The AirVenture arrival NOTAM has been published and they still want us RV types flying the approach at 90 Kts because we can safely do it. IF you are unable to fly your RV at 90 Kts, you should not fly your RV into AirVenture Oshkosh.
RVs have very good slow flight handling. IF you are uncomfortable with slow flight, you need practice with slow flight. IF you lack the confidence for slow flight in your RV, get a CFI or another RV pilot that is comfortable to ride along as a safety pilot.
I typically do not fly my RV much below 122 KIAS other than in the traffic pattern. In preparation for OSH arrival, I like to get some flight in the aircraft on a simulated RIPON 90 Kt approach. I try to find an area where there is some feature like a road on the ground to fly over and a safe altitude that is around 1,000 AGL. I have several roads near me that are similar to the RIPON VFR Oshkosh arrival that I can fly 1,800 (1,100 AGL) over the road. My goal is to find a power setting that give me 90 KIAS so I can have my head on a swivel watching for traffic and navigating by looking outside the airplane. My RV-6 has a constant speed prop so finding an RPM and MAP that works is sorta easy. My O-320 and Hartzell prop can safely operate at 2,100 RPM all day long. I have checked the TCDS for both the engine and the prop. On my airplane, starting at 16" MAP and 2,100 RPM gets me started for 90 KIAS. That is a little low but once speed has dropped, I can push the throttle in increasing MAP toward 17" and my airplane will stay at 90 Kts and 1,800 altitude.
For safety, I want to be looking outside and very comfortable with only a glance inside to check power, airspeed, and altitude. I need to be able to maintain my ground path OVER Railroad tracks or over my practice road. Yes I will cut the corners off sharp turns that require large heading changes because the VFR RIPON approach to OSH does not have any large heading changes.
I have a ham radio 2-meter APRS tracker in my airplane. Below is the image of the tracker of today's practice flight.
Being 2020 ADS-B out compliant with a Mode S transponder, I also have data about my flight available on FlightRadar24.
FlightRadar24 also has ADS-B out ground speed and altitude data that one can see. Altitude data is referenced to pressure altitude (29.92) so may not be exactly what was flown but it will show ups and downs from the planned altitude.
Now the world can see that I am not the best pilot when it comes to airspeed and altitude control but this is my starting point for my 2019 AirVenutre Oshkosh arrival. My flight west was into a headwind and when I turned, it became a tailwind. I will make more practice flights to prepare for 90 Kt arrival at 1,000 AGL. I need to be able to navigate looking out the window, watch for other aircraft, adjust speed for other aircraft, reprogram radio for possible frequency changes (I know what frequencies are being used before I get in line for arrival.), and also to be able to reprogram the GPS so that I can go to my alternate airport.
RVs have very good slow flight handling. IF you are uncomfortable with slow flight, you need practice with slow flight. IF you lack the confidence for slow flight in your RV, get a CFI or another RV pilot that is comfortable to ride along as a safety pilot.
I typically do not fly my RV much below 122 KIAS other than in the traffic pattern. In preparation for OSH arrival, I like to get some flight in the aircraft on a simulated RIPON 90 Kt approach. I try to find an area where there is some feature like a road on the ground to fly over and a safe altitude that is around 1,000 AGL. I have several roads near me that are similar to the RIPON VFR Oshkosh arrival that I can fly 1,800 (1,100 AGL) over the road. My goal is to find a power setting that give me 90 KIAS so I can have my head on a swivel watching for traffic and navigating by looking outside the airplane. My RV-6 has a constant speed prop so finding an RPM and MAP that works is sorta easy. My O-320 and Hartzell prop can safely operate at 2,100 RPM all day long. I have checked the TCDS for both the engine and the prop. On my airplane, starting at 16" MAP and 2,100 RPM gets me started for 90 KIAS. That is a little low but once speed has dropped, I can push the throttle in increasing MAP toward 17" and my airplane will stay at 90 Kts and 1,800 altitude.
For safety, I want to be looking outside and very comfortable with only a glance inside to check power, airspeed, and altitude. I need to be able to maintain my ground path OVER Railroad tracks or over my practice road. Yes I will cut the corners off sharp turns that require large heading changes because the VFR RIPON approach to OSH does not have any large heading changes.
I have a ham radio 2-meter APRS tracker in my airplane. Below is the image of the tracker of today's practice flight.
Being 2020 ADS-B out compliant with a Mode S transponder, I also have data about my flight available on FlightRadar24.
FlightRadar24 also has ADS-B out ground speed and altitude data that one can see. Altitude data is referenced to pressure altitude (29.92) so may not be exactly what was flown but it will show ups and downs from the planned altitude.
Now the world can see that I am not the best pilot when it comes to airspeed and altitude control but this is my starting point for my 2019 AirVenutre Oshkosh arrival. My flight west was into a headwind and when I turned, it became a tailwind. I will make more practice flights to prepare for 90 Kt arrival at 1,000 AGL. I need to be able to navigate looking out the window, watch for other aircraft, adjust speed for other aircraft, reprogram radio for possible frequency changes (I know what frequencies are being used before I get in line for arrival.), and also to be able to reprogram the GPS so that I can go to my alternate airport.