First Time GAC Camper at Airventure - Arrival and Parking Questions

[Bill Greenwood]

Steps of Fisk arrival: 1 Have a copy of the notam, memorize the pertinent parts, I'd mark them in yellow highlight. Listen to the ATIS then put radio on arrival freq.
2 Keep you eyes out for traffic. Find the small town of Ripon. It is just n e of the Green Lake which is big enough to see on the ground and on the Chigacgo sectional. You may have gps or moving map etc. It is even easier to find if you are coming from the south, as FDL is a good size town with an easy to see ariport on the west side. Stay high there.Hwy 23 runs from FLD n w right to Ripon where it meets the hwy coming from the south 3 Have arrival freqency on the radio, and just listen. 4 Fly 90k and I think its 1000 " AGL. 5 Turn north toward Fisk, if there is a plane in front of you follow it. Good idea to lower gear and that helps you slow to 90 k. 6 At Fisk the controller on the ground will call you by type, and likely tell you to proceed to which runway, or to hold at the lake. 7 Just follow the railroad tracks ne to Osh and land on the runway assigned, no need to talk. LOOK OUT THE WINDOW FOR TRAFFIC, 8 MAKE A NORMAL LANDING, THAT IS GEAR DOWN AND CORRECT APPROACH SPEED JUST LIKE ALL THE ONES BEFORE. 9 When you have slowed safely exit onto the grass and show your printed parking sign.

Ripon, looks like a nice nondescript little town. But beleive it or not it is where the Republican party was founded in 1890?. Some good guys then, big issue was they were abolitioniist, dont think they had a position on bathrooms or privitatisizing our ATC back then. Maybe this came with eating too many cheese curds. Did they have "Go Packers bumpers stickers on their buggies then?
And one more thing Ripon is known for, stricly aviation wise?

[Auburntsts]

Ripon, looks like a nice clean little town. But beleive it or not it is where the Republican party was founded in 1890?. Actually some good guys then, big issue was they were abolitioniist, dont think they had a position on bathrooms or privitatisizing our ATC back then. Maybe this came with eating too many cheese curds. Did they have "Go Packers bumpers stickers on their buggies back then?
And one more thing Ripon is known for, stricly aviation wise?

You're off by 36 years--remember Lincoln was a Republican. Not sure why you felt the need to add unnecessary political trivia to a description on how to fly the VFR arrival to OSH, but whatever.

[Bill Greenwood]

Todd, if you read and not just hit the quote mark,.you'll see that since I wasn't sure of the founding date and couldn't find it in the research under Ripon so I put a ? after the 1890 date, like this 1890? If this trivia really upsets you dont read my next part or even better lets not read each others at all.
And I see that "you felt the need to add" Your trivia about "Lincoln was a Republican" it to the topic on flying the Fisk arrival, but I am not upset about it though I already knew that.
I dont recall ever writing a negative comment on any topic you have written, and if I did comment I'd try to do it politely, but most likely the best way to do this is you just dont read anything I write.

For those not advere for trivia, Ripon has another distinction and once again I'm not 100% sure so Ill put a ? mark after it. I think Ripon was home to the Klapmeiers, sp? not born there, but I think they went to Ripon College? again not sure. For those not familiar with this name, they are the founders of the pusher plane, Vk? that later became Cirrus.

[Cary]

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.

The beauty of printing it yourself is that you can size it according to what you want. I also put it on my iPad. I wouldn't pick and choose what parts to print. Better to have it and not need it than to realize you saved paper and don't have what you need.

One other thing: be sure to create the necessary signs (GAC, VAC, IFR, VFR), and make the letters big and readable from a distance. The marshalers will appreciate being able to see where you want to go. And gosh, don't do what one of my buddies did one year--we landed, he showed the sign to the first marshaler, then tossed it in the back seat! You need to show it to several of them as you taxi where directed.

Cary

[FlyingRon]

I have my signs every year which include VAC, W69 (not that I need this one usually, everybody knows where my plane goes back), VFR, NORTH 40, and HILTON and then a few extras to include:

THANK YOU, YOU LOOK GOOD IN ORANGE, YOU LOOK GOOD IN PINK, $447,00 FOR THIS, WHY CAN'T I PARK HERE?, I PARKED HERE LAST YEAR, I KNOW JACK PELTON, etc....

[Kyle Boatright]

I have my signs every year which include VAC, W69 (not that I need this one usually, everybody knows where my plane goes back), VFR, NORTH 40, and HILTON and then a few extras to include:

THANK YOU, YOU LOOK GOOD IN ORANGE, YOU LOOK GOOD IN PINK, $447,00 FOR THIS, WHY CAN'T I PARK HERE?, I PARKED HERE LAST YEAR, I KNOW JACK PELTON, etc....

My only alternate sign is "Not by the Sh***ers!"

[Jeff Point]

And gosh, don't do what one of my buddies did one year--we landed, he showed the sign to the first marshaler, then tossed it in the back seat! You need to show it to several of them as you taxi where directed.

+1 on this. The marshallers are not a hive mind. Show your parking sign to each and every orange vest you see until you are in your parking spot. Yes we do have radios but if we have to get on the (very busy) air to sort something out, it can slow things down. Ground ops is not unlike the Fisk arrival- radio silence is golden.

[Jeff Point]

From the marshaller's side- many of us put signs on our orange paddles to communicate with pilots. "Camping with plane?" etc. One of mine, in small letters, is used when I have to walk right up to the canopy to read a pilot's tiny sign:

"I can't read yours either."

Always good for a chuckle.

[FlyingRon]

+1 on this. The marshallers are not a hive mind. Show your parking sign to each and every orange vest you see until you are in your parking spot. Yes we do have radios but if we have to get on the (very busy) air to sort something out, it can slow things down. Ground ops is not unlike the Fisk arrival- radio silence is golden.

Right, and there several different groups moving aircraft all with a different radio channel. Just because you showed Jeff a VAC sign doesn't mean I know where you want to go when you get south of Papa-2.

[Jdgold]

I would recommend a morning arrival because the window is larger and likely to be less congested.


Also, if you arrive in the 7-8 pm timeframe, you could have a 20 minute taxi after which you have to tie down and unload the airplane, take care of any admin procedures (e.g. wristbands), find the bathrooms, and chat with your new camping neighbors and check out their planes. By the time that's accomplished, you'll likely be pitching your tent in the dark. At least that's what happens to me every year.