PilotBrent
Well Known Member
Posting this in the RV-12 section as for me its more about the plane than the trip. Well this year I decided to fly to Oshkosh in my RV-12 loaded up with camping gear (tent, cot & mattress, some food and basic cooking stuff etc..) and to camp for a week, for the very first time under my plane in HBC. Have made the flight once before in N913BC, when it was unpainted, but camping along with acres of RVs around me was a goal I needed to cross off the bucket list.
Major challenge was fitting (what clearly appeared to be way too much) stuff inside the -12. Decided to disassemble the passenger seat, put the cushions in the back, and use that area for the heaviest items and bungee them in place; filled the baggage compartment as best I could with everything else. I weighed every bag and misc item in the days leading up to departure to stay well within CG. In fact, I was clearly well below gross despite what it looks like and the plane flew better than it does when I know I am near gross (less runway, good climb?)
Essentially, with the potential for about 175lbs in the right seat and 50lbs in the back, and with me flying solo, there is more weight capacity than volume even if you pack very efficiently. It was amazing how much stuff I was able to get in there. Even included a Styrofoam cooler, ice and some celebratory beverages for post arrival relaxation.
This time, unlike my prior long trips, I decided to fly a more direct route over Lakes Erie and Michigan in part from my greater confidence in the Rotax after 250 uneventful hours. By flying high, in my case 8,500 feet over Lake Erie for example, there are only short stretches of time/distance where I could not likely glide to land in the event of a lost engine. I carry (wear at times) an inflatable life vest, and also sourced a floatable PLB for the trip. The distance of the Lake Michigan crossing clearly carried more risk but its something I felt comfortable to take on.
Anyhow, departed early Saturday AM from N40 (SkyManor NJ) for first leg to Dunkirk PA on the shores of Lake Erie for fuel. Beautiful clear day, just a lot of head winds that kept me low.
After crossing the lake, this leg brought me across Southern Ontario for about an hour before crossing into Michigan.
Interestingly though, I was handed across three different US controllers for that Canadian route. I also had full ADS-B coverage the whole time at 6,500 feet. Crossed back into the US near Port Huron, MI over the St. Claire River. Amazing turquois color - almost looks like the Caribbean.
Watching the weather beyond KOSH on the Skyview, I decided to modify flight plan and push on a little further to Greenville MI for next fuel stop. Plan was to get as close to KOSH as I could, then top off the tank so that if I got turned back I had a lot of options. While ceilings were low, RIPON?arrival was basically uneventful as traffic was light. I guess coming in from the West this afternoon was not an option for many folks. Had choice of 27 and 36.
Managed to land, find a good camping location fairly near the showers and set up my tent etc? just in time for the rain to start! Nothing like showers and thunderstorms all night to welcome you to Oshkosh. Fortunately, that was the worst night of the week for us.
continued...
Major challenge was fitting (what clearly appeared to be way too much) stuff inside the -12. Decided to disassemble the passenger seat, put the cushions in the back, and use that area for the heaviest items and bungee them in place; filled the baggage compartment as best I could with everything else. I weighed every bag and misc item in the days leading up to departure to stay well within CG. In fact, I was clearly well below gross despite what it looks like and the plane flew better than it does when I know I am near gross (less runway, good climb?)
Essentially, with the potential for about 175lbs in the right seat and 50lbs in the back, and with me flying solo, there is more weight capacity than volume even if you pack very efficiently. It was amazing how much stuff I was able to get in there. Even included a Styrofoam cooler, ice and some celebratory beverages for post arrival relaxation.
This time, unlike my prior long trips, I decided to fly a more direct route over Lakes Erie and Michigan in part from my greater confidence in the Rotax after 250 uneventful hours. By flying high, in my case 8,500 feet over Lake Erie for example, there are only short stretches of time/distance where I could not likely glide to land in the event of a lost engine. I carry (wear at times) an inflatable life vest, and also sourced a floatable PLB for the trip. The distance of the Lake Michigan crossing clearly carried more risk but its something I felt comfortable to take on.
Anyhow, departed early Saturday AM from N40 (SkyManor NJ) for first leg to Dunkirk PA on the shores of Lake Erie for fuel. Beautiful clear day, just a lot of head winds that kept me low.
After crossing the lake, this leg brought me across Southern Ontario for about an hour before crossing into Michigan.
Interestingly though, I was handed across three different US controllers for that Canadian route. I also had full ADS-B coverage the whole time at 6,500 feet. Crossed back into the US near Port Huron, MI over the St. Claire River. Amazing turquois color - almost looks like the Caribbean.
Watching the weather beyond KOSH on the Skyview, I decided to modify flight plan and push on a little further to Greenville MI for next fuel stop. Plan was to get as close to KOSH as I could, then top off the tank so that if I got turned back I had a lot of options. While ceilings were low, RIPON?arrival was basically uneventful as traffic was light. I guess coming in from the West this afternoon was not an option for many folks. Had choice of 27 and 36.
Managed to land, find a good camping location fairly near the showers and set up my tent etc? just in time for the rain to start! Nothing like showers and thunderstorms all night to welcome you to Oshkosh. Fortunately, that was the worst night of the week for us.
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