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A Brief History of
EAA AirVenture Oshkosh
 The
Experimental Aircraft Association's Fly-In Convention, now known as EAA
AirVenture Oshkosh, has been in existence nearly as long as the
association itself. The first gathering was in September 1953 as a small
part of the Milwaukee (Wis.) Air Pageant. That original EAA fly-in at
Wright-Curtiss (now Timmerman) Field was attended by a handful of
airplanes, mostly homebuilt and modified aircraft. Fewer than 150 people
registered as visitors. The larger Milwaukee Air Pageant has faded away
but the EAA gathering has become the world's premier aviation event.
EAA's fly-in grew quickly in its first few
years and by the late 1950s it had outgrown the area of the Milwaukee
airport it was allowed to use. In 1959, the event moved to Rockford
(Ill.) Municipal Airport, where it would stay for the next decade. The
"Rockford Years" were where the EAA Fly-In Convention
established both its prominence as a homebuilders' event and its
friendly feeling that is retained to this day. During these years, such
diverse aviation interests as Warbirds, antiques and aerobatic
performers became part of the EAA event.
By 1969, it was apparent that the EAA Fly-In
Convention had simply become too large for the Rockford facility. EAA
had grown from a home basement operation to an office and museum in the
Milwaukee suburb of Franklin. The annual convention mirrored that
growth, attracting hundreds of showplanes and tens of thousands of
visitors.
Sites were studied for a new home. Aviation
legend Steve Wittman, who had been an EAA member since the association's
founding in 1953, suggested the airport in Oshkosh, Wis. There was
acreage surrounding the airport to handle the annual influx of
airplanes, vehicles and tents. There were two lengthy runways (east/west
and north/south) which did not cross, allowing greater traffic movement.
Oshkosh city officials eagerly sought the event and enjoy the economic
boost it provided. In late 1969, the EAA board approved the move to
Oshkosh.
 There
was only one problem - no Convention site or infrastructure existed in
Oshkosh. EAA's volunteer network was up to the task, however. Within six
months, EAA members had created a home for the fly-in. That volunteer
spirit continues today, as more than 4,000 people donate their time and
talents to help prepare and coordinate the Convention's grounds and
activities.
Through the 1970s and '80s, the
Convention exploded into national prominence. Attendance jumped into six
figures each year and the event became one of sport aviation's top
gatherings.
EAA AirVenture Oshkosh (as of 1998, the
new name for the Fly-In Convention) now serves as one of the world's
premier aviation events, attracting top government officials, corporate
leaders and hundreds of thousands of aviation enthusiasts. It spans the
entire spectrum of aviation and attracts 10,000 airplanes each year. The
more than 500,000 aviation enthusiasts who attend the event annually
supply the local and state economies with more than a $110-million boost
during the week-long event.
After EAA AirVenture 2008, the largest
site improvement upgrade in the event's history began. The project,
which will be completed in phases over a 10-year period, includes many
visitor enhancements, exhibitor-area expansion and more to retain the
fly-in's world-class status.
Today, EAA AirVenture Oshkosh is an
international gathering place for aviation enthusiasts. An AirVenture
participant can study the latest aircraft and innovations; discover new
ideas and techniques from the nearly 1,000 forums and workshops; see
aviation's top personalities; or just talk airplanes with people from
around the world. EAA AIRVENTURE OSHKOSH has become important and
influential but retains its friendly and personal feel - part of the
reason the world comes to Oshkosh every year.
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