Oshkosh Report

It brings together the cream of the world’s homebuilt, ultralight, warbird, vintage and more latterly GA manufacturing communities into one venue where aviation is the language of the day.

It is truly difficult to describe in mere words the vibrant atmosphere of this place.

Itis unlike any other airshow in the world and this year it attracted record crowds of over 900,000 people, including nearly half a million visitors on the weekend alone.

An estimated 15,000 planes visited Oshkosh with many having to be accommodated at neighbouring airfields, as Wittman Field itself usually reaches capacity several days before the Convention officially opens.

To try and visualise just how many aircraft that is, then simply take all of the aircraft in Australia, place them at the one airfield, and multiply by two! What makes it even more impressive is that most visitors pitch a tent alongside their pride and joy to become one happy community for the duration of their stay.

The overall feeling of camaraderie is overwhelming and extends to each night’s BBQs, parties and special events making you glad you made the effort to visit Oshkosh at this time of year.

In addition to the aerial activity, there are also hundreds of stalls selling everything from avionics to memorabilia.

The conventions themselves are held in ten large tents, some of which can seat 400 people.

In all, over 450 different forums were conducted at this year’s show.

This year there were over 1,800 showplanes on the flightline including well over 100 warbirds.

If the sight of 32 Harvards doesn’t grab you, then maybe 15 Trojans or eight Mustangs will.

In the warbird fast lane was the Combat Jets stable from Houston, Texas which included a MiG-21 Fishbed, A-4 Skyhawk, F-86 Sabre and their Fouga Magister.

Then there was the beautifully restored Lockheed Super Constellation, Star of America, resplendent in its pseudo Trans World livery.

It’s been along, long time since this writer has been able to enjoy seeing an operational Connie, let alone listening to one drone by as if you were back at Idlewild in a gentler era.

An immaculately restored 1931 Stinson Airliner led the trimotor pack which also included Lufthansa’s excellently restored Junkers Ju 52/3mand a Ford Trimotor in the original Eastern Airlines livery.

Continental Airlines also had their period liveried DC-3 flying, while the air was also filled with Beech 18s, Lockheed 12s and numerous rarities that we in Australia would never ever see.

For the Americans we reversed the score with the presence of aUS registered Transavia Airtruk and a Corby Starlet.

Needless to say, the uniquely styled Airtruk attracted huge crowds of awed spectators.

How lovely it would have been to have had a CA-27 Sabre, Wirraway, Winjeel or Victa Airtourer there.

The military are nowadays also using Oshkosh more and more as a PR venue and this year’s surprise appearance by the Lockheed stealth fighter would no doubt have been responsible for attracting at least 100,000 additional people to the show.

Also displayed, both in the air and on the ground at various times, were an F-14 Tomcat, F-15 Eagle, F-16 Fighting Falcon, C-130 Hercules, KC-135R Stratotanker, A-10 Thunderbolt II, AV-8B Harrier Il and the B-1 Lancer.

To top it all off, British Airways brought Concorde, which as always created a sensation and also gave hundreds of people the opportunity to experience flight in an SST by way of ‘joy rides’ up into Canada.

It’s not often that you can fly in a supersonic airliner and a nineteen thirties era trimotor in the same day as several members of our special Australian Aviation tour group did.

But there again, that is the magic of Oshkosh.

See you there next year.

Text and photos by Jim Thorn