This event was one for the books!
The EAA Airventure is created by the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), an international general aviation organization. The first event was in September 1953.
The annual event and airshow of aviation enthusiasts is held each summer at the Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Thousands of pilots fly in on their private aircraft, rumour has it this event causes the busiest airspace in the world.
The EAA estimated attendance averages 625,000 people including international visitors registered from various nations. There are more than 10,000 aircraft, 3,000 show planes, 1,000 commercial exhibitors, and 1,000 media representatives on-site from six continents.
It is an amazing event for both beginning and advanced aviators. The event provides a wealth of information, networking, and upcoming innovative projects. I attended airshows, exhibits, forums, and workshops.
The first day was intense, the event grounds are massive. First you park in one of multiple parking lots, walk to the EAA museum, and from there you take a bus to the actual event grounds. There is a lot of walking so be prepared to get your steps in, it took me a week to cover the entire grounds. There’s tons of food and a great variety. The logistics was well organized. I was very impressed considering the amount of people in attendance.
I was excited and ready to hit the ground running starting with the Forums. I advise you to review the itinerary in advance, it took me 5 hours to sift through and select the events I would like to attend for the week. The list is extensive at least 20 topics per hour. Geez! The broad range of topics ranged from entry level topics such as, how to be a pilot to advanced level topics like, building and maintaining your own aircraft.
There were many aircrafts and they were grouped by aircraft type. The different types were Warbirds, Ultralights, Lightplanes, Homebuilt Rotorcraft, Experimental aircraft, General aircraft, Seaplanes, Vintage, and Military. This set-up made it convenient for locating the specific type of aircraft that interest you. There were daily afternoon airshows and 2 nightly airshows with fireworks, that contained all aircraft types.
There were indoor and outdoor exhibitors including four exhibitor hangars. There was a wide range of exhibitors including airplane avionic companies, major airlines, magazines, authors, etc. Just to name a few. I visited the Women’s Venture Center which showcased 14 women aviation organizations. I attended Theater in the woods, where I was able to meet and greet a successful helicopter business owner and attend her seminar. It was inspirational to see women representation in aviation.
Was it worth it? Yes. it was. I learned a lot about the industry and made great connections. It was very casual, relaxed and the attendees were friendly and in great spirits. I met people who had been attending for years. It’s like attending a conference at a state fair. It was a memorable experience. If you are an aviation enthusiast, EAA Airventure should definitely be on your bucket list!
