By Angela Satterlee
When the final air show of EAA AirVenture Oshkosh begins Sunday, Oshkosh native Lily Krueger, EAA 1335593, will once again step onto the stage to sing the national anthem, a moment that brings together the two passions that have shaped her life: aviation and music.
This year’s performance marks Lily’s second time singing the anthem at the opening of an AirVenture air show, although she first took the stage at just 10 years old singing the anthem for forums and other events. The first opportunity to sing came from a connection with her vocal coach and EAA Aviation Museum Director Chris Henry.
“My first year I sang up here, I was only 10. And so it was very nerve-racking to be at such a big event,” she said. “And Chris Henry was just so comforting, and he truly made me feel so special out here with everybody else who’s way bigger than I am.”
AirVenture has always been a huge part of Lily’s life as she’s attended every year since she was 9 months old. And her connection to aviation goes back even further.
“I’ve never missed a year. And I hope to never miss a year,” she said. “Aviation has always been a part of me, who I am. And it’s been a part of my mom.”
That passion began with her grandfather, who completed nearly all of his pilot training before a medical exam revealed a hole in his heart, preventing him from earning his pilot certificate. Although he never became a pilot, he remained active in aviation through radio-controlled aircraft, building and flying model airplanes and sharing that love with Lily and her mother.
“He really instilled that in my mom, and she has therefore instilled it in me,” she said.
Lily started taking Young Eagles flights when she was 8 years old and began flight training at 13. She passed her private pilot checkride on February 7, 2026, and was named a Ray Aviation scholar, which she plans to use as a stepping stone toward additional ratings.
“I have always just kind of had the dream of doing aerobatics,” Lily said. “So performing at air shows … is the end goal. I’d love to do one here someday.”
While aviation has always been part of her life, music has been right alongside it. Lily has performed in school musicals, sung at her church, appeared at sporting events across Wisconsin, and her personal favorite, performed the national anthem at numerous veterans events.
“The anthem is one of my favorite things to sing. It was a song made for those who have served our country, and it’s such an honor to be able to sing such a meaningful song,” she explained.
Her mother, Ann Krueger, EAA 1335591, said the two passions have always gone hand in hand.
“She loves singing as much as she loves flying,” Ann said.
Despite years of performing, Lily said she still gets nervous before every anthem because each audience and venue brings something different.
“There’s a different dynamic to every single performance,” she said. “Even if it’s at the same place, there’s always something different.
“I think there’s a good part about being nervous,” Lily explained. “I think if you’re a little bit nervous, it keeps you aware of what you’re doing, and it keeps you in the moment.”
To settle those nerves, she sticks to a routine before every performance.
“I drink a lot of tea prior to my anthems, and … I do a prayer before my anthems. I am very in touch with my faith. It’s something I really pride myself on. And so I pray before every single anthem that I do. It’s just a moment between me and God that I believe is very sacred, and I believe helps me to get through all my anthems and do as well as I do,” Lily said.
For Ann, watching her daughter combine both of the things she loves on aviation’s biggest stage is something she never takes for granted.
“[Performing at AirVenture] has just really encompassed all of everything she really loves. So it’s a proud parent moment for sure to see that,” Ann said.
As Lily opens the final air show of AirVenture 2026, she’ll do so not only as a longtime performer, but also as a newly certificated pilot whose aviation journey is just getting started.