EAA AirVenture 2024: Opening Day Sights
Review and photos by Ken Kula
The 2024 EAA AirVenture Oshkosh is off to a great start. Fair weather offered ample time for show attendees and performers to arrive at the airport. There was plenty of gawking as aviators and aircraft showed off their skills and technological attributes. Here are a few of these which attracted my attention.
Harbour Air’s eBeaver was displayed on the grounds, the other airframe (two are modified thus far) was in the Seaplane base.
Burt Rutan, the prolific aircraft designer, arrived in style in a Beech Starship – one of his designs. The Boomerang, another of his creations, arrived before he made his entrance on the Oshkosh stage.
A group of Burt’s designs paraded in the skies, including what was noted as the only flying Vari-Viggen in the world.
Another Rutan design – the Catbird – is the holder of multiple world records of endurance flights. It was part of this parade too.
The air show began around two in the afternoon, and lasted about four hours. A B-1B bomber made a flyby, and NORAD offered a simulated intercept of a civil aircraft, using a pair of Minnesota-based F-16s and a Piper Navajo.
Vicky Benzing graced the skies in her purple Mustang.
The EAA’s Warbirds of America presented their trainer day large formation flying performance. Groups included the T-28 Trojan, T-6 Texan/Harvard, T-34 Mentor, French-built Epsilons, and the Red Star group Russian and Chinese designed trainers.
Speaking of warbirds, there were many arrivals a a few overflights by “Doc”, the B-29 operating from nearby Appleton, Wisconsin.
Check back here tomorrow for Day Two of AirVenture highlights!
