Get Ready for Air Adventures at Oshkosh from July 22 Through July 28, 2024

WI – Oshkosh is almost here, and if you haven’t made plans to attend, there’s still time. Oshkosh is scheduled for the last full week in July, and it’s guaranteed to offer high-flying adventure. This massive, yearly airshow is officially known as EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, and it averages 700,000 visitors and aviation enthusiasts each year. Oshkosh sees an average of 10,000 aircraft of all types, styles, and designs and averages 18,000 aircraft operations over the 11 days before, during, and after the airshow. It’s known for its spectacular flight teams and skilled aerobatic pilots, instructional seminars and networking, and all types of pilots and aviation enthusiasts, along with their families, attend each year.

What is EAA?

EAA stands for the Experimental Aircraft Association, and they’ve been hosting Oshkosh since 1953. The EAA formed shortly before that first event on January 26, 1953. Of course, the fly-in and airshow weren’t known as Oshkosh or the EAA AirVenture airshow then. In 1953, the airshow was part of the Milwaukee Air Pageant, which was held at Wright-Curtiss Airport. Today, Wright-Curtiss Airport is known as Timmerman Airport. Those early airshows only had about 150 attendees, and most of the airplanes were hand-built. In fact, that was the point of EAA; it was founded as a club for people who built and restored their airplanes. Today, the EAA still focuses on experimental and home-built aircraft, but it’s grown to include all types of pilots, their families, aviation enthusiasts, and anyone interested in aerospace and flight.

What airport hosts the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh?

Oshkosh is held at Wittman Regional Airport (OSH). This airport opened in 1937 and became the EAA AirVenture destination in 1969. In 1969, the airport contained two runways, including Runway 18/36 and Runway 9/27. This airport was specifically chosen for the EAA airshow because, at the time it was chosen, the two primary runways didn’t intersect. This allowed for continuous and simultaneous aircraft operations. Today, the airport still includes runways 18/36 and 9/27, but they’ve added two more, including Runway 13/31 and Runway 05/23, which are smaller and intersect Runway 9/27. The CTAF is 118.5. Unicom is 122.95. The Oshkosh tower can be contacted on 118.5. Ground control is on 132.3, and pilots can contact Milwaukee Approach and Departure on 127.0.

It’s important to note that EAA issues a flight procedures book annually. This year, it is 32 pages long, and they want pilots to know that many of the procedures are the same as last year, but every section has been updated. This means that every pilot should familiarize themselves with the FAA Notice – AirVenture Flight Procedures.

How do I get tickets?

This year’s EAA AirVenture Oshkosh airshow offers a variety of ticket options. If you’re an EAA member, you can purchase a general admission weekly pass. Daily general admission tickets are also available for members and non-members. If you’re driving in, it’s important to remember to buy a parking pass. Visitors can also buy camping passes and flight experiences. This year, EAA also has the Aviators Club North and Club South, where visitors can enjoy the show and get breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Can I become a member of EAA?

Anyone can become an EAA member. The association offers individual, family, lifetime, and student memberships, and it’s easy to sign up online. Once you’ve purchased the membership, you’ll receive a subscription to Sport Aviation Magazine, access to local EAA chapters and discounted rates to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, as well as many other benefits. Currently, EAA has more than 240,000 members.

What should I view and do at the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh airshow?

Oshkosh is high-flying fun for the whole family. On the Oshkosh website, you can plan your trip to the airshow, view the schedule of events by day, and create your itinerary. If you’re flying in or camping, you’ll be pleased to know that you can enjoy An Evening With Champions at the Theater in the Woods between 7 PM and 10:30 PM, sponsored by M&Ms.

The airshow officially starts on Monday, July 22, at 7 AM with Yoga With Carrie at the EAA Women Venture Center. After yoga, there’s an 8 AM seminar on Wiring and Data Bus Installation Basics at Garmin Tent 1. Of course, you could choose to attend the 8 AM seminar on Garmin Pilot Tips & Tricks for New Users in Garmin Tent 2. The truth is that you’ll have your pick of things to do between 8 AM and 10 AM and beyond. There will be seminars, airshows, and exhibits all week. Some seminars include Advanced Flight Planning, decompression sickness, fabric covering, and electric seaplane flight.

Of course, everyone wants to see the spectacular air shows. Daher will sponsor daily airshows Monday through Saturday starting at 2:30, with one airshow on Sunday starting at 1 p.m. Covington Aircraft will sponsor a Wednesday night airshow starting at 8 p.m., and PENFED Credit Union will sponsor an 8 p.m. airshow on Saturday.

At the flight line, you’ll be able to view highly skilled and well-known pilot and flying teams, including the Titen Aerobatic Team, the Red Bull Air Force, Susan Dacy, Kyle Fowler, Skip Stewart, Patty Wagstaff, Rob Holland, the IAC Demo Team, Warbirds of America, the Class of ‘45, the WWII Airborne Demo Team, the USAF Viper Demo team, the Snowbirds, the USN Growlers and the WI Air National Guard.

What aircraft rides are available?

Visitors can choose to take an aircraft ride on the Ford Tri-Motor 5-AT-B, the first mass-produced airliner, the B-25 Berlin Express, or a Bell 47 Helicopter. Flight Experience tickets can be purchased alongside general admission and parking passes for the Ford Tri-Motor and the B-25 Express.

This year’s EAA AirVenture Oshkosh is sure to be a memorable one. Watch the airshows, learn something new, and take a flight on a historic aircraft or receive an intro flight into the world of being a pilot. You can also learn about building aircraft, talk to veterans, apply for jobs at the Aviation Job Fair, and visit the Author’s Corner. There’s plenty to see and do for everyone who attends, and we at APN hope to see you there.