After i passed my instrument check ride on Wednesday, we decided to leave as early as possible in Thursday morning. We knew that the trip is over 1700 nautical miles so we can't get it done in one day. Limiting factors are that it needs three to four refueling breaks, Oshkosh airport is closed 8pm and we don't like to cross rockies in darkness.
We knew that there is overcast clouds around 1000..1500feet every morning in SF-bay until 10amm but sun is raising at 6am. We decided to leave hotel 4.30am, went to Palo Alto ( KPAO ). We packed the plane and filed IFR plan with Aopa flight planner web site. Palo Alto tower was closed at this time. We tried activate our IFR plan from ground but radio connection was so bad that we could not do it. Also activation from air was not an option, ceiling around 1000 ft and we were surrounded by mountains and San Francisco Class B airspace. The controller asked us to call him via phone and we got our plan activated via phone. We took off about 6am and climbed immediately inside of cloud. "Climb 3000 expect 6000 within five minutes, fly runway heading, turn 060 within one nautical mile" . There was now in practice what instructor said, the five minutes is essential because there are mountains inside of these clouds and to get top and over mountains we needed more than 3000ft. I got maybe 5 minutes actual inside of clouds and then we climbed to beautiful morning sunrise over the clouds. It was looking a like mountain tops were islands n sea of clouds. After half of hour flight controller cleared us to climb 13000ft for crossing the rockies. When we were fling over 12500ft, it is mandatory to pilot use supplemental oxygen if flight lasts over half of hour. We had also pulse oximeter, small device that measured oxygen saturation from fingertip and we followed all of the time oxygen levels.
After we crossed first part of the mountains, we landed after three and half hour flight to Elko for refueling. The good point in this northern route is there is not so damn hot on aground. In Elko, local FBO had once again excellent facilities for flight planning and we filed IFR plan to Casper . We crossed great salt lake and salt lake city, then long, long flight over dry plains where was growing about nothing.
When we get more near by Casper, plains started to graduately turning more and more green. I Casper . We did know that we can't get to Oshkosh today and it became soon dark. Once again helpful person in local FBO booked hotel for us in our next stop Sioux Falls. We activated or IR plan and continued to Sioux Falls.
Soon it was completely dark and just few lights around. When it was dark and airport was unfamiliar, we decided to ask ILS approach even it vas complete night VFR weather. Once again friendly local FBO called hotel shuttle for us andwe were in bed around 11pm, long day when we woke up around 3am.
Next morning we woke up 6am, too little sleep but it is still better than nothing. We had still three hours flight to Oshkosh. We took off from Sioux Falls 7am and headed towards to Oshkosh. We flew as VFR, weather was good and it is easiest to get Oshkosh as VFR. We used VFR flight following for beginning of our trip but then before Oshkosh, Notam requires us to switch transponder to standby 20 miles before Oshkosh. Transponders just could not work there when there is hyge amount of aircrafts around. We were flying over scattered cloud layer but when we came more near by we decided to descend under of clouds. Oshkosh air traffic controller is very exceptional, airplanes fly pre defined routes just in listen only mode. Then when we were over the Fisk village, tower just said "Diamond Star over Fisk, rock your wings", "Well done" we did it and then he said that turn left , follow road to base runway 31. There was other airplanes landing from right donwind and we just fitted between then as zipper. Finally we were in Oshkosh !!!!
After landing to runway 31 we was thinking that soon we get plane in parking and in the exhibition area but it was not so simple. In Oshkosh aircraft is guided to right place based what sign you put on your window. GAP is General Aviation Parking, GAC General Aviation Camping, EAC is Experimental camping etc. We were guide from one crossing t other, all around all exhibition area then all around runway 21 to passenger terminal area in most opposite corner of airport. It took one hour to taxi in crass with aircraft with small wheels and wheel pants. I wonder why they guided us so far when there was a lot of free places before it. Do they have some strange algorithm not re-using aircraft parking lots if someone has used it couple of days earlier ? I can't find any sense that at all. When we got our plane in parking, there was small man in small tractor selling tie down rope and hooks so that we get our plane tied down. Guide also said that there is buss transportation to exhibition area. We were thinking that is is fast and we can come to pick up our stuff later. I was so, so wrong. it took three hours from landing until we were inside of exhibition area. One hour for taxing plane and tiedowns. Then one hour waiting buss and buss trip all around Oshkosh city and then final last hour queuing tickets in main gate. Little bit later we learned that in case of our plane would be parked some location before passenger terminal, there would be 5 minutes buss ride about every 10 minutes, and separate small aircraft entrance with much less queue.
When we finally got in, i must say that Airventure was really worth of it and we will be there also next year but the Airventure is subject of other blog entry.
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