Things can get hectic in the airspace around AirVenture in Oshkosh. EAA spokesman Dick Knapinski says pilots heading to Whittman Regional Airport have plenty of homework to do.
“There are things called notice to airmen or notice to air missions that take place that pilots have to follow. It’s required reading. And most of the time they’re one page long. For Oshkosh, because of all the complexities, it’s actually a 32-page document.”
Knapinski says the FAA has refined the landing and departure procedures for decades.
“As you approach Oshkosh you’re actually picked up by controllers that are about seven miles outside of Oshkosh watching you through binoculars and with a radio and they tell you don’t communicate with us unless it’s an emergency but blue and white Cessna for instance if you hear us rock your wings!”
The “Rock Your Wings” direction by air traffic control has become one of the iconic fixtures of AirVenture. The event runs through this weekend, and you can get tickets and more information online at http://www.eaa.org