Oshkosh Airshow
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Aerobatic team performs at EAA AirVenture |
The
Oshkosh Airshow (officially
EAA AirVenture Oshkosh) is an annual gathering of
aviation enthusiasts held each summer at
Wittman Regional Airport in
Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The event is presented by the
Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), a national/international organization based in Oshkosh. The Oshkosh Airshow is seven days long and typically begins on the last Monday in July.
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 first EAA
fly-in was held in 1953 in
Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In
1959 EAA fly-in moved to
Rockford, Illinois. When it outgrew its Rockford facility, the EAA fly-in moved to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, in
1970.
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 many regular attendees still refer to it as
The Oshkosh Airshow, or just
Oshkosh.
For many years, the access to the flight line (area directly ajacent to the runway) was restricted to EAA members only; this restriction was lifted circa 2000.
The British
Concorde made regular appearances during its scheduled operations; the
V-22 Osprey has also made many appearances.
In 2003 the
Wright Flyer was a central figure, and a replica designed to fly on the 100th Anniversary of the first flight was granted its flying certification by the
Federal Aviation Administration during the show. A recent version of
Microsoft's
Flight Simulator (version 2004) was unveiled there
[{{cite press release]| url=http://www.microsoft.com/games/press/default.aspx?no=flightsimulator_20030402001 | publisher=Microsoft | title=Thousands Recreate History on Microsoft's 1903 Wright Flyer Simulator | date=April 2, 2003, and a physical Wright Flyer mock-up combined with Microsoft's software on a display in front of the pilot (a member of the attending public) was a popular attraction.
In 2005 SpaceShipOne made its only public appearance before flying off to the Smithsonian. Also flying at the show was GlobalFlyer that had made its record around the world flight in the same year. In 1987 Burt Rutan's Voyager, the first aircraft to fly around the world unrefueled, made its final appearance before its record setting flight.Highlights of the Oshkosh Airshow include the following:
* Displays of visiting aircraft of all sizes and types. 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
* Commercial exhibits
* Large exhibits by NASA and FAA
* Showcase fly-bys
* A daily aerobatics airshow
* Informative lectures by professional and amateur presenters
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 e-mail. Many attendees arrive three to four days before the official start of the event, or a few days after the end, for 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. | The control tower is traditionally decorated with the banner saying WORLD'S BUSIEST CONTROL TOWER during the AirVenture. |
It is estimated that 10,000–15,000 aircraft visit Wittman Field each year during the fly-in. Attendance is estimated at over 700,000, which is computed by multiplying the number of tickets sold times the number of estimated daily visits by each ticket holder. People arrive by both air and ground transport. The large number of aircraft arrivals and departures during the fly-in week officially makes 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.
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 that is adjacent to the airport and convention grounds which are beautifully adorned with excellent landscaping.* 2007: July 23 - July 29
* 2008: July 28 - August 3
* 2009: July 27 - August 2
* 2010: July 26 - August 1* Milwaukee Air Expo* EAA AirVenture Oshkosh
* EAA.org
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