Murph's Audio Files:
Taxi (14:53)
Departure (19:53)
Enroute (11:09)
Arrival (23:46)

Day 3: Caravan 2000

With three vans running between the East Towne Suites and Wisconsin Aviation, Monday had few people waiting for the vans. Group leaders started their brief at 8 a.m. At 9:30 a.m. all of the active pilots were in the Wisconsin Aviation hangar for the Rabek-Piehler briefing.

Dave Piehler, Caravan lead pilot, briefing taxi instructions at Madison.

Happily this year's weather was clear and the wind light, so Oshkosh tower was able to predict arrival procedures for the 97 Mooneys over Fond du Lac Airport, with a landing on 36L and 36R.

Pilots' briefing in hangar.

By 11 a.m. pilots were released for their group briefings. This year Mooney Caravan pilots flew in groups by type, with Alpha through Juliette groups.

India group briefing, led by Bob Achtel (middle).

At 11:30 a.m., Mark Napier gathered the assembled masses for the group photo of all 97 pilots and passengers. Pre-flighting of airplanes took most of the next 45 minutes before lead pilot Dave Piehler started his engine at 12:15 p.m. When the pilots performed the pre-flight they found a good luck message from tower on ATIS.

Lead pilot Dave Piehler ready for takeoff at Madison, with Alpha Group behind. Say, who called the fire trucks?

Takeoff procedures on runway 03 had Mooneys rolling every six seconds. The climb profile was 95 knots at 500 fpm, with the Caravan heading out almost straight out of Madison for 18 nautical miles, then turning towards Fond du Lac Airport. The Caravan overflew FDL at 3,500' -- and at least one of the groups overflew it by a couple of miles before turning inbound to Oshkosh Airport. In 30 minutes all were airborne and 30 minutes later all were safe on the ground at OSH.
About 75% of the way through Caravan take-offs, a United Express plane decided to push back and depart Madison. "United Express 234, you're cleared to push. You're number 102 for take-off," tower informed them.

India lead Bob Achtel setting up for cruise.

Landing was straight-in on runway 36 and its taxiway, with a light crosswind from the east. Taxiways were dry as a bone and it looked like an expressway under construction as ground handlers merged the two lines of Mooneys into one long line of aircraft taxiing into the campground. Good news: no takeoff problems; no incidents on landing. Bonanzas coming in after us weren't so lucky -- one had a gear collapse upon landing.

Taxiing along RWY 27 into OSH camping.

Revision: 10/28/2010

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