By Tenley Ong
Whether you call it swag, freebies, loot, or promotional items, one thing is clear at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2021 — if you like things that are free, you’re in the right place.
On the opening day at AirVenture, three Young Eagles from California collected free swag from every booth in Exhibit Hangars A, B, C, and D. Over the course of the day, the group accumulated two grocery bags full of free items.
EAA exhibitors seem to have it all, from hats and T-shirts to beer koozies and bottle openers. From the massive pile of swag, the group selected its top four favorite booths:
- SkyVector, Hangar C. Here you can pick up a nail file to remind you to file a flight plan with SkyVector. And, if you turn out to be a fan of them, you can pick up a collapsible fan to keep you cool on those Hotkosh days. SkyVector also has hats, stickers, and mints.
- Crewchief Systems, Hangar C. Crewchief Systems, which specializes in aircraft system intelligence, is giving out free T-shirts. If a free T-shirt isn’t exciting enough to you, you can enter to win an iPad in its giveaway raffle. Simply post a picture of you wearing one of Crewchief’s shirts on Instagram and tag @crewchiefsystems.
- HangarBot, Hangar D. If you sign up for its email list and/or follow it on social media, you can get a free T-shirt from HangarBot as well. On top of that, if you go back the following day wearing its shirt, you get a free bag. HangarBot is also hosting multiple drawings and giveaways.
- Crew Dog Electronics, Hangar C. You can get a free pen ($8 value) from Crew Dog if you sign up for its email list. These pens are specialized for night flight, as they consist of a red light for writing in the dark, batteries, and a leash to attach your pen to your wrist or mobile device so it is not lost if you drop it in the dark.
The exhibit hangars, open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Saturday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, are full of interesting vendors and information so it is easy to spend a full day there.
But this list is not exhaustive; many outdoor exhibitors, as well as other organizations and associations, often have promotional items to hand out as well, so be sure to stop by your favorite booth.
And most importantly, don’t wait until the last day of the fly-in convention to explore. Get your free swag before companies run out!