By Jeremy Schotter, EAA 1170764
To celebrate 50 consecutive years of fly-in conventions in Oshkosh, we’re featuring Stories of Oshkosh told by attendees remembering their special moments at EAA’s long-standing home. If you or someone you know would like to share your own Story of Oshkosh, email editorial@eaa.org.
My dad was always interested in aviation and aerospace. When I was growing up he would take the family to air shows and would often travel to various aviation attractions and museums. I suppose you could say that the fascination of flight runs in the family.
I have been an aviation enthusiast for my entire life and had heard about Oshkosh but never knew what it was truly all about. Two of my friends, Darrell and Jim, had been asking if I wanted to attend EAA AirVenture Oshkosh with them for several years but life and work always got in the way.
In 2015 I finally decided to take them up on their offer. I had completely underestimated what it would be like to attend the greatest celebration of aviation in the world.
A few highlights of the first year were a ride in the Ford Tri-Motor, seeing the Apollo 13 astronauts speak, touring the Goodyear Blimp, seeing warbirds/ultralights/homebuilts/vintage aircraft areas, and most of all — sitting around with friends in the North 40 and watching the evening air shows after a full day of fun.
One thing that makes AirVenture so special to me is the people. It is so much fun to spend a week with good friends and wonderful folks from all over the world who all share a common love for aviation. Every year that I attend I aim to try something new and with the great work of EAA and their volunteers, it always makes for a fun experience. I have been back every year since my first. I am not yet a volunteer but I would like to, possibly next year.