Practice for OSH Arrival NOW, please!

Every year some people decide to fly into the world's busiest airspace
with little or no pre-flight preparation. Last year (2006) was the
worst I've seen, mostly due to an accident that closed the field and
caused a HUGE traffic jam in the holds around the lakes -- but also
because a surprising number of pilots simply didn't know what the hell
they were doing, because they had not read the Oshkosh Arrival
Procedure NOTAM.

This is, quite frankly, nuts. Even after flying in many times, Mary
and I take the FISK arrival procedure deadly seriously, since it
presents risks and techniques that we rarely (if ever) use outside of
OSH.

Thus, we just returned from an hour's flight devoted entirely to
simulating the FISK arrival procedure into OSH. The flight from Iowa
City to Muscatine takes about 25 minutes, at 90 knots and 1800 feet
MSL -- pretty similar to the trip from Ripon to OSH.

During this flight I experimented with various prop/throttle/flap
configurations, until I found the one that allowed me to nail the
speed and altitude without raising the nose too high to see. (One
notch of flaps in our Pathfinder keeps things right where they need to
be.)

Once over MUT I executed an EXTREMELY tight pattern to a spot landing
on the 1000-foot marker, simulating a landing on the green (or orange)
dot at OSH.

Satisfied that I had "passed the test", we enjoyed a terrific dinner
at "The Good Earth" (just down the street from the FBO), whereupon we
returned to the plane and Mary performed the same flight back to Iowa
City. (Her reward for a perfectly executed OSH simulation was an ice-
cold beer... :-)

Please, please, PLEASE -- if you're going to OSH this year, go out and
PRACTICE SLOW FLIGHT. I can't tell you how exciting it is to get in
line with folks who can't fly a steady 90 knots, and can't hold
altitude -- don't let it be you!

Last year, with the massive holds around Green and Rush lakes, we were
in line-ABREAST formation with dozens of dissimilar aircraft, most
being flown competently but some being flown by ham-fisted pilots who
simply could not perform as required. It was extraordinarily hair-
raising, but (of course) it all worked out in the end.

But it could have gone very differently. Don't be the guy that causes
the headaches! Here is the NOTAM:
http://www.airventure.org/2007/flying/notam07.pdf

Read it, understand it, practice it -- and then re-read it. Have the
person in the right seat read it aloud to you as you approach
RIPON.

If you have any questions, or don't understand something, or forget
something -- LAND YOUR PLANE SOMEWHERE ELSE AND SORT IT OUT. Do NOT
try to land at OSH without knowing the contents of the NOTAM, or you
will put yourself and others at risk.

Finally, plan on stopping in Iowa City for our Fly-In Pool Party on
Saturday, July 21st (see: http://alexisparkinn.com/iowa_city_pool_party.htm
)
and you'll be able to chew the fat with a few of us who have done it
many times before. Then, if you're still around Sunday morning (July
22nd), join us for a loose gaggle flight into OSH. It's fun,
educational, and we'll all end up parked fairly close together in the
North 40!

See you guys and gals soon...
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

"Jay Honeck" wrote

Every year some people decide to fly into the world's busiest airspace
with little or no pre-flight preparation. Last year (2006) was the
worst I've seen, mostly due to an accident that closed the field and
caused a HUGE traffic jam in the holds around the lakes -- but also
because a surprising number of pilots simply didn't know what the hell
they were doing, because they had not read the Oshkosh Arrival
Procedure NOTAM.


Once over MUT I executed an EXTREMELY tight pattern to a spot landing
on the 1000-foot marker, simulating a landing on the green (or orange)
dot at OSH.

Don't forget to practice flying down the runway at 20 feet, simulating being
told to not touchdown, and fly down to the next colored dot.

Hey, I might have just gotten a ride in a 172 for OSH this year. I may make it,
after all!
--
Jim in NC

Hey, I might have just gotten a ride in a 172 for OSH this year. I may make it,
after all!

Sweet! We'll keep an extra one cold for ya!

:-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

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Hash: SHA1

Jay Honeck wrote:

snip

Please, please, PLEASE -- if you're going to OSH this year, go out and
PRACTICE SLOW FLIGHT. I can't tell you how exciting it is to get in
line with folks who can't fly a steady 90 knots, and can't hold
altitude -- don't let it be you!


more snippage

But it could have gone very differently. Don't be the guy that causes
the headaches! Here is the NOTAM:
http://www.airventure.org/2007/flying/notam07.pdf

Read it, understand it, practice it -- and then re-read it. Have the
person in the right seat read it aloud to you as you approach
RIPON.

If you have any questions, or don't understand something, or forget
something -- LAND YOUR PLANE SOMEWHERE ELSE AND SORT IT OUT. Do NOT
try to land at OSH without knowing the contents of the NOTAM, or you
will put yourself and others at risk.

Finally, plan on stopping in Iowa City for our Fly-In Pool Party on
Saturday, July 21st (see: http://alexisparkinn.com/iowa_city_pool_party.htm
)
and you'll be able to chew the fat with a few of us who have done it
many times before. Then, if you're still around Sunday morning (July
22nd), join us for a loose gaggle flight into OSH. It's fun,
educational, and we'll all end up parked fairly close together in the
North 40!

Very good post and advice, Jay, and a suggestion if you're up
to it.

If people do stop on their way there (which I'm pretty sure
they will) and they haven't had the chance to practice this or is
their first time, could you try loading up the Kiwi with dense traffic
and have them practice it there? While not an absolute true
representation of traffic levels, it would give them a good idea of
what to expect.

Just a thought...

BL.
- --
Brad Littlejohn | Email:
Unix Systems Administrator, |
Web + NewsMaster, BOFH.. Smeghead! | http://www.wizard.com/~tyketto
PGP: 1024D/E319F0BF 6980 AAD6 7329 E9E6 D569 F620 C819 199A E319 F0BF

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Good reminder Jay and I did most of this tonight with some solo air
work. Did the 90 kts/constant altitude bit with gear down and one notch
of flaps. Also practiced slow flight and just for grins, flying around
with the stall light on or blinking on/off. Did some stalls too since I
haven't done them in some time.

Printed the NOTAM about a month ago and will review (again) before
leaving and again from the comforts of the OSH suite at your fine facility.

8 days until we launch East.

I practiced last Sunday in unbearable 98 degree temps and off the scale
humidity levels....

Thank God the AC worked... lemme see if I still have it down...
Left out of the driveway, south on Co A, left on Hwy 73, merge with 21,
right on 41...
Yep got it!

Jim



"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
oups.com...
Every year some people decide to fly into the world's busiest airspace
with little or no pre-flight preparation. Last year (2006) was the
worst I've seen, mostly due to an accident that closed the field and
caused a HUGE traffic jam in the holds around the lakes -- but also
because a surprising number of pilots simply didn't know what the hell
they were doing, because they had not read the Oshkosh Arrival
Procedure NOTAM.

This is, quite frankly, nuts. Even after flying in many times, Mary
and I take the FISK arrival procedure deadly seriously, since it
presents risks and techniques that we rarely (if ever) use outside of
OSH.

Thus, we just returned from an hour's flight devoted entirely to
simulating the FISK arrival procedure into OSH. The flight from Iowa
City to Muscatine takes about 25 minutes, at 90 knots and 1800 feet
MSL -- pretty similar to the trip from Ripon to OSH.

During this flight I experimented with various prop/throttle/flap
configurations, until I found the one that allowed me to nail the
speed and altitude without raising the nose too high to see. (One
notch of flaps in our Pathfinder keeps things right where they need to
be.)

Once over MUT I executed an EXTREMELY tight pattern to a spot landing
on the 1000-foot marker, simulating a landing on the green (or orange)
dot at OSH.

Satisfied that I had "passed the test", we enjoyed a terrific dinner
at "The Good Earth" (just down the street from the FBO), whereupon we
returned to the plane and Mary performed the same flight back to Iowa
City. (Her reward for a perfectly executed OSH simulation was an ice-
cold beer... :-)

Please, please, PLEASE -- if you're going to OSH this year, go out and
PRACTICE SLOW FLIGHT. I can't tell you how exciting it is to get in
line with folks who can't fly a steady 90 knots, and can't hold
altitude -- don't let it be you!

Last year, with the massive holds around Green and Rush lakes, we were
in line-ABREAST formation with dozens of dissimilar aircraft, most
being flown competently but some being flown by ham-fisted pilots who
simply could not perform as required. It was extraordinarily hair-
raising, but (of course) it all worked out in the end.

But it could have gone very differently. Don't be the guy that causes
the headaches! Here is the NOTAM:
http://www.airventure.org/2007/flying/notam07.pdf

Read it, understand it, practice it -- and then re-read it. Have the
person in the right seat read it aloud to you as you approach
RIPON.

If you have any questions, or don't understand something, or forget
something -- LAND YOUR PLANE SOMEWHERE ELSE AND SORT IT OUT. Do NOT
try to land at OSH without knowing the contents of the NOTAM, or you
will put yourself and others at risk.

Finally, plan on stopping in Iowa City for our Fly-In Pool Party on
Saturday, July 21st (see:
http://alexisparkinn.com/iowa_city_pool_party.htm
)
and you'll be able to chew the fat with a few of us who have done it
many times before. Then, if you're still around Sunday morning (July
22nd), join us for a loose gaggle flight into OSH. It's fun,
educational, and we'll all end up parked fairly close together in the
North 40!

See you guys and gals soon...
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

If people do stop on their way there (which I'm pretty sure
they will) and they haven't had the chance to practice this or is
their first time, could you try loading up the Kiwi with dense traffic
and have them practice it there? While not an absolute true
representation of traffic levels, it would give them a good idea of
what to expect.

Good idea. We've only started to play with settings in MS Flight Sim
X (the newest version), but I'll bet there's a way to do that.

Thanks!
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

I practiced last Sunday in unbearable 98 degree temps and off the scale
humidity levels....

Thank God the AC worked... lemme see if I still have it down...
Left out of the driveway, south on Co A, left on Hwy 73, merge with 21,
right on 41...
Yep got it!

Ha! The only good thing is that your SUV carries a LOT of beer and
ice!

Speaking of driving, I wonder when Jim & Gail are departing the Left
Coast? Jim?
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Jay Honeck wrote:
Good idea. We've only started to play with settings in MS Flight Sim
X (the newest version), but I'll bet there's a way to do that.

So movie night this week will be the RIPON ARRIVAL challenge in the KIWI?

In a previous article, Jay Honeck said:
speed and altitude without raising the nose too high to see. (One
notch of flaps in our Pathfinder keeps things right where they need to
be.)

Funny you should mention that, but last weekend I was in the scenic
pattern at Niagara Falls and there were two Cessnas there as well. To
make sure I didn't run them down or lose sight of them, I also had to slow
the Lance right down to 90 knots and I discovered 1 notch of flaps lowers
the nose enough to see planes at my altitude.

Unfortunately being at 90 knots means I can't do the extreme cross control
maneuvers I often do to get the wing down so my passengers can see, so I
ended up flying a bit wider than the depicted track.


--
Paul Tomblin http://blog.xcski.com/
It could have been raining flaming bulldozers, and those idiots would have
been standing out there smoking, going 'hey, look at that John Deere burn!'
-- Texan AMD security guard