That’s a tough act to follow, but I’ve flown into OSH once 8 years ago where I got to meet
@Adler and
@CFI A&P. The sheer access to knowledge in the forums alone was incredible, and I got to try hands on clinics on oxyacetylene welding and fabric work (rib stitching is hard!). The EAA museum collection is incredible and I nerded out in their library. But most of all flying the 1946 Cessna 120 I co-owned at the time low and slow across the country like a vintage barnstormer to the fly in I had wanted to attend my whole life really was a dream come true.
I ended up flying into the show, leaving by rental car with my friend to collect his airplane from an A&P in Iowa and then flying in a second time, so I got two FISK arrivals under my belt.
As for the safety record, I think the others on here are correct that it probably isn’t very elevated but rather it’s an uncomfortable insight into the average GA “incident” rate with so many pilots and airplanes collected in one place. I witnessed a couple incidents while there including an RV taildragger prop strike while landing and block the runway with its tail in the air, and saw the crater from a Malibu stall spin accident short of the runway.
The NOTAM is really straight forward but I think the combination of needing to actually read the NOTAM cover to cover, be on your “A game” with airmanship, spot landings and crosswinds, plus the extra perceived or actual pressure from the presence of ATC (keeping in mind a lot of recreational pilots fly from uncontrolled fields) is too much for some people.
The first arrival was totally straight forward right up until landing. Spacing was too close with the aircraft behind me and the exasperated female controller started shouting “get off the runway!” at me while I was still going 60 knots on rollout next to an uneven bumpy stretch of grass that looked like it would result in a prop strike. I think I mumbled a “negative!” back at her and cleared into the grass when it was safe, but I could see how this ATC induced pressure could actually cause incidents/mistakes.
On the second arrival, I’ll never forget seeing the whites of the old codger’s eyes who decided to fly his Baron westbound up the FISK arrival at the arrival altitude through a stream of airplanes. (What is it with old rich guys in piston twins?)
In both arrivals, the area I felt the most on edge was actually Green Lake west of Ripon, where everyone starts funneling together into one stream of arrivals over the railroad tracks and the merging of traffic is totally uncontrolled. It worked out fine but your head has to be completely on a swivel looking for traffic and you need to be ready to break off and do a circuit to get back in line if you find yourself converging with/on top of another aircraft. (My biggest fear was the dreaded high wing / low wing blind spot mid-air.) Despite all that, it worked out fine.
If anybody reading this has longed to fly into Oshkosh but is intimidated, you totally should take the leap. Just be prepared, study the NOTAM, practice your basic airmanship (slow flight, stalls, crosswind/short/soft field landings and being able to land predictably in the spot of your choice). Then go for it!
