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Thread: North 40 facilities?

  1. #1

    Join Date
    Jul 2013
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    North 40 facilities?

    Last year, I finally made my first pilgrimage to OSH. We drove up (yes, from Atlanta...hey, it's only 14-15 hours...) and camped in Scholler. It was a great experience, and of of course we're coming back this year, but this time we'll be flying in.

    So I'm curious...how do the North 40 facilities compare to Scholler? I gather there are two bathhouses, both south of 9/27. Are there any of the nice electronic device charging stations like they had in Scholler? Maybe even wifi service? Or am I asking too much?

    Just curious...

    Also, any general tips? We're going to be arriving early on the morning of the 27th to avoid the high-traffic periods. Don't worry, I have tie-downs.

  2. #2
    getting there the morning of the 27th will get you close to the new shower building ( east side)
    that puts the ice/food service around 100 yards to the west of you.
    Wifi is located on the shower buildings and also registration
    I would also bring 3 boards 1X10x18. Place them under the wheels so it will be easy to pull the plane out at the end of the week
    the shower buildings have charging plug ins on each end
    there is also a portable shower building on the north side of 9/27
    bring chairs to watch all the planes landing and departing 9/27

  3. #3
    Joe Delene's Avatar
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    Jul 2011
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    Wisconsin
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    Fuel up at KBUU on the way North.

  4. #4

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    Apr 2013
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    Under downwind for 27
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    Since you're going to need a gas stop before then - try KSER in Southern Indiana. I'm flying from Athens to Y50(Wautoma - West of Osh) and my flight planning says one fuel stop. If you want to stop in the Chicago area, try KJOT (great prices and staff - they'll lend you a crew car and send you to the other side of the airport to a great local restaurant).

  5. #5

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    Quote Originally Posted by OldGunbunny View Post
    Since you're going to need a gas stop before then - try KSER in Southern Indiana. I'm flying from Athens to Y50(Wautoma - West of Osh) and my flight planning says one fuel stop. If you want to stop in the Chicago area, try KJOT (great prices and staff - they'll lend you a crew car and send you to the other side of the airport to a great local restaurant).
    I'm going to be staying overnight at Joliet actually. My plan is to fly out Friday afternoon, make my first fuel stop in Kentucky, then stop at Joliet for the night. I figure I'd rather do my first OSH arrival on a good night's sleep instead of at the tail end of a six-hour flight.

  6. #6

    Join Date
    Jun 2013
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    45
    Try to get to OSH early in the day.
    Less traffic.
    Time to set up.
    Time to relax.

  7. #7
    Cary's Avatar
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    Aug 2011
    Location
    Fort Collins, CO
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    Also, any general tips?
    READ THE NOTAM!!!! Sorry about the rant, but it's important. The flight in is really very easy, if you read and follow the NOTAM. Although the first Saturday morning will be less busy than other times of the week, it's still a pretty busy place, so it's necessary to follow all of the NOTAM instructions--and what you've trained for all of your life isn't quite the same. Other things:

    • Over the next couple of weeks, practice spot landings with the load you'll be carrying. You'll be instructed to land on one of 2 or 3 colored dots on the runway, and you'll muck things up for others if you can't do that.
    • If you don't regularly do a right hand pattern, practice that, too. There are several approaches, depending on the wind, which involve right hand patterns.
    • Also practice go-arounds from short final in the landing configuration. Rarely the controllers make mistakes, but often landing traffic fails to depart the runway expeditiously--I've had to make a go around from a full flap approach on short final, due to the aircraft ahead of me failing to taxi into the grass and instead going to the next taxiway.
    • Practice flying at a consistent 90 knots at a consistent altitude. The flight from Ripon to FISKE and on in is at 90 knots for most of us, at 1800' MSL (about 1000' AGL), but every so often you'll encounter aircraft which seem to go up and down and vary speed a lot, usually faster--so don't be one of those guys.
    • High traffic isn't totally predictable, so you may be told to hold at Green Lake or Rush Lake (that's an important reason to refuel before heading into OSH). Once ATC advises holding is released, DO NOT cross the lake to exit holding--you'll cut off others who are properly departing holding. I've only had to hold once in several years, but that involved several circuits around Green Lake--and when ATC released holding, a couple of airplanes went straight across the lake, cutting off others (including me).
    • If your passengers are qualified, have them call out traffic while you concentrate on flying the airplane--reduces stress a bit. I've flown in several times alone as well as with passengers at other times without difficulty.
    • Once on the ground, follow the directions of the volunteers--most really do know what they're doing and understand what you need to do.
    • You'll be taxiing a lot on grass, which is all fairly smooth and mowed--you do NOT have to carry extra power or speed to avoid getting stuck. Don't be the jerk that blows over tents and campsites with your propeller blast.
    • Have fun!


    Cary
    "I have slipped the surly bonds of earth...,
    put out my hand and touched the face of God." J.G. Magee

  8. #8

    Join Date
    Jul 2013
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cary View Post
    READ THE NOTAM!!!! Sorry about the rant, but it's important. The flight in is really very easy, if you read and follow the NOTAM. Although the first Saturday morning will be less busy than other times of the week, it's still a pretty busy place, so it's necessary to follow all of the NOTAM instructions--and what you've trained for all of your life isn't quite the same. Other things:

    • Over the next couple of weeks, practice spot landings with the load you'll be carrying. You'll be instructed to land on one of 2 or 3 colored dots on the runway, and you'll muck things up for others if you can't do that.
    • If you don't regularly do a right hand pattern, practice that, too. There are several approaches, depending on the wind, which involve right hand patterns.
    • Also practice go-arounds from short final in the landing configuration. Rarely the controllers make mistakes, but often landing traffic fails to depart the runway expeditiously--I've had to make a go around from a full flap approach on short final, due to the aircraft ahead of me failing to taxi into the grass and instead going to the next taxiway.
    • Practice flying at a consistent 90 knots at a consistent altitude. The flight from Ripon to FISKE and on in is at 90 knots for most of us, at 1800' MSL (about 1000' AGL), but every so often you'll encounter aircraft which seem to go up and down and vary speed a lot, usually faster--so don't be one of those guys.
    • High traffic isn't totally predictable, so you may be told to hold at Green Lake or Rush Lake (that's an important reason to refuel before heading into OSH). Once ATC advises holding is released, DO NOT cross the lake to exit holding--you'll cut off others who are properly departing holding. I've only had to hold once in several years, but that involved several circuits around Green Lake--and when ATC released holding, a couple of airplanes went straight across the lake, cutting off others (including me).
    • If your passengers are qualified, have them call out traffic while you concentrate on flying the airplane--reduces stress a bit. I've flown in several times alone as well as with passengers at other times without difficulty.
    • Once on the ground, follow the directions of the volunteers--most really do know what they're doing and understand what you need to do.
    • You'll be taxiing a lot on grass, which is all fairly smooth and mowed--you do NOT have to carry extra power or speed to avoid getting stuck. Don't be the jerk that blows over tents and campsites with your propeller blast.
    • Have fun!


    Cary
    Thanks. I resolved a while ago to not be casual about flying in. I have the benefit of having a partner who's not just dead weight. She's working on her commercial rotor and is thus a pretty valuable cockpit resource. :-)

    In the meantime, we've both been studying the NOTAM since about May. We've also watched the EAA instructional videos and we tuned into the webinar a few weeks back. I have a plan for personal training to get my skills current, covering a lot of the points you mentioned: short approaches to spot landings, prolonged slow flight, go-rounds, etc. I even went so far as to create a task list so I can make plan for my training flights.

    Overkill? Maybe, but I figure why not be conservative?

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