ITEM OF THE WEEK
EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2026 is Coming!
Originally appeared July 1, 2026
The EAA AirVenture Oshkosh is a major event for all people interested in flying. From its modest beginning in 1953, it has grown to become one of the world's premier aviation events, attracting top government officials, corporate leaders, over 10,000 aircraft, and hundreds of thousands of aviation enthusiasts. This year’s event will take place from July 18 through July 24.
History (compiled from the event website)
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 Curtiss-Wright (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.
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 show planes 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, Wisconsin.
Oshkosh featured 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.
Programming
This year’s AirVenture is replete with the usual comradery, with many meetings and activities, KidVenture, GirlVenture, WomenVenture, exhibits, workshops, club meetings, and much more. See here for more information: https://www.eaa.org/airventure.
Schedule
Air Shows
A number of air shows will occur each day, including performances by the U.S. Army Golden Knights Parachute Team, the Red Bull Air Force, the International Aerobatics Club, and Britain’s Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team (aka the famed Red Arrows), and many more. For a full schedule, see: https://www.eaa.org/airventure/features-and-attractions/eaa-airventure-air-show#.
Theater in the Woods
Sunday, July 19 — An Evening With Champions: The History of the USAF Heritage Flight (7-9 PM). Kick off the week with some of aviation’s best as they talk about what it took to create the USAF Heritage Flight, and how they keep it going.
Monday, July 20 — U.S. Air Force’s Salute to America’s 250th Birthday (7:30-9:15 PM). The United States Air Force will lead a program featuring a swearing in ceremony at 7:30 p.m., followed by country music star Tyler Hubbard taking the stage at 8 PM.
Tuesday, July 21 — A Home in Space: From the Shuttle and Beyond (7-9 PM). Celebrate 45 years of the space shuttle with a panel of NASA astronauts and personnel including Hoot Gibson, Charlie Precourt, Eileen Collins, and Jeanie Engle, moderated by the National Air and Space Museum’s Jennifer Levasseur, curator of the space shuttle and ISS exhibits.
Wednesday, July 22 — Concept to Cockpit (6:30-7:45 PM). WomenVenture day will be capped off with a panel of women who have made an impact in aircraft design featuring Xyla Foxlin, Jessica Cox, Margaret Viola, and Kacy Anderson.
Thursday, July 23 — Memphis Belle: Telling the Story on the Big Screen (7-9 PM). Hear from cast and crew members of the 1990 film as they recount what it was like to tell the story on the big screen.
Friday, July 24 — 9/11: A Look Back 25 Years Later (7-9 PM). Honoring those who risked their lives at a time of tragedy, hear from a collection of brave individuals as they reflect on their firsthand experiences. Featuring members of the FDNY, NYPD, Air Force One, and NASA. Also, meet the RAF Red Arrows Team.
Saturday, July 25 – Mission Marge:The Discovery of the Ace of Ace’s Lightning, (6:30-7:45 PM). Members of Richard Bong’s family, Richard I. Bong Veterans Historical Center, Pacific Wrecks, and the 128th Air Refueling Wing share the story of the mission to recover artifacts from America’s leading ace during WW II.
Fly-In Theater
Aviation and film fans alike will enjoy the lineup of movies that are being screened during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2026 at the Fly-In Theater, presented by PenFed. This year the Fly-In Theater is featuring six aviation-centered movies from July 18-24 spanning from classic to contemporary films that the whole family can enjoy.
Saturday, July 18 – Top Gun – Celebrate the 40th anniversary of this aviation classic on the big screen, featuring Tom Cruise, Anthony Edwards, and Val Kilmer in this epic tale about grit, competition, friendship, and most importantly, 1980s naval aviation! The one and only Lt. Cmdr. Lloyd “Bozo” Abel, the pilot who gave Tom Cruise his F-14 orientation, will join us as a special guest.
Sunday, July 19 – Flying Misfits – In this feature length pilot episode for the classic television series Baa Baa Black Sheep, U.S. Marine pilot Greg “Pappy” Boyington forms his own fighter squadron from a group of misfits and delinquents to help the effort in WWII, long after his time flying with the Flying Tigers in China. Stephen Chapis, author of a new book about the series, will be joining as a special guest.
Monday, July 20 – “A Tribute to Jimmy Stewart” – The evening will begin with some very special guests offering an exclusive look behind the scenes at the upcoming film Jimmy, a biopic celebrating the life and accomplishments of Jimmy Stewart, a beloved actor and decorated military aviator. This will be followed by a screening of the 1955 classic Strategic Air Command, where Stewart plays an ex-pilot turned baseball player forced to return to the Air Force and aid his country in Cold War deterrence.
Tuesday, July 21 –The Rescue – This documentary film chronicles B-25 owner and pilot Larry Kelly’s trip to China to explore the sites where the brave pilots of 1942’s Doolittle Raid were forced to crash land and take shelter after their one-way mission to strike Japan in retaliation for the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Thursday, July 23 – Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning – Ethan Hunt returns to combat his toughest enemy yet, a terrifying AI known simply as “the Entity” that has taken over intelligence networks across the globe, and only Hunt and his new allies with the IMF are able to try and stop it before it changes the world as we know it forever. Air show pilot Susan Dacy will join us to talk about high-performance Stearman flying.
Friday, July 24 – Memphis Belle – Inspired by the true story of the Memphis Belle, a B-17 crew will soon be embarking on their 25th and final mission, having completed the previous 24 against the odds. Their last one is the toughest they’ve been given yet, flying deep into German territory. Special guests include producer Catherine Wyler, along with key cast and crew members.