Membership: See you at OSH?

Safety protocols and COVID guidelines will be in place

July 1, 2021

After pausing for the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the annual pilgrimage to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, takes place July 26 through August 1, 2021.

EAA AirVenture will be welcoming visitors for the big show but with safety protocols and guidelines. AOPA will have a presence at the show—including the display of its 2021 sweepstakes aircraft, a Grumman Tiger—but with reduced staff and additional attention to safety protocols. EAA has published these safety protocols for the event (check the website for updates):

Masks will be strongly recommended if you are unable to social distance (roughly six feet).
Proof of COVID vaccine will not be required to attend.
International visits are dependent on current international travel regulations and mandates in the United States and individual countries of residence.
Increased physical distancing will be encouraged in all areas.
EAA is adding significant numbers of sanitizing facilities and working with industry-leading companies for continual disinfection throughout the grounds.
Theater in the Woods, forums pavilions, and other outdoor venues will operate with reduced seating capacity, with social distancing opportunities on the open grounds at those locations.
There will be fewer exhibitors in each indoor exhibit building, creating more walkways and separation between exhibitors. Additional venues on the grounds are being re-purposed to accommodate indoor exhibitors that are moved this year.
Wherever possible, ventilation will be increased in tents and indoor facilities.
Several annual events where physical distancing is not possible will not be held this year, including the Monday night concert; the Young Eagles, EAA Lifetime Member and International Visitors dinners; the Runway 5K run/walk; the WomenVenture social; the Seaplane Base Watermelon social; and large corporate events and receptions.
High-demand forums and presentations will be scheduled more than once to accommodate demand while allowing for distancing.

eaa.org/airventure

Ask AOPA

It’s your choice

Tower is offering you five options—which approach is best?

By Craig Brown

Q: I was reading something about an option approach recently. I am a flight instructor and have never heard of that. Could you enlighten me?

A: The option approach is only available at towered airports. After requesting and being cleared for the option approach by ATC, the pilot may make a touch and go, low approach, missed approach, stop and go, or full stop landing. Your choice. ATC is not expecting you to tell them which option you will use. The option approach was always my favorite approach when I was flight instructing. What else allows you to make one request and receive five options?

It is a great tool for training in that the desired outcome is chosen by the instructor, who can then evaluate how the student handles changing situations. If a student is expecting to land from an instrument approach, I can call for a missed approach as if the clouds are too low. Or, if the student is expecting a missed approach, I can call for a landing as if the scud layer suddenly disappears from the approach end. The instructor has options and those options can test a student’s ability to react and perform.

If you use the stop-and-go option, stop and then go. ATC has given you a wider berth because of the unknown termination, so be considerate and do not linger on the pavement. If executing a full stop, clear the runway as you normally would.

The option approach can be a very valuable tool for challenging your students. Use it to their advantage.

[email protected]

Craig Brown is a senior aviation technical specialist in the AOPA Pilot Information Center.