OK so I've decided to fly into Oshkosh. What happens after landing? I will tie down in HBC then what? I see there is no preregistration for aircraft camping. Is it like Scholler where you pay for the week then get a refund if you leave early? Is here an office close by that you go to to pay for camping? Assuming I should preorder the wrist bands for our week pass so we have them when we show up? I feel dumb that I couldn't find these answers elsewhere. We've been camping in Scholler every year so we have that down to a science. This airplane camping is all new to us.
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What happens after landing at Oshkosh?
- Thread starter dwranda
- Start date
Auburntsts
Well Known Member
You go to homebuilt registration in Homebuilders HQ (next to the green tower about halfway between taxiway P-1 and the Brown Arch) and register for your campsite in HBC and you can also buy wrist bands and get a tag to get fuel if you so desire. And yes it’s like Scholler where you pay for the week and get refunded for any days you don’t stay.
Don’t forget get your HBC sign to display in your windshield while taxing and your tie downs.
If you call the Homebuilders Welcome Wagon we’ll come pick you up— 920-230-7906 was last year’s number and it should be the same this year but I will verify.
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Oshkosh
Deadline for pre registering is June 15. Arriving as early as possible increases the chances of landing 18/36 and the chances of staying on pavement until you reach a point abeam of where you park.
Landing 9/27 there have been at least some cases of airplanes being directed off the runway into grass and damaging their airplane. Don't know if that has improved recently.
The parking areas for display aircraft are generally well maintained. Lots of rain and soft ground can change that.
Study the weather a week in advance, every day, paying attention to rain and wind direction and velocity. 36 landings are often with a substantial direct crosswind.
Deadline for pre registering is June 15. Arriving as early as possible increases the chances of landing 18/36 and the chances of staying on pavement until you reach a point abeam of where you park.
Landing 9/27 there have been at least some cases of airplanes being directed off the runway into grass and damaging their airplane. Don't know if that has improved recently.
The parking areas for display aircraft are generally well maintained. Lots of rain and soft ground can change that.
Study the weather a week in advance, every day, paying attention to rain and wind direction and velocity. 36 landings are often with a substantial direct crosswind.
Auburntsts
Well Known Member
There is no pre-registration for any of the aircraft camping areas. If the field is dry and landing 9/27 you will directed to exit the runway into the grass.
Ralph Inkster
Well Known Member
After landing, place HBC sign in the windshield & follow taxi instructions to your parking spot - get out of the plane & CONGRATULATE YOURSELF! - tie down your plane - note the parking row you are parked in - wander down to the flight line, you will find Homebuilt HQ where you pay for camping & passes - grab a drink & go back & setup your camp - now the fun can start!!!
jbDC9
Well Known Member
That, plus beer! Spotted Cow is the National Beer of Oshkosh.
Well, the first thing is you get color back in your face and you start breathing again……
It's interesting that the 400 page NOTAM for the arrival doesn't cover "Where to pay." Everything about the signage for arrival and departure is in there.
But in the end, if you have your plane, a companion a tent, and a credit card you'll have a great time
And proper tie downs like "the claw" or the EAA DIY style.
But in the end, if you have your plane, a companion a tent, and a credit card you'll have a great time
And proper tie downs like "the claw" or the EAA DIY style.
But in the end, if you have your plane, a companion a tent, and a credit card you'll have a great time
And sometimes you can "find a companion". One year in the middle of a storm the drunk girl in the tent next to me got up to go to the bathroom, and when she returned she came into my tent and started snuggling up to me...
Her husband in the tent next to me was not amused!
Roadjunkie1
Well Known Member
NOTAM....Notice to Airm.....I mean Air Missions...
The NOTAM is an FAA-generated document that contains suggestions from EAA input but has to do with the flying aspect of the Convention.
The NOTAM is an FAA-generated document that contains suggestions from EAA input but has to do with the flying aspect of the Convention.
Marc Bourget
Well Known Member
Don't worry, don't fear, they won't miss collecting your $$.
They've seen "all the tricks" years ago!
They've seen "all the tricks" years ago!
I'm planning to fly out for the first time this year too. Your previous thread pushed me over the edge. I've watched almost every FISK arrival video there is from '21 and '22. I found very few camping videos and only one that involved HBC and it didn't say much. Thanks for asking the questions I had.
One thing I can't find anywhere is for departures. Where do you do your run up? I saw exactly one video where he said he did a rolling run up. The reset just taxi out and depart. Can someone shed some light on that?
One thing I can't find anywhere is for departures. Where do you do your run up? I saw exactly one video where he said he did a rolling run up. The reset just taxi out and depart. Can someone shed some light on that?
Good question!!!
Kyle Boatright
Well Known Member
Typically, I do that in the departure line. When the line stops on the taxiway, I turn the airplane 30 degrees to avoid blasting those behind me, and do the runup there.
This. Works fine for me. No need to get in a hurry and not do everything you need to do to be comfortable committing to flight. Although taking 10min to work through a 20pg pre-takeoff checklist may be frowned upon. You'll be offered the option to step out of line.
Auburntsts
Well Known Member
What Kyle said—it’s done on the way to the runway, just be cognizant of what’s behind you and don’t dawdle through your checklist steps. Some more amplification. You’ll pull your plane out of your parking spot and onto the taxi lane once you’re packed and ready to go. Do not start up and taxi out of your parking space. Pulling out into the lane is generally the universal sign to the marshallers zipping around on scooters that you’re ready to taxi. If you’ve been there awhile, the plane might have settled into depressions in the grass so get help to pull out if necessary. I place boards under my tires to avoid this. If you’ve sat there for a bit and no marshallers ever come to you, carefully fire up and taxi to the edge of P-1 (the only taxiway that goes to HBC/HBP) and wait for the marshallers. If someone is being marshalled outbound past you, just fall in behind them and don’t wait for another marshaller just for you. Make sure your “VFR” sign is in your window. At that point just follow the NOTAM departure procedure.
Roadjunkie1
Well Known Member
Departure....
Good advice: (I did some editing to the above!) Print your VFR sign out when you are printing your HBP/HPC signs at home. Fuel: I always fuel up before arriving at OSH as fueling there can be a PITA and expensive. Do you have enough to get to your destination? Before you get in your airplane, do your usual (or with higher regard) preflight including draining your tank sumps. OSH is humid and your airplane has likely been Rained on! Your airplane has been in a high-traffic area and things have happened to airplanes from people not used to being around them. Make sure you have everything you brought with you in the airplane: the tow bar is NOT still on the nose/tail wheel and it is not still tied down and you picked up your chocks! (I could tell you all those stories!) Have NOTAM pages 15, 16 and 31 on your kneeboard. Have the departure process reviewed and understood before you get in your airplane.
Start with monitoring ATIS 121.75 for weather information and runways in use. And to make sure the airport is open! Have the departure frequencies pulled up on your standby frequency which will be different depending on what runway is in use (see NOTAM page 16). Once you fire up, continue your checklist before you get to the hard surface knowing that people walking around will sometimes not see you even with your engine running! Once on the hard surface, be aware of what is in front of you and what is behind you. Carefully complete your check list. NOW is a great time to actually have one so you are less likely to forget an important item. Don't short cut your NORMAL departure routine. You will be in a "conga line" that can be short and moving quickly or long and moving slowly. Take your time and make sure you are ready to depart.
Your runup should be near where you are departing and, as said above, angle the tail away from the airplanes behind you and NOT at the crowd watching you. The airplanes in front of you will be on the move but you will have plenty of time to fill that gap. You will be monitoring the departure frequency for your runway. I have a "pre-departure" section of my check list (that I verbally say) and that should be what you do just prior to rolling out on the runway. You do NOT want to depart without closing your canopy, fuel on the "wrong" tank (or off!) (again, stories) You will be monitoring the departure frequency but will not need to say anything to anybody unless they ask you something. There will be a platform with PINK shirt controllers and PINK shirt marshallers with PINK batons on the ground as you approach the intersection of the runway. PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT THEY ARE TELLING YOU TO DO. You don't want to be "that guy" who is screwing up the fast-paced works. You will likely be marshalled to one side of the runway or the other with another airplane on the other side. The marshallers will indicate who goes next as you will be alternating.
Once you depart is not a time to demonstrate what a hot-performing aircraft you have. If you don't do it at home, don't do it here. You may not see all the aircraft that are in the air around you and a predicable flight path on your part will help others keep track of you. I am OCD and will have a separate sheet printed out for each runway departure route (as they are all different) and will have that pulled up and highlighted when I know what runway I am being marshalled to. Adhere to those departure routes as everyone else should be doing the same and you are NOT the only airplane in the air. There will still be arrivals coming in while you are departing. Follow that departure route until you are clear of the Class D airspace. WATCH FOR OTHER AIRPLANES both departing and arriving.
Have a safe flight home! See you next year!
Good advice: (I did some editing to the above!) Print your VFR sign out when you are printing your HBP/HPC signs at home. Fuel: I always fuel up before arriving at OSH as fueling there can be a PITA and expensive. Do you have enough to get to your destination? Before you get in your airplane, do your usual (or with higher regard) preflight including draining your tank sumps. OSH is humid and your airplane has likely been Rained on! Your airplane has been in a high-traffic area and things have happened to airplanes from people not used to being around them. Make sure you have everything you brought with you in the airplane: the tow bar is NOT still on the nose/tail wheel and it is not still tied down and you picked up your chocks! (I could tell you all those stories!
) Have NOTAM pages 15, 16 and 31 on your kneeboard. Have the departure process reviewed and understood before you get in your airplane. Start with monitoring ATIS 121.75 for weather information and runways in use. And to make sure the airport is open! Have the departure frequencies pulled up on your standby frequency which will be different depending on what runway is in use (see NOTAM page 16). Once you fire up, continue your checklist before you get to the hard surface knowing that people walking around will sometimes not see you even with your engine running!
Once on the hard surface, be aware of what is in front of you and what is behind you. Carefully complete your check list. NOW is a great time to actually have one so you are less likely to forget an important item. Don't short cut your NORMAL departure routine. You will be in a "conga line" that can be short and moving quickly or long and moving slowly. Take your time and make sure you are ready to depart.Your runup should be near where you are departing and, as said above, angle the tail away from the airplanes behind you and NOT at the crowd watching you. The airplanes in front of you will be on the move but you will have plenty of time to fill that gap. You will be monitoring the departure frequency for your runway. I have a "pre-departure" section of my check list (that I verbally say) and that should be what you do just prior to rolling out on the runway. You do NOT want to depart without closing your canopy, fuel on the "wrong" tank (or off!) (again, stories) You will be monitoring the departure frequency but will not need to say anything to anybody unless they ask you something. There will be a platform with PINK shirt controllers and PINK shirt marshallers with PINK batons on the ground as you approach the intersection of the runway. PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT THEY ARE TELLING YOU TO DO. You don't want to be "that guy" who is screwing up the fast-paced works. You will likely be marshalled to one side of the runway or the other with another airplane on the other side. The marshallers will indicate who goes next as you will be alternating.
Once you depart is not a time to demonstrate what a hot-performing aircraft you have. If you don't do it at home, don't do it here. You may not see all the aircraft that are in the air around you and a predicable flight path on your part will help others keep track of you. I am OCD and will have a separate sheet printed out for each runway departure route (as they are all different) and will have that pulled up and highlighted when I know what runway I am being marshalled to. Adhere to those departure routes as everyone else should be doing the same and you are NOT the only airplane in the air. There will still be arrivals coming in while you are departing. Follow that departure route until you are clear of the Class D airspace. WATCH FOR OTHER AIRPLANES both departing and arriving.
Have a safe flight home! See you next year!
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Great answers, thanks. This is an intimidating venture and the run up was a massive gap in the described and demonstrated procedures.
Good advice: (I did some editing to the above!) Print your VFR sign out when you are printing your HBP/HPC signs at home. Fuel: I always fuel up before arriving at OSH as fueling there can be a PITA and expensive. Do you have enough to get to your destination? Before you get in your airplane, do your usual (or with higher regard) preflight including draining your tank sumps. OSH is humid and your airplane has likely been Rained on! Your airplane has been in a high-traffic area and things have happened to airplanes from people not used to being around them. Make sure you have everything you brought with you in the airplane: the tow bar is NOT still on the nose/tail wheel and it is not still tied down and you picked up your chocks! (I could tell you all those stories!
Start with monitoring ATIS 121.75 for weather information and runways in use. And to make sure the airport is open! Have the departure frequencies pulled up on your standby frequency which will be different depending on what runway is in use (see NOTAM page 16). Once you fire up, continue your checklist before you get to the hard surface knowing that people walking around will sometimes not see you even with your engine running!
Your runup should be near where you are departing and, as said above, angle the tail away from the airplanes behind you and NOT at the crowd watching you. The airplanes in front of you will be on the move but you will have plenty of time to fill that gap. You will be monitoring the departure frequency for your runway. I have a "pre-departure" section of my check list (that I verbally say) and that should be what you do just prior to rolling out on the runway. You do NOT want to depart without closing your canopy, fuel on the "wrong" tank (or off!) (again, stories) You will be monitoring the departure frequency but will not need to say anything to anybody unless they ask you something. There will be a platform with PINK shirt controllers and PINK shirt marshallers with PINK batons on the ground as you approach the intersection of the runway. PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT THEY ARE TELLING YOU TO DO. You don't want to be "that guy" who is screwing up the fast-paced works. You will likely be marshalled to one side of the runway or the other with another airplane on the other side. The marshallers will indicate who goes next as you will be alternating.
Once you depart is not a time to demonstrate what a hot-performing aircraft you have. If you don't do it at home, don't do it here. You may not see all the aircraft that are in the air around you and a predicable flight path on your part will help others keep track of you. I am OCD and will have a separate sheet printed out for each runway departure route (as they are all different) and will have that pulled up and highlighted when I know what runway I am being marshalled to. Adhere to those departure routes as everyone else should be doing the same and you are NOT the only airplane in the air. There will still be arrivals coming in while you are departing. Follow that departure route until you are clear of the Class D airspace. WATCH FOR OTHER AIRPLANES both departing and arriving.
Have a safe flight home! See you next year!
What a fantastic response! Thank you Michael!
auburnaviator
Well Known Member
I don’t know if you’re familiar with FAAST (FAA Safety Team) but they just did an almost 2 hr Zoom presentation this morning on a whole host of things all related to Oshkosh and mainly focusing on arrivals/departures and the NOTAM. They plan on hosting another event on the 12th of July regarding the same topic. Very helpful/informative information if you’re a first timer flying in or just want a refresher of what to expect.
We arrive on the Friday before the show. It's a 1050 nm flight with 2 fuel stops along the way coming from Utah. So it's around 3 pm when we land at KOSH. After securing the plane, setting up camp, getting cleaned up, and eating dinner, all that's on the agenda is to kick back until bedtime.
The registration window at HBC HQ will still be there Saturday morning. Don't forget to buy your tickets for the Homebuilder's dinner (different from the Van's RV dinner) while you're paying for your wristband and camping.
The registration window at HBC HQ will still be there Saturday morning. Don't forget to buy your tickets for the Homebuilder's dinner (different from the Van's RV dinner) while you're paying for your wristband and camping.
Homebuilders dinner? Need details on that!
Thursday night at the nature center Pavillion. Buy tickets at HB HQ when you register for camping.
A tall cold one
A few years ago, I had the privilege of volunteering with Homebuilt Camping. One of my jobs was to drive the follow me golf cart to guide incoming planes to their camping spot. We had a cooler of cold water bottles for the sweaty and parched pilots.
When the engine stopped and the PIC cracked the canopy I started with the checklist; Mags,Mixture and Master all off. Then I would hold up my handheld and say, I just got a call from the tower. They said you put it right on the spot and that I was to buy you a tall cold one.
The bottle of water never failed to generate a smile.
A few years ago, I had the privilege of volunteering with Homebuilt Camping. One of my jobs was to drive the follow me golf cart to guide incoming planes to their camping spot. We had a cooler of cold water bottles for the sweaty and parched pilots.
When the engine stopped and the PIC cracked the canopy I started with the checklist; Mags,Mixture and Master all off. Then I would hold up my handheld and say, I just got a call from the tower. They said you put it right on the spot and that I was to buy you a tall cold one.
The bottle of water never failed to generate a smile.
