Last 6 years to Oshkosh.  I won’t fly my IVP below 120 kts except base 110 kts and final 105 kts to 90 touchdown.  So I am 120 kts or faster at the OSH arrival.  I don’t do S turns.  I have always flown in from WA state on Wednesday arriving about 1 hour before the airshow and departing Sunday.

Year 1:  135 kts and merge down with the slower traffic.  The twin in front of us starts doing S turns to stay behind the Cessna 182.  I am closing and I exit the pattern to circle the lake and start over.  I look around and there are no planes behind us.  I request tower to continue in a 360 turn and return to land.  I was cleared to land.

Year 2:  (2002) Slot reservation, IFR approach.  Easiest thing in the world.  Tower had the twin on my right merge to fall in behind me.  I landed long.  Easy.

Year 3:  IFR with no slot reservation.  Sent to VFR arrivals.  No trouble merging.  I extended downwind beyond where they called my turn to base to give me more space behind the slow plane in front.  Easy again.

Year 4:  VFR arrival and no traffic in front to worry about.  Easy. 

Year 5:  Weather was hard to get there.  Blew my reservation slot time to arrive.  Diverted in the Dakotas, sat on the ground to arrive after the airshow.  My WxWorks and stikefinder showed trouble moving towards the whole area.  Oshkosh went down because of T-storms.  Went into FonduLac.  Rode the bus up and left the IVP there for the entire stay.  WxWorks got us there safely.

Year 6:  Slot reservation.  Super easy IFR approach and blended in behind one plane. 

Go to OSH.  Know your personal limits and be willing to exit anytime it gets uncomfortable.  If you get there and don’t like it, divert to the 2 relievers and ride the bus in.  Get and IFR reservation slot and use it.  Know your NOTAM.

It is a great show.

Carl Cadwell

Cadwell Laboratories, Inc.

909 North Kellogg Street

Kennewick, Washington 99336

(509) 735-6481

1-800-245-3001

Fax:  (509) 783-6503

carlc@cadwell.com

www.cadwell.com

www.quickmed.com