Every year, hundreds of thousands of people gather at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, for the Experimental Aircraft Association’s (EAA) annual Fly-In Convention. The event takes place on the last week of July and brings more than 3,000 show aircraft, including civil, commercial, military, and experimental aircraft. For one week, the Wittman airport becomes the busiest in the world, with more than 3,300 daily operations averaging about 121 takeoffs and landings per hour while the airport is open.
Major highlights
This year’s EAA AirVenture Oshkosh is rapidly approaching, and earlier this week, Simple Flying had the chance to chat with EAA’s Director of Communications, Dick Knapinski, to find out what those attending can most look forward to. Three significant anniversaries are being highlighted this year, EAA’s 70th Anniversary, the 70th Fly-In, and the 50th year since the end of combat in the Vietnam War.
Every year, an honor flight for United States veterans occurs at AirVenture. This year, American Airlines will fly several Vietnam War veterans, including some Medal of Honor recipients, to Washington, D.C, on July 28 to spend the day visiting memorials and, upon return, will be welcomed by about 30,000 people at the fly-in. An A-4 Skyhawk and C-123 Provider, nicknamed Thunderpig by the soldiers during the war, will also feature at the fly-in. This C-123 is the only one flying in the world.
The F4U Corsair was one of the most popular naval aircraft for the US during World War II and the Korean War. On its maiden flight, the plane broke the speed record for a single-seat fighter aircraft by passing 400mph in flight. Today, there are only two dozen in the US, and about one dozen will feature at the fly-in. Family members of Thomas Hudner and Jesse Brown, whose story is highlighted in the film Devotion, will also be present.
Commercial aircraft
On the commercial side, two mainline carriers have confirmed they will send aircraft to the fly-in Southwest Airlines and American. As mentioned above, American will host the honor flight with the Vietnam War Veterans. On Monday, July 24, Southwest will take 100 inner-city kids to the fly-in. Regional carriers like Air Wisconsin and Republic Airways will also have aircraft at the show.
Boeing, which plays a significant part in the fly-in every year, and has the Boeing Plaza, will have several aircraft present. Perhaps the most exciting is the Dreamlifter, a modified 747 used to carry airplane parts worldwide. Wisk Aero, which Boeing recently acquired, will also be at the event. The Wisk team is already on-site in Oshkosh getting ready. Everyone under 18 will receive free admission to the fly-in, thanks to Boeing.
NASA
Adding to the unique aircraft listed above, NASA will have the Super Guppy on display in Oshkosh. The Super Guppy is an oversized-cargo aircraft built on the airframe of a KC-97 and has been used by NASA since 1997. The aircraft will carry a full-sized Artemis test cap to the fly-in. The NASA tent will feature exhibits from moon missions, hypersonic aircraft, and members of the Apollo Program. Charlie Duke, a member of several Apollo missions, including Apollo 16, during which he walked on the moon, will also be present.
More military
Military lovers will have no problem finding aircraft to visit and geek at, as more than 400 aircraft will feature at the fly-in. The list includes, C-130 gunships, Navy F-18 and F-35, MIG-17, MIG-29, F-18 Superhornet, Piper L4, and the list goes on. The United States Air Force (USAF) Training Command is taking all models of the F-35, the F-22 demo team, and a V-22 Osprey.
Several aircraft are available for public flights, like a B-25, and more information can be found on EAA’s website and app. This year’s fly-in is set to be incredibly exciting, and Simple Flying will be in attendance, so stay tuned for content from Oshkosh.
Have you been to the fly-in before? Let us know in the comments below.