First Time GAC Camper at Airventure - Arrival and Parking Questions

[cjmartinflyers]

Hello All. My son and I are planning to fly in to AirVenture on Thursday afternoon (July 27th after the Thursday airshow) for several days of camping in the GAC area (leaving Sunday). Can anyone tell me how late in the afternoon the GAC area will be staffed by EAA volunteers so we can be directed to a parking/camping space. Also, does anyone have any recommendations as to what would be the best time in the afternoon to arrive over Ripon for the Fisk approach? I would like to arrive at a time when the airspace is the least crowded. Thank you.

[keen9]

It's kind of funny that none of the information from EAA directly answers your question! If you make it in before the airport closes at 8pm, you'll be taken care of for parking and camping. Not sure there really is a less busy time. As you get to 8pm it'll get less busy, but that is because you are risking not making it in. The only real "less busy" time is the morning.

[CarlOrton]

Make sure you read the notam. Also note that the field closes to all traffic during the airshow, so if you're not on the ground before 2:30, you won't have another chance until 6-ish depending on the day's scheduled performers.

[Kyle Boatright]

Make sure you read the notam. Also note that the field closes to all traffic during the airshow, so if you're not on the ground before 2:30, you won't have another chance until 6-ish depending on the day's scheduled performers.

The other thing that seems to happen is that the airshow always (tm) runs long with aircraft recoveries and *special* aircraft departures, so the arrival window shrinks. And then, it shrinks more because they seem to prioritize departures over arrivals in the evening...

[Fred Stadler]

Make sure you read the notam. Also note that the field closes to all traffic during the airshow, so if you're not on the ground before 2:30, you won't have another chance until 6-ish depending on the day's scheduled performers.

Note that per NOTAM page 1, the Monday to Friday airshows are scheduled to end at 6:30 PM and "arrivals at Wittman Regional Airport are normally resumed 30 minutes after each afternoon airshow." That makes the expected time window for post-airshow aircraft arrivals 7:00 to 8:00 PM.

[Jeff Point]

And then, it shrinks more because they seem to prioritize departures over arrivals in the evening...

They do this on purpose and out of necessity. Every day there are a pile of airplanes waiting to leave as soon as the airport opens after the airshow, and we need to flush them all out before we start taking arrivals or it would be mass chaos. Besides, we need to make room for the new arrivals. So this might be inconvenient to arrivals but in the larger picture it makes a lot of sense.

[FlyingRon]

Yeah, you want to let the departures out. It generally takes about 30 mintues from the time the airport is turned back over for operations after the airshow. 6:30 is the planned time but it all depends on how the airshow goes. We have to wait for the airshow people to turn it back to the FAA and then the FAA tells us (through a chain of command) that we can allow engine starts on the ground. It would be gridlock to allow arrivals at that time. There's plenty of time to get the planes on the ground before the airport closes at 8PM. If they let you land here will be someone to park you. You won't be able to register until the next morning if you get there late (the registration booth closes up earlier) but that is of little consequence.

[Cary]

As one with probably more experience than most at being the last airplane to land for any given day, I can tell you that they are very strict about closing the airport at 8 pm. I have just touched down several times in the last 10 years, to be greeted with "Welcome to Oshkosh, attention all aircraft, Wittman Airport, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, is closed." At least once that I can recall, another aircraft (a DC-3) and I were racing to get in before 8, and I succeeded but he didn't. Right after I heard the above, he called in, "Douglas xxx, I'm less than 5 minutes out." "Sorry sir, the airport is closed to all traffic, in or out."

On the other hand, they've been really, really good about getting me in. One year, my GPS said that if I flew the FISKE arrival, I'd just barely make it, and I was already planning a diversion to Fond du lac. But Madison Approach called me, said that Milwaukee was concerned that I might not make it, gave me a vector to the approach end of 36, and handed me off to Milwaukee. I asked Milwaukee to make sure that Oshkosh Tower would allow a direct to the runway VFR approach rather than via RIPON and FISKE. Meanwhile, I firewalled my hotrod P172D, and as my airspeed built to some small warp speed number, my GPS said I had about a 2 minute window, maybe. Milwaukee called and said that OSH tower had approved direct to the runway. So I came in to a somewhat angled base leg for 36 as fast as those little chipmunks up front could run, pulled the power, made a relatively steepish turn to final which slowed the airplane below Vfe, pulled on all 40 flaps, and touched down exactly where Tower said to land. "Welcome to Oshkosh, attention all aircraft, Wittman Airport, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, is closed. Nice job, Cessna!"

But in spite of all that, I don't recommend pushing it--do as I say, not as I've done. Better to arrive over Green Lake early, orbit a couple of times waiting for the airport to reopen after the airshow, and come in with time to spare. There is no guaranteed time when the air traffic will be the least, but honestly, it's not difficult. Just follow the NOTAM, follow the railroad track (not your GPS) from RIPON to FISKE, and if OSH isn't accepting inbounds when you arrive at FISKE, you'll be told that by ATC if you haven't already picked it up on the ATIS, so you'll orbit Green Lake or Rush Lake as directed. If they are accepting inbounds, you'll fly in, either to a relatively close-in right downwind to 27 or a left base to 36R or 36L, under most circumstances but the most difficult winds (which doesn't happen often--I've landed on 18 once).
Just to make it crystal clear, flying in is easy! (It's the anticipation that is difficult.) But I do recommend that you practice 3 things, if you haven't done this for awhile:

1. spot landings,
2. cruising at 90 knots, and
3. go arounds.

Then pay attention to the controllers. When they tell you to start your descent, immediately slow down to your approach speed, drop your flaps like normal, and land where they tell you to land. If they tell you to go around, then do it without hesitation. Once you're on the ground, exit the runway per the controller's instructions, as soon as possible--the grass is rolled and solid, so don't wait for a hard surface taxiway unless you've been told by the controller to do that.

Cary

[FlyingRon]

Also practice flying tight patterns: keep it inside the blue water tower and be ready to turn base any time you pass the end of the runway.

[Bill Greenwood]

What airplane are you flying in? And from where?
Mostly read and know the notam, you can have EAA mail you the booklet or probably get it on line and print the relevant parts. There are 5 or 6 sections, but you only need a couple of parts for any particular type plane.