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Oshkosh & Controllers
Home today from another awesome week of AirVenture. This was my 14th year in a row and I don't see an end in sight. Every year I stay with a large group of mostly spam cans in the North 40. We have a whole infrustructure with three meals a day, beer on tap along with other libations, a large 20x30 party tent, and a storage bin to keep my OSH stuff in from year to year. The group has been around for a long time and over the years made many contacts from EAA. This year one of the guys had befriended a controller, Brian, a few months ago in Dallas who we met up with on his third year working Oshkosh. Great guy and brought a lot of insight to questions we all probably have thought about. First off, the controllers LOVE RV's. In fact so much that this year their Pink Shirts had this logo on them
![]() Brian was an awesome guy who also has a pilots licence. We talked a little about the Fiske arrival and he said the controllers can't understand why it is so hard for people to follow the tracks. I offered him a ride the next morning to fly the Fiske arrival which he jumped at. We took off around 0830 for some fun RV stuff then I let him hand fly the approach. He was surprised the RV handled so well at 90kts and also found out that it is difficult to see not only the tracks on some sections but also actually seeing the Fiske controller's location. He also asked my opinion why some RV's find it necessary to fly the high approach. Brian fouind the whole approach eye opening from a pilot's perspective. He offered us a tower tour which we jumped at. I was up in the tower when the 30 ship took off and did their fly-over. Very impressive to see everything from that vantage point. One of the other controllers saw my VAF hat and we struck up a converstaion. He is looking for an RV4. After we talked he came back and handed me their official patch for this year ![]() So next year when you have a chance to meet up with any of the Pink Shirts take advantage of getting to know them. They love being there and love interacting with everyone attending. |
Thanks for your help. This was the 14 year our 6A has flown to KOSH. Great job!
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I really respect the work the controllers do, it gets crazy sometimes.
We had the most difficult approach ever this year, my passenger did a good job putting together a video of what the controllers go through. This is our Green lake hold (Twice), then Rush lake hold before finally landing on 18r. On Sunday when we arrived Ripon, 27 was closed and shortly after holding Green lake, 18r closed. The link to the video is below. Here is a screen shot of my track. ![]() And the video, turn up the volume https://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=htt...=vAQE4o-O7&s=1 |
Tim, great video hearing the bedlam begininngs on Sunday. I had to hold at Green Lake for about 45 minutes, Rush Lake was full in the hold there. Apparently a Mooney plowed into 27 and collapsed the landing gear. It was a swarm of planes, some unable to fly at 90kts. When we finally got into the approach it was at 75-80kts the whole way into Fiske until we turned right to 18. Thank goodness it was smooth air except for ocasional prop wash unintentional wing rocks.
The controllers there did an awesome job keeping things as calm as they could, there was a ton of traffic that came in on Sunday to the point the airfield closed down mid Monday when it filled up. P.S. for next year guys, drop 10deg of flaps when flying at 90kts in holds and the approach. It will drop your nose a bit (decresing your AOA) and give you a more stable ride. Try it, you'll like it! |
Sunday afternoon was really difficult. Low clouds and haze made it difficult to see landmarks. I think the railroad tracks have a lot of bushes and weeds growing on the right of way which made it doubly hard to see in the tracks.
It would help if folks were patient and not jump in front of everyone - it took me 2.6 hours from Dodge County KUNU to my tie down in HBP. I must have went around Green Lake 10 times! I'm sure the haze made it really difficult for the controllers to see and direct the incoming traffic. |
Wow you don't want to show up there with 10m of fuel left!
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Great info and very cool on going up in the Tower, you are lucky. I would've loved to have done that as well. We arrived on Saturday and must say, we sure enjoyed sitting on the edge of 18R Sunday watching the chaos! 9 out of 10 planes blew their base turn by going north of the blue dot/tower. And at one point witnessed 10 aircraft just on the base leg. Huge amount of respect for the controllers!!!!
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Oshkosh approach
One of the past few years (don't remember which one) they had a balloon teathered at Fisk, which made it a lot easier to spot. I'd suggest that be done every year.
A few balloons along the railroad tracks wouldn't hurt either, it is hard to spot in a few locations. But GPS helps. |
Didn't there used to be strobe lights on the grain silos at FISKE? Had it in the flight plan as a way point, but obscured by traffic targets. It would be helpful to have a definite way of marking the exact location. "Yellow RV over FISKE, turn east"--is that me or the first, second or third yellow RV ahead of me?
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Seeking "Pink Shirts" to interview for book project
Greetings Oshkosh Controllers,
I am a frequent fly-in visitor to Airventure, and as usual, you guys "Rock" (pun intended.) I'm in the final phases of a book project about Flying to Oshkosh, and I would like to interview a couple pink shirt controllers who have experience working Airventure. The section in the book is titled "Meet the Controllers". Is anyone willing to spend 10-15 minutes with me on the phone (and get your name and perhaps picture(s) in the book? I'd be happy to share the draft if you'd like to see what it looks like. Thanks in advance, Chris Hallinan Private, SEL. Instrument Rating Punta Gorda, FL PM for phone number |
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