AirVenture Oshkosh 2025 Preview
Jeb and Jack are attending this year's fly-in, and they reminisce about their first times to the Fly-in.
It’s Sunday morning, and the Fly-in officially begins tomorrow. Jeb and I arrived in Oshkosh yesterday afternoon and have been getting settled. We had a nice time last evening with Jim G and Jeff W at the legendary Ardy & Ed’s ice cream and burger stand.
We’re hoping to do another newsletter in a few day to tell about what we saw at this year’s fly-in, but here we’d like to tell a little about the first times we came to Oshkosh.
Jeb’s First Time.
Sadly, I don't remember the exact year of my first Oshkosh, but it was in the mid-1990s. I was a “booth babe,” working as an independent contractor for the FAA's Flight Service Station employees union, the National Association of Air Traffic Specialists, or NAATS. This was way back when you didn't need a wristband to visit most of the vendors and displays, but did need one to get to the flight line. The group had a booth in the Fly Market, which is where I spent most of my time, talking to attendees about the challenges and changes facing the FSS network.
I was a “booth babe,” for the Flight Service Station union.
Fast forward to 1999, and I was here for AVweb, serving as executive editor. I ran what we called the “war room,” a meeting facility in what was then the AmericInn motel. That was also the first year I flew myself in for the show, arriving a couple of days before the NOTAM went into effect and leaving the day after the show closed. My last year working in that position for AVweb was 2001, but except for 2020 (duh!) and 2023, I've attended each year, in one role or another, for at least a couple of days.
Many of those years, I worked on AirVenture Today, EAA's daily newspaper covering the show,. That role was thanks to Dave Higdon, whom I had known since the mid-1980s, and is where I first met Jack and James Wynbrandt, among so many other memorable, new and now long-time friends.
The only real downside to actually working during AirVenture is that I'm generally tied to a desk. That means I'm typically not able to get out and experience everything the show has to offer until that last day. In recent years, though, I've had much more flexibility, including the opportunities to make and maintain many new friendships.
And that's why I keep coming back: to maintain those friendships.
Whether interviewing a U.S. Senator, an FAA administrator, snagging a media ride in one of the Bell 47 helicopters or just sitting around in the North 40 under a Twin Beech's wing, telling war stories, it's all been fulfilling.
I have many indelible memories from all those years, but they all involve the people who attend AirVenture. Whether interviewing a U.S. Senator, an FAA administrator, snagging a media ride in one of the Bell 47 helicopters or just sitting around in the North 40 under a Twin Beech's wing, telling war stories, it's all been fulfilling.
Here's hoping your AirVenture experiences are just as memorable, and that you keep coming back.
Jack’s First Time.
I attended my first EAA Oshkosh Fly-in in 1991.
That year one of my buddies, Steve B, had a brand new Bonanza and he wanted to take it to Oshkosh. But he wanted someone to go along with him, so he invited me to ride in the right seat.
We spent two days flying from the San Francisco Bay Area to Oshkosh. We overnighted someplace half way there, but I’m not sure where. But on the second day of flying, we arrived in the Oshkosh area.
When we arrived near Oshkosh, the ATIS informed us that the field was "saturated", and we were not gonna be able to land at Oshkosh. So we diverted to Fond du Lac.
We landed, buttoned up the airplane, and carried our gear to the shuttle bus that took us back up to Oshkosh. It dropped us off at the EAA shuttle transportation hub.
Back in those days the fly-in grounds were much much smaller than now. The edge of the airfield was along Knapp Street, the north-south road that now goes through the middle of the convention grounds, alongside the Forums, alongside the current FAA tower, and through the middle of the so-called four-corners.
But back in 1991 that was a public street. And in fact, there were private homes on the airport side of that street. The fence along this street, or along the back of the private properties, was the airport boundary and the edge of the fly-in grounds.
Back in those days the fly-in grounds were much much smaller than now. All of the area that is now the four big exhibit hangers and the outdoor exhibits was, back then, part of the Camp Scholler.
Camp Scholler was a bit different back then too. It extended all the way down to Knapp Street. All of the area that is now the four big exhibit hangers and the outdoor exhibits was, back then, part of the Camp Scholler.
Across the street from what is now the control tower, was the main shuttle hub. And that’s where we got dropped off after our ride up from Fond du Lac.
Lugging my backpack, my tent, and my sleeping bag, I set out across Camp Scholler, looking for an empty space to pitch my tent.
I walked diagonally across what is now the exhibit halls area, and probably right through the middle of what is now the fly market. I walked between the red barn and Paul's Woods area.
I kept walking and everywhere was covered by tents and campers. No space for me and my tent. Until I finally reached the southern edge of Camp Scholler and a fence that had a cornfield on the far side.
Along this fence I found a narrow strip of ground, with a little unused patch, where I was able to pitch my tent.
I set up my camp, rolled into bed, and went to sleep after a long day of airplane and shuttle bus travel. I had arrived at Oshkosh.
I slept well in my little tent, and the next thing I knew I could see daylight through the canvas of my tent. but the more notable thing was the buzzing sound that I heard while lying in my sleeping bag.
I couldn't figure out what that sound was, so I finally crawled out of bed, stuck my head out of the dome tent. And in the sky to the south I saw half dozen ultra-lights flying over the cornfield.
For all I know my good buddy Dave Higdon was piloting one of those ultra-lights. But I wouldn’t meet Dave until many years later.
This was my first experience attending the Oshkosh fly-in. Seeing and hearing the ultralights flying early in the morning. For all I know my good buddy Dave Higdon was piloting one of those ultra-lights. But I wouldn’t meet Dave until many years later.
I was at Oshkosh!
We had arrived a couple of days into the week long fly-in, and we were only able to stay for a couple of days, but I had a great time. Exploring as much as you possibly can in two days. After that first night I moved from Camp Scholler to be with another buddy, whose was camping with his airplane was in the "North 40". And I enjoyed a couple of nights there.
Finally, all too soon, our departure day arrived. I got up before dawn, packed up my gear, and then hiked to the shuttle bus area to meet Steve B.
As I walked away from our campsite the sun was rising in the east, over Wittman Field, and over all the planes in the North 40. It was a beautiful dawn.
We got back to Steve's plane and headed for home.
We had a few adventures on that trip home, which I'll tell another time. But we raced ahead of the Sun, and managed to fly all the way home in one day's light. And as we were on the approach to San Jose airport, the sun dropped below the hills to the west.
I had watched the sun rise in Oshkosh that day, and I saw it set in Silicon Valley later that same day.
That was my first time to the EAA fly-in in Oshkosh.
After that I attended every year for over 30 years.
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That’s it for now.
Jeb and I are headed to the AirVenture grounds to see what’s up on this “Day Zero”. We’ll report back.
[Vectors #108]