Thinking of flying to EAA Oshkosh; first time, any advice?

[office_supply]

I've been to Oshkosh once before but this time I'd like to fly in. I've been going over the EAA Oshkosh website and decided it's probably best to spend the 40 dollars on an EAA membership so I can get the week discount rate as well as being allowed to camp out under the wing.

For anyone who's gone before, what advices can you offer? From flying in, to camping out, to fully enjoying the day-to-day activities, to flying home.

Cheers,
office_supply

[MUSKEG]

If you can go IFR great if not, plan your entry point, and get familiar with the waypoints and procedures at each one. You need to have your head on a swivel and be comfortable landing 3 at a time per runway. Find the airplane you are following and stick there like glue. Have fun, it's aviation at it's best. That is one event that our people (TC) would never sanction. Basically a free for all with airmanship and courtesy as the bases.

[Trevor]

We've been three times in the last dozen years. Each time, we've arrived the day before they switch over to the airshow arrivals procedure, which I guess is a big part of the Oshkosh experience.

Having an extra day does have its advantages. You get parked closer to the action, and if its wet, like it has been when we've arrived, the ground handlers will do their best to park you in the high spots so your tent stays dry. Spend the extra day to visit the museum before it gets busy, shop the fly-market as the vendors are unpacking, and watch the new arrives as they show up.

[DHC-1 Jockey]

Definitely read the Oshkosh Arrivals NOTAM which explains step by step how to get from Ripon (the waypoint where the arrival procedure starts) until safely parked among thousands of other A/C. Also, try to bring someone else who can act as another pair of eyes to see other A/C (there will be A LOT of them converging at one point), help find the marshallers you should be looking for on the ground, and to have a copy of the NOTAM at easy reach in case you forget a particular procedure and they can read it quickly for you without you having to take your eyes off what it is you are supposed to be doing.. flying.

All in all, if you do it correctly, it is a great experience to fly in to OSH. Definitely beats driving there, that's for sure. Just curious.. where you be flying from?

[Tango01]

I will go this year, wish I could fly myself, but I can't afford to rent an airplane for that long, so I will probably drive!

For those of you who will fly read:


http://www.airventure.org/flying/

http://www.faa.gov/ats/aat/IFIM/FDC20025319.htm

Have fun!

[Hedley]

Bring sunscreen, comfortable shoes - you will walk more there
in a few days more than in the last year, and bring a blue tarp
from Canadian Tire. Stretch it over one wing of your high-wing
aircraft. You use to to keep the water off your tent. The tent
simply keeps the mosquitos out.

Don't worry if you forget something, just walk over to Walmart.

KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN - no side by side, no under or over!

Read the VFR arrival NOTAM carefully.

Have a beer at Friar Tucks for me, and enjoy all the incredible
aircraft!!

[185sp]

Its an awesome experience flying in there and I've flown into the seaplane base 3 times and the main base once. One thing is depending what time of the week you go the parking at OSH may be full so they will have to divert you to either appleton or fond du lac. Keep this in mind, as well as the fact that you will probably be required to hold for a little while so every year I fly in there i make sure that I stop at an airport about an hour away and fill up with fuel and call the number listed in the NOTAM about the parking situation. I wouldn't go in there with any less than 2 hours of gas left in the tanks to allow ample time for holding or even being diverted to one of the overflow airports. Also be prepared once your in the busy airspace around there because it becomes 1 way radio conversation there the controllers will be like "red and white cessna ______" and if thats your plane you rock the wings to aknowledge. Other than that pretty much everything you need to know for flying in there is in the NOTAM listed on the website, so as long as you have read the notam a few times and are 100% clear on what they are asking you shouldn't have any troubles. The most important part though too is going out at night there, every night there is something going on and just ask the people around what there doing that night and you'll have an amazing trip. Any other question just ask

[Jungle Jim]

I flew in to Fond Du Lac the last time. I really liked that for the following reasons:
1) 10 minute shuttle ride to Oshkosh leaving every 30 minutes
2) You can arrive or leave any time unlike Oshkosh where planes are lined up to leave at the end of the day.
3) Marion College is a 5 minute shuttle ride. They have airconditioned rooms, free breakfast, big screen TV, beer fridges, stoves, microwaves, etc
($65.00 per day)
4) Free internet for weather and emails.
5) Very secure plane parking across the field.
6) Great fueling procedures.( you just put a tag in you window and they come and fill it up and you pay before you leave the event)

Staying on the field at Oshkosh is good too but at the end of the day it is nice to be away from the crowds, have shower, go to nice restaurant and have a beer.

The time I stayed at Oshkosh the showers were so crowded I think I washed 3 sets of nuts before I got to my own.

Just my $0.02Cdn


Jim

[nookie201]

I started to go approx 13 years ago, 1st time I went in 1995 the place was absolutly swamped. Last three years I've seen a noticeble drop in attendance in Oshk, no problem in getting a spot I'd think this year.

I guess with so much internet & local resources available now for homebuilders it's losing some
of it's purpose ?

Sun N Fun is coming end of this month, never been there but may go there for a change,

-G

[silentivan]

Went last year, and needless to say it was a blast.

All great advice above, and the only real thing I can add is that if you do come in during the special ATC procedure days VFR, try to time it so that you're getting to Ripon at around supper time (1700 lcl, or so). A bit less of a gong show at that time, so you're not totally over stressing. Read the NOTAM like its going out of style and having an extra pair of eyes and ears is a definite advantage. Slainte!

[office_supply]

Thanks for the replies guys. If I do end up going it'll be VFR from Ottawa.

I've read the NOTAM a few times, sure sounds like fun.

Where's the best place to clear customs around there?

[Hedley]

VFR from Ottawa ... where clear customs?

Depends on the route that you take. Most VFR pilots, coming
from the east, choose to head north and fly through the
Sault, which I think is insane, because if there's going to
be any wx anywhere in the world, it's going to be at the
Sault.

I have heard of VFR pilots taking the "south route" where
they fly south, all the way around chicago, but that's a
long, long way.

Personally, I clear customs in michigan - someplace
north/west of Detroit, like Flint or Saginaw - then
head across Lake Michigan. Never understood the
big deal about taking that routing. I've had VFR
pilots tell me harrowing tales about their "loss
of horizon" over the lake

[DHC-1 Jockey]

Where's the best place to clear customs around there?

I've cleared in St. Clair/Port Huron (KPHN) in Michigan a few times, and they are pretty good there. Try to arrive early in the morning to beat the big rush. You don't wan't to have to wait in your plane for hours while customs clears the 15 aircraft in front of you.

If you do decide to go around lunchtime, the local EAA chapter has a hangar BBQ where everyone's invited. I've only been once, but it was a lot of fun, and good food for a good price.

[High Flyin]

Thanks for the replies guys. If I do end up going it'll be VFR from Ottawa.

I've read the NOTAM a few times, sure sounds like fun.

Where's the best place to clear customs around there?

You live in Ottawa? I live in Ottawa and I will also be flying to Oshkosh as well for the first time this year. I'll be clearing customs in Chicago however as I have to pick up my buddy there. What are you flying down in? I do belive they have to circuts for aircraft based on speeds they fly the circuit.

[ez4u2say]

Great place to fly to...done it many, many times myself...but I think the pleasure of flying is being greatly deminished, in my mind anyway with all the procedural bull.... which is taking place in the bording crossing ritual....have you checked into the APIS procedure effective May 18, 2009? If you plan on going better get registered with them.. http://apps.cbp.gov/eAPIS-pa/ (Dept of Homeland Security) it takes anywhere from 2 - 7 days to just get registered.....The web page provides you with the requirements of the new final rule...give yourself 45 minutes just to go through the tutorial...also bear in mind you also are required to do this for your RETURN flight even though you are probably going back to Canada. This means you will need a laptop and internet access at Oshkosh...understand they now have WIFI available on the field..last time I was there it was in a tent with 8 PC's available..long lineups, but I understand that as of last year there is free WIFI on the field as well.....very slow...I am still pondering the pros and cons of flying down again this year, however it's way in the back of my mind of things to do this summer...

[mcmahonm]

Not trying to jack this thread, but is there a place on AVCanda, for folks who are flying down who have space or those looking for a flight in to post up. I am a training for my PPL, and would love to hop a ride with a pilot for the ride down.

hope this is not going to cause an issue