Were you at the first Experimental Aircraft Association AirVenture fly-in in Oshkosh in 1970? If so, EAA officials want you to return to Oshkosh in 2019 to help celebrate the 50th anniversary.
The EAA fly-in convention was first held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1953. In 1959, it moved to Rockford, Illinois, where it was held annually through 1969 before coming to Oshkosh. EAA moved its permanent headquarters from the Milwaukee area to Oshkosh in 1983.
“A half-century ago, EAA founder Paul Poberezny saw Oshkosh as the perfect place to bring together aviation enthusiasts,” said Rick Larsen, EAA’s vice president of communities and member programs, who coordinates AirVenture features and attractions. “Oshkosh has become synonymous with ‘The World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration’ so it’s a natural that we commemorate 50 consecutive years here with events that involve those who attend and those who have made the city such a welcoming place for aviators.”
EAA is seeking any of the showplanes present at the 1970 EAA fly-in convention and inviting the current owners to bring them to Oshkosh next summer for the show, slated for July 22-28, 2019, at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh. They will be featured in exclusive parking areas on the grounds.
In addition, EAA is seeking members and volunteers who will be attending their 50th consecutive fly-in in 2019, and unique memorabilia and stories from the 1970 event that will add to the history of what has grown to be the largest annual fly-in in the world.
In 2018, EAA AirVenture Oshkosh welcomed more than 600,000 people from 87 nations, along with more than 10,000 aircraft.
As a thank you to Oshkosh residents for welcoming the aviation world to their city for the past half-century, there will be special offers for community members and additional ways to engage in this historic milestone. Those details and others are still in development, and will be announced as they are finalized, EAA officials said.
“Over 50 years, nearly every significant aircraft type in the world has landed on the runways at Wittman Regional Airport to be part of the EAA fly-in,” Larsen said. “More important are the stories of the people who have come to be a part of this event and the legacy of what is now known simply as ‘Oshkosh.’ That is what we will be celebrating in 2019.”
EAA Fly In was at Oshkosh in 1956, then returned to Milwaukee, then Rockford before the permanent move to Oshkosh in 1970. I have been to all 49 Oshkosh events starting in 1970. Also Rockford 1961-1969 except for 1968.
EAA has clearly stated that 2019 is the 50th CONSECUTIVE year at Oshkosh.
I went to the EAA museum in 2009 when I was part of the FAA NKET team at Sonex. I had never been to the museum before, but was sorry to see that Col. Tom Love’s Knight Twister, N3TL, was no longer there.
Yes. At the Fly in 50 years ago