Road Trip: Drop in to Oshkosh

For 51 weeks of the year, Wittman Regional Airport (OSH) in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, is like any other Class D facility.

But for one week a year, the OSH control tower wears a banner that says, “World’s Busiest Control Tower.” During the seven days of EAA AirVenture at the Experimental Aircraft Association’s home field, OSH controllers will handle approximately 10,000 aircraft. Air traffic controllers from all around the nation bid for a week at AirVenture. The ones who make the cut often work much larger locations, so their expertise in handling large volumes of air traffic is invaluable.

Can you fly into AirVenture? Yes. What does it take? As with most challenging activities, preparation is key.

The FAA publishes a notice to airmen each year that lays out the arrival and departure procedures, frequencies, where to park, and alternative airports. (OSH closes for airshows throughout the week, and there have been years in which aircraft parking reached capacity or areas were too sloppy from recent rains to permit safe parking.)

EAA AirVenture, Oshkosh, Wisconsin July 24-30, 2017