Gustavo Arosemena of Panama is highly involved with EAA, starting his chapter in Panama and volunteering year after year at the International Visitors Tent during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh week.
Gustavo first came to the United States in 1997 as a part of an exchange program and attended high school in Lomira, Wisconsin. When Gustavo was around 17 years old, he first attended AirVenture with his foreign exchange family and went to the EAA Aviation Museum, walking out with admiration for aviation. Little did Gustavo know aviation would play a large role in his future.
After Gustavo graduated high school, he studied industrial engineering in Germany and started to work independently upon graduation. He worked in customer service for an import company. With his work, he learned more about forestry and industrial engineering in Colombia. The company Gustavo worked with rented a lot of aircraft, mainly twin-engine airplanes, to bring people to the region they were working in. Through his work environment, Gustavo’s fellow workers encouraged him to pursue getting his private pilot certificate, which is precisely what he did.
Gustavo sought out how to attain his certificate through research and friends of his. He attained his certificate in 2011 and considered it a “dream come true.” He became the operations manager of the hangar his company stored its aircraft in. He started flying more, and it became his addiction. To feed his frenzy of aviation, he continued to grow professionally. He obtained his instrument and commercial ratings and started an EAA chapter located in Panama that is slowly growing.
Gustavo sought to find like-minded individuals, so he attended SUN ’n FUN in Lakeland, Florida. He went there and met people who had similar aircraft, and they pointed him in the direction of Oshkosh, referring to it as a special place. Gustavo remembered his trip to Wisconsin and seeing the museum during AirVenture, so he was confident going alone. He came in 2015, and it was love at first sight.
“I feel like I was at Disney World,” Gustavo said. “I came here to the International Visitors Tent, and I felt very welcome and at home.”
After his trip to AirVenture, Gustavo decided he wanted to contribute, so he volunteered at the International Visitors Tent. He travels from Panama year after year, usually going to Chicago, then driving the rest of the way with a friend. He loves helping others by being in the international tent, mainly because coming to the tent in 2015 changed his life.
“I wait the entire year to come to the U.S. I call this my spiritual aviation retreat. I come back every year for the family I have made here, the friends I have met, sharing the camaraderie for aviation,” Gustavo said. “I love coming to share, serve, and be immersed with the people that enjoy aviation.”