EAA Airventure Oshkosh

[wxman1]

So Oshkosh is just around the corner. Anyone else going? This will be my ninth Airventure, fourth consecutive and the first time I will be staying for pretty much the whole week and will be bringing a good friend that is an Osh virgin. This years lineup is looking great with the appearance of two flying B-29s for the first time in decades, a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Apollo program which will be attended by Gene Cernan and Buzz Aldrin among others, Saturday's Airshow will feature a flyby of a B-1 and B-52 (both will be on site all week) along with a B-2, two B-29s and an A-20.

The quick and dirty for those who have no idea what I am talking about. This is the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) annual convention in Oshkosh. Throughout the week there will be 500k attendees and 10k planes 99% of which are private aircraft flying in for the convention and 40k people camping on the grounds both drive in as well as next to or under the wing of their plane. It is a trade show, air show (daily afternoon as well as two night airshows), and convention with forums and classes all rolled into one. For one week the Oshkosh airport is the busiest airport in the world handling more flights than both O'Hare and Atlanta in less time as the airport is only open from 6AM-2PM and 6PM-8PM. Special flight rules are in place that allow all of this to happen and allows them to land multiple airplanes on the same runway at the same time.

Here is the website if you are interested.
https://www.eaa.org/en/airventure

Here is a link to live Webcams from the grounds that are slowly coming online as we get closer as well as a link to where you can listen to ATC starting on Friday.
https://www.eaa.org/en/airventure/eaa-airventure-news-and-multimedia/eaa-airventure-webcams

 

[Cyowan008]

I haven't been yet but at some point would love to. You can guarantee I have all my entries in for that RV12 though. I enjoyed the article with Jeff Skiles about flying it over to Oshkosh.

 

[cycart]

Sounds like a great show this year. I used to go and camp every year growing up with my family. Hoping to make it back one of these years. The B-2's are awesome to see fly and one of my favorite memories was seeing the Concorde before it was retired. It's crazy how large and loud that jet is.

 

[cycart]

Also, for those who are going for the first time, I would recommend checking out the EAA museum as well.

 

[3GenClone]

I've been up there once before - it was about 15 years ago though. I'm not really into aviation, but I would highly recommend attending it at some point. This would be a great event to take your kids to - very family-friendly and just the amount of planes that are there is jaw-dropping. I think they said that their airport is the busiest on the planet when this event is taking place. They had a Harrier jet at the show I attended and performed a vertical take-off, which was pretty remarkable.

 

[wxman1]

I haven't been yet but at some point would love to. You can guarantee I have all my entries in for that RV12 though. I enjoyed the article with Jeff Skiles about flying it over to Oshkosh.

I am about two months behind on Sport Aviation, Flying and AOPA Pilot...maybe I will make time while I am up there next week to just sit and catch up.

Also, for those who are going for the first time, I would recommend checking out the EAA museum as well.

That is on my list for this year. Finally made it over to the Seaplane Base last year.

I've been up there once before - it was about 15 years ago though. I'm not really into aviation, but I would highly recommend attending it at some point. This would be a great event to take your kids to - very family-friendly and just the amount of planes that are there is jaw-dropping. I think they said that their airport is the busiest on the planet when this event is taking place. They had a Harrier jet at the show I attended and performed a vertical take-off, which was pretty remarkable.

Other than maybe Burning Man I don't know of any other event that is of this size and complexity. They had a harrier up there back in 2015. I think my ears are still ringing.

 

[wxman1]

Anyone joining me this year?

 

[CascadeClone]

Anyone joining me this year?

No, but I will be at NBAA in October...

 

[FLYINGCYCLONE]

Anyone joining me this year?

Did you ever take a ride on the Concord when it used to show up?
Have a great time.
Go Cyclones.

 

[Cycsk]

Anyone joining me this year?

I prefer not to be near an event that has "experimental aircraft" in its name!

 

[KidSilverhair]

What is this “fly in” in Wisconsin you speak of? Every year on the last week of July? Never heard of it. Never noticed an increase in private air traffic through Cedar Rapids that week during my career. Never did I notice that week 1) more non-talking non-participating radar blips and 2) more pilots uncomfortable and unfamiliar with ATC going past.

Just kidding, I did notice. Practically saved a guy’s life one year during Oshkosh, I was training a new controller on radar and he terminated service on a pilot leaving our airspace, but I saw another target basically head-on a few miles ahead descending right at him. So I jumped on frequency to give him a traffic call - he not only excitedly responded a bit later that he had the other plane in sight, he called back when he was a few miles further along to thank us again because it was pretty close.

Anyway, you probably didn’t know the Cedar Rapids ATCT tower manager is the manager of Oshkosh’s “temporary” tower operations this week. (Oshkosh has its own tower, of course, but for EAA the FAA recruits federal controllers from all over the country to come in and staff it for fly-in week.)

 

[2speedy1]

So Oshkosh is just around the corner. Anyone else going? This will be my ninth Airventure, fourth consecutive and the first time I will be staying for pretty much the whole week and will be bringing a good friend that is an Osh virgin. This years lineup is looking great with the appearance of two flying B-29s for the first time in decades, a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Apollo program which will be attended by Gene Cernan and Buzz Aldrin among others, Saturday's Airshow will feature a flyby of a B-1 and B-52 (both will be on site all week) along with a B-2, two B-29s and an A-20.

The quick and dirty for those who have no idea what I am talking about. This is the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) annual convention in Oshkosh. Throughout the week there will be 500k attendees and 10k planes 99% of which are private aircraft flying in for the convention and 40k people camping on the grounds both drive in as well as next to or under the wing of their plane. It is a trade show, air show (daily afternoon as well as two night airshows), and convention with forums and classes all rolled into one. For one week the Oshkosh airport is the busiest airport in the world handling more flights than both O'Hare and Atlanta in less time as the airport is only open from 6AM-2PM and 6PM-8PM. Special flight rules are in place that allow all of this to happen and allows them to land multiple airplanes on the same runway at the same time.

Here is the website if you are interested.
https://www.eaa.org/en/airventure

Here is a link to live Webcams from the grounds that are slowly coming online as we get closer as well as a link to where you can listen to ATC starting on Friday.
https://www.eaa.org/en/airventure/eaa-airventure-news-and-multimedia/eaa-airventure-webcams

Saw a B-29 flying overhead around Peoria, IL yesterday. We were on our way home from the East Coast, thought it was very cool, but also wondered where it was going.

Wonder if it was going to this? Although it was flying south at the time, although was pretty low so maybe was in the process of landing or taking off?

Was pretty cool to see flying. Very easily identifiable from quite a distance.

 

[Cloneon]

Interestingly, this thread has convinced me to start my 2nd bucket list.

 

[dirtycy]

Interestingly, this thread has convinced me to start my 2nd bucket list.

Anyone joining me this year?

My son has been interested in WWII era planes since he found out his great grandfather was a tailgunner in a B17. His service was toward the end of the war, thankfully.

I don't know anything about this event but he talks about it constantly. If you could only go for a day when would you attend? I'm assuming the big demonstrations are on the weekend.

 

[cowgirl836]

About 50 went over our house yesterday headed up.

 

[DGC]

Saw a B-29 flying overhead around Peoria, IL yesterday. We were on our way home from the East Coast, thought it was very cool, but also wondered where it was going.

Wonder if it was going to this? Although it was flying south at the time, although was pretty low so maybe was in the process of landing or taking off?

Was pretty cool to see flying. Very easily identifiable from quite a distance.

EAA owns a B-29. It has been restored and made airworthy within the past couple years.

 

[DGC]

My son has been interested in WWII era planes since he found out his great grandfather was a tailgunner in a B17. His service was toward the end of the war, thankfully.

I don't know anything about this event but he talks about it constantly. If you could only go for a day when would you attend? I'm assuming the big demonstrations are on the weekend.

They have air shows daily. The night shows are really cool, especially the t6 Texans. They used to be the Shell Aero team but have a new sponsor now. Cool stuff no matter what day you go, if you could only go for one try and find one that is less hot.

 

[KidSilverhair]

Saw a B-29 flying overhead around Peoria, IL yesterday. We were on our way home from the East Coast, thought it was very cool, but also wondered where it was going.

Wonder if it was going to this? Although it was flying south at the time, although was pretty low so maybe was in the process of landing or taking off?

Was pretty cool to see flying. Very easily identifiable from quite a distance.

There are only two B-29s still flying in the US. Both of them are scheduled to be in Oshkosh this week.

Fifi, the B-29 with the Commemorative Air Force, was supposed to be appearing at the DuPage Airport near Chicago this weekend before going up to Oshkosh, so it probably wasn’t that one.

Doc is the other aircraft, based in Wichita - while that was scheduled to appear in Moline this weekend, still maybe that’s the one you saw.

 

[2speedy1]

There are only two B-29s still flying in the US. Both of them are scheduled to be in Oshkosh this week.

Fifi, the B-29 with the Commemorative Air Force, was supposed to be appearing at the DuPage Airport near Chicago this weekend before going up to Oshkosh, so it probably wasn’t that one.

Doc is the other aircraft, based in Wichita - while that was scheduled to appear in Moline this weekend, still maybe that’s the one you saw.

To be honest I said Peoria, mistakingly, it was the Quad Cities where I saw it. (The amount of travel I have done in the last couple weeks everything gets a little mixed up.) So I am sure it was Doc, that you posted.

We would have been northbound on I-80 east side of Moline, and it was just slightly west of our location, basically flying in the opposite direction, probably around 11:30 am.

Quite a sight to see. I pointed it out right away to my family and said look at that a B-29, we had just seen one in Washington DC museum! Didn't think too many of them were still flying.

 

[Cloneon]

My son has been interested in WWII era planes since he found out his great grandfather was a tailgunner in a B17. His service was toward the end of the war, thankfully.

I don't know anything about this event but he talks about it constantly. If you could only go for a day when would you attend? I'm assuming the big demonstrations are on the weekend.

Since the topic surrounds planes...
My father was a private pilot. We had 4 planes throughout our lives: Swift, Beech Bonanza, Twin Bonanza, and Navajo Piper. All kinds of thrills and scares. The Swift being his first one, was his favorite. Oddly, my brother and he attended an air show in Naperville. They saw a swift and approached it. My brother asked what the call sign was and informed my Dad that was his swift. Odds: 40 years earlier, owner was from Canada and just happened to be in Naperville for that one day.
Or how about this one: Of course with a different owner the Twin Bonanza flew over the Bermuda Triangle never to be seen or heard from again.
And the near misses, oh boy! But oh my did I love flying.