Know the NOTAM
It’s a 31-page document…and you need to know it well to be safe flying in what for one week becomes the world’s busiest airport. For reference, the 2021 AirVenture Notice to Aviators (NOTAM) spells out procedures for inbound and outbound flight, VFR or IFR, with radio contact or not, fixed wing, powered parachute and rotary, within the varied airspeed range widely diverse aircraft, to get them safely onto and off the runways at Oshkosh. It gives instructions for making and displaying parking signs so ground handlers can send you in the right direction after you land. The NOTAM includes procedures for outlying airports that serve as relievers and alternates to Oshkosh arrivals. And the NOTAM has changed in many substantial details since the last AirVenture, so prior experience may not translate directly to safety this year without further study.
Suggestions
If you’re even thinking about flying to AirVenture, I suggest you:
- Download the latest NOTAM today and begin studying the portions that apply to you. NOTE: If you’re planning to arrive IFR or even if you plan to land as part of a mass arrival you still need to be fully up to speed on the VFR arrival procedure, just in case.
- Print a hard copy of the NOTAM. Not only do most people retain information read from hard copy better than when read from a computer screen, but also you may need the NOTAM in the cockpit. I also like hard copy to review during my last fuel stop before the leg into Wittman Field, and to look at a week later when getting ready to depart the airshow.
- Consider what you’ll be required to do in the event of unforeseen circumstances such as:
- Electrical or radio failure
- Others systems failures
- Adverse weather at or near KOSH or the arrival corridors
- Sudden closure of the Oshkosh Airport (aircraft emergency, etc.)
- Arriving during airshow time or other holds
- Diversion to another NOTAM-covered airport
FLYING LESSONS:
Don’t only read, but know the EAA AirVenture NOTAM.