From 8 years old to 28, Justin Dölp has not missed volunteering in the International Visitors Tent at AirVenture.
Justin fell in love with EAA AirVenture Oshkosh at an early age when a friend of his father’s brought Justin’s whole family to EAA from their home in Germany. His father’s friend, Peter, attended AirVenture for 34 years and volunteered, so he thought Justin and his family should have the experience at least once. Eventually, that turned into Justin going to AirVenture year after year to volunteer at the International Visitors Tent.
Later, Justin started attending AirVenture with several people from the airline he currently works for, Lufthansa, Germany’s largest airline. The group usually stays for 10 days and spends their time giving back to EAA by volunteering. Justin said he loves being here because he grew up here. There is even a picture of him in the tent from when he was only 8 years old. The group has become so connected that sometimes the trip gets extended, and after AirVenture, they will visit different U.S. cities and head back to Germany.
Justin said he loves seeing the jets and the air shows at AirVenture because in Germany, every air show act must be performed at least 450 meters (1,476 feet) above the ground, and air show and military aircraft are generally not as accessible as they are here. So when he comes here, he said he gets to witness something he usually wouldn’t.
In memory of Peter, who died four years ago, Justin has decided to keep the volunteering tradition at AirVenture alive. Peter always worked in the International Visitors Tent for Germany’s table, and in honor of Peter, Justin wants to make sure he also represents the German table. When asked if he would ever stop coming to AirVenture, his response was an immediate, “Never.”
“It is a good memory, and we keep the tradition, especially for him,” Justin said, “It is a good memory being here, and we keep him in memory right here.”
Because Justin grew up at AirVenture, he sees the fantastic progress he has made. His fellow volunteers and co-workers have seen him grow professionally and personally. He always looks forward to coming to AirVenture and thinks of Oshkosh as his home. Justin said he is excited to return year after year and will never stop because this is his family.
“I am really proud of where I am now,” he said. “It is always a big distance to travel we do, but it is always worth it. Like when you are at home, I am really happy with it every year I am experiencing at AirVenture. It is nothing like a boring trip that we always do, because we are always excited and always experience something new. The night air show is one of my favorites for sure.”