Every year for just one week, seemingly everyone in the world with even a tiny interest in planes focuses on one Wisconsin city. The Experimental Aircraft Association AirVenture Oshkosh fly-in has kicked off today, and the iconic airshow, which is one of the largest anywhere, is off to a great start. Oshkosh is the place to see some of the rarest and coolest planes in the entire world all at one airport. Here’s what I’m looking forward to seeing and doing this year.
The 2025 edition of the world’s greatest airshow will be my fourth show, and somehow, each edition gets better than the last. I’m not exaggerating about the greatness, either. Last year’s AirVenture featured these incredible numbers, from EAA:
Attendance
Approximately 686,000 – Highest total on record! (Previous: 677,000 – 2023).
Total Aircraft
More than 10,000 aircraft arrived at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh and other airports in east-central Wisconsin. At Wittman alone, there were 16,780 aircraft operations in the 11-day period from July 18-28, which is an average of approximately 113 takeoffs/landings per hour when the airport is open.
Total Showplanes
2,846 including: 1,200 vintage aircraft, 975 homebuilt aircraft, 337 warbirds, 154 ultralights and light planes, 82, aerobatic aircraft, 65 seaplanes and amphibians, 52 aerobatic aircraft, 23 rotorcraft, and 10 balloons.
AirVenture has set records for three years in a row with 2022 attendance at a whopping 650,000 people followed by 677,000 people in 2023. Over 40,000 of these people camp at Camp Scholler next to Wittman Regional Airport. For context, I live in a small city of 27,000 people, so for a week, the absolutely bonkers campground at Oshkosh is larger than some cities! All of these people represent nearly 100 countries, too, which is so awesome.
Wittman Regional Airport proudly displays “World’s Busiest Control Tower” on its tower every year and it deserves it. Keep in mind that all of the planes above flew in, and tons of them arrived at nearly the same time. For the week AirVenture takes place, the airport handles more air traffic than many of the most famous international airports in the world. It’s incredible that this event somehow works as smoothly as it does, and a huge part of that is due to the army of people representing EAA.
Much of the show runs parallel to runway 18R/36L, which runs 8,002 feet long. There’s also the 6,179-foot runway 9/27. If you haven’t been getting in your steps, AirVenture is perfect because you’ll be walking several miles just in an attempt to see everything on the grounds. Then you’ll have to hop in a vehicle and head to the seaplane base for even more action.
AirVenture has a lot to look forward to this year. If you like blimps, Goodyear brought two of them! From EAA:
The appearance of two airships marks a unique occurrence in the more than 50 years that Goodyear has brought its blimps and airships to Oshkosh. “There is no aviation event more ‘blimp-worthy’ than EAA AirVenture Oshkosh and to have two of Goodyear’s airships over the grounds will make this year unforgettable,” said Rick Larsen, EAA’s vice president of communities and member programs, who coordinates AirVenture features and attractions. “We have seen the excitement that Goodyear’s presence at Oshkosh has created throughout the years, whether it is flying during the air shows or even parked as a memorable photo opportunity on the grounds.”
Current plans are for the airships to participate in flying activities during the week, in both the afternoon and night air shows. When not flying, at least one of them is scheduled to be parked near the EAA Aviation Museum during the duration of its stay. Exact schedules will be released when they are finalized. “Goodyear Blimps have been a symbol of aviation innovation and adventure for a century,” said Michael Dougherty, chief pilot, Goodyear Airship Operations. “We can’t think of a better place than EAA AirVenture Oshkosh to celebrate our 100-year milestone with aviation enthusiasts from around the world.”
Although Goodyear’s aviation efforts began in 1910 with the creation of its aeronautics department, the first branded airship flights in 1925 marked the start of a legendary icon. The first blimp with a lighted sign came in 1930, while the initial aerial broadcast flights over the Rose Bowl began in 1955. The Goodyear airships moved into their most recent era beginning in 2011 with the debut of the semi-rigid Zeppelin NT (New Technology) airships that are used today. Goodyear’s airship participation at Oshkosh began in 1971 when America made an appearance at the EAA fly-in. Since then, it has been a regular visitor to the gathering, with its last appearance in 2021.
I’ll be taking a ride in one of these blimps on Friday!
But that’s not all, as this year packs so many different themes into one. The Air National Guard has a huge showing this year, as does the Douglas DC-3 and its variants, which are celebrating 90 years of flying. If that doesn’t tickle your fancy, maybe Pratt & Whitney’s Boeing 747SP engine testbed will excite you, or the sole operational Douglas DC-8 in America, the Samaritan’s Purse! I got to tour both of those latter planes, which you will read about later.
Even some of the earliest aircraft from the pioneer era are getting representation this year. In other words, there’s bound to be something that you like here. If there isn’t, you’ll still have fun, anyway, because AirVenture is just a great time.
This year, I towed in the family’s Heartland Mallard with a new Chevrolet Silverado EV Trail Boss. The truck hauled the 7,700-pound camper to the show on just a single charge, and you’ll read about that, later, too.
As always, feel free to stop by and say hi! This year, you’ll find me at 106th st in the new overflow RV parking at Camp Scholler.
EAA AirVenture Oshkosh runs from July 21 to 27. Daily tickets are $49 if you’re an EAA member or $68 if you’re a non-member. Veterans and active military pay $49, and youth 18 and under are free! Come on Sunday and it’s just $24 or $29, respectively. There are also multiple-day tickets that lower the daily cost, such as a weekly pass that runs $158.
This is so awesome! I was looking forward to this article since I knew this event was happening around this time of year
I have always felt that the 747 is one of the most majestic mechanical creations of humankind in general, certainly America. Immense, powerful but still beautiful in an understated way, because it truly mimics a natural bird in it’s design and appearance. It doesn’t look as much of a man made machine as it does an organic, graceful creation of nature.
In the far future when the question of what are the best that things that people, in particular, Americans ever built, the 747 has to be on the list.
Something that can be pointed to as a “look, we did THAT, that’s what we can do when we really want to, that’s AMERICA!”
A true icon.
I’m sure it must exist, but I don’t recall seeing any pic of Mercedes that was as “damn, life’s good” as this lede image. Every other one has been tinged with some other emotion appropriate to the context, even if it’s just a yeomanly concern for the composition, but this one is pure havin’ fun and lovin’ life.
Our house was on the Goodyear Blimp flyover from Allegheny County Airport to 3 Rivers Stadium when I was growing up. Sometimes it felt close enough to touch!