Oshkosh 50th Anniversary Comanche Fly In

[Scott Ducey]

I just bought a 1969 Twin Comanche last week, and the plane is awesome!! Anyway, I was fishing through the ICS web site, and wanted to know what the details are for participating in the Comanche Anniversary fly in to Oshkosh. Please feel free to email the details to my work address - scott.ducey@harborpoint.com. Also, any tips / manual / book available for the twin comanche? I see that they are a difficult plane to land and have some quirky issues. Thanks in advance for the help. Scott Ducey

[Dave Fitzgerald]

Welcome to ICS Scott,
Congratulation on choosing to buy a Comanche. If you need a new POH (Pilot Operators Handbook) for your twin you can order one from Webco Aircraft http://www.webcoaircraft.com/ (316) 283-7929. There is also a Tips Manual available on the main web page. We will have our own ICS/CFF tent at Oshkosh this year and are also planning to have an arrival of Comanches with more than 50 planes signed up already. You can get all the details from the article in the April Flyer about the 50 for 50 Arrival at Oshkosh and there will be another article in the June Flyer. Also, you can email Zach Grant, our Arrival Leader at, comancheosh@yahoo.com and sign up if you're interested in joining in. I am sure as soon as Zach reads your post, he will be glad to answer any questions you may have.

[Alan Cheak]

To Everbody: With this being my first trip to OSH what is it that people who have done this usually bring. I usually do Sun-n-Fun but don't camp.
This time my son and I will camp. So aside from a tent, sleeping bags, maybe an ice chest what else do most folks bring that make the camping more enjoyable.

See you-all at the rally point for the formation brief.

Alan Cheak

[Kristin Winter]

Great idea posting this. I will eagerly await the answers as well.

I haven't been to OSH since 1990. That ended a streak of seven years of flying in for just one day. This time I am planning on staying. I may have to fly out for a night or two if I have bed and shower withdrawals.

[Dan Johnson]

Hi Scott,
Congratulations on your purchase and welcome aboard. I am really glad that you finally found the right plane. I know it was frustrating for you to try and find a good one. When can we see a pic? After some practice your landings will be squeakers. Go up and do some stalls and you will get an idea at about what speed that beautiful wing stops flying. On final get her slowed down and keep the flair close to the ground. The Archer is very forgiving and if flaired too high will just settle in most cases. The Comanche will just quit flying and you need to be close to the gound when it does or you could bend something. You will get used to it pretty quick. I am going to try and make it to OSH and if so will hook up with you. Have fun.
Dan

[Zach Grant L1011jock]

OSH in the summer can be brutally hot or you can freeze your you know what off. Depends on what version of global warming is germain at the moment. In addition to the normal camp stuff, I have found citronella candles and bug punks are great, and your bag doesn't smell like OFF all night either. In years past, it was handy to have an anchor for the air mattress when it floated out of the tent. Also, make sure to stake your tent down. I watched a couple of, well, highly medicated campers, chase a dome tent accross the field at OSH one night in a thunderstorm. I would have gotten up to help them, but I was laughing so hard, and I was dry in my shelter, AND I had a rather large stash of adult beverages within reach... Did I mention anything about tiedowns? It is a well known fact that most Comanches don't make a habit of flying away in the wind like the brand "C" types, but you still need at least a dog chain auger type with a strap on it on all three of your tie down points. If not, you will get to buy some of the EAA tiedowns for a heathy sum for some stakes and a length of rope! The other stuff that I have forgotten in the past:
towels (bring more than one, you may need it for the rain)
Lantern and flashlights (so you can find the blue water bomb house at 3 am)
Biting insect defense equipment
food
matches for stove
stove for matches
propane for stove and lantern
stove and or lantern for propane
sunscreen
any various items of clothing (like shorts when it was 90+ degrees, and sweats/jacket when it was 45, and any other undergarment or footwear)
Shower shoes
cell charger
cell phone for charger
camera
chairs
table

I am sure I am missing something I forgot over the years, but one thing I have always had, and never forgotten is something to drink for after 5:00! This just doesn't seem to be a big problem arround OSH. It seems there is always plenty to drink:-)

-Zach