How many times have you flown an RV to AirVenture Oshkosh? The only way I can remember is by counting the number of stickers I have on my baggage wall.
Counting the stickers, I see 20. I am sure that there are others that have more RV flights to AirVenture and RV pilots with more RV flight hours. (over 3,500 RV hours)
We, as pilots, flying our RV aircraft to AirVenture Oshkosh need to follow the arrival Notice procedures.
The Notice (I want to type NOTAM as that is what it was called in the past) wants aircraft flying 90 knots and 1,800’ for aircraft that can “operate comfortably at 90 knots.” All RV aircraft can operate comfortably at 90 knots. There are other threads in the forum about this. IF you cannot operate your RV comfortably at 90 knots, you should not fly it to AirVenture Oshkosh. 90 knots is within the normal operating speed of all RV aircraft but most of us (myself included) do not spend a lot of time operating at this speed.
Having been to AirVenture Oshkosh numerous times in the same RV, I still like to go out and practice 90 knot flight as I typically do not fly my RV less than 122 KIAS in cruise flight. I have no issue flying a traffic pattern at 65 KIAS in my RV and am comfortable doing that but want to get familiar with flying 90 knots, holding altitude, navigating by reference looking outside, watching for other aircraft, and making radio adjustments inside will doing all of this. I also want to be able to make precision spot landings.
Almost all of my fights into AirVenture Oshkosh have started at RIPON 1,800’ and 90 KIAS. The last two NOTICE or NOTAM have added additional Transition points before RIPON (VPRIP). During our arrival flight planning, we do not know what point ATC will have us use before reaching RIPON.
Using ForeFlight to determine distance between these Transition Points, I came up with this table and calculations. Feel free to check my math.
It appears that I may need to fly my RV at 90 KIAS for 30 minutes before landing.
In the worst arrival mess that has ever happened, I orbited for one hour waiting to get in the arrival mess before diverting to Dodge County (KUNU). I refueled, tied the aircraft down for the night, and had round trip ground transportation arranged for me and my baggage to OSH. The next day, I retrieved the aircraft and flew the final leg to OSH.
The following year was not much better. After seeing the traffic mess on my ADS-B in, I added power, climbed to a higher cruising altitude, and flew north to Appleton (KATW) where a pretty much standard Delta airspace arrival was made. There are procedures in the NOTICE for the arrival so study that before hand. Other than the reporting point published in the NOTICE, it felt like a standard arrival at a towered airport.
Today’s flight was not perfect. I wrote down 2,100 RPM and 16.4” MAP. MAP was as high as 17 and as low as 15. I may end up with a slight adjustment on manifold pressure after repeating this exercise a few more times. I also try to bracket a lower and upper setting to use when speed or altitude deviations occur. A higher RPM would allow faster speed changes but that can be a bad thing with factory aircraft in front or behind me that cannot accelerate or slow down as fast as the 160 HP RV with constant speed prop.
Less than two months till the largest gathering of aircraft on earth. I am starting to get ready and am looking forward to seeing old friends and making new ones.
Once you are safely on the ground at OSH, you will be directed to parking. Most of us RV pilots, taxi with our flaps down. Please put your flaps up before you taxi on grass. Once in your parking spot, it is ok to put your flaps down.
Once shut down in your parking space, TIE your aircraft to the ground before doing anything else.
This will be Van's Aircraft 50th year.
Counting the stickers, I see 20. I am sure that there are others that have more RV flights to AirVenture and RV pilots with more RV flight hours. (over 3,500 RV hours)
We, as pilots, flying our RV aircraft to AirVenture Oshkosh need to follow the arrival Notice procedures.
The Notice (I want to type NOTAM as that is what it was called in the past) wants aircraft flying 90 knots and 1,800’ for aircraft that can “operate comfortably at 90 knots.” All RV aircraft can operate comfortably at 90 knots. There are other threads in the forum about this. IF you cannot operate your RV comfortably at 90 knots, you should not fly it to AirVenture Oshkosh. 90 knots is within the normal operating speed of all RV aircraft but most of us (myself included) do not spend a lot of time operating at this speed.
Having been to AirVenture Oshkosh numerous times in the same RV, I still like to go out and practice 90 knot flight as I typically do not fly my RV less than 122 KIAS in cruise flight. I have no issue flying a traffic pattern at 65 KIAS in my RV and am comfortable doing that but want to get familiar with flying 90 knots, holding altitude, navigating by reference looking outside, watching for other aircraft, and making radio adjustments inside will doing all of this. I also want to be able to make precision spot landings.
Almost all of my fights into AirVenture Oshkosh have started at RIPON 1,800’ and 90 KIAS. The last two NOTICE or NOTAM have added additional Transition points before RIPON (VPRIP). During our arrival flight planning, we do not know what point ATC will have us use before reaching RIPON.
Using ForeFlight to determine distance between these Transition Points, I came up with this table and calculations. Feel free to check my math.
It appears that I may need to fly my RV at 90 KIAS for 30 minutes before landing.
In the worst arrival mess that has ever happened, I orbited for one hour waiting to get in the arrival mess before diverting to Dodge County (KUNU). I refueled, tied the aircraft down for the night, and had round trip ground transportation arranged for me and my baggage to OSH. The next day, I retrieved the aircraft and flew the final leg to OSH.
The following year was not much better. After seeing the traffic mess on my ADS-B in, I added power, climbed to a higher cruising altitude, and flew north to Appleton (KATW) where a pretty much standard Delta airspace arrival was made. There are procedures in the NOTICE for the arrival so study that before hand. Other than the reporting point published in the NOTICE, it felt like a standard arrival at a towered airport.
Today’s flight was not perfect. I wrote down 2,100 RPM and 16.4” MAP. MAP was as high as 17 and as low as 15. I may end up with a slight adjustment on manifold pressure after repeating this exercise a few more times. I also try to bracket a lower and upper setting to use when speed or altitude deviations occur. A higher RPM would allow faster speed changes but that can be a bad thing with factory aircraft in front or behind me that cannot accelerate or slow down as fast as the 160 HP RV with constant speed prop.
Less than two months till the largest gathering of aircraft on earth. I am starting to get ready and am looking forward to seeing old friends and making new ones.
Once you are safely on the ground at OSH, you will be directed to parking. Most of us RV pilots, taxi with our flaps down. Please put your flaps up before you taxi on grass. Once in your parking spot, it is ok to put your flaps down.
Once shut down in your parking space, TIE your aircraft to the ground before doing anything else.
This will be Van's Aircraft 50th year.
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