Text messaging added to AirVenture arrival procedure

EAA AVIATION CENTER, OSHKOSH, Wisconsin — A new text message system will add further information for pilots as they prepare their arrivals at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2019, using the FAA Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) procedures.

The text message availability is one of several enhancements to the NOTAM process for AirVenture, the 67th annual Experimental Aircraft Association fly-in convention on July 22-28 at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh.

By texting OSHARRIVAL to 64600, pilots can receive the latest status updates for AirVenture arrivals and plan accordingly, whether that means continuing to Oshkosh or perhaps temporarily stopping at an outlying airport if traffic levels are very high, EAA officials said.

“We used pilot feedback to create recommendations to the FAA for enhancing the NOTAM and arrival processes,” said Sean Elliott, EAA’s vice president of advocacy and safety. “It is every pilot’s responsibility to read and understand the current Oshkosh NOTAM before they fly to AirVenture, but the text message system adds a level of up-to-the-minute complementary information that was not available previously.”

The NOTAM, which is in effect from 6 a.m. CDT on Friday, July 19, until noon CDT on July 29, outlines procedures for the many types of aircraft that fly to Oshkosh for the event, as well as aircraft that land at nearby airports.

Some of the 2019 changes include:

• New procedures for aircraft diversion to Fond du Lac (KFLD) in the event of airport closure at Wittman Regional Airport (KOSH);
• Removal of restriction on transponder use;
• IFR routing changes.

Other changes are part of the updated Oshkosh arrival “best practices,” such as procedures to limit the impact of VFR mass arrivals and ATC utilization of a ground stop/delay system out to 150 miles.

The new OSHARRIVAL text message system is in addition to two long-standing AirVenture text message systems: OSHALERT (AirVenture site weather and other updates) and OSHFUN (AirVenture feature and highlights). Each of the three text message systems can be obtained by texting the specific term to 64600.