AirVenture 2024!

Dateline Oshkosh Wisconsin & AirVenture

EAA AirVenture 2024 is underway! Under clear skies, EAA AirVenture Oshkosh got underway on Monday. I was up at 5am to make sure I was there in time. I am staying about 25 miles away in the dorms at Ripon College this year. The UWO dorms were full.

Monday was my day to just see as much of it as I could see, because starting Tuesday I will be volunteering for 2 organizations, SAFE and FAN. SAFE is the Society of Aviation and Flight Educators, of which I was a founding member, back in 2009. FAN is the Florida Aviation Network, which is a non-profit aviation media organization that I got involved with about 10? years ago. They arrange for me to get media/press credentials and admission to the convention.

This week it is expected that over 600,000 people will attend! There is so much to see, with over 10,000 aircraft parked on the grounds, as well as seminars, workshops, aircraft doing fly-bys, along with nearly 800 exhibitors, and more. And a daily air show that starts at 3pm each day. You simply cannot take it all in! The event planners outdo themselves every yea! And EAA also has a number of trams that provide transportation around the grounds, driven by volunteers. There are over 5,000 volunteers that make AirVenture happen.

According to the health app on my iPhone, on Monday I walked over 17,000 steps, just over 7 miles! Easy enough to do. The flight line, all of the rows of parked aircraft, is more than 5 miles long!

It’s a busy, fun week, connecting with fellow aviators from all around the world. I’ve been to AirVenture as it is now called, at least 25 times, and there’s something new to see every year. It never gets old!

Fly safely,

John