He may look like a tourist, but I assure you that Astronomy’s editor, David J. Eicher, took our trip to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh seriously. EAA granted both of us press credentials to cover the event. // All photos by Michael E. Bakich
On Friday, July 27,
Astronomy Editor David J. Eicher and I made the 1½-hour drive from Waukesha to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, to attend the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) AirVenture show. And we weren’t alone.
This year, AirVenture, which ran July 23–29, recorded an official attendance of 508,000, with 71 countries represented. EAA President and CEO Rod Hightower said, “We are pleased that attendance has topped one-half million again. That is a tremendous total considering the intensely hot weather, storms, and struggles in the overall economy. The aviation community knows that Oshkosh is the place to be to find out what’s new, and actually buy new equipment, components, and aircraft.”
More than 10,000 aircraft arrived via Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh and other airports in east-central Wisconsin. And the lineup of show planes was equally impressive: 2,489 total, including 978 homebuilt aircraft, 907 vintage airplanes, 336 warbirds, 105 ultralights, 97 seaplanes, 35 aerobatic aircraft, and 31 rotorcraft. Joining the pilots were 802 commercial exhibitors and 897 representatives of the media (two of which came from your favorite magazine).
Dave and I wandered the immense grounds for hours, snapping hundreds of pictures each. The number of space-related displays was down from previous years, but we did, of course, stop by NASA’s large booth and trailer.
The Lockheed C-5 Galaxy ranks as one of the world’s largest military aircraft. It features a cargo compartment 121 feet (37 meters) long, 13.5 feet (4.1m) high, and 19 feet (5.8m) wide. The cargo hold of the C-5 is a foot longer than the entire length of the first powered flight by the Wright brothers at Kitty Hawk.
One of the “terrestrial” highlights was “FIFI,” the only flying Boeing B-29 Superfortress left from World War II. Twenty-two of these famous planes (including the only two aircraft to drop nuclear weapons during wartime) have survived, but FIFI is the only one that flies. And, yes, we did see it fly while we were there — most impressive!
Another big event was the appearance and honoring of the Tuskegee Airmen, the popular name of a group of African Americans who formed the 332nd Fighter Group and the 477th Bombardment Group of the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II. Having pilots at AirVenture was cool, but these men came complete with three examples of the aircraft they flew: the P-51, T-6, and PT-17, all carrying the original Tuskegee paint schemes.
Hightower summed up the seven-day event thusly: “This was a solid year at AirVenture, and, most importantly, it was a safe event. I'm very happy with our operational execution, as there were a number of changes this year. Our 4,800 volunteers and the EAA staff did a marvelous job of putting together a wonderful week. We had plenty of aviation and innovation on display during AirVenture 2012.”
One of the world’s most unusual examples of a humanitarian aircraft, the ORBIS DC-10 Flying Eye Hospital, appeared at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh.
The “Yankee Lady” B-17 Flying Fortress was one of the most popular destinations at AirVenture 2012.
One of the hits of the show was the Boeing B-29 Superfortress dubbed “FIFI.” Of the 3,970 built for service in World War II, only 22 survive, and this is the only one that still flies.