2300' 135kt Arrival

I've flown into AirVenture many times now and was once told by an AirVenture controller that the 2300' 135kt Fisk arrival pattern is under utilized when traffic is heavy and if you are capable of 135 knots and the lower altitude arrival is saturated it is advantages to controllers to have some aircraft maintain the higher pattern because they are assigned a different runway. I noticed this year in particular there is much written on NOT using the higher pattern unless you are unable to fly 90kts. I have on a couple high volume times arrived over RIPON to find airplanes arriving from all directions at 1800' and having a heck of a time determining an order. Sometimes I find two or three airplanes proceeding down the railroad tracks side-by-side or even find pilots circling over RIPON trying to find a gap in which to re-enter the arrival flow. Seems like a bad place to circle to me. Meanwhile there isn't an airplane in sight on the higher arrival. Instead of adding to the chaos at 1800', I'm always tempted (although won't admit) to climbing to 2300' and enjoying a stress free arrival. Are we lucky enough to have an experienced Airventure controller reading the forums that can comment on the flow of the higher altitude traffic, how runways are assigned, and offer some guidance on whether under rare high volume circumstances it is helpful to have 135kt capable airplanes up at 2300' instead of arriving 5 at a time over fisk at 1800'? Thanks!

Disclosue: I am NOT an Air Traffic Controller, so any comments I make are my personal understandings, as a private pilot. Appologies, if I also state what might apper to some to be the obvious.


The 2300 ft altitude option would seem to be a good choice, if your plane can maintain the required 135 knots, and you are comfortable with the currents winds and the possible, not so wind-favourable runway, you might be assigned.

If the 1800' altitude is conjested, it would make it far more difficult/dangerous to decend into the 1800' traffgic at Rippon, and join that traffic, to arrive on what would typically be the wind favoured runway. Instead, you are far more likely to be directed at Fisk to the other main runway.

Assuming winds favour 09/27, and most of the traffic at 1800' is going to continue up the railroad track, past Fisk to 09 or 27, so you, at 2300', are likely to be directed along Fisk Avenue, to 36, or 18.

If 36 is wind favoured over 18, and you are confortable with any crosswinds on 36, you are in for a far less conjested arrival, and the 36 base, and final legs are quite straighforward.

However, ff winds strongly favour 18, over 36, then you are faced with the restrictions of not turning base for 18, north of the 18 numbers, as you will be required to remain South of 09/27. Once agin, if you are comfortable with that base leg abeam the numbers, then once again, you avoid the conjection of the 1800' arrivals.

However, if the winds are such that you are not confortable with the 36, or more tricky 18 arrival, then you might be better off, waiting your turn, and getting into the traffic stream at 1800' at Rippon.

In my opinion, the major factor determining your choice of 1800' or 2300' is what is going to happen AFTER Fisk, and your ability to deal with the potential crosswinds of the wind-non-preferred runway, than the earlier difficulty of joining the traffic flow at Ripon.

Once committed on the Rippon-Fisk route, your destination runway is typically pre-determined, by your altitude. (for a give wind condition).

Note: the whole point of the Rippon-Fisk leg, is to space traiffic out, IN LINE, with appropraite seperation, so that when they arrive at Fisk, there are NOT 5 at a time over fisk.

I have not flown into Oshkosh in Real life, but have flown and controllerd into Oshkosh in simulation, many hundreds of times, under varying wind conditions, over the past 6 years. I really do not like the left pattern into 18, with the 09/27 restrictions, expecially in a fast twin. !!

Will be interested to hear the comments of other, expecially any Controllers.

Geoff