On the Dot
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Editor’s Note: With EAA AirVenture 2026 just around the corner (July 20–26), thousands of pilots are preparing for one of aviation’s most memorable arrivals. Whether you’re making your first trip to Oshkosh or your twentieth, this personal account from Air Facts contributor Adam Boyd captures both the excitement of flying the famous Fisk Arrival and the importance of preparing for it. If you’re headed to Wisconsin this summer, now is the perfect time to review the AirVenture arrival procedures before you go.
On the Dot
By Adam Boyd
There are certain aviation moments along one’s journey that become permanent snapshots in your mind. For me, one of those moments happened in the summer of 2022, descending toward Runway 27 at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh in our white Beechcraft Travel Air.
For years, I had wanted to make the pilgrimage to AirVenture. I’d heard all the stories—the arrivals, the warbirds, the crowds, the camping, and the unmatched experience of spending a week surrounded by airplanes. Until 2022, though, life—and the needs of the USAF—always got in the way. Then the stars aligned.
The trip itself had been in the works for months with my son Walker. My friend and BE-95 Travel Air co-owner Keith and his son Thomas joined us as well. The afternoon before departure, Walker and I pulled the Travel Air out of the hangar and gave her a wash. Naturally, we dried the airplane the only acceptable way we knew how: with a short flight. After topping off the fuel tanks, we tucked her back into the hangar and tried to get some sleep.
The next morning started early. Thomas was building multiengine time, so he flew the first leg from North Little Rock Municipal Airport to Dubuque Regional Airport with Keith in the right seat. That worked out perfectly for me because it gave me time to review the Oshkosh arrival NOTAM one last time.
Keith and I had already gone over it together several days earlier after I attended an FAA Safety Seminar covering Oshkosh procedures. Honestly, the NOTAM wasn’t nearly as intimidating as people made it sound. Complicated? Yes. Unique? Certainly. But between the two of us, we’d seen busy procedures before. We had flown C-130s together in the Air Force, Keith was now an airline captain, and I was instructing in the C-130 schoolhouse at Little Rock Air Force Base.
I cannot stress enough the importance of studying the NOTAM and attending one of the FAA Safety Seminars. They make this arrival far less intimidating and much easier to understand.
Still, Oshkosh was a little different. Neither of us had ever flown in before, and we both understood one very important truth: nobody wanted to become famous on YouTube for the wrong reasons.
We stopped in Dubuque for lunch at a local grill after borrowing the airport courtesy car. Sitting over burgers, Keith and I started watching ADS-B traffic on our phones. The Bonanza mass arrival had begun.
It was the Saturday before AirVenture, and the mass arrivals were in full swing. More than one Reddit thread suggested that immediately after the arrivals, the airspace briefly became more manageable—at least by Oshkosh standards.
After lunch, we launched northbound toward Ripon. The Travel Air doesn’t particularly enjoy flying around at 90 knots, so we elected to use the high-speed arrival at 135 knots. That decision comes with plenty of opinions from pilots, but for our airplane and experience level, it worked well.
The tradeoff, though, was obvious: we needed to find a gap. The last thing I wanted was to show up over Fisk with a line of airplanes below us doing 90 knots while we barreled in overhead. That was a good way to get sent out to Rush Lake for holding. As we approached Ripon, the ADS-B picture looked like ants around a dropped candy bar. Evidently, we were not the only pilots who had read Reddit.
Keith monitored the ATIS while I focused outside. Runways 18R, 18L, and 27 were active. Aircraft were being split between the runways, and tower seemed happy to send higher-performance airplanes to 27 instead of forcing everybody into the tighter turns for the 18s. That was welcome news.
Crossing Ripon, my excitement started to rise. The railroad tracks stretched out ahead of us toward Fisk, and suddenly it hit me: This is it. I’m flying into Oshkosh!
It’s funny how certain moments become frozen memories instantly. Even now, I can still picture the scene perfectly.
The flight from Ripon to Fisk was quick.
“White twin, rock your wings.”
I rolled the Travel Air side to side.
“Good rock. Follow the railroad tracks northeast for Runway 27. Monitor tower. Welcome to Oshkosh.”
“Welcome to Oshkosh!” I thought to myself.
The gear was already down as we descended to 1,800 feet and kept the airplane moving. The gravel pit slid beneath us as we joined the downwind. From the back seat, I could hear Walker and Thomas reacting to the endless rows of airplanes below.
“Wow… that’s a lot of planes.”
I was too busy flying precise airspeed and spacing to sightsee much. Approaching midfield, tower instructed us to extend downwind. Off our right side, Keith pointed out warbirds arriving on Runway 27. The shoreline passed beneath us, and only seconds later tower called our base turn.
Now I could finally see Oshkosh laid out in front of us. Rows upon rows of airplanes. Tents. Crowds. Movement everywhere.
And then came the runway dots.
“White twin, cleared to land on the green dot.”
This was another Oshkosh ritual I had heard plenty about. Hit your assigned dot, and somewhere nearby were photographers documenting either your precision or your embarrassment for the internet to evaluate later. No pressure.
I brought the power back and eased into the flare right at the green dot when tower suddenly barked:
“White twin! White dot! White dot! Keep it going, white dot!”
That was unexpected.
I added a touch of power, rode the airplane in ground effect, and floated down to the white dot instead.
A few seconds later:
“Exit left. Exit left.”
I slowed safely and made the turn. Right behind us was an aircraft that must have floated well beyond its assigned orange dot. I was glad ATC was on the ball and switched our dot. We cleared the runway, Keith and I exchanged a high five, and then began the long taxi toward vintage parking near the South 40.
My first Oshkosh arrival.
I’ve flown into Oshkosh several times since then, including once in an RV-4, but nothing compares to that first arrival.
That week, my son and I soaked it all in: the airplanes, the people, the warbirds, the Coke floats, and the cheese curds. It was everything AirVenture was said to be.
Someday, I hope my son flies me into Oshkosh. When that day comes, his first arrival will probably become one of those permanent snapshots too.
- On the Dot - July 8, 2026
- When Special VFR Is the Right Call with Adam Boyd - March 4, 2026
- Task Prioritization in a C-130H Emergency - January 19, 2026
Great story, thanks for sharing. Hope to do same with my son when I grows up a bit more.
Correction: “when he grows up”… I have grown up (in age at least, still a bit of a little boy still when it comes to planes).
Hey Phil, thanks for the comment. Yes it would be very special for you and your son both. Also, I was advised by an old pilot long ago that I could either grow up or be a pilot… but not both! Fly safe.
Thank you for this fine story of your trip in to Oshkosh. Just wondering if it was left downwind and base to 27 or right.
Robert
Thank you for the feedback! It was a right downwind. On the arrival there is a gravel pit annotated on the diagram that you fly towards to set up for right downwind on 27. Great question! Fly safe.