Pilot Notes

General Information for Warbirds Pilots

Warbird pilots attending EAA AirVenture Oshkosh are encouraged to review the following details. Topics such as lodging, AirVenture NOTAM, schedules, flying in the air show, judging, fueling, and other critical information are covered below. Watch www.facebook.com/EAAWarbirds/ for updates.

Lodging 

Members, pilots, volunteers, and attendees at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh have many choices regarding where to stay during their visit. Hotels, dorms, camping, and private home rentals are the most popular.
Visit: http://www.eaa.org/en/airventure/plan-your-eaa-airventure-trip for lodging options.

Warbirds Camping for Pilots

Improved campsites in the Warbirds Campground are full. If you wish to camp in an improved site with water and electric hook ups, please refer to Camp Scholler.  If you plan on camping in a tent in the Warbirds Campground, please check in at the campground building.  Tent camping is $36.00 per night.

Where to Rent a Car

Avis 800-352-7900, Budget  920-232-0785, or Enterprise 920-236-6777. For more information and amazing discounts, please visit https://www.eaa.org/eaa/eaa-membership/eaa-member-benefits/discount-programs/eaa-travel-choices# 

Attention Warbird Amateur Radio Operators

The Warbird Board of Directors will be sponsoring a special event station during EAA AirVenture 2024, July 22 – 28. All Warbird members with current amateur licenses are invited to operate W9W during daylight hours. Non-licensed Warbird members may participate under the supervision of a licensed amateur operator. The station will be located on the Warbirds’ grounds near Warbirds’ HQ. ICOM America will support the event with HF, VHF and UHF radio equipment. Other sponsors include Heil Sound, RadioWavz, DX Engineering and US Tower.

Operations will take place on 40 through 10 meters. Operations are expected to take place on or near 7225 MHz, 14250 MHz, 21235 MHz, and 28425 MHz. The station will also operate on 2 meters and 440 simplex. An event QSL card will be issued for contacts with W9W.

If you would like to get on the schedule to operate W9W please contact Ray Novak @ n9ja@icomamerica.com. Station hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Requests for operations in addition to those hours will be considered.

Fuel Reimbursement and Smoke Oil

Fuel reimbursement and smoke oil will be provided for pilots flying in the daily air shows, however, be sure that you possess at least a commercial airman’s certificate with a current 2nd class medical. Acceptance of fuel reimbursement or smoke oil without those certificates could lead to FAA enforcement. If you do not have these certificates, you may still fly in the air shows, but you may not be reimbursed for your fuel or smoke oil.

In order to fly in any of the daily air shows, participants must provide copies of:

• Current Pilot Certificate
• Current Medical Certificate
• Copy of Insurance Certificate, which states inclusion of static display, fly-by, and/or formation coverage
• Date of last BFR
• Certificate of Waiver or Authorization

Please forward the documents well in advance to: EAA Warbirds of America, Warbird Pilot Documents, PO Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086; e-mail warbirds@eaa.org. You may also pre-register and send documents online on the Warbirds Aircraft Pre-Registration page.

In order to fly in the daily air shows, participants are required to attend the Warbird forum entitled “Flying at Oshkosh for the First Time” if they have never flown at Oshkosh before. This forum may also be a good refresher for veteran Oshkosh pilots.

To fly in formation, we also require pilots to be formation qualified through the FAST program or the Joint Liaison Formation program. Note that not all aircraft types will fly formation.

Having met these requirements, a pilot needs to attend the briefing, held in the Warbird Briefing Building, on the day(s) he/she wishes to participate. There are time limits and possibly specific themes for each day, so not all aircraft and types may fly every day. During the briefing, pilots will be instructed as to the numbers of specific aircraft types required for that day, flight patterns, etc.

All air show briefings are held in the Warbirds Briefing Building (large building with the porch). The schedule of briefings will be posted outside the Warbird Headquarters, Registration, and Briefing Buildings.

Warbird Helicopter Operations at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 

Pilots of warbird-type helicopters must follow the Transient Helicopter VFR Arrival/Departure Procedures as printed in the AirVenture NOTAM.

International Visitors

International visitors/members flying to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh from any country must apply for and receive a TSA waiver. Print out the waiver form from the TSA General Aviation web site https://www.tsa.gov/for-industry/general-aviation. It must be completed and faxed to TSA no later than 10 days prior to your flight. Fax it to the phone number on the form, at least 14 days before you need the waiver.

Canadian Pilots

Canadian pilots flying Canadian registered experimental amateur-built aircraft, or basic or advanced ultralight airplanes must obtain an FAA Special Flight Authorization (SFA) to operate in the United States.

• The SFA may be obtained from the FAA web site http://www.faa.gov/aircraft/gen_av/ultralights/sfa/.
• The SFA must be carried on board the aircraft when operating in the United States, and constitutes valid FAA authorization to operate in the United States airspace provided the operator of these specific aircraft complies with the operating limitations that are part of the SFA. 
• Canadian pilots flying experimental Warbirds are required to contact the FAA Milwaukee Flight Standards District Office (FSDO) to apply for an SFA for their flight to/from Oshkosh. 
• Questions concerning this SFA should be addressed to: FAA Milwaukee FSDO, 414-486-2920, 414-486-2922 fax; EAA Aviation Services, 920-426-4821; or Transport Canada, Recreational Aviation, 613-990-1022. 
• Canadian pilots flying aircraft issued a Canadian “Flight Permit-Owner Maintenance” are prohibited by the FAA from flying in the U.S.