Fly to OSH
Join thousands of pilots at the world’s largest aviation gathering
Every summer, hundreds of thousands of pilots and aviation enthusiasts descend on Oshkosh, Wisconsin, for EAA AirVenture, the world’s largest aviation gathering. While most drive to the show, more than 10,000 airplanes call the airport home for the week, making the small midwestern town the busiest airport in the world for a short period.
Illustration by Charles Floyd
- Every year the FAA works with the Experimental Aircraft Association to develop what must be the world’s longest and most detailed notam. It includes detailed information on flight arrival and departure procedures, as well as ground operation and emergency instructions for every type of aircraft that comes to the show. Print the entire document, read the entire document, and then study the section that relates to your aircraft and flight plan.
- While it is possible to fly into the show alone, it’s significantly easier to do so with a friend, even if that person isn’t a pilot. Having another set of eyes to scan for traffic, look up notam details, help with callouts, and monitor systems can be immensely helpful. Just make sure that you keep the chit-chat to a minimum as you begin the arrival procedure.
- The notam includes a detailed plan of how to join what’s affectionately called “the conga line.” The goal is for airplanes arriving from all directions to funnel into a single stream of traffic that plays follow-the-leader as they arrive to the airport. The problem is that sometimes the traffic gets too heavy, runways close for emergencies, or the weather doesn’t cooperate. In those cases, you must be prepared to follow the alternate plans laid out in the notam, or even bail out of the procedure and come back and try again. Expect the unexpected.
- Just as pilots have to be flexible, so do the air traffic controllers running the arrival and tower procedures. Follow their instructions, even if they aren’t to the letter of the notam, and don’t clog the frequency with unnecessary chatter, questions, or protests.
- If the idea of competing with thousands of airplanes for the same piece of sky causes you to panic, consider starting your OSH journey by going to an outlier airport instead. There are a few specified in the notam, and they all have shuttle service or rental cars, making them easy alternatives. There’s no shame in working your way up.
Ian J. Twombly
Ian J. Twombly is senior content producer for AOPA Media.
Related Articles
