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The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) fly-in at Oshkosh, which for many years was known as AirVenture, is the largest fly-in and airshow in the world. It is essentially a huge gathering of airplanes, not just pilots. Every plane that arrives in central Wisconsin for the event has at least one pilot on board, and each pilot is eager to see the cool hardware that EAA has assembled for the show. For this story, we have created an impossible list – the most significant planes that have ever flown into OSH. By definition, it is incomplete, and we are certain that we have omitted several deserving planes. However, we do know that this list represents some remarkable aircraft that have had a significant impact on the world of aviation and showcases EAA’s commitment to bringing important planes of all kinds to the best week in aviation.
The fastest civil airliner, the Mach 2.5 Concorde, was a marvel of modern engineering when teams from France and Great Britain began developing it in the 1960s. At that time, it was widely believed that supersonic airliners would become the norm soon. However, that future never materialized, and Concorde remained the sole supersonic civil airliner from its first passenger flight in January 1976 until its final flight in 2003. Its first appearance at Oshkosh in 1985 gave hundreds of thousands of grassroots aviators the opportunity to see the world’s fastest airliner up close, and it also solidified EAA’s annual convention as a major event with broad appeal and a global reach.
The genesis story of the Experimental Aircraft Association is exactly what its name implies. For the first couple of decades of its existence, the aircraft were largely conventional tube-and-fabric-covered wood and/or steel tube structures that required minimal tools and builder skills. However, the 1960s (and into the 1970s) were an era of tremendous technological advancement that fueled the public’s fascination with all things innovative. In aviation, younger builders were drawn to new shapes and materials, believing that greatly improved performance, economy, and ease of construction were possible with new designs. Burt Rutan tapped into the zeitgeist of the time with his VariEze, a single-pusher-engine canard-configured two-seater that was fast, with a maximum cruise speed of close to 170 knots, and efficient, with a maximum range of over 600 nautical miles at fast cruise. Builders flocked to the VariEze, and for years during the late 1970s and early 1980s, the VariEze and its follow-on design, the LongEze, were the most numerous experimental aircraft at Oshkosh, highlighting not only the commitment of the next generation of builders to EAA but also their recognition of Oshkosh as the place to showcase their completed projects.
It’s difficult to fully describe the impact of the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor’s appearance at AirVenture more than a decade ago. It is one of the few planes that was so eagerly anticipated that everyone on the field stopped in their tracks or mid-conversation to stare up and gawk at the world’s first fifth-generation fighter as it performed feats that no fixed-wing airplane should be able to do, including making small-radius turns at extremely slow speeds that even a Super Cub would have a hard time matching, followed by high-speed passes that thrilled the masses.
At first glance, you might not be familiar with the Corben Baby Ace, and you might be surprised to see it included in this lineup of the fast and powerful planes of OSH. However, believe me when I say that the Baby Ace is just as important to EAA as the Wright Flyer is to aviation as a whole. The plane, which was featured in a series of articles in “Mechanix Illustrated” in 1955, helped propel EAA from a boutique organization to one with a national and global presence. The message conveyed by EAA Founder Paul Poberezny and his wife and partner Audrey was clear: You can build your own plane for a fraction of the cost, and we’re here to help! The mission of EAA has only built upon this framework over the past 65 years and more.
One of the most important planes for EAA’s ongoing commitment to amateur-built aircraft is the Van’s RV. There are numerous models available, some with side-by-side seating, some with two seats, one with four, some with a nose gear, and some with a tailwheel. And when I mentioned earlier that the Rutan Vari-Eze arrived in large numbers at Oshkosh, their numbers were in the hundreds. According to Van’s, more than 10,000 RV kits have been completed, and many of them make their way to OSH every year for the fly-in. The RV kit plane is the epitome of modern homebuilding. Van’s Aircraft, based in Oregon, supplies a kit that is easy to build, with an increasingly sophisticated construction process that makes building the plane easier and more intuitive than ever before, reflecting the modern take on the classic EAA mission.
The BAE Harrier jump jet is often considered the loudest plane at Oshkosh. It is a fighter jet that can take off and land vertically and also fly at supersonic speeds. It’s fair (though perhaps not kind) to say that the Harrier attracted more attention from more showgoers for a longer period than any other plane, simply because when it performs its V-TOL maneuvers, it is so loud that it is difficult to have a conversation with anyone else. The Harrier also represents EAA’s ongoing commitment to bringing the best available military hardware to the show, regardless of the challenges.
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the event that is widely regarded as the most significant in aviation history – Charles Lindbergh’s crossing of the Atlantic Ocean in 1927 – EAA constructed a replica of the plane that Lucky Lindy flew across the pond in, the Spirit of St. Louis. That 1977 replica was popular and flew frequently. Although it was a faithful reproduction of the original, which is on display in the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., EAA’s version was more user-friendly to fly. So much so that EAA eventually retired it and placed it in a prominent location in its Oshkosh EAA Aviation Museum. However, the demand for it continued to be strong, so in the early 1990s, EAA built a second replica, which is still flying today. EAA was founded in 1953, 50 years after the Wright brothers’ first flight and about 25 years after Lindy’s flight, but its mission has always been to celebrate the history of flight, even before its formation. The organization’s commitment to this history is clearly demonstrated every time the Spirit takes to the skies.
EAA is also committed to innovation, and it shares this work with the world through the display of some truly remarkable aircraft, such as the Opener Aircraft BlackFly. Once again, we could have chosen any number of cutting-edge designs for this spot in our lineup of important planes at AirVenture, because the point is that EAA’s annual summer showcase is all about embracing and celebrating innovation in aviation. This mission alone is worthy of celebration from the rooftops. The BlackFly is as innovative as it gets. It is a vertical takeoff and landing multicopter with a unique shape, a fly-by-wire ultralight – a phrase I never thought I would write – that carefully curates the flying experience while still allowing the pilot to be at the center of the fun. Like other planes that have made a splash at Oshkosh, the BlackFly may not stand the test of time, but the innovations it showcases will.
EAA has been a strong supporter of ultralight aviation since its early days. One of these ultralights, a Quicksilver single-seater, is shown taking off from the ultralight strip at Oshkosh. Those pilots who are not old enough to remember the early days of ultralights may not be aware of one of the most remarkable chapters in aviation history – the ultralight revolution. Everyone knows that the Cessna 172 Skyhawk is the most produced plane in history, and the Quicksilver Ultralight is high on the list, with more than 15,000 produced over the past 40 years or so. Like the Skyhawk, it is still in production. The ultralight craze was similar to but of a different origin from the fast-glass craze of the 1980s. While the Rutan canards played on the fascination of would-be plane builders with technology, ultralights appealed to the DIY crowd. These were simple planes, mostly constructed with lightweight aluminum tubing and covered with sailcloth. These aircraft became so popular that the FAA even created a special rule for them, Part 103, which limited the size and speed of an ultralight (among other things) but otherwise completely deregulated them. EAA was at the forefront of these new planes, and even today, the ultralight strip at Oshkosh remains one of the busiest areas at Wittman Regional during the weeklong AirVenture.
The name of the host of the world’s greatest airshow contains the word “Experimental”, but it is so much more than just a homebuilt organization or a homebuilt show. EAA has been involved in all aspects of private aviation for decades, from ultralights to World War II-era bombers. Warbirds are a core interest of EAA, both in terms of its airshow – without the sounds of big radials or sizzling V-12s, what would the show be like? – and its efforts in supporting owner/ builders/ flyers. While we could have chosen a few different airplanes, such as the T-34 Beech Mentor or the Boeing B-29 Superfortress, to be the poster wings for this note, the T-6 holds a special place in the lore of private warbirds, and it is an understatement to say that it is well represented at Oshkosh. Both on the flight line and in the airshow, the North American World War II-era trainer, of which more than 15,000 were produced, remained in service for a couple of decades after the war, making it a remarkably affordable warbird that the owner/pilots became deeply attached to. Just like the relationship between the Oshkosh Fly-In and the T-6.
Oshkosh is essentially a fly-in, and although the world’s largest and greatest airshow attracts non-pilots from all over the world, every year around 10,000 airplanes (counting them is so complicated that EAA doesn’t even try to get an exact count anymore) fly into the area for the festivities. For those of us who have flown into Wittman Regional for the weeklong airplane love fest, the most important plane on the field that year is none other than our own.
Gallery: The Best of AirVenture Oshkosh 2022
