Flying Into EAA AirVenture At Wittman Regional Airport Can Be A Fun Adventure If Your Pilot Skills Are Tuned Up

For a recreational flyer, flying into Wittman Regional Airport during EAA AirVenture is part of the adventure. You’ll probably hear some wild stories about the arrival and departure procedures, but if you practice good cockpit/crew management it makes it a snap.

This is the last of a 6-part series by flight instructor Earl Downs that we hope has helped pilots who have never flown into EAA AirVenture Oshkosh and landed at Wittman Regional Airport. In this final episode of our discussion we’ll get into the issues of aeronautical decision making (ADM) and crew resource management (CRM).

Fuel Planning
Obviously, good preflight planning is a must. There is a strong likelihood that you will end up in one or two VFR holding patterns over designated lakes as you approach the visual checkpoints of Ripon or Fisk on your VFR arrival. Also plan for the potential of diverting to an alternate airport.

These patterns and alternate airports burn fuel so plan your flight with a nearby fueling stop and, if needed, plan a stop for fuel prior to making the final run at Wittman Regional. It’s common for surrounding airports to welcome AirVenture pilots with low fuel prices, so this could be better for the wallet as well.

Single Pilot Operation
Let’s start off by considering some hints that could help a pilot who is flying into AirVenture without the help of a crew. The first thing to do after downloading the NOTAM is to print it out, review it, and separate it into appropriate sections. There will be several pages that don’t even apply to your operation. Remember, you cannot get this NOTAM over the phone.

While the NOTAM provides radio frequencies, altitude information, and lots of notes, it may be handy to transcribe some of this to an easy-to-read pocket card that seems logical to you. Think ahead about cockpit organization and where this information will be when you need it.

Co-pilot CRM
If you are flying with a qualified pilot in the other seat, he/she can be a help or a hindrance. Don’t assume another pilot can figure everything out inflight. As the pilot in command you should meet with your copilot a few days before the event and thoroughly discuss the procedures. It’s important to separate duties so that you don’t waste time both doing the same thing, and make sure to have duties and responsibilities well defined. Two pilots can mess things up if no one is in charge.

Non-pilot Passenger CRM
A non-pilot passenger can be put to effective use with a little training and preparation. Your passenger can be trained to handle radio frequencies and visual checkpoints as well as how to see and identify other airborne traffic. Most non-pilots welcome this kind of training and responsibility and may actually do a better job than your pilot buddy. Involve your non-pilot passenger in the NOTAM procedures and organization of the NOTAM information. This non-pilot passenger may even want to create their own set of notes.

ADM
Good ADM skills mean planning ahead and being ready for the unexpected. But ADM also has a lot to do with the pilot’s attitude. If there was ever a place where your attitude has to be one of, “let’s just get this done as smoothly as possible,” flying into AirVenture is where you must put it into effect.

You will be encountering challenges in the air and on the ground, and this is no place for “air rage” or “ground rage” to take place. Remember that the ground flag persons are EAA-member volunteers, and they’re trying their best to make it go smoothly for everyone. If something’s not going your way, take a deep breath, and keep everything safe and friendly.

The difference between an adventure that is fun and one that is terrifying is often determined by planning ahead. If you know anyone who has flown into Wittman Regional Airport during AirVenture, ask that person for a briefing about their experience.

Remember, even if your trip to EAA AirVenture goes as smooth as silk, you will still have earned the right to tell your story by starting with the words, “There I was….”

(Image from file)

FMI: AirVenture NOTAM