Oshkosh Airshow

The Oshkosh Airshow is an annual gathering of Aviation enthusiasts held each summer at Wittman Regional Airport, in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

The event is presented by EAA (the Experimental Aircraft Association), a national/international organization which is based in Oshkosh. For many years the official name of the event was The EAA Annual Convention and Fly-In. In 1998 the name was changed to AirVenture Oshkosh. But, much to the chagrin of EAA, most regular attendees still refer to it as The Oshkosh Airshow, or just Oshkosh.

EAA was founded in 1953 as a support organization for people who were building their own recreational aircraft (homebuilders). Homebuilding is still a large part of EAA, but the organization has grown over the years to include almost every aspect of Aviation and Aeronautics.

The Fly-in consists of:

Displays of visiting aircraft of all sizes and types
Commercial exhibits
Large exhibits by NASA and FAA
Showcase fly-bys
A daily aerobatics airshow
Informative lectures by professional & amateur presenter
...and more.

For many attendees, an equally important aspect of the Fly-in is the opportunity to socialize with other aviation enthusiasts. Lots of people meet up each year with Oshkosh friends who they only see at the Fly-in. For many years these Oshkosh friends had no contact during the rest of the year, but recently many of them have begun to stay in touch throughout the year via email.

The official event is seven days long and typically begins on the last Tuesday in July. But it is common for many attendees to arrive for the event 3 - 4 days before the official start, and for others to stay a few days after the end. The value of these extra days is in the opportunity to relax in an aviation environment, and to socialize with other aviation enthusiasts from around North America. Also, a very large contingent of volunteer workers arrive as early as a month before the event, and stay long after the end, to help with presenting the event.

AirVenture Oshkosh 2004 was held from July 27 to Aug 2. Next ones are scheduled for July 26 – August 1, 2005 and July 25 – July 31, 2006.

It is estimated that 10,000 - 15,000 aircraft visit Wittman Field each year during the Fly-in. Attendance is estimated at over 750,000 people who arrive by both air and ground transport. The large number of aircraft arrivals and departures during the Fly-in week officially make the Wittman Field FAA Control Tower the "busiest in the world"... for that week anyway. To accommodate the huge flow of aircraft around the airport and the nearby airspace, a special NOTAM is published each year, choreographing the normal and emergency (if need be) procedures to follow.

Most of the aircraft on display at the Fly-in are in one of these categories:

Homebuilt aircraft, built both from scratch and from kits
Vintage aircraft
Restored and replica former military aircraft, aka "Warbirds"
Active duty military aircraft from the U.S. and other nations
Notable aircraft from commercial aviation and the airlines
Ultralights
Rotorcraft
Amphibians and Float-planes

Hotels, dormitories, and many private guest rooms in the region are almost always filled to capacity during the Fly-in. But the large majority of visitors camp, under the wing of their airplane, or in the conventional campgound which is adjacent to the airport and convention grounds.

Notable dates

1953 EAA was founded

1953 First EAA Fly-in held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

1959 EAA Fly-in moved to Rockford, Illinois

1970 EAA Fly-in moved to Oshkosh, Wisconsin

External links

www.airventure.org

www.eaa.org

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