KOSH Parking / Prop Strike!

I understand that one needs to display the proper parking sign when you land at Oshkosh.
The signs available on the Airventure page seem a bit generic. How will the ground handling crews know that you wish to park with all of the other Van's Aircraft?

Also, has anyone had any issues (potholes, ditches, other hazards) when you are directed to exit the runway immediately after landing and are instructed to turn off the runway onto the sod. I would sure hate to have a prop-strike.

jeffmoreau said:

I understand that one needs to display the proper parking sign when you land at Oshkosh.
The signs available on the Airventure page seem a bit generic. How will the ground handling crews know that you wish to park with all of the other Van's Aircraft?

Also, has anyone had any issues (potholes, ditches, other hazards) when you are directed to exit the runway immediately after landing and are instructed to turn off the runway onto the sod. I would sure hate to have a prop-strike.

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If you fly in with a RV-8 and a hbc or hbp sign, Jeff and his crew will park you with the other rvs. You don't need to worry.

Take it slowly off the runway and you shouldn't have a problem. The crews do attempt to mark the problem areas with traffic cones, but occasionally accidents do happen Depending on which runway you land on, you may get concrete all the way back to the RV parking area.

Harry Hinkley did last year

I don't know the details but He confirmed it to me a few weeks ago at the race in Carbondale, IL. It happened while taxiing on the grass to parking. His airplane is a SX300.

Bob Axsom

jeffmoreau said:

I understand that one needs to display the proper parking sign when you land at Oshkosh.
The signs available on the Airventure page seem a bit generic. How will the ground handling crews know that you wish to park with all of the other Van's Aircraft?

Also, has anyone had any issues (potholes, ditches, other hazards) when you are directed to exit the runway immediately after landing and are instructed to turn off the runway onto the sod. I would sure hate to have a prop-strike.

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The ground handlers will automatically send you to the RV parking area -- just hold up the HBP sign.

No problem at all taxiing my -7A off into the grass. There are no ditches, etc. It's pretty smooth but honestly I've ever only done it one time. All other times I got to exit off on a taxiway.

I guess I'll provide the dissenting voice. Yeah, I've been pointed directly into a muddy deep hole that the airplane wouldn't have survived, at OSH. Not every ground handler is familiar with the difference between an RV-A and a cub with tundra tires. Blind trust is foolish. I'll be happy to shut down and talk about it in the grass... Otherwise, I'm not going there, I'm going this way...

Other RV's in HBC or HBP?

The real question is how can you NOT be parked with other RV's when there are so many of them, everywhere.

You can decline the direction

One year, I was directed to taxi my Rocket off of 36. To me, the edge drop off looked too large to taxi over without tearing up my wheel pants. I politely pointed down the runway rather than turn off, and the guy there was accomodating. They let me stay on the hard surface all the way to the main taxiway back to the RV parking area.

Ultimately, you are responsible for the operation of your aircraft. I will say that generally, the grass areas are relatively smooth and the edges filled in, but that may not apply to every square inch of the field.

Just use your judgement and the parking guys will do their best to take care of you.

Many of the ground volunteers are not only not homebuilders, but not even pilots, and as such are not as familiar with what planes can and can't do. We try to address this every year as part of the volunteer training, but with a group that large, not everyone will get the memo.

As others have said, you are the PIC, so if you don't like what you are being told to do, don't do it. That said, being PIC does not excuse anyone from being a prima dona. This is Oshkosh, you are going to taxi long distances on the grass, that is just the deal. If your airplane can't handle that, then don't bring it.

There have been a few prop strikes over the years. I can tell you that several of those have been the result of a pilot failing to follow directions. The marshallers know where the soft spots and other bad ground is, and we do our best to taxi around them and avoid them. If you are being led on a circuitous route to a parking spot, there is probably a good reason for it. Just follow your biker. If you ignore directions and go your own way, don't expect a lot of sympathy when you taxi into the sink hole that we were trying to steer you around.

Thanks and question

Jeff,

Thanks for the great work at AirVenture. It's people like you that make the event work.

This year makes only the third year for us and the first time that we will be arriving on Wednesday. Will you be able to find us spot iv RV parking early on Wednesday morning?

Thanks!

ground handling at osh

if you fly in on saturday or sunday before Airventure starts:

have a plan b.

you may have to do your own ground navigation.

just my experience,yours may vary.

Lawrence,

Not sure where you came by this experience, but it is not accurate. By Saturday the ground operation is fully in effect. Sunday especially is the busiest arrival day of the week. Your description would be more accurate on Wednesday or Thursday before the show.

If I ever get to do that feature on Jeff and his crew, the webpage for it will have a picture of him at work with the headline, "this is the most famous backside in all of Oshkosh."

Frank Smidler said:

The real question is how can you NOT be parked with other RV's when there are so many of them, everywhere.

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Well... you can put a GAC sign in your RV and they'll cheerfully accommodate, and park you in the North 40 with the spamcans but you might get some of those strange, "okay, whatever floats yer boat, buddy" looks as you taxi along.

BTW, I've had to taxi on the grass several times at Osh, in both my old Cherokee and in the RV-8 that has wheelpants with minimal clearance, and it's never been a problem for me yet, not even Sloshkosh 2010 when I flew the RV-8 in the first day it wasn't raining & IFR (Tues or Wed, can't remember which) and even though the ground was still mighty soggy most everywhere, the ground handlers led me along paths plenty dry and solid enough for safe taxiing.

Maybe a dumb question here, sorry: When I fly my RV-8 there and park in the RV area, will I be able to camp there with my airplane? I've camped in the North 40 before with my old 172, but never even paid attention to whether guys were camping in the RV area.

Juvat said:

Maybe a dumb question here, sorry: When I fly my RV-8 there and park in the RV area, will I be able to camp there with my airplane? I've camped in the North 40 before with my old 172, but never even paid attention to whether guys were camping in the RV area.

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Depends on whether or not you are holding a hbc or hbp sign when you taxi into parking.

I'll camp in the North 40

Hey don't shoot me yet...

I'm going to OSH with a few of my buddies flying Spam Cans and had to bring some ''quality'' to this flying gaggle......

If I go by myself, I'll be in HBC..

See you guys there on Saturday..

Bruno
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