EAA AirVenture 2024: Day Four
Review and photos by Ken Kula
Here’s a wrap up from the 2024 edition of the EAA’s AirVenture Oshkosh. I spent five days at the show grounds, Sunday’s arrival day and the first four show dates. There was an incredible collection of aircraft in Oshkosh, and more were arriving throughout Thursday, Departures were on the increase too, it seemed to me.
One thing evident this year was the large turnout of military flight demonstration teams. Solo aircraft or large formations, almost a dozen acts were in the sky over Oshkosh since the week ended. The U. S. Air Force’s Thunderbirds arrived in Wisconsin for the Milwaukee Air Show, but flew up to Oshkosh to make a neat diamond pass with a 270 degree turn in formation for a star- like break facing the crowd.
The Air Force’s C-17 Demonstration Team from Charleston AFB surpised many with its short field capabilities.
Jet warbirds was the theme for 2024; there were a large number of L-39 Albatrosses in the Warbird Alley. A few T-33/CT-133s attended too.
Canada’s 100th Anniversary of the founding of their Air Force is being celebrated all over the world… The CF-18 (CF-188) Demonstration Team arrived to perform later in the week.
Another first at Oshkosh… a quartet of MiG-17/Lim-5 fighters few several formation passes. For the first time during the Oshkosh air shows, four MiGs flew in formation.
A big group of the world’s best aerobatic performers are part of the week-long series of air shows. Fast and slow, big and small, all delight the crowd with varied routines.
The Seaplane Base is a short bus ride to the shores of Lake Winnebago, and float planes are in their own world there. Of course, there are a number of AirVenture attendees who’d fly into the main show area too… like this Cessna 206 turbine-powered amphibian.
For Thursday’s air show finale, an Air Force B-1B bomber made a fast pass along the Oshkosh show line.