The aircraft were flying in the pattern of the Fun Fly Zone (FFZ), which is located in the Ultralight area.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined that the accident occurred when the gyroplane pilot violated established and briefed FFZ procedures by making a prohibited 360-degree turn in the pattern before colliding  with the helicopter.

• NTSB: Rule Violation Contributed to Fatal Midair Collision at EAA AirVenture

The pilot and passenger of the helicopter were killed and the pilot and passenger of the gyrocopter were seriously injured. No one on the ground was injured, however, an unoccupied aircraft was destroyed when the gyroplane came down on top of it.

According to the NTSB final report (below) on the accident, in addition to the one-strike rule, the EAA has adopted the following changes to prevent future mishaps:

• Standardized briefing for all types of FFZ operations
• Standardized traffic pattern for all types of FFZ operations with exception of the powered-parachutes group due to speed performance
• Standardized aircraft spotter locations for all types of FFZ operations
• Designated sterile corridor for traffic on base leg over the north/south paved road

The NTSB’s final report is below.

The post EAA Adopts New Procedures in Wake of AirVenture NTSB Crash Report appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

If you plan to go to AirVenture this year, you can find our “Oshkosh LIVE” Redbird Studio on-site at Redbird Exhibit space 301, adjacent to Hangar A and facing Knapp Street. If you have never been to AirVenture, we hope tuning in to our daily coverage will inspire you to make the trip to Oshkosh one day.

If you’re simply unable to join this year, our goal is to ensure you don’t miss out on all of the excitement by bringing the experience to you live across several of our websites and social media channels. 

• READ MORE: 7 Things to Know Before You Go to AirVenture

What to Expect

Daily live segments hosted by editors from  FLYING, KITPLANES, Plane & Pilot, AVweb, The Aviation Consumer, and AirlineGeeks will host daily live segments featuring interviews with the world’s top airshow performers, a look at some of the most rare aircraft in the world, tips for how to build your own aircraft or pursue a career in aviation, and features on the rich history that has shaped AirVenture.

When and Where to Watch

Our live broadcast will run daily, Monday through Thursday, July 22-July 25, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. CDT (9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. EDT). 

• READ MORE: Airplane Types Unlock AirVenture Locations for Parking, Camping

On Friday, July 26, we will livestream additional original content from the week throughout the day. You will find us broadcasting and streaming live across all of our brand websites—on the FLYING and AVweb YouTube Channels, as well as FLYING and Plane & Pilot Facebook pages. 

Follow us on Facebook or click subscribe to one of our YouTube channels and you’ll receive alerts that we are live!

We hope to see you in Oshkosh or that you’ll tune in to see all the exciting news and activity from this year’s EAA AirVenture.

The post FLYING Unveils ‘Oshkosh Live’ Video Programming Lineup appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

You’ll see volunteers at the show wearing vests. They do everything from parking cars and airplanes to driving trams and making sure the infrastructure of the grounds, such as walking paths and parking lots, are ready for use. 

• READ MORE: 7 Things to Know Before You Go to AirVenture 

EAA doesn’t yet have an exact tally of how many volunteers will be helping out at this year’s event (July 22-28) in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, said organization spokesperson Dick Knapinski. 

“It’s tough to gauge the exact number right now, because the big influx comes as people arrive,” Knapinski said. “However, last year we had nearly 6,000 volunteers assist before, during, and after the week.”

As the airshow approaches, many pilots have taken to social media to discuss contingencies for weather, as the area has been inundated with storms. When it rains in Wisconsin, it really rains, turning aircraft and automobile parking areas and roads into nearly impassable bogs.

• READ MORE: Airplane Types Unlock AirVenture Locations for Parking, Camping

“We have had quite a bit of rain, 7 inches in June alone,” Knapinski said. While a significant amount, it’s not as bad as it was in 2010 when the show was waggishly renamed “Sloshkosh” by some.

“The additional drainage efforts done after 2010 certainly have helped, as there are large open fields used for parking and camping, some areas are lower than others, and therefore mushier,” Knapinski said. “We’re moving early arrivals into the dry areas as they come in at this time. With two-plus weeks until opening day, a lot can happen to dry the grounds between now and then.”

• READ MORE: Flying In to AirVenture: A Carefully Orchestrated Cacophony of Chaos

Knapinski noted that there are stockpiles of wood chips and gravel that will be used to shore up soggy locations. 

“We’ve got large tractors to assist those who find themselves stuck, literally and figuratively,” he said. “EAA AirVenture is a massive public event with countless moving parts. Our volunteers and staff work very hard to make sure it runs smoothly, but sometimes factors cause it to run less so. With this many people in one place, chances are that if you’re headed someplace, so are other people. Bring your patience along with you.”

The trams will be operating this year as they have in year’s past—driven by volunteers. The tram stops and routes are marked on the AirVenture map.

For the people who chose Uber to get to and from the grounds, the four drop-off/pickup locations that have been in place for the past four years will be in use, Knapinski said.

• READ MORE: Oshkosh 2024 Notice Outlines Changes for Pilots Flying to AirVenture 

“They are designated by the black-and-purple circles on the site map available online, in the app, or via printed map available on-site,” he said. “Those points are off the North 40 near Friar Tuck’s on South Park Avenue; Foundation Road adjacent to Homebuilt Camping; the Camp Scholler West gate on Poberezny Road; and the South 40 gate at the intersection of Knapp Street and County Highway N.”

Oshkosh Rules

It also helps if everyone remembers the Oshkosh Rules started by the AirVenture founder, the late Paul Poberezny:

• Pick up your trash, and if you see trash on the ground, please pick that up too, and put it in a waste receptacle.
• Respect the no smoking rule on the flight line.
• Do not touch an airplane unless you have permission from the owner. Be very careful about lanyards, camera gear, etc. to make sure they do not scratch or bump the aircraft.

Questions About Aircraft on Display

Because AirVenture is an outdoor event it can be a challenge to say with certainty what aircraft will be on-site for outdoor display. It can change day to day. A common question this year is “Will there be B-17s on display?” There are just a handful of these left in airworthy condition, and they are expensive to operate, therefore, they don’t always make it to the show.

• READ MORE: EAA AirVenture: A Vintage Aircraft Paradise

Knapinski said he had not been made aware of any B-17s visiting the show, with the exception of the EAA’s Aluminum Overcast that will be parked on outdoor display next to the museum.

He said it’s important to have the right frame of mind when you are at Oshkosh—that is, focusing on what brings us together rather than what drives us apart.

“One reason is that we’re all here for the airplanes and each other,” said Knapinski. “Especially in these times, leave the politics and other dividing stuff at home and come enjoy the fun of flight.”

The post Army of Volunteers Gives AirVenture Its Lift appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

1. If you drive to the event, pack your patience. 

You may end up parked well away from the show grounds and bused to the front gate. Take note of where you parked (for example Blue Lot) and write it down. Also consider dropping an AirTag in your car, so at the end of the day when you’re tired, you can find it more easily.

• READ MORE: Airplane Types Unlock AirVenture Locations for Parking, Camping

2. Conserve your energy.

Don’t run when you can walk, and don’t walk when you can ride. Use the trams and buses on the grounds to get where you need/want to go, or close to where you want to go. You get a map when you enter the grounds. Use this map to plan your visit. For the map-reading challenged: The big runway is aligned north-south; the warbird runway is east-west.

• READ MORE: Air Force B-52, C-17 Headed to EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh

3. Carry a backpack.

Most people carry a backpack to the event to hold water bottles, sunscreen, etc. The pack will be searched when you enter the grounds, so do yourself a favor and make sure you’re not carrying a firearm or other contraband that is not allowed.

• READ MORE: Flying In to AirVenture: A Carefully Orchestrated Cacophony of Chaos

The best packs are the ones with the waist strap as they take the load off your shoulders. Make sure your name and phone number are on the bag in the event it goes missing. EAA has an excellent lost-and-found department.

4. Self protection is important.

Wear a hat with a brim and sunglasses on a lanyard. Carry a rain poncho and an extra pair of socks. Even if the sun is shining, weather comes up quickly and ferociously. You can also use the poncho to make shade or to sit on when watching the airshow. When your socks get sweaty, change into the dry pair. This prevents blisters, which can ruin your day. Also, don’t forget earplugs as it can get loud during the airshow.

• READ MORE: Oshkosh 2024 Notice Outlines Changes for Pilots Flying to AirVenture

5. Study the map.

Plan your route carefully. You may want to make a loop of the grounds, starting at one end and going to the other, rather than zigzagging back and forth.

• READ MORE: EAA AirVenture: A Vintage Aircraft Paradise

6. Visit the hangars early in the day.

If able, visit the hangars before 11 a.m. because they can become uncomfortably hot later in the day.

7. Carry a small first-aid kit.

This kit should contain hand sanitizer, Band-Aids, anti-diarrhea medication, pain reliever, etc. Hopefully, you won’t need any of it. There is a first-aid building on the grounds for more serious injuries.

The post 7 Things to Know Before You Go to AirVenture appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Pilots visiting the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, next month can explore what it means to them at the organization’s Pilot Proficiency Center (PPC).

• READ MORE: The Pilot Proficiency Center Opens in a New Permanent Space

The PPC, which is adjacent to the EAA Museum, is a learning center equipped with Redbird Flight Simulation advanced aviation training devices (AATDs). During AirVenture it will be staffed with experienced instructors who will provide seminars and hands-on learning to put a pilot through their paces. The idea is to identify weak spots in performance and give the pilot the tools they need to achieve proficiency on a regular basis. 

• READ MORE: Oshkosh 2024 Notice Outlines Changes for Pilots Flying to AirVenture

‘Hands-On, Minds-On’

This year the PPC promotes contents inspired by aviation educator Rich Stowell’s book, The Nine Principles of Light Airplane Flying, as delivered in Community Aviation’s Learn-To-Fly framework.

“We’re creating a dynamic atmosphere at the PPC that fosters discussion and a flow of ideas,” said Community Aviation president Billy Winburn.

To make this happen the PPC is bringing in experienced flight instructors known in the industry for their dedication to aviation education to lead “hands-on, minds-on” activities.

• READ MORE: Dates for Next 4 EAA AirVenture Conventions Announced

Each session will be structured as half-day, four-hour workshops consisting of a briefing, interactive discussion, activity and simulator labs, and debriefing periods.

The training does not end when the participants go home. During AirVenture, surveys will be taken as part of a research project spearheaded by Central Washington University’s aviation program.

Researchers want to answer at least two questions: Did participating in the experiment change how pilots approach their flying? And did it change the way instructors teach? The results will appear in a documentary-style video to be produced by Community Aviation.

The experiment in optimal learning will run July 22-26 at the EAA Pilot Proficiency Center.

The post Pilot Proficiency Center Sets Focus for Oshkosh 2024 Training appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The mass arrivals in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, begin on Friday, July 19, at 11 a.m. CST with the Piper Cherokees. Later at 5 p.m., the Cessnas will make the scene. On Saturday, July 21, at 10 a.m., the Mooney contingent will arrive, followed at 1 p.m. by the Bonanzas. On Sunday, July 21, at 10 a.m., the Cirrus group arrives.

How to Get Involved

These group aircraft arrivals are organized by specific type clubs well in advance of the annual aviation convention. To participate, you need to be registered, as there are a limited number of spaces available in the mass arrivals. Move quickly on this since reservations fill up rapidly.

Pilots are also required to attend a flight clinic and to be very familiar with the multipage Notice to Air Mission (NOTAM) issued each year for AirVenture.

• READ MORE: Dates for Next 4 EAA AirVenture Conventions Announced

The mass arrival aircraft stage from an airport near Oshkosh’s Wittman Regional Airport (KOSH).

For pilots who aren’t going to be part of the mass arrival, the times of these events are published in the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2024 NOTAM to help with planning. You do not want to cut in line and disrupt the mass arrival—that’s like cutting in on a funeral procession. Just don’t do it.

More information on EAA AirVenture can be found here.

The post AirVenture Announces Group Arrivals appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The upcoming dates are:

• 2024: July 22-28
• 2025: July 21-27
• 2026: July 20-26
• 2027: July 26-August 1

For the aviation community, Oshkosh represents the highlight of the year. So much so that other life events, such as weddings, retirements, and even pregnancies, are planned around it. The EAA recognizes this, according to Jack Pelton, EAA CEO and chairman of the board.

“We wanted to announce the dates for the next several years, so people can plan for their trips to Oshkosh,” said Pelton, adding that there are other events in Wisconsin in the summer that sometimes also conflict with or overlap with AirVenture, so it is important to lock down the dates now.

• READ MORE: AirVenture 2023 by the Numbers

About AirVenture

What began as a few airplanes meeting in Milwaukee and later Rockford, Illinois, has grown into the largest fly-in in the world. The annual event was moved to Oshkosh in 1970 because it had outgrown the other locations.

More information on EAA AirVenture can be found here.

The post Dates for Next 4 EAA AirVenture Conventions Announced appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

We have an update on the story we brought you last week about the search for the owner of a stuffed animal found at EAA AirVenture 2023. The toy cat named “Stuffy” was returned to her owner today, 6-year-old Brayden Eveleth of Grandview, Iowa, opened the box in the back seat of his mother’s car and was reunited with the plush toy. 

Stuffy was accidentally left behind in the KidVenture zone of AirVenture late last month.

EAA volunteer Gary Sternberg posted a photograph of the plushy cat on Facebook on July 28 and the story went viral. Sternberg told FLYING that he knows these childhood attachment objects are very special to someone, so he takes a vested interest in their return to the owners.

As it turns out, this toy is extra, extra special, as it is a calming microwaveable stuffed animal. When heated, it gives off a lavender scent that is very soothing. It was also an early birthday gift to Eveleth, whose birthday fell during the AirVenture celebration.

According to Ashley Eveleth, Brayden’s mother, the family loves aviation, and Brayden was looking forward to having his birthday at the show. He decided to bring the toy with him.

“He lost Stuffy on Monday the 24th while at KidVenture,” she said. “He was building rockets and airplanes and had the toy with him, then he put it down and got up and forgot it.”

When the family realized the toy was gone, they backtracked, checking all over KidVenture and walking the path they took to their campsite. But the beloved plush cat was nowhere to be found.

“Brayden cried all afternoon,” Ashley Eveleth said. “We went to the lost and found on the main ground and left our name and number just in case someone turned it in. Brayden was devastated all week because we couldn’t find it.”

EAA members, upon hearing about the wayward toy, spread the word online. Sternberg’s and FLYING magazine’s posts about the missing toy were copied and shared.

“Come on guys! Let’s help this kitty get home!” one post read. The story and post were shared, and shared, and shared again, until contact was established and the Eveleths learned the toy had been turned in to lost and found—and become a media sensation.

Ashley said when she showed the image to Brayden he said: “‘That’s my kitty!’ He was so ecstatic, he was crying tears of joy.”

Yellow Lot Bunny

Not all lost-and-found stories have such a quick or happy ending. Last year FLYING wrote about a toy plush bunny that was found in the Yellow Lot.

FLYING has learned the keeper of the bunny—(an EAA volunteer who asked to remain anonymous )—still has it. Here’s to hoping the bunny gets back to its owner soon.

The post Stuffy the Kitty Makes It Home appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

According to EAA volunteer Gary Sternberg, the toy was reported lost by the parents of a little girl.

“The little girl was very upset,” Sternberg said. A day later someone found the toy—a plush cat—and turned it in to EAA’s Lost and Found Department.

Sternberg, who has been making the pilgrimage to AirVenture since 1970, took to social media to spread the word, posting the photo on Facebook and asking others to share the story.

“For whatever reasons, I make this and similar losses a priority,” Sternberg said. “Good luck at finding its home.”

• READ MORE: Oshkosh 2023 In Pictures

As of Tuesday, EAA had not been able to reunite the toy with its owner. The stuffed animal is in the custody of EAA’s Lost and Found and will be there for approximately another 80 days, as the policy is to hold items for 90 days.

Friends, you remember what it was like when you lost your attachment object as a kid, or when your child, brother, sister, etc., lost theirs. These become painful childhood memories. We don’t want this child’s memories of AirVenture to be tainted. Please help us spread the word and help this lost plushy kitty get home.

The post Oshkosh Lost and Found Seeks Home for Left-Behind Kitty appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Even before the last aircraft had left the hallowed ground of Wittman Regional Airport (KOSH),

many visitors to the world’s largest general aviation event knew they had been part of something massive and unprecedented.

Dick Knapinski, EAA’s director of communications, validated this by supplying the numbers that marked this year’s fly-in convention.

• READ MORE: Oshkosh 2023 In Pictures

Number of visitors: 677,000

That’s a record total, up from the previous mark of 650,000 set in 2022.

Total aircraft: More than 10,000 arrived at Wittman and other airports in east-central Wisconsin.

According to EAA, there were 21,883 aircraft operations from July 20 through 30 at KOSH alone.

To break it down further, that’s approximately 148 takeoffs and landings per hour during the airport’s hours of operation.

Showplanes for Viewing

A total of 3,365 aircraft made the scene, including:

• 1,497 vintage aircraft
• 1,067 homebuilt aircraft
• 194 ultralights
• 134 seaplanes and amphibians
• 52 aerobatic aircraft
• 41 rotorcraft
• 380 warbirds

The People Numbers

More than 13,000 campsites, both the drive-in and fly-in variety, were booked, housing an estimated 40,000 visitors.

It is well known that AirVenture could not run without its army of volunteers. This year more than 5,500 helped out, contributing in excess of 250,000 hours.

The display hangars and showgrounds were stuffed with commercial exhibits, 848 in all.

Learning took place with more than 1,400 forums, information sessions, and presentations hosted throughout the week.

For 2023, international visitors returned in a big way, with 2,372 attendees registering at the International Visitors Tent from a record-tying 93 countries outside the U.S.

EAA officials were left impressed by the numbers. 

“We had record-setting totals of campers, exhibitors, volunteers, and more,” said EAA CEO and chairman Jack Pelton. “It was also a challenging year at times with weather, logistics, and other factors, which makes me even more proud of the efforts by our volunteers and staff to organize an outstanding event.”

AirVenture is a popular platform for product and aircraft introduction, two aspects that would be lost were it not for the vast media presence on site. This year there were 863 media representatives in attendance, representing six continents.

Virtual Visitors

Those who couldn’t make the actual trek to Oshkosh did so virtually, as social media and internet and mobile traffic registered that more than 18.3 million people tapped into EAA’s social media channels. That’s a whopping 78 percent increase from 2022.

The Gathering Shines

It was a good year for the EAA Aviation Foundation’s Gathering of Eagles, the annual event that raises funds to support aviation education programs. More than 1,000 people attended, raising more than $2 million that will be focused on EAA’s mission of growing participation in aviation.

It is well known that AirVenture is an economic engine for Oshkosh and the surrounding communities. According to a 2017 economic study from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, the economic impact was estimated to be $170 million for the five counties in the Oshkosh region: Winnebago, Outagamie, Fond du Lac, Calumet, and Brown.

According to Pelton, planning begins soon for AirVenture 2024.

“We are already looking at a number of big activities, including the 100th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Air Force,” he said. “Plenty of ideas have also been forwarded to us from EAA members and others that will be part of the planning for 2024.”

The dates for the 2024 EAA AirVenture are July 22 through 28.

The post AirVenture 2023 by the Numbers appeared first on FLYING Magazine.