Sunrise crop duster on the way to Oshkosh.
On my drive to Oshkosh and AirVenture 2022, I was able to watch a crop duster early in the morning.
Was a very beautiful sunrise and a cool sight to see the airplane at work. Even more impressive in person.
Category Archives: airports
EAA AIRVENTURE OSHKOSH 2022 – BY THE NUMBERS
FACTS AND FIGURES FOR A RECORD-SETTING YEAR
Comment from EAA CEO and Chairman Jack Pelton:
- “We introduced a tagline of ‘Unlike Anything Else’ for this year’s AirVenture event and 2022’s fly-in proved to truly be unlike anything else. We had seven days of nearly perfect weather, along with this year’s programs and activities, which brought out people and airplanes in numbers that we haven’t seen before.”
Attendance: Approximately 650,000 – A record total (previous mark: 642,000 in 2019) and 7 percent above 2021’s attendance of 608,000. Comment from Pelton:
- “There were several factors involved in the record attendance this year, in addition to the great weather. Programs such as the 75th anniversary of the U.S. Air Force contributed to exciting aerial displays all week, and it was a joy to welcome our international visitors back in full force for the first time since 2019.”
Total aircraft: More than 10,000 aircraft arrived at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh and other airports in east-central Wisconsin. At Wittman alone, there were 18,684 aircraft operations in the 11-day period from July 21-31, which is an average of approximately 121 takeoffs/landings per hour when the airport is open.
Total showplanes: 3,226 included: 1,375 registered in vintage aircraft parking, plus 1,156 homebuilt aircraft (up 6 percent over 2021), 369 warbirds (up 5 percent from ’21), 137 ultralights, 87 seaplanes, 77 aerobatic aircraft, and 25 rotorcraft.
Camping: More than 12,000 sites in aircraft and drive-in camping accounted for an estimated 40,000 visitors.
Volunteers: More than 5,000 contributing in excess of 250,000 hours.
Commercial exhibitors: 803.
Forums, Workshops, and Presentations: More than 1,400 sessions hosted throughout the week.
Social Media, Internet and Mobile: More than 10.6 million people were reached by EAA’s social media channels during AirVenture, with engagement of 1.1 million; More than 83,000 hours of viewing EAA video clips online also occurred during the event.
International guests: International visitors returned in a big way in 2022, with attendees from 92 countries outside the U.S., just one behind the record total from 2019.
The Gathering shines: The EAA Aviation Foundation’s annual event to support its aviation education programs attracted more than 1,000 people and raised more than $2 million dollars that will be focused on EAA’s mission of growing participation in aviation.
Media: 797 media representatives on-site, from six continents.
Economic impact*: $170 million for the five counties in the Oshkosh region (Winnebago, Outagamie, Fond du Lac, Calumet, and Brown). * – based on 2017 University of Wisconsin Oshkosh economic impact study
What’s ahead for EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2023 (July 24-30, 2023)? Comment from Pelton:
- “We’re going to take a little time to give our staff and volunteers a well-deserved rest, but there were numerous discussions at AirVenture 2022 about possibilities for next year. Certainly the 70th anniversary year of EAA will be among the big considerations as we look forward to next year’s edition of The World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration.”
Information updates posted at www.eaa.org/airventure
EAA Education Center opens, creating educational opportunities
EAA Education Center opens, creating educational opportunities for current pilots and young people
EAA AVIATION CENTER, OSHKOSH, Wisconsin — (July 12, 2022) — The Experimental Aircraft Association opened its Education Center, originally known as Project 21, with a ribbon cutting on Tuesday, July 12. The museum addition is a two-story, 30,000 square foot facility to further develop aviation education and training.
“The education center was built to enhance aviation education for kids and pilots unlike any other facility.” said Jack J. Pelton, EAA’s CEO and Chairman of the Board. “Part of EAA’s mission is to grow aviation participation by promoting the spirit of aviation and I think we are doing just that with the educational and technological advancements that we now have available in this new facility. Thank you to the donors that believed in our vision and made it a reality.”
The $6.2 million project, completely funded via a capital campaign separate from EAA member dues, now features an innovative Pilot Proficiency Center, a hands-on Youth Education Center, and the EAA Conference Center. These facilities are adjacent to the museum’s current Eagle Hangar and allows individuals and groups to experience all of EAA’s resources on a year-round basis.
The Pilot Proficiency Center features a state-of-the-art skill building and training center for general aviation pilots. The 16 Redbird flight simulators, located in the Pilot Proficiency center, exhibit the greatest technology available for aviation training and education. It combines relevant safety forums with challenging simulator training sessions that address key flight safety issues. The new facility focuses on improving pilots’ overall aeronautical decision making skills.
The Youth Education Center brings aviation-centric experiences to the EAA Aviation Museum year-round. The 15,000 square-foot Youth Education Center provides youth, their parents, and their teachers access to interactive and project-based activities that inspire and nurture the next generation of aviators. The education facility has five hands-on tech labs and four modifiable classrooms. It serves as another example of EAA’s dedication to fulfilling its mission through the advancement of aviation education for youth.
Primary support of the EAA education center expansion is from the Ray Foundation, Inc., David C. Lau Estate, and an anonymous donor. Additional support came from the Emil Buehler Perpetual Trust, The Brown Family, Hank Menke, Jim Gorman, Tom and Julie Wood Family Foundation, Juan Rodriguez, The JEK Foundation, Inc., Global Aerospace, Henry and Louise Timken Foundation, The Ward J. and Joy A. Timken Foundation, William Knighton, Richard VanGrunsven, JT Grainger, Emily Sensenbrenner, John Lee, and Kathleen Lowrance. Learn more about EAA’s Education Center.
About EAA
The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) is based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and embodies The Spirit of Aviation through the world’s most engaged community of aviation enthusiasts. EAA’s 250,000 members and 900 local chapters enjoy the fun and camaraderie of sharing their passion for flying, building and restoring recreational aircraft. For more information on EAA and its programs, call 800-JOIN-EAA (800-564-6322) or go to www.eaa.org. For continual news updates, connect with www.twitter.com/EAA.