OSHKOSH – They’re here!
The aviation community is back in town at Wittman Regional Airport for the 71st edition of the world’s biggest fly-in convention — EAA AirVenture Oshkosh.
More than 650,000 visitors and a further 10,000 aircraft are expected to descend on Oshkosh for the week-long event July 22-28 following last year’s record-setting marks of 677,000 people, 848 commercial exhibitors and 2,372 international visitors.
And they’ll be treated to a number of new attractions this year, including a pair of military demonstration teams in the Canadian Forces Snowbirds and the Frecce Tricolori of the Italian Air Force.
Miss America, Madison Marsh — an active-duty member of the U.S. Air Force — is also scheduled to make an appearance during a week that will feature forums with combat pilots, aircraft designers and NASA astronauts.
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Two popular presentation series — Warbirds in Review and Vintage in Review — will showcase a number of historic aircraft while the U.S. Air Force weapons management, Air Force Materiel Command, is slated to have a display of weapons systems technology.
Here’s a rundown of some of what you can expect at this year’s convention:
Admission
Tickets can be purchased for the entire week or daily, while there are optional add-ons such as parking, camping and flight experiences.
Daily tickets are $45 for adult members and $63 for adult non-members. Veterans and active military members pay $45 while kids 18 years and younger are admitted free.
Advanced tickets and camping reservations are available for purchase at AirVenture.org. Patrons can access the daily schedule at https://events.rdmobile.com/Sessions/Index/17504.
Aircraft rides
Patrons will have the chance to see the fly-in convention from the skies above on board one of the many aircraft rides at EAA AirVenture.
You can fly on the world’s first mass-produced airliner, the Ford TriMotor 5-AT-B; a World War II bomber, the B-25 Berlin Express; or on the M*A*S*H helicopter, the Bell 47.
Daily air shows
Both the Frecce Tricolori and Canadian Forces Snowbirds will treat massive crowds to eyepopping feats of aerial maneuvers, but they aren’t the only performers in town.
A variety of other performances include aerobatics and unique airplanes on display daily.
Daily air shows will run 2:30-6:30 p.m. July 22-27 and 1-4:30 p.m. July 28.
Two separate night shows are scheduled for July 24 and 27, both from 8 to 10 p.m.
And there is a state-of-the-art 500-drone night show scheduled for July 24 and 27 that will feature more than 4 billion color combinations along with animated sequences tightly synchronized to a musical score.
Aircraft areas
As expected, several different spots will be dedicated to specific type of aircraft being displayed at AirVenture.
Tour the grounds to see historic World War II planes in the Warbirds section or get a look at some of the aerobatic performers before they take to the skies for the daily air shows.
Patrons will also have access to the EAA Aviation Museum at no additional charge.
KidVenture
Open daily at the Pioneer Airport, KidVenture provides children with several chances to explore aviation through hands-on activities like building projects, flying radio-control and control-line airplanes, riding flight simulators, and learning aviation and space history.
Fly-In Theater
Attendees can enjoy classic Hollywood films on a five-story projection screen every night at 8:30 p.m.
Each movie is free of cost and includes free popcorn.
Veterans' activities
There is a day-long Salute to Veterans July 28 that starts with a complimentary breakfast and includes a parade and the Old Glory Honor Flight to Washington, D.C.
Workshops and forums
At no additional costs, patrons can get a chance to hear from industry leaders, pilots, designers and astronauts about everything from flying and restoring airplanes to actually building your own homebuilt aircraft.
These workshops run daily across the convention grounds and no reservations are required.
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Daily programs at a glance
Several programs are on the slate each day throughout the event. Here are some that might be of interest.
- July 22: “The First Women Military Whirlybirds” is 10-11:15 a.m. at the EAA WomenVenture Center while “NASA X-59 Pilots: First Flight” is 11:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m. at Forum Stage 4.
- July 23: “Generative AI for Aviation” is 11:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m. at EAA Museum Hilton Theater and “Encountering UAPs (UFOs) While in Flight” is 4-5:15 p.m. at EAA Museum Hilton Theater.
- July 24: “Searching for Amelia Earhart” is 10-11:15 a.m. at EAA Museum Vette Theater.
- July 25: “How the First U.S. Jet Engine Came to Life” is 11-11:30 a.m. at GE Aerospace.
- July 26: “Where Is My Flying Car?” is 10-11:15 a.m. at Forum Stage 9 while “NASA: The Historic Artemis II Mission” is 7-10:30 p.m. in Theater in the Woods. “A Salute to Veterans Parade” will be 1-2:15 p.m. at in the Warbirds in Review area.
- July 27: “National Championship Air Races” is 11:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m. at Forum Stage 3.
- July 28: The Memorial Wall Induction Ceremony is 10-11 a.m. at the Memorial Wall.
Shopping and food
No fewer than 13 shops and gift stores are on site offering a variety of EAA memorabilia, merchandise and any other aviation items for sale including hardware, tools and aircraft parts.
The food options aren’t limited, either, with grocery stores, national chains and local food trucks readily available and open all over Wittman field.
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Runway 5K
This charity fun run/walk is open to people of all ages, and starts at 7 a.m. July 27 at the Ultralight Barn.
Registration includes a T-shirt, post-race food and refreshments, and admission to AirVenture on race day.
Online registration closes July 26 and reopens at the Runway 5K check-in July 27 before the race.
EAA AirVenture App
Search for EAA Events in the App Store or Google Play, or visit the EAA website to download the EAA Events App and setup a personalized itinerary that will help navigate the more than 1,500 workshops, forums, events and exhibitors.
You can setup event notifications, search the daily schedule, spot food venues and even view maps of the entire EAA AirVenture grounds.
For a full list of AirVenture's features and attractions for the week, visit https://www.eaa.org/airventure/features-and-attractions.
Contact Justin Marville at jmarville@gannett.com.
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