Changes

February 28, 2024February 29, 2024 / niffer90 / 7 Comments

When I walked in the door of the airport nine years ago, I was sure that this was the last job I’d ever have. I couldn’t imagine ever wanting to work anywhere else. There were airplanes outside the office – what more could an avgeek like me want?

But I’ve learned that what happens inside the office has a huge impact on how I experience what happens outside the office… or if I experience it at all. Eventually it reached the point where I barely noticed the airport around me. Finally I made the difficult decision to move on.

I could go into the gritty details of all the things that led to this decision. However, I think it would be a lot more fun to look back at some of the amazing adventures I got to have. It is hard to rank them, but I’m going to try. Cue the countdown theme music!

5. Visiting ARFF

Back in 2019 my deparment took an afternoon off to head next door and visit our friends over at the ARFF station. For those who don’t know, ARFF stands for Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting. They are the crews tasked with responding to emergencies on the airfield. We got to tour the station, see where they sleep, eat and train. We also got to sit in the fire trucks. Your inner three-year-old is absolutely correct: fire trucks are cool! The ARFF team did a demonstration for us, including how they are able to penetrate the skin of an aircraft to spray foam or retardent on the inside.

4. Time on the Taxiway

In late 2017 Delta began to recieve the first A350s into their fleet. The plane itself was still fairly new having entered service only a couple of years before. Designed primarily for long-haul flights, it isn’t the sort of plane that would be used at my airport. However, Delta decided to fly in as part of a series of acceptance and training flights. I, of course, had plans to be on the garage so I could get plenty of pics. Imagine my surprise when one of the Operations Managers appeared at my desk and asked if I’d like to ride out onto the airfield and watch from there instead. Would I? Are you kidding me? We parked on a taxiway and I got to watch the plane land right in front of me. It was amazing! And then when it was time to depart we parked on a different taxiway off the end of the runway so the plane took off right over us. Again, amazing.

3. Time on the Runway

The first time I ever went on one of the runways as an airport employee I was in a passenger shuttle. Someone from airfield maintenance was driving around trying to find one of the pavement sensors. Since then I’ve been on the runway many times. I worked at the water station during the Runway 5Ks which was located about half-way down Runway 28 Right. I was even allowed to drive a shuttle up and down that runway. (What on earth were they thinking?!) The runways are the heart of any airport. They are central to the airport’s existence. As a non-pilot who doesn’t travel that much, being able to be on the runway and get close to the lights, the markings and yes, the pavement sensors, was a real treat for me.

2. Four ATC Towers and a Tracon

The Airport Authority manages three airports which have four towers between them. I had the pleasure of visiting all four. Two are contract towers – one at the cargo airport and one at the general aviation airport. One is a former ATC tower, now used as a base of operations during snow events. And one is an FAA tower with a tracon. Being able to visit these facilities and see the controlers at work was quite an adventure. Seeing several types of towers at multiple airports with different levels of traffic gave me a much better understanding of the ATC system. And let’s face it – ATC towers are cool. I could never get tired of the view.

1. Working on the De-ice Pad

Of all the amazing avgeek things I got to see and do while working at the airport, this was hands-down the most exciting and unexpected. In the fall of 2016 I was approached about whether I’d like to train to assist on the de-ice pad. Uh… are you serious? Heck yes!!! At the passenger airport the Operations Department is responsible for managing the flow of traffic into and out of the pad on frosty mornings and during snow events. This is done by driving an airport vehicle around the pad and communicating with pilots, ATC and others via the radio. As a humble accountant I never in my wildest imaginings ever thought I’d get to do something like this. I got to tell pilots what to do. And they listened to me! I got to drive around on the ramp. And somehow everyone survived!

So, what’s next for me? That’s a good question. I’m taking some time to decompress. Then I’ll be doing some part-time freelance bookkeeping work for a friend while I look for my next big adventure. If you know anyone who is looking for an accountant with avgeek tendencies (or an avgeek with accounting tendencies), let me know.

And what about the blog? The blog will definitely continue. You can take me out of the airport, but you’ll never take the airport out of me. Interesting things are going on at airports everywhere and I have nearly a decade of experience that will allow me to bring them to you with a critical eye. Plus I have stories still to tell and plenty of aviation adventures ahead. Stay tuned!

I’ve left the airport, but my Spirit remains! Seriously. I left this plane at my desk. No idea what my co-workers have done with it. If you fly out of gate 21 let me know if it is still in the window.

Attention in the Terminal!

August 29, 2023August 29, 2023 / niffer90 / 7 Comments

Except where noted, all photos in this blog are stills from one of the best aviation movies of all time – Airplane!

If you have followed this blog for any length of time then you know that there are certain things at the airport I shouldn’t be given access to. The ATC tower, for example. If I could go up there whenever I wanted then I’d show up unannounced, commandeer a desk and refuse to leave. Some of my coworkers have clearly caught on, which is why the stairs trucks continue to be off-limits. But there are some co-workers who remain blissfully unaware.

A few months back there was a notice in the weekly staff email that the Customer Service Department was looking for volunteers to help them re-record the airport public announcements. You know the ones – they remind you not to leave bags unattended and to have your ID ready before you get to the checkpoint. We’ve had the same PAs for a very long time so the decision was made to refresh them.

I considered signing up. I mean come on – who doesn’t want to record airport PAs? I’ve been secretly plotting to access the system and page Captain Oveur for years. (And if you don’t recognize the reference then you haven’t seen the movie Airplane!, in which case we can’t be friends.) Unfortunately my job has been ridiculously busy and I completely forgot all about this golden opportunity until well past the deadline.

Then a couple weeks ago the fire alarm went off. This is not an unusual occurence – sometimes little kids escape from their parents and pull the alarm, sometimes one of the restaraunts burns someone’s lunch and sets off the smoke sensors. Any time the alarm goes off we are required to leave the office and stand out on the ramp near the tug drive. My coworkers congregated in groups. I hid myself around the corner where I could avoid small talk and watch airplanes.

But then I saw the Customer Service Manager waking my way. She said hello and asked how I was. Then she asked if I would be interested in recording some of the airport PAs. They had gotten several volunteers, but she was hoping to get someone from accounting. Of course I agreed to help out. I mean, we can’t let the accounting department go unrepresented, now can we!

The next day I got an email with a copy of the annoucements and a request to select a time slot to do the recording. I selected one of the last slots available. I then reviewed the verbiage I’d be required to read. *Yawn* Airport announcements are pretty darn boring. There has got to be a better way to remind people about all the things they should probably already know. “Yo! Listen up people! Keep an eye on your bags. Don’t take guns through the checkpoint. Find your ID. And for the love of God find your kids so they don’t pull the damn fire alarm again.”

One week later I showed up at my appointed time with a print-out of the announcements in hand. The Customer Service Manager was there. So was a tech who was in charge of the recording. They sat me in front of a microphone and explained that when I was ready the tech would start the recording, wait two seconds to capture the background noise, then he’d point at me to begin speaking. We would go through the announcements in order, beginning with the one about unattended bags and ending with the one about curbside lanes.

Things went pretty smoothly. The tech pointed, I read and we made small talk between takes until the tech was ready for me to read the next one. We worked our way through the list until we got to the last one. The curbside annoucement is supposed to be about lanes being restricted and unattended vehicles being towed. But I didn’t read it. Oh no. I was not about to pass up an opportunity to make the announcement I’ve waited my whole career to make. I took a breath, waited for my cue, leaned in to the microphone and said:

“The white zone is for immediate loading and unloading of passengers only. There is no stopping in the red zone.”

I watched the Customer Service Manager out of the corner of my eye as I was speaking. She looked confused. She checked the paper with the announcements. Then a look of recognition dawned and she began to laugh. Then the tech began to laugh. And by the end, I was also laughing. Bucket list item – complete!

Of course, I had to go back and record the actual curbside announcement. However, the decision was made to save the white zone announcement too, although I’m not sure what they plan to do with it. If you ever fly through a medium-sized midwestern airport late at night and hear an announcement about not stopping in the red zone, you aren’t imagining things. And if you need to use a courtesy phone, be sure to use a white one.

A Starship stopped by recently. So glad I happened to be watching when it left.

Osh 23! Pre-game and Day 1

July 25, 2023July 25, 2023 / niffer90 / 2 Comments

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! No, not Christmas. It’s Airventure 2023! My happy place. Where I can geek out over aircraft and no one thinks I’m strange. (At least, not for geeking out over aircraft.)

I arrived on Saturday and spent the bulk of the afternoon as well as most of Sunday sitting along the runway in the North 40. Not sure how busy this runway is normally, but during Osh it is incredibly busy. Lots of people flying in for the show plus lots of warbirds. Of course, lots of flying means lots of “interesting” landings, lots of go-arounds and sometimes also an incident or two.

Once such incident involved a Cessna 180 amphibian with landing gear issues. I’ve heard a couple versions of what happened – some say the gear didn’t come down until late and some say it came down but didn’t deploy properly. I didn’t see the plane until it was down and rolling out along the runway. It was apparent that it was at an odd angle – nose tilted down. At first I was afraid it would fall forward and smash its prop onto the ground. It stopped on the runway and the pilot reported that he believed he had a flat tire and he was unable to move off the runway.

Of course everyone on downwind and final for the runway had to go around. The airport then shifted to single runway ops while ARFF, the Airport Operations department and a dozen EAA personnel surrounded the plane to figure out what to do with it. Eventually they had several people sit on the back of the pontoons to lift the front of the plane. They were apparently able to lower the front gear and pin it in place. It was towed off the runway but later we saw it taxiing under its own power over to the FBO.

I wandered over to Boeing Plaza Sunday evening, expecting to see the usual display of military might. What I saw instead made me wonder if someone had spiked my drink. First thing to come into view was the Dream Lifter. I had seen pictures of it before, but it is far more impressive (and oddball) in person. It looks like someone wrapped a large metal blanket around a 747.

As I walked past the Dream Lifter my eyes beheld a sight even more bizzare – the Super Guppy. At first glance it doesn’t look like an airplane. It doesn’t look like it can fly at all. It is the ultimate “Frankenstine’s Monster” of airplanes. Bulbous head (that opens sideways on a hinge), wings that seem too short with propellors that appear to have been stolen from a C-130. It’s preposterous. Ridiculous. An abomination. And yet… kinda cool.

Those two planes alone were enough to make me question my sanity. But then I saw the F-16. A lovely airplane, as all F-16s are. But this one was YELLOW. You read that correctly. Yellow with blue trim. I took a million pictures of it because my brain hurt and I wanted to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. I wasn’t. That plane is as yellow as the sunflowers in my yard. But the color doesn’t make it any less mean.

Couple of fun facts about Osh so far:

– There were 2,143 airplane operations at KOSH on Sunday. This is on par with last year, which saw record-breaking attendance.

– EAA currently has around 280,000 members. I must say, I’m proud to be one of them. Not only does EAA throw one heck of an aviation party, but they are also strong advocates for general aviation,

So what’s next? Well the week is young and there is a lot of aviation magic still to come. I’ll keep you posted.

Wings, Wheels and Wow!

July 18, 2023July 18, 2023 / niffer90 / Leave a comment

Ah, summer! The pace is slower and it’s time to relax, right? Not in my world! Sure, I’m able to spend some time chilling on the porch swing, but I’m also super busy with all the fun events that come along with sunshine and warm weather. This year those events include an air show at the cargo airport, a ginormous car show and, of course, Airventure at Oshkosh.

We found out a couple of years ago that the cargo airport was going to host the first air show in the area since 2007. That’s kind-of a big deal! An outside company handled most of the details, but airport staff still had a lot of work to do to prepare for all the planes and attendees. Fortunately, I had no responsibilites whatsoever – all I had to do was show up with my free ticket and enjoy!

The show was completely sold out for both Saturday and Sunday. It was strange to see so many people at an airport that is usually rather quiet. I didn’t expect there to be many static displays so I was pleasantly surprised to see F-35s, F-16s, a C-5, a C-17, a C47 and an A-10. The air show performers were amazing and included the likes of Mike Goulian, Rob Holland and Mike Pietsch.

There were also various warbird flight formations, the F-22 Raptor Demonstration Team, a jet truck and STOL drag racing. I’ve seen STOL competions many times, but STOL drag racing was new to me. It was basically a STOL competion with flying back and forth between two points. It was actually a lot of fun to watch. The air show wrapped up with the power and precision of the Blue Angels. For being the first air show in the area in such a long time I’d have to say they did a pretty good job. Rumor has it they plan to come back again next year.

The next big event involved wheels rather than wings. The Good Guys Hot Rod Association came to town bringing with them over 6,000 very cool old cars. I was under the impression that the show was for American cars only. When I found out any make could attend, I really wanted to take our 1954 MG TF 1500. It’s a beautiful old car, but it is NOT a hot rod. The MG surrounded by hot rods is like Dame Judy Dench hanging out with Motley Crue – kinda crazy but also totally awesome.

Just getting to the show was a challenge. For one thing, we don’t take the car on the highway. Ever. It is too small, too open and too low to the ground. Plus it has no seatbelts. We had to make our way to the event via back roads and side streets. Figuring out where to pick up our registration and actually get into the show was also a challenge. Once we sorted it out and joined the queue to enter the show grounds… woah! People lined the streets to watch the cars come in. I realized right then that car people love cars – even small British roadsters with only 69 horsepower.

After we got inside we found a spot to park and began the completely overwhelming process of trying to see as many of the cars as we could. We walked through the lot we were in and the lot next to it. Then we saw more cars ahead so we walked through there. Then we saw multiple covered display areas so we walked through there, which emptied us into another lot with more cars… OK, what the heck is this place? Osh for cars? Actually, that’s exactly what it is.

The show area stretched on and on and on. In addition to all the show cars there was an auto-cross course, a vendor area with everything automotive for sale, food trucks everywhere and a flea market. And a craft area. And even MORE cars on display inside. Did I mention Osh for cars?

The only downside is that a line of storms rolled in so we left earlier than we would have liked. We got stuck in a downpour a few minutes later. Fortunately we had the top up and the side windows in. Unfortunately the windshield wipers don’t work. We disconnected them last year, because they liked to run randomly for no reason and refused to turn off. Fortunately we can manipulate the wipers manually. Unfortunately, the wipers are useless, which is another reason why we disconnected them. All in all it was an excellent adventure and we will definitely be back.

Speaking of Osh, in just a few days I’ll be headed to Airventure 2023. I’ll be blogging, as usual. I’ll also be posting tons of pics and videos over on Twitter (@Jen_Niffer). At least, I’ll post as many as Mr. Space X will allow. If you still have an account, give me a follow. Otherwise you can find me on Instagram (@talesfromtheterminal). If you think I should join Threads, comment here and let me know. Maybe I’ll set up an account and drop some content there also. Hope to see you in Wisconsin!

Parking Airplanes & Feeling Fisk-y

July 24, 2022July 25, 2022 / niffer90 / Leave a comment

Civil Air Patrol identifies and records every plane that lands.

It’s that time of year again! The annual gathering of the aviation faithful begins today at EAA’s Airventure in Oshkosh Wisconsin. Once again I arrived early to soak in the atmosphere and to volunteer with Flight Line Ops parking airplanes in the North 40.

Last year I assisted in the camping area. I asked for a simple assignment and they gave it to me – stand on the taxiway and point airplanes down whatever row they were filling. Easy! This year, however, my friend Hillel, his son Jacob and I were assigned to park planes in the Aircraft Parking Area. Located near the Weeks Hangar, this is a grassy, no-camping area for those who have accommodations elsewhere and just need a place to park.

This was a very different operation from parking planes in camping. For one thing, our team was much smaller. For another, the parking rows are shorter and planes don’t get packed in as tightly. I mostly stood out near the taxiway and directed planes down a row to Hillel and Jacob, who either positioned them in a parking spot or stopped them and pushed the plane in tail-first. (Known as “tailing” this method allow for many more airplanes to be parked together in a row. )

However, there was one instance where both Jacob and Hillel were busy and an airplane arrived to be parked. One of the other team members pointed it down a row and I realized I was going to have to marshal it into a spot. By myself. Me. Um… wait, what? How is this happening??? I didn’t have time to think about it – I just stood where the plane needed to be and started motioning them forward. I stopped them when they were in position, signaled for them to cut the engine. Then I did a little happy dance when I realized that the were in the right place and no one died. Yay! Go me!

After our parking shift we decided to make the pilgrimage to Fisk. I had never been there before and was super exicted to see it. For those who aren’t familiar with the process for flying into Oshkosh during Airventure, it’s unique. Whitman Field transforms from a smallish airfield to one of the busiest airports in the country. 10,000 airplanes fly in for the week. That much traffic would quickly overwhelm radio frequencies and become a huge burden on local controllers. So the FAA brings in controllers to manage the event. They take over the tower for the week. They also manage the approach to Osh from a hut in the middle of a field. Yes, I’m serious. (And don’t call me Shirley.)

I won’t go into the whole procedure – I encourage you to read the Airventure Notice and watch some videos posted by those who have flown in. The last step before arriving at Osh is to cross over Fisk. Controllers with binoculars and a radio identify each plane as it approaches. They call on the radio ask the pilot to acknowledge by rocking their wings. Then they give instructions about what to do next. Sometimes they clear planes to continue the approach. Or sometimes they’ll turn them and send them back into one of the holds to get back in line.

Being able to sit in the grass, listen the the controllers and watch the planes on approach rock their wings was nothing short of amazing. Getting so many airplanes through the airspace and to the airport is a masterpiece of choreography. I have listened the frequency on LiveATC, but being there, listening and watching gave me a whole new appreciation for what they do and the challenges they face.

Now I’m off to explore all the amazing things scheduled for Day One. Or at least, as many as I can. No one can see it all. Trust me – I’ve tried. Stayed tuned for more LIVE from Osh 2022!

ATC Zero

July 8, 2022July 8, 2022 / niffer90 / Leave a comment

On a recent Thursday I found myself with a few minutes available for plane spotting after work. I knew that United’s Star Alliance livery had landed earlier, so I pulled up Flightaware to check the departure time. The first thing I noticed was that there were a lot of planes in holding patterns. And there was a note in red indicating that inbound flights were being held at their origin cities for at least the next half hour.

I glanced up at the sky. It was a nice day, partly cloudy. No storms. Light wind. The weather shouldn’t be causing any delays. I looked over at the south runway. There were no signs of any issues – no paving crews or ARFF vehicles. I walked back to my car and pulled out my scanner. The frequencies were suspiciously quiet. I began to wonder… could the airport be ATC zero?

ATC zero means that there are no controllers on duty so the field is treated as uncontrolled. The most common reason for an airport to be ATC zero these days is covid. The tower and tracon are shut down so they can be thoroughly cleaned. This was not the first time it has happened at my airport. However, it was the first time it has happened during the busy travel season.

I saw some plane spotting friends by the north runway and they confirmed my suspicions. The airport was indeed ATC zero. One of the Centers (probably Indianapolis Center) was handling approach control, but anyone wanting to land or take off had to follow the same procedures used at uncontrolled fields, which involves calling out your position and intentions on a common frequency, and monitoring that frequency for other planes in the traffic pattern with you.

General aviation and business jet pilots tend to have more experience with uncontrolled fields. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the small planes that were coming and going during this time seemed to be pretty comfortable with the situation. Some of the commercial airliners, however, were clearly a bit less familiar with the procedures, as evidenced by one pilot who initially carried on with calling the tower, even though no one was in it.

I kept an eye on the Star Alliance plane while chatting with the other spotters. I was only half listening to the scanner, so we were all surprised to see a Southwest flight on short final suddenly turn to the south. It was quite unusual to see a commercial airliner make a turn so close to the airfield. In fact, I’ve never seen anything like it in the hundreds (thousands?) of hours I’ve spent watching planes at my airport. Then one of the other spotters saw the reason – a Cessna just crossing the runway threshhold.

The faster jet had gotten uncomfortably close to the smaller plane. I was pretty sure I heard the Cessna call out its position. Did the Southwest pilots miss the transmission? The Cessna landed and taxied off the runway while the Southwest flight did a 360 and got back onto the approach.

I got to wondering about the incident. The two planes seemed awfully close together. Did someone screw up? The next day I pulled up Live ATC to see if it could shed more light on what had happened. Turns out the Cessna did call out its position and the Southwest pilots heard it. The Southwest pilots continued to check in with the Cessna as both got closer to the field. Eventually the Southwest pilots realized they were catching up too fast and they announced their 360 turn.

So, just how close did the two planes get? When Southwest entered the pattern and called in, they were 15 miles out. The Cessna at that time claimed to be on “short final.” Southwest made calls at 11 miles out, 7 miles out and 5 miles out. At this point the Cessna called that they were still on short final. Southwest asked them to specify the number of miles and the Cessna said two, then amended that to a mile and a half. A few seconds after that Southwest announced their turn “at the inner marker.” Best guesstimate then is a three mile separation, possibly a little less. I believe this is within the regs… but it definitely looked closer than usual to me.

Ultimately, good communucation and situational awareness kept this from being an incident. Shortly after Southwest landed, the ATC tower re-opened and resumed control. It took a while for them to get everything sorted but I’m willing to bet no one complained. And the few minutes I had for spotting? Well it turned into a couple of hours. But I did finally catch that Star Alliance livery!

Osh21: Service and Inspiration

August 12, 2021August 12, 2021 / niffer90 / 2 Comments

It has been over a week since I returned from Airventure 2021 and I’m still in recovery mode. Osh is like that. It overwhelms your senses. It’s not just every type of airplane you ever wanted to see all in one place at the same time, it’s 10 or 15 examples of every type of airplane you ever wanted to see. Plus hundreds of other planes you didn’t realize you wanted to see. It’s exhausting – but in the best way possible.

Service emerged as a major theme for me this year. This is perhaps in part because I volunteered for the first time. I got an up-close look at some of the people who put in countless hours of work to make Airventure happen. Trust me, for every volunteer you see – parking cars, on the flight line, driving trams – there are many more behind the scenes that you know nothing about. Airventure would not happen without them.

Service was also front and center on Boeing Plaza. Many of the aircraft on display belong to non-profit organizations providing care around the globe. The Orbis Flying Eye Hospital (MD-10) is not just a place where sight-restoring surgeries take place, but it is also an education center where doctors in remote locations are trained to treat various eye problems.

Samaritan’s Purse (DC-8) delivers portable hospital facilities and personnel where ever help is needed. You can find them assisting during natural disasters and they even helped out in covid hotspots during the worst of the pandemic. Samaritan Air (sea plane) transports people from remote parts of Indonesia to medical facilities for treatment. A five day journey by canoe becomes a two hour ride by plane.

This year marked the first time that Airventure allowed anyone 18 and under to attend for free. Think about that for a moment. How many other events do the same? I guarantee you there aren’t many. The benefits to the aviation community are huge. Where will future pilots, mechanics, controllers, flight attendants, airport operations personnel, etc. come from if children aren’t exposed to the industry? And what better place to learn about every facet of aviation than Airventure?

But perhaps what stood out to me the most are ordinary people doing ordinary things which turn out to be extraordinary. For example, take Jennifer Duffer who is a teacher at Montgomery HS in Texas. Her engineering students built an airplane. No, not a model. Not a piece of a plane. An entire functioning airplane. And Ms. Duffer flew it to Oshkosh!

Her school is participating in the Eagles Nest Project which provided a Vans RV 12 light aircraft kit for the students to assemble. Ms. Duffer, along with a group of mentors, helped her students learn the principals of aviation as well as how to use tools, how to work together, how to read schematics, how to communicate, etc. Eventually the plane will be sold to buy the next kit for the next round of students to build. How cool is that? And what an amazing thing to put on a resume or a college application!

As you can tell, after two years away it was beyond good to be at Osh again. I missed my aviation family so much! Yes, the airplanes were amazing, but only because PEOPLE made them so. Likewise it is the people – old friends, new friends, volunteers, ambassadors and even passionate school teachers that make Airventure special. If you’ve never experienced that kind of aviation community magic, don’t put it off any longer. Make plans now for Osh22. Hope to see you there!

Want more stories from Osh21? Check out the Flying and Life Podcast for additional coverage!

Osh Returns

July 13, 2021July 13, 2021 / niffer90 / 8 Comments

As I write this we are less than two weeks away from Airventure Oshkosh 2021. With covid still a factor, Osh is going to look a little different this year. Even so, I’m super excited to get back to what is always THE aviation event of the summer.

Travel Plans

If all goes well I intend to head out on the 23rd. I’ll spend the night somewhere along the way and should arrive on the Airventure grounds in the early afternoon of the 24th. My first stop is always the Quonset Hut to grab my media credentials. From there I’ll drop my gear off at my room and then head out to begin the adventure.

Osh Plans

I have compiled a tight schedule packed with specific events I plan to attend… JUST KIDDING! I have tried to stick to a schedule in the past and tossed my plans out the window ten seconds after arrival. Why? For me the magic of Osh is in all those unexpected moments that I never thought I’d get to experience. Like the time I interviewed one of the Blue Angels. And the time I visited the tower. And the time I got to be a passenger as a friend flew the Fisk Arrival. I’ve learned to keep my plans to a minimum and allow myself the freedom to jump into whatever opportunities come my way.

The Activity

That said, there are some things I’m hoping to do while I’m there. (But no promises!) I’ve been wanting to try volunteering on the flight line. Perhaps this will be the year I make that happen. There is a presentation about the Space Shuttle that I’m hoping to attend. I’m looking forward to seeing some of this year’s featured airplanes including the Orbis Flying Eye MD-10 and the Samaritan’s Purse DC-8. I know one of the pilots of the C-17 that is flying in on Saturday. I hope I can be there to watch his landing! And, of course, I’m especially excited to see the A-10 demonstration team.

The People

What really makes Osh special, however, are the people. It’s the one place where I can totally geek out and be surrounded by people who feel the same way. I have friends who I only see once a year at Airventure and I’m really looking forward to seeing them again. It truly is an aviation family reunion.

That said, there are a number of international friends who won’t be able to attend this year. It won’t be the same without them – they will be missed! So will Launchpad Marzari, who hosted the annual Podapalooza event at the Pipistrel booth. Launchpad passed away recently in a plane crash. Aviation is a small community and he was such a big part of it. His passing leaves a hole that will be hard to fill.

The Shoes

Oshkosh involves a lot of walking. I mean A LOT. Even when I take shuttles and trams as much as possible, I still find myself walking many, many miles. So even though I’m not one of those people who starts packing weeks (or days, or even too many hours) in advance, I HAVE been thinking a bit about my shoes. I’m breaking in some new pairs and I’m seeking out some new insoles. Hopefully when Osh week arrives, I’ll be ready.

The Question

So what about you? Will you be attending Airventure this year? If so, I hope to see you there! If you can’t make it this year, keep an eye on the many camera feeds that EAA puts up. I know it’s not the same as being there, but it will at least allow you to see some of the action. Also, you can follow me on Twitter and Instagram for lots of pics and videos. And stairs trucks. Of course!

OSH20 – the Week That (sort-of) Wasn’t

July 24, 2020August 4, 2020 / niffer90 / 4 Comments

It’s my favorite week of the whole year! I spend 365 days looking forward to it. It’s better than Christmas. It’s Airventure Oshkosh! Except… not this year. Thanks to the current pandemic, Osh20 was canceled. There are not enough words to express how devastated I’ve been.

I tried to distract myself by taking a (socially-distanced) day-trip across the lake to a cheerful little island. But I just spent my time lurking around the airport there, looking for airplanes. I went through old photos and shared them online with the other Osh faithful. It was somewhat helpful to know that I was not alone in my grief.

In the absence of our beloved fly-in, the good folks at EAA put together the Spirit of Aviation Week. It consisted of a collection of online events and forums covering a wide-range of topics. I’ll admit I was skeptical about it at first – no virtual event can ever take the place of the real deal. But then I looked over the list of offerings and saw a few that looked interesting. So I decided to check them out. And I’m so glad I did! I carried my ipad outside, plugged in my headphones and as I listened I could almost imagine I was sitting in one of the forum buildings on the Airventure grounds.

The first event I “attended” was a panel discussion with members of the US Air Force Demo teams. Participating in the event were an F-16 pilot, an F-22 pilot, an F-35 pilot and an A-10 pilot. They discussed the challenges of keeping their skills sharp during a season when most shows have been canceled. They also talked about flying at Osh, how it is different from some of the other places they fly and how much they look forward to performing there. I was interested to learn that as a recruiting tool, the demo teams are primarily trying to reach kids ages 8-12. That seems young to me, but they say it is the best age to capture and maintain an interest in becoming military aviators.

The next event I attended was the Airline Pilot Career Outlook, hosted by United Airlines. I am not interested in becoming an airline pilot, but I was curious to get United’s take on the pandemic and the impact it is having on the industry. They reiterated what we already know – this has been the worst year for the airlines, ever. They believe it will likely be two years before they are ready to start hiring again. However, they are very cognizant of the fact that 50% of their workforce will retire in 10 years and 90% will retire in 20 years. Pandemic or not, that is a lot of pilots that will be needed. They are trying to connect with future pilots early on – a fact they emphasized by announcing their sponsorship of EAA’s Young Eagles programs.

I wrapped up the week by attending an FAA seminar entitled “Don’t Let that Airport Fool You!” With a title like that, of course I had to attend! I was curious to know just exactly how airports go around fooling people. The seminar was really about how to avoid wrong surface/wrong airport events. I learned that certain types of airport geometry (parallel and offset parallel runways, complicated layouts, etc.) can contribute to these types of events. It made me wonder how many airport planners are also pilots. Seems like it would be helpful to have hands-on experience when making decisions about taxiway placements, etc.

I really enjoyed attending these sessions and I appreciate everything EAA did to provide a taste of Airventure in the midst of a difficult year. That said, I’m really glad Osh week is over. I’m ready to stop feeling sad about what didn’t happen, and look ahead to better days. Hope to be able to see you all at Airventure 2021!

Continue reading →

Five years!

December 16, 2019 / niffer90 / Leave a comment

December 1, 2019 marked five years since I started working for the airport. That’s right – I’ve been running around like a kid in a candy store for five whole years now. How is that even possible? I knew I was going to love working in aviation, but I didn’t anticipate how much I was going to fall in love with the airport itself. And I never dreamed that I would get to see and do as much as I have.

ATC

I have always wanted to sneak my way into an ATC tower. This probably explains why the FAA added another set of “No Trespassing” signs around the tower fence right after I started my job. To my surprise, however, in the last five years I’ve visited all four towers at the three airports where I work plus the tower at Oshkosh. ATC towers are every bit as cool as I thought they would be. The only thing cooler than the towers? The TRACON! I’m still shocked that they not only let me in, but showed me around and explained what they were doing.

Being the avgeek that I am, I bring my scanner to work every day so I can listen when I’m plane spotting during my breaks. I sometimes listen to Live ATC at my desk too – I just really like knowing what is going on. At this point I’ve listened to hundreds of hours of ATC communications dealing with all kinds of scenarios in all kinds of weather. Some of the most memorable conversations have also been the most amusing, like the pilot who threatened to do donuts on the uncontrolled ramp and another who was afraid of his 666 squawk code and requested a new one.

Airport Vehicles

Airport ground vehicles for the win! Who knew they were so cool? From belt loaders to tugs to baggage trolleys and deice trucks – I’m a fan. The really crazy thing is how many I’ve been allowed to examine up close. I’ve been able to sit in a snow plow and a fire truck, gotten to take a close look at a deicing rig and I’ve ridden around in broom truck. I haven’t driven a stairs truck yet (the coolest of all airport vehicles), but I’ve sat behind the wheel and that’s a start!

Airplanes!

I’m not going to lie – being around airplanes every day is awesome. It doesn’t matter how many take-offs and landings I’ve seen – flying is still magic. I knew I’d see a lot of RJs and 737s around, but I had no idea I’d also get to see the occasional B767 and A330 as well. Plus I’ve seen an incredible assortment of military airplanes including T-38s, A10s, F18s, KC135s, and C130s. I’ve even seen Airforce One on multiple occasions. I also didn’t anticipate how much I was going to fall in love with business aviation. Gulfstreams, Globals, Falcons… they stop me in my tracks every time I see them because they are just so darn gorgeous.

Really BIG Airplanes!

When I accepted the job with the airport authority I was excited to be working at a passenger airport, however I was even more excited to be affiliated with a cargo airport. Why? Because 747s! And 777s! And Antonovs! There is ALWAYS something interesting to see. On my very first visit I got to stand on the ramp and watch an Emirates 777 land and then taxi over to be unloaded. I’ve gotten up close and personal with an An124 more than once now. Oh yes, I LOVE big planes!

Missed Approaches and other “Emergencies”

The first time I saw an airplane go around it was fascinating. Five years later I’ve seen dozens of missed approaches I have to say… they are STILL really fascinating. They happen for all kinds of reasons, most of them entirely mundane. Same with aborted take-offs. I’ve seen several and they were far less dramatic than I expected. I have also witnessed several emergency landings over the years. They’re a bit more intense, but thanks to the efforts of ATC, ARFF, Airport Ops and the pilots, they all ended smoothly and uneventfully.

Favorite Experience

It is hard for me to single out a favorite moment from the past five years because there have been so many. As a general rule, the coolest experiences happen out on the airfield. That’s where all the action is. It’s also where the ground support vehicles hang out. And it’s where the airplanes are! If I absolutely HAD to pick a favorite, it would be the winter I trained to assist Ops with managing the flow of traffic into the deice pad. I got to drive around on the ramp in an ops vehicle and talk to airplanes and ATC on the radio. I mean seriously – it doesn’t get much cooler than that! It was a mild winter so I never got signed off to manage the pad by myself but who knows – maybe one of these days I’ll get another chance.

On the Wish List

What would I like to do that I haven’t done yet? Well I still haven’t driven a snow plow or gone out with the airfield team during a snow event. I’d really love to go up in the bucket of a deice rig just once. Of course driving a stairs truck remains a goal. And I still really, really want to ride around on the baggage belt. However, I’ve recently added a new item to my wish list: making an airport-wide page. If you ever find yourself wandering through the terminal and you hear someone paging Captain Oveur to the white courtesy phone… let’s just say I’ll deny all knowledge.