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‘Something here for everybody’

AirVenture off to a positive start

“Welcome to the show!” controllers wished pilots flying in throughout July 23, one day in advance of the official start of EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, known as the “world’s greatest aviation celebration.”

  • AOPA Sweepstakes Cessna 170B pilot Cayla Hunt greets EAA volunteers during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh in Wisconsin July 22. Photo by David Tulis.
  • A scattered layer of clouds indicates mostly good weather from Frederick, Maryland, to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, as seen from the cockpit of a Piper Tri-Pacer en route to 'the world's greatest aviation celebration.' Photo by David Tulis.
  • A classic Piper Tri-Pacer is tugged to the display area during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. Photo by David Tulis.
  • A Beechcraft Staggerwing and a Piper Tri-Pacer are staged at the AOPA campus during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. Photo by David Tulis.
  • AOPA Sweepstakes Cessna 170B pilot Cayla Hunt lands during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. Photo by David Tulis.
  • AOPA Sweepstakes Cessna 170B pilot Cayla Hunt arrives during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. Photo by David Tulis.
  • The EAA Seaplane Base is a favorite stop for pilots and aviation enthusiasts during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. Photo by David Tulis.
  • EAA Seaplane Base’s Jeff Plantz signals AOPA President Mark Baker, who piloted a Cessna Caravan to the facility during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. Photo by David Tulis.
  • Military jet trainers fly in formation near the EAA Seaplane Base during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. Photo by David Tulis.
  • Attendees check out liaison aircraft in the warbird area during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. Photo by David Tulis.
  • EAA AirVenture Oshkosh has about 10,000 airplane camping spots total for all aircraft, including show planes, warbirds, vintage and general aviation aircraft, and ultralights, which typically fill up early. Photo by David Tulis.
  • New aircraft are always a hit, and Textron Aviation's Beechcraft Denali turboprop made its first appearance at AirVenture. Photo by David Tulis.
  • Bob Coolbaugh of New Market, Virginia, works on the engine of his Pietenpol during a stop in Springfield, Ohio, July 15, on the way to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. Photo by David Tulis.

Their clearances were broadcast throughout the flight line at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, which was already lined with spectators watching arrivals. Announcers signaled high-profile arrivals such as NASA’s Super Guppy, sure to be one of the most talked about aircraft on display in Boeing Plaza.

“It really does look like a guppy, doesn’t it!” one camper exclaimed in the Cessna 170 seventy-fifth anniversary reunion parking and camping area. More than 150 Cessna 170s are expected to fly in for the reunion, and at least 100 had arrived by Sunday. That wasn’t the only area filled and overflowing. The airplane parking/camping grounds were already filled to 70 percent by Sunday morning, estimated Dan Knutson, vice president of the Vintage Aircraft Association, a division of the Experimental Aircraft Association. EAA had even opened a new field for aircraft parking this year, he said.

The Seaplane Base on Lake Winnebago was also buzzing with Sunday arrivals, including AOPA President Mark Baker, who flew his Cessna Caravan on floats in for the show.

For people who are interested in aviation, Knutson said, “There’s something here for everybody.”

AirVenture has about 10,000 airplane camping spots total, including show planes, warbirds, vintage and general aviation aircraft, and ultralights, Knutson explained. More than 600,000 spectators are expected to attend throughout the week. EAA AirVenture offers camaraderie, access to experts and industry leaders, educational opportunities, exhibits, and various types of aircraft to create a world-class experience to people of all ages and interests in aviation. For manufacturers, it’s the place to announce new products, with an audience eager to check out and buy the latest equipment for pilots and aircraft. Exhibitors such as Textron Aviation, which is exhibiting several aircraft including the new Beechcraft Denali turboprop, were putting on the finishing touches Sunday, making sure their aircraft were shined and booths ready to greet pilots.

North American P-51D Mustang pilot Darren Bond enlightens a crowd in the warbird area to help introduce the classic World War II fighter to others during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. Photo by David Tulis. Private pilot and aerospace engineering student Lyra Young sits in the cockpit of a North American P-51D Mustang as pilot Darren Bond talks about the World War II fighter. Photo by David Tulis. Sarah Canterbury of Charleston, South Carolina, concentrates on flying a Redbird simulator at a kickoff event during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. Photo by David Tulis. The Chad Hamm band entertains guests at a Cirrus Aviation kickoff party during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. Photo by David Tulis.

AOPA staff prepped their campus beside the iconic brown arch, and AOPA Social Media Marketer Cayla Hunt wiped down the AOPA Sweepstakes Cessna 170B that she had flown in Saturday evening shortly before the airport closed for the night. Hunt and hundreds of pilots had to wait out and navigate pop-up thunderstorms that dominated Saturday afternoon, including one that deluged the AirVenture grounds. Campers and exhibitors took it in stride—thunderstorms are a common theme every show.

“Feels like mid-week with the amount of pilots, aircraft, and spectators,” Knutson said. That’s a testament to how AirVenture has stayed true to the roots established by the late founder Paul Poberezny, who Knutson said was fond of saying, “We come for the airplanes. We come back for the people.”

Alyssa J. Miller
Alyssa J. Cobb
The former senior director of digital media, Alyssa J. Cobb was on the AOPA staff from 2004 until 2023. She is a flight instructor, and loves flying her Cessna 170B with her husband and two children. Alyssa also hosts the weekly Fly with AOPA show on the AOPA Pilot Video YouTube channel.
Topics: EAA AirVenture

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