AirVenture Oshkosh, Friday

[gary_in_neenah]

It's going to be short one today, admittedly I'm running on fumes from the past week at the show. More rain overnight left the grounds a bit soggy but as soon as the sun came out, all was good.

The name is self-explanatory. Tens of thousands of kids pass through this gate to the world of aviation. There's flight simulators, craft building and the list goes on and on. Most kids don't want to leave after hours and hours. The Boeing Company provides for Free Admission for anyone under 18 so it's a win-win. Pictured in the background is the Pioneer Airport complete with grass runway and vintage hangars.


Near one of my work areas sits a replica of Lindbergh's Spirit of St Louis. I've seen the original in Washington D.C. and they're identical.
Lindy designed it without a windshield to save weight on his first ever flight across the Atlantic.
Talk about "Flying Blind"!


Lastly the entrance to the World Class Museum.
You can spend hours in there with exhibits ranging from Orville and Wilbur to Neil Armstrong and NASA.
It's an incredible place and hard to describe.

Coming up Saturday
The 5K Runway through the grounds begins at 6:30

An Afternoon Airshow
and


Saturday Night Fireworks!

It's been a heck of a week, one for the books as they say.

I hope you've enjoyed the visit!


​

 

[skiroule]

Gary, it’s unlikely I will ever get to attend this event in person but your reports really give me a sense of what it would be like. Thanks again for posting this series of updates. It’s something I look forward to every year.

 

[gary_in_neenah]

Thanks for the kind words, Kelly. I think I can speak for all of us, it's gratifying to have our efforts recognized because all too often, that's not the case. I'll admit that posting each day was a challenge after all day in the heat, the crowds, and the traffic. But judging from the response, it was worth it and I was glad to offer my perspective. I'll post a blurb later in the week when the attendance numbers come out. As a footnote, the Screen Grab below is that of the air traffic leaving Oshkosh around 7:30 on Sunday morning. Everybody heading home!

​

 

[eagle1]

Gary, did you hear about N310R?? He's all over Instagram.....wrong way on taxi way and then takes off .
His arrival was an adventure too I guess!!

 

[gary_in_neenah]

Yes, he was lost on arrival and took off against traffic from a taxi way. From the sound of the conversation with the tower he was clearly out of his element. Hope he got home alright, hope he found his home alright.

 

[gary_in_neenah]

OSHKOSH, Wis. (WBAY) - Once again this year, a huge crowd came out for EAA AirVenture -- and once again, EAA set a new visitor record.

Officials said Sunday that the event brought in 691,000 visitors from 80 different countries. That 5,000 more than last year’s record of 686,000 visitors.

15,000 of those people camped out during the event, with 3,000 being aircraft campers.

Jack Pelton, CEO and chairman of the board for EAA, says the event continues to attract a diverse group of people, including those with a more casual interest in aviation.