My wife Tina and I were in the very lucky position to be able to take a sabbatical of half a year in 2014. We decided to go on an extended flying vacation in North America, mainly in the US. We left Mannheim April 1st and the only fixed date we had in our calendar was the EAA Airventure starting July 27th. We didn’t exactly take the most direct route.

Even though we had been flying across the US for quite a while by July, the arrival into Osh was a big thing to us. Each year for Airventure FAA issues what they call The NOTAM what is actually a booklet describing the special procedures to be used. And special they are indeed. IFR flights are discouraged and unless you fly a turbine powered aircraft, a warbird of have to fly very fast, you have to follow the Fisk arrival. First, you have to switch off the transponder, get the current ATIS and keep listening watch on the published frequency. Everybody approaches a point (actually a town) called RIPON, for unknown reasons pronounced “rippin”. In the vicinity of this point all pilots have to enter a holding if necessary, establish a self-separation of half a mile and follow a prescribed track 1000ft AGL and at 90kt IAS. If you can’t maintain at least half a mile separation from your predecessor, you have to return to RIPON and try again.

Then it’s “don’t call us…”. Between Picket and Fisk ATC calls you by your aircraft type and color. In our case “BROWN MOONEY, ROCK YOUR WINGS”. If you do it right you’ll hear for example “BROWN MOONEY, GOOD ROCK, RWY27, FOLLOW THE RAILROAD TRACK” and a while later “BROWN MOONEY, MONITOR TOWER xxx.xx”. Again, tower will tell you what to do and you don’t read anything back. They even tell you where to land, there are colored dots on the RWY for that.

So you fly right downwind…

right base…

and final.

I landed a bit short of the assigned orange dot and it was a rather positive landing but hey, we were in Oshkosh. And to my defense it can be said it was quite busy on the frequency. We had planned to arrive early on Sunday but we were not the only ones with that idea. IIRC a large chapter of the flying dentists (or whatever) was in the pattern. Apparently they were novices as well but hadn’t studied the NOTAM as long as we had. Half of them had to go around what made it a bit stressful for everybody.

More than the western half of 09/27 is surrounded by the GA camping area, known as North 40. You have to display a sheet of paper stating your intentions after landing and then you’ll be marshaled to the right location, in our case said North 40. Her we camped with thousands of others.

The main Airventure action happens along 18/36 on the Western side. There you’ll find the trade show, the seminars and much more. Historic planes and home-builts are displayed towards the Southern end. And each afternoon the airshow attracts the crowds. I’m not that much into airshows back home, but I watched most of the days and I didn’t feel bored for a second. All kind of stuff is flying around.

Doing funny things.

Even aerobatics with a Twin Beech can be seen.

Very noisy stuff.

And them again.

All kinds of formations.

And night aerobatics is hard to find over here.

A few miles to the South there is the sea plane base, where all the hustle and bustle of the main event seems far away.

Moored flying boats…

and Cubs on floats lazily bobbing up and down on the murky water.

Some showers are guaranteed to pass through, so you need a good tent.

Moreover, folding chairs are essential in the evenings as well as for watching the airshow.

Food is expensive and of poor quality on the premises of Airventure. However, there is a supermarket reachable by shuttle bus (or on foot if you don’t mind a 40 minutes’ walk). There they are well accustomed to camping pilots and sell everything you may need. We learned that Americans apparently feel very uncomfortable when leaving house without a cooler full of ice. In order to do like the Romans we found a tiny version in that supermarket. Alcohol is banned in the North40 and of course we obeyed – not.

So evenings get quite romantic.

Mornings not so much as a P51 or something does a low pass each day at 6am sharp. At least they seem to make sure that the plane they use is short-stacked.

They built new bathrooms and showers recently. According to the rules they built as many male as female ones. Therefore I had to queue while Tina was ready in no time at all.

Departure required quite some patience and wide open cowl flaps.

Again you don’t have to use your PTT button, you’ll be marshaled by volunteers dressed in pink.

We didn’t fly very far, just to an airfield with a motel nearby. There we could dry our stuff, take a shower and sleep in a proper bed.

Many pilots fly to Oshkosh each year. That wouldn’t be for me even if I lived in the US. However, it certainly was a great experience that I wouldn’t want to miss.