Short Final: Oshkosh Short

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Key Takeaways:

  • A confident, low-time pilot was asked by air traffic control to perform a "short approach" at Denver Centennial airport, to which the pilot jokingly or boastfully referred to as "Oshkosh short."
  • Despite the pilot's confidence, the attempt in gusty conditions resulted in a chaotic landing with multiple touchdowns before getting the aircraft under control.
  • The pilot humorously (or self-deprecatingly) claimed that this uncontrolled landing style was "just the same way I did it at Oshkosh."
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Many moons ago I was flying into Denver’s Centennial airport when tower asked me if I could make a short approach. As full of confidence as a low-time pilot could be, I replied, “Certainly, you want Oshkosh short?”

Tower answered, “Sure, show me some of that Oshkosh stuff!”

I turned base to final a little hot and tried to get it down, with the usual results. Combined with some gusty winds I think I made about 4 touchdowns heading in the general direction of the runway before getting it wrestled under control. Tower comes back on frequency, “Well, that was really something, all right …” and I replied “Yep—just the same way I did it at Oshkosh!”

Greg Niehues

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