By Barbara A. Schmitz
Organization. Practice. Persistence. Proper communication.
Those things help to ensure the safe mass arrivals of Mooneys, Bonanzas, Cessnas, and other groups at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh each year, even when changes occur at the last moment.
So when Janet Denton unexpectedly became the lead pilot for the Mooney Caravan due to mechanical problems with their designated lead airplane Saturday morning, she had no problem stepping up. The Mooneys were the first to arrive en masse in Oshkosh at about 10 a.m. Saturday.
Oshkosh air traffic controllers twice told the group they looked good as they arrived, Janet said. She attributed that to the pilots involved. “It’s important to show up to the [training] clinics, ask the right questions, and keep safety the top concern,” she said.
Janet said 61 airplanes, including two Comanches and one RV carrying about 120 people, completed the Mooney Caravan flight. The group staged in Madison, Wisconsin, for briefings and organizing, and lined up in elements of three to make the flight to AirVenture.
“Two people in their 2026 arrival had flown in all the mass arrivals since the group first began in 1998,” said Mooney Caravan board member Dan Driscoll.
“Safety is the reason we fly together,” Dan said. But an added bonus is that all their friends are able to park and camp in the North 40 next to each other, he added.
Bonanzas to Oshkosh (B2Osh) were the next group to arrive Saturday after staging and briefing in La Crosse, Wisconsin.
“We had an absolutely fantastic flight,” said lead pilot Glenn Olesen, an airline pilot and 24-year veteran with B2Osh. “The weather cooperated as Mother Nature came through and swept the smoke away.”
About 105 airplanes, including 93 Bonanzas and 12 Barons, carrying about 250 people landed and taxied to their home for this week in the North 40 shortly after 1 p.m. Saturday.
“This all started because five guys wanted to camp together and they all owned Bonanzas, and EAA told them the only way they could do that is if they arrived together,” Glenn said.
Year after year, the number grew and they finally decided to fly formation. 2026 is their 36th mass arrival to Oshkosh.
John Zazworsky, B2Osh flight operations coordinator, said planning for next year’s event starts on Sunday with the 2026 flight debriefing. The group holds 10 regional clinics each year, and all pilots must be proficient to fly formation.
Formation flying isn’t for everyone, but it can be, Glenn said. “It doesn’t take an exceptional pilot to fly formation, just a dedicated one.”