Air Venture Update: Oshkosh Here We Come

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We are about a month away from opening day at one of the world’s great aviation events, Air Venture 2011 at Oshkosh, Wisconsin.  What could be better than warm Midwest summer days, cool summer nights, and airplanes from sunrise to sunset?  

Since I wrote my last blog post, some amazing aircraft have committed to the show.  The brand new Boeing 787 will be on display Friday, July 29.  The world’s largest flying airship will be there as Zeppelin NT makes its first Oshkosh visit.  The airship is 246 feet long, which is 15 feet longer than a 747!  It will be conducting 45-minute public flights throughout the show. 

This year is the 100^th Anniversary of Naval and Marine Corps Aviation, and the list of naval aircraft attending is hugely impressive ranging from current aircraft like the F-18 Hornet, P-3 Orion, C-2 Greyhound, to World War II planes like the Dauntless dive bomber, Wildcat fighter, Corsair fighter, Avenger torpedo bomber, Helldiver dive bomber, Catalina flying boat, to postwar classics like the Skyraider, Skyhawk, Tigercat, and Bearcat.  As part of our sponsorship of Honor Flights, we will operate an Honor Flight on Wednesday, July 27, that will take primarily Navy and Marine Corps World War II Veterans to Washington, D.C.  The Veterans will visit the World War II Memorial, and then return home to a hero’s welcome at Oshkosh.  That night, Naval Aviators and former Apollo Astronauts, Jim Lovell and Gene Cernan will recall their Navy and NASA careers. 

Come by and see us at the Visitor’s Center’s Internet Café every day of the show.  We are especially looking forward to Saturday, July 30, which is Super Saturday.  The day starts with a hot air balloon launce, one of our 737s will be on display, and it tops out with a nighttime air show, a concert, and the ability to mingle with the Night Air Show performers...

The thing I enjoy most about AirVenture is just walking among all these historic aircraft.  It’s the most amazing aviation gathering you will ever visit.  For more information about the show visit the AirVenture web site.