Short Final: Oshkosh Shortcut

Many years ago, during my first year working for the Experimental Aircraft Association’s publications department during the midsummer extravaganza (now known as AirVenture), I learned a secret for shortcutting the traffic into Wittman Field. I had tagged along on an early morning air-to-air photo shoot and when we turned back inbound, I overheard the photo plane pilot identifying the flight with a discreet coded phrase. We were cleared directly to the runway, bypassing all the other incoming traffic. I asked him what would happen if I tried it, myself, if I needed to run an errand in my little Grumman. He told me not to even think about it.

And if you think I’m going to reveal it now, you can forget it. (Because I have.)