ATC at Oshkosh, Pt. 2

We continue our inside look at what it takes for ATC to manage traffic in and around Oshkosh during the annual AirVenture.

Elim Hawkins

Sunday, November 26, 2023 at 08:00 AM ET

Verified

The main OSH tower oversees the entire operation.

Key Takeaways:

The Oshkosh control tower operates as the "World's Busiest" with a complex system of rotating teams (North Local, South Local) and specialized roles (spotters, communicators, team leads) to manage high-volume arrivals and departures, emphasizing constant vigilance and the necessity of go-arounds for safety.
Departures are uniquely handled by Mobile Ops/Comms Workstations (MOOCOWs) positioned at runway ends, staffed by Aircraft Communicators, Spotters/Coordinators, and Crossers who visually marshal and sequence aircraft for takeoff, relying on direct observation and coordination with the main tower.
The entire AirVenture ATC system is a highly coordinated effort, integrating tower operations, Ground/Clearance for IFR handling, and MOOCOW mobile units to maintain an efficient and safe flow for an extremely high volume of diverse aircraft.

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Last month in Part 1, we talked about the ATC planning for Oshkosh, selection, pre-OSH activities, Fond du Lac, and Fisk. In this Part 2, we’ll talk about ATC roles in the “World’s Busiest Control Tower,” those oddly named MOOCOWS, and a couple other things. We’ll start with the Tower.

OSH Tower

Oshkosh Tower is the well-known landmark for anyone who has been to AirVenture. Starting around 0545 every morning and finishing around 2030, six teams of controllers along with several supervisors and managers are in and out of the tower. We don’t just handle a lot of traffic. There are enough people working that Operation Managers (OM) are required to manage the staff. There are three teams in the morning and three in the afternoon with several other pink shirts passing through.