Weather: What would you do?
Flying to the big show
The summertime flight across the Appalachians, Ohio, and northern Indiana involved dodging cumulus cloud buildups, light but continuous chop, heat, and headwinds—and you’re tired.
You stop for fuel at Waukegan (UGN), Illinois, a mere 45 minutes from the big show at Wittman Regional Airport (OSH). It’s 6 p.m., and the hot day has turned into a pleasant evening. VFR arrivals at OSH must be on the ground by 8 p.m., and that doesn’t leave much time to review the multi-page airshow arrival procedures, then fly them alongside other pilots who also may be rushing to beat the deadline.
You and your friend prefer to stay in Waukegan overnight. But when you check the weather forecast, you see that low clouds are expected to arrive late and the morning will bring IFR or marginal VFR conditions and light rain throughout the Midwest. Those adverse conditions are expected to last for 48 hours—or two of the three days you planned to attend the fly-in.
Do you:
- Ignore your fatigue and press on to OSH before the airfield closes.
- Fly toward OSH and land at an airport along the way since you don’t know the OSH arrival procedure well enough to fly it safely.
- Park the airplane for the night at Waukegan because of pilot fatigue and re-evaluate in the morning.
- Park the airplane at Waukegan, rent a car, and drive to OSH.
Technical Editor Jill Tallman says:
The two words that jump out at me in this scenario are “tired” and “AirVenture.” You don’t want to mess with either of those. And your passenger is not a pilot, so he or she is not going to be any help with flying the airplane.
I’d choose the third option. There’s no way I’m jumping back into an airplane after flying all day and try to get into the airshow without having thoroughly briefed those arrival procedures—particularly as a brand-new pilot, and particularly as a tired brand-new pilot. For that matter, I’m not getting into an airplane at all—not even to get a few dozen miles closer. I’ve got to keep my passenger and myself safe, and I don’t want to scare my passenger.
Making the commitment to stay on the ground, even if I know the weather is moving in and I’m struggling with get-there-itis, breaks the chain and gives me a chance to make a calm, informed decision in the morning. Who knows, the weather might not be as bad as forecast and I might not be stuck there. But even if I am, it’s usually no big deal to rent a car and keep safe.
Ask me how I know.
Senior Content Producer Ian J. Twombly says:
There are so many clichés with this scenario it’s hard to avoid them. No question, I would press on. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. You gotta strike while the iron’s hot, while the gettin’s good, and make that hay while the sun shines.
You know why there are so many variations on the cliché? Because it may not be the easy decision, but it’s the right decision. Oshkosh arrivals generally slow down late in the evening, the weather is good, and I’ve done the arrival before. Sure, I’m not 100 percent current on it, but I can brief for 10 minutes on the ground prior to departure, assign my passengers some jobs, write key notes, and go. The Oshkosh notam book looks scary, but it’s all bark. The procedure that matters to you and your operation is usually only a page or two.
I know myself and I will start to get antsy the next morning, and the next afternoon, and so on until I either push myself into poor weather or end up waiting a day to see how it pans out, and then probably renting a car anyway and driving.
Fatigue is an oft-discussed gremlin in aviation, and for good reason. But you know what’s worse? Inadvertent VFR into IMC after getting sick of waiting out the weather. So gulp down the coffee, do the jumping jacks and soldier on.
Membership
Meet us at OSH
Combine learning and fun at the biggest air show of the year
The “epicenter of aviation knowledge”—that’s what the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) calls its airshow and convention in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. For more than 60 years EAA has hosted aviation’s biggest party and, as always, AOPA will be there to meet with members. We’ll offer educational and inspirational activities and programming for student pilots in our giant tent near show center. Try your hand at simulators, see aircraft on display, talk with our aviation specialists, and rub shoulders with some of the most influential aviators of our time.
“Come see AOPA in our tent and take in all the best of an Oshkosh experience,” said Chris Eads, AOPA senior director of outreach and events. “Meet great aviators, see new products, and try out flight simulators. Buy some swag at our store—it’s great to be an AOPA pilot.”
Be sure to stop by the AOPA tent each day to play or cheer on your favorite player in our Red Bull Air Race video game competition. The fastest-time winners each day will receive $50 gift cards to the AOPA Pilot Gear Store and an AOPA/Red Bull hat.
If you hold a third class medical certificate and you’re curious if BasicMed is an alternative for you, come talk with the AOPA Pilot Information Center’s medical specialists, who can explain the process as it relates to your own medical situation.
EAA AirVenture takes place July 22 through 28. If you’ve never been, prepare yourself for sensory overload and a great time. Join or renew your AOPA membership during the show and get $5 off, plus your choice of a free AOPA pilot’s cap or limited-edition T-shirt.
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