[Louise Hose]

I flew Flash out of Oshkosh last year right after the show closed. I taxied to the hold line (about 3 planes back) under the pink shirts, then they disappeared. Poof! Chaos reined for about 5 or 10 minutes as the proper frequencies and procedures were unclear. At least one guy just departed without a clearance and the rest of us scratched our heads and looked dumb until the regular tower folks came on. Not exactly a smooth transition. But, once tower was up, the delayed departure was easy.

This year, I decided to wait until Monday morning and avoid that confusion. I understood that "normal" procedures would prevail, although I wondered about the ground aspect since Mikey wasn't in a "normal" parking spot. During my briefing on Weathermeister, I saw a note that the NOTAM was still in effect until noon locally. Hmm. I called the phone number provided in that statement and asked for clarification. The pleasant gentleman on the other end of the phone checked around his office and said Oshkosh had resumed normal operations with no NOTAM or special procedures, as far as they (Flight Service, I believe) knew.

Arriving at the field, Mikey looked pretty lonely in front of Homebuilt Registration.

After a thorough pre-flight, I fired up and went to the normal ground frequency. It was slammed and the controller seemed frazzled. Impossible to break in. He was begging VFR departing aircraft to taxi to Bravo for R27 departure, but the aircraft taxing past me were all going to R36. I think he was directing his comments towards spam cans and warbirds up north. I didn't want to taxi upstream on Alpha. I patiently waited and after several minutes had a chance to break in. Yes, taxi to R36L and monitor tower....but not the "normal operations" frequency. Use 126.6 (I think). At this point, it was clear that we were operating under some hybrid procedure and I didn't know the rules!

Unfortunately, assuming a relatively quiet morning, I had a Young Eagle with me so I had to return to the airport and continue contributing to their workload. Coming back, I contacted approach and asked for help coming back into Oshkosh. They told me that there were no special procedures. Just contact tower on 118.5 (or whatever the usual frequency is). Well, I wanted 36L again in order to drop off the Young Eagle so I contacted them on 126.6. No problem coming in except they wanted me to land on the yellow dot and turn off at A2. Shot. I don't have the NOTAM out and I don't know which dot is yellow. So, I made a low, slow pass of the runway looking for yellow. Hmm, there's an orange dot but it sure isn't yellow. I fly pass, then see A2 immediately ahead. Shot, the person designating the color of the dots must have red-color blindness! I land and pull off as quick as I could.

After dropping the Young Eagle, I prepare for another departure. The radio is a little quieter now and I get an almost immediate clearance to depart on 36L from A4. "Taildragger RV, cleared for take-off on 36L. Are you going right to the shoreline again?" "4MS, cleared for take-off. No, I'm turning left to Minneapolis." No response. As I climb out, it hits me that R9-27 is operating and the AirVenture procedures want me to turn at/before the control tower. I think of this about the time I pass the control tower. Uncertain, I make a very sharp bank to the left and turn to the west. "Nice turn, RV! Thank you. Have a good flight!" Okay, I guess that was the right thing to do.

I am in awe of what the FAA controller do each year. Fabulous work. But, it seems to me that they need to work on their transitions and Monday procedures. It was completely clear that we weren't using AirVenture nor normal operating procedures. And, if we were supposed to be under some sort of procedure, the word needs to be better distributed.

 

[pzaremba]

This was a fantastic post. Extremely interesting, and your descriptions put me right there. Thank you.

 

[gary daubert]

arriving into Osh on Sunday, I was instructed to land 36L---yellow dot, I also never saw the yellow, only orange. Strange!

 

[DEWATSON]

homebuilt cafe

Louise,

It was great to spend a few minutes with you in line at the Homebuilt Cafe. I try to keep up with you and Paul. Your posts here are always interesting. Like I said when I talked with you that day...."It's always nice to chat with famous RVers". I never did run in to Doug. I saw Danny King from a distance, but he was busy with a crowd around BEAUTIFUL DOLL. I never saw Paul either. I guess one out of four isn't too bad. Thanks for all you do for the RV world.

Speaking of the procedures into and out of Oshkosh; I couldn't agree with you more. It seems to me that they have the sharpest controllers on duty at peak times and it dwindles down from there. I'm so happy that they take their time to help make Oshkosh happen and I'm not complaining too much I hope. Considering the responsibilty, they do a great job!!!!! BUT, it does seem to me that they would be a little more consistent with the procedures and you would think that every controller would know the color of the dots.

Keep us posted on Junior. An RV 3 is a dream of mine someday.

David Watson

 

[tkatc]

Just to help everyone understand things a bit better, the Airventure controllers are not based at OSH year round. They are a team of experienced controllers that come in and take over operations for that week. The normal controllers do not work the airshow and are probably only VAGUELY familiar with the special procedures. So when the Airventure team leaves...you can expect a bit of mayhem as things are definately abnormal to the usual crew of controllers. I am sure they do thier best but they are just not prepared for so many planes to call up from areas around the airport that are unfamiliar to them.

I actually feel for those controllers because they get kicked out of thier own tower for a week and then, upon return, are expected to run a "normal" operation while things are anything but "normal".

 

[Toobuilder]

...It seems to me that they have the sharpest controllers on duty at peak times and it dwindles down from there...

Glad you brought this up because I noticed this too. While I have nothing to compare my first ever arrival to other than Youtube videos and the NOTAM, I thought the guy working the tower on Saturday was "off his game". Despite the relaxed traffic, he called my buddy's Bellanca a blue and white high wing, when it is clearly a low wing; and called to me as "an airplane North of the field" when I was clearly (and more accurately) a silver low wing, mid field downwind. The vague descriptions from the tower, coupled with our high expectations of the controlers resulted in both of us thinking they were talking to someone else. We did not respond to either radio call. Fortunately, it all worked out in the end.

 

[gereed75]

I also had an interesting departure that capped off an unforgetable week.

I had planned for an early Wednesday departure to be home for business in the afternoon. A weather brief with FSS on Tuesday afternoon sounds like Wednesday will be no problem.

When I get back to my Scholler camp around 2200, I check weather again. Yikes!! Big line of nasty bumpers rolling in with a Zero Dark Thirty ETA.   Quick, break down the tent, get a friend to drive me to the north forty, check the airplane over and it‘s now about 11:30. No time to pitch the tent, so onto the ground under the Replica Fighter tent for the night. Just to be safe, I decide to reserve a morning IFR slot. Call the special number and begin the “easy to follow” touch tone data entry procedure. About 5 tries and 1.5 hours latter, I have a 0645 IFR slot. It’s now 1:30 AM.

Roll over for 4 hours of sleep and up at 0530. Look out to the east and in the early morning dim it looks OK, just as predicted. Pack some bags and as the sky begins to show some more light, I look to the west. There set’s a really ugly, black ominous wall of angry cumulus about 2 miles away. Suddenly the 0645 IFR slot is completely out of the picture. It’s now or never.

Race to the plane, bags in the back. If I pull the tie down stakes now and can’t get airborne, I’ll be at the mercy of a nasty blow in 15 minutes or less. I hear other planes cranking up and so I tune in ground. They are releasing VFR departures! Let’s go. Tie downs out, push it back, start it up and give’em a call. They clear me to taxi to 18 for an immediate VFR departure. Run up on the fly. “Cleared for takeoff Blue dot” as I roll through the hold short. Checklist, brisk taxi down to the dot and cob it! Off by the next dot and cranking into a left turn towards east as I see the southern end of the runway disappear in a torrential downpour. Look to the north and see a 737 gliding in on a left down wind to 09 while he calls “I‘m a 737 on left downwind to 9, does everybody see me?? Aircraft rolling on 9, DO YOU SEE ME??”.

I level off at 1500 feet and boogey under a 4000‘ overcast. Five miles latter I am CAVU heading for the lake. Total time since wake-up is 31 minutes. I think I am about the 4th airplane off and maybe the last one out for sometime.

As I settle in and things slow down, I have time to reflect on my first ever visit to Osh. It was a great rookie run that included:

Sitting for two hours with Van his own self at the first meeting of the EAA Type Club Coalition. The meeting is kicked off by Paul Poberesney, also his own self, followed by remarks from Hightower. We will be representing the RV community as the EAB world works with the FAA on their burgeoning safety crusade.

Meeting Don N8RV, Jim Gray, Dan H, Tony “Ask the Controller TKATC” and many others at the SOS meet and greet, including Lucca who brought his wonderful wife and beautiful daughters all the way from “eetally” for the show.

Checking out the South African contingent back on 38th street. If you haven’t been there you’ve missed one of the highlights of the show - Great guys and gals who know how to have a good time.

Sitting in the cockpit of a B-25 just like the one my Dad crewed in back in the South Pacific circa 1944, and it is sporting nose art that matches my Dad’s Devil Dog tattoo exactly!!

Having one of those special RV moments, watching my HOBBs turn 200 hours as I cruise serenely south east at 9500‘, heading home at 200 knots ground speed, just north west of Detroit. It’s about there that I also finally decide on the name for my RV - Obedient Steed - because it’s a reminder that it will do everything I ask, even the dumb things.

I think it was on Day 3 that it struck me - this is the worlds biggest family picnic and my family has the greatest toys. Can’t wait till next year.

 

[Louise Hose]

Just to help everyone understand things a bit better, the Airventure controllers are not based at OSH year round. They are a team of experienced controllers that come in and take over operations for that week. The normal controllers do not work the airshow and are probably only VAGUELY familiar with the special procedures. So when the Airventure team leaves...you can expect a bit of mayhem as things are definately abnormal to the usual crew of controllers. I am sure they do thier best but they are just not prepared for so many planes to call up from areas around the airport that are unfamiliar to them.

I agree and feel for the controllers, too. Although it seemed like the field was empty, I guess every plane left was trying to depart on Monday morning and it was hectic. It just seems that this is an area that the FAA could work on to make a smoother transition. I'm certain their procedures are an ever-evolving process.