hevansrv7a
Well Known Member
I have flown in to OSH perhaps ten times over the 25+ years I've been going. This time was the first in my RV. I will probably do it again. I thought I'd share some thoughts about it, start a gentle dialogue, perhaps. Many of you are more expert pilots and have done this many more times.
Pilots are called on to do things they don't normally do in ways they don't normally do them. That is inherently riskier than everyday flying.
Pilots are called on to do things they don't normally do in ways they don't normally do them. That is inherently riskier than everyday flying.
- The whole RIPON merge, follow the leader and the tracks and don't talk back thing is much different than normal flying anywhere else I've seen. Sun-n-Fun comes close, though.
- Walk and chew gum - you have to land the plane precisely, sometimes on the colored dot, while checking for the guy in front of you and perhaps worrying about the one behind you. "Low wing on downwind start your descent now and don't fly past the tower!"
- Often the guy in front is flying slower and this creates some unpleasant choices. I once semi-stalled a Cheetah on very short final to 27 because a 150 cut me off. I rolled left, landed on 18 and got chewed out. The Cheetah had stall strips for maintaining control into the stall and I'm glad it did. I've heard that others are having similar issues. I heard a lot on Fiske approach about "go back and start over instead of S turns".
- Because of the unusual pattern and being rushed or crowded or both, it's an invitation to a stall-spin close to the ground. Experienced pilots have come to grief this way. Turning downwind to base to final very tight and low is a good skill to have ahead of time. But doing that at your home airport can be risky unless there is nobody else around. They are not expecting it.
- At least this time, Fiske Approach was changing the runway every couple of minutes which means it was extra busy-ness trying to get the radio set up in advance.
- I'll bet I'm not the only one who was flying his airplane much heavier than usual. Handling characteristics at critical points in the landing are therefore more of an issue. I find my Lift Reserve Indicator a really important instrument under these conditions, but most aircraft don't have AOA's.
- Fatigue and fuel status should not be issues if there is good planning. OK, but I'll bet they often are issues. Bouncy air (common) adds to fatigue and makes the unusual flying even more stressful.
- I've often seen simultaneous side-by-side take-off runs (though not today). It's pretty scary doing that without practice or knowing what the other guy will do. And then you have to fly at 500' AGL for 5 s.m. Two years ago I was next to the factory RV-10 in my C-150, so it was easy because we were only adjacent for about one second!