Big Iron at AirVenture Oshkosh 2025
Each of Goodyear’s trio of Zeppelin NT airships are powered by three Lycoming IO-360 piston engines
Story and photos by Ken Kula
With over 10,000 airplanes, rotorcraft, balloons and airships and gliders in attendance at the 2025 edition of the EAA’s AirVenture Oshkosh, it’s hard to distinguish a specific category of aerial vessels without filling pages and pages in this journal. I found one category which is relatively small (less than two dozen individual aircraft) but still interesting… one with airframes equipped with three or more engines.
Here’s what we saw at Oshkosh in 2025, which included jets and prop-driven aircraft…
The Wisconsin Air National Guard operates four-engined Boeing KC-135Rs; this one was participating in the Wisconsin National Guard firepower demonstration with a pair of F-35As
The Berlin Airlift Historical Association operates this Douglas C-54 Skymaster “Spirit of Freedom”
Wisconsin ANGs high-visibility KC-135R tanker was on static display all week at AirVenture. For more about this individual aircraft, click here.
Air Legends Foundation Lockheed C-121 Constellation sparkles after a recent refurbishment
Pratt and Whitney Canada utilizes a pair of Boeing B-747SP jets for engine testing at their Montreal base. This is one of only two flyable examples left in the world
Doc’s Friends, Inc. operates this Boeing B-29 named “Doc” (after one of Disney’s Seven Dwarfs), it is one of only two still airworthy
This U. S. Marine Corps KC-130J transport supported the Marines’ F-35B demo team and was not officially part of AirVenture
FIFI is operated by the Commemorative Air Force and is the other B-29 still flying in the world
USAF Rockwell B-1B Lancer made a flypast on Monday to help open the AirVenture’s flying displays
This is the aircraft used by the USAF’s C-17 Demonstration Team to showcase the jet’s performance. It is based in Charleston, South Carolina
This is the EAA’s Ford 4-AT-E Tri-Motor, which was kept busy before each daily air show with passenger rides around the Oshkosh area.
This Arkansas Air National Guard C-130H wears a striking heritage color scheme which honors the 189 Airlift Wing’s 100th Anniversary, which is in October, 2025
Samaritan’s Purse, the humanitarian relief organization, will retire their long-serving DC-8-72CF at the end of 2025. Luckily, its farewell tour stopped in Oshkosh!
This Consolidated PB4Y Privateer warbird was produced for the U. S. Navy, then transferred to the U. S Coast Guard, and after military retirement was operated as a fire bomber
FIFI arrives at Whittman Regional Airport after participating in the Wednesday evening air show
Doc makes a low pass before heading to nearby Appleton, Wisconsin
This VC-121A once participated in the Berlin Airlift and later was General Douglas MacArthur’s transport through the Korean War. Hence, it was named “Bataan” in reference to the famous WWII pledge
The Goodyear semi-rigid airships are not “blimps” due to their construction. When asked about re-engining with electrical motors, a pilot remarked that it wasn’t planned
An Alaska ANG C-17 displayed low-visibility artwork on both sides of its tail. This firebird represents the 517th Airlift Squadron (AS), a wolf’s head on the other side represents the 144th AS
The EAA’s B-17 did not fly during AirVenture. It was parked among the larger warbirds though
