wet towels to your prop if you're desperate.

Bring twice as many towels as you think you'll need.

It rains in the afternoons. Don't put your entire week's worth of clothes
in your tent - leave them in the plane where they're more likely to stay dry,
and just take out what you need daily.

Things not to miss (besides what Jay said):

Jerry's One Man Band.
If you own, spend at least a few hours at the tent of your type club.
If you do your own maintenance, the SnapOn tool truck has good show specials.
The forums are wonderfully useful. Spend an hour or two the first day you're
there to decide what you want to attend, and include it in your daily
map.
I can pass on the rest of the airshow, but I have to sit down every day
and watch the Red Baron Stearmans. Acro in an Extra doesn't impress me.
Acro/formation flight done in a Stearman with the level of precision
those guys have is just amazing.
If you're a morning person, spend a few hours one morning at the UL area.
If you're not, spend a few hours one early evening at the UL area.

Tina Marie
(doing SunNFun instead this year)
--
http://www.tripacerdriver.com "...One of the main causes
of the fall of the Roman Empire was that, lacking zero, they had no way
to indicate successful termination of their C programs." (Robert Firth)

"Tina Marie" wrote
..
I can pass on the rest of the airshow, but I have to sit down every day
and watch the Red Baron Stearmans.
Tina Marie

Bring along some good earplugs for watching the Stearmans. I hate the blat
from the props. Why can't they turn the rpm's a bit slower, and make them
more enjoyable?
--
Jim in NC


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