Story and photos by Scott Jankowski
AirVenture 2024 is in the history books now and once again records were broken this year. AirVenture 2024 was held from July 22nd to July 28th at the Wittman Regional Airport Oshkosh Wisconsin. This year Whittman Tower handled 16,780 aircraft operations from July 18th to the 28th this averaged out to be 113 takeoffs or landings an hour while the airport is open, once again making Oshkosh the busiest airport in the world during this time frame. An attendance record was set this year with approximately 686,000 attendees this year from a record setting ninety-eight countries. AirVenture also set records in regards to total campers, exhibitors, and volunteers. It is estimated that the economic impact from this year for the surrounding region is estimated at 170 million dollars. A good stretch of weather, special salutes, and multiple single ship and formation military jet teams were just a few of the reasons for this record-breaking year.
In this article we will take a quick look at this year’s highlights as I begin my coverage of AirVenture 2024. AirVenture 2024 featured flyovers of performances by four formation jet demonstration teams which included the Boeing FA-18E Super Hornets of the United States Navy Blue Angels performing a flyby on July 24th whilst enroute to Fargo North Dakota. The United States Air Force Thunderbirds passed through twice whilst enroute to Milwaukee Wisconsin. The two seat Lockheed Martin F-16D Fighting Falcon, Thunderbird #8, would make several passes on 7/24. The rest of the team, flying the single seat Lockheed Martin F-16C Fighting Falcon, would follow with two passes on 7/25 with the team departing the area after performing their Delta Burst maneuver. The Italian Aerobatic Team the Freece Tricolori would arrive in the morning hours on 7/23 and performed several formation passes in their Aermacchi MB-339PAN aircraft and would spend the day at Oshkosh. They would depart at the end of the day to close out the airshow and again would fly several formation passes before departing for Milwaukee Wisconsin. The Royal Canadian Air Force Snowbirds would arrive from Duluth Minnesota on 7/24 with their Canadair CT-114 Tutor jets as part of the 100th Anniversary Celebration of the Royal Canadian Air Force. The nine-jet team would fly during the afternoon airshows Friday through Sunday.
Single ship military demo teams played a big part of AirVenture 2024 with no less than 5 U.S. teams participating. The United States Air Forces Air Combat Command brought all four single ship demo teams to AirVenture this year. The A-10, F-16, F-22, and F-35 Demo Teams would fly through the week in both solo airshow routines and in the Heritage Flights flying alongside vintage warbirds. The United States Navy would once again bring the EA-18G Growler Demo Team to AirVenture flying several times through the week. Also participating in the 100th Anniversary of the Royal Canadian Air Force and making its Oshkosh debut was the Royal Canadian Air Force CF-18 Hornet Demo Team bringing its specially painted Hornet with them. They would also fly several times in the afternoon airshow.
The U.S. Military has always been a strong supporter of AirVenture when it comes to static displays as well, this year was no different. This year a special salute to Air Force Material Command (AFMC) was held with aircraft and personnel that showed off the mission of Material Command which is handles the discovery, development, and testing of weapons used by the Air Force on all of its aircraft. Static display AFMC aircraft included the Beechcraft C-12 Huron and the iconic Boeing B-52H Stratofortress both based at Edwards Air Force Base California. Also on display was the newest aircraft in the Air Force inventory, the Boeing F-15EX from Eglin Air Force Base Florida. Boeing Plaza also hosted many other examples of fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft including the Lockheed Martin C-130H Hercules, Northrop T-38 Talon, and the Bell AH-6 Little Bird Helicopter. On Thursday morning the United States Marine Corps brought the noise with the arrival of 3 Boeing AV-8B+ Harrier II’s serving with VMA-231 and based at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Cherry Point North Carolina. The AV-8B, now in the twilight of its service, having been largely replaced by the Fifth Generation Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II, departed on Saturday morning making this its last visit to AirVenture.
AirVenture 2024 featured 337 registered jet, prop, and rotary powered Warbirds this year. Prop powered Warbirds this year featured both flyable Boeing B-29 Super Fortresses in the world and one of only two flyable Avro Lancasters in the world. The Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum operates this Lancaster and was attending as part of the 100TH Anniversary Celebration of the Royal Canadian Air Force. Several other Canadian registered Warbirds were also on hand and included the North American P-51 Mustang, Hawker Hurricane, and the Supermarine Spitfire. Other notable Warbirds included the Dakota Territories Air Museum’s rare Republic P-47D Razorback Thunderbolt and North American P-51A Mustang, registered N51Z painted to represent the prototype XP-51 Mustang.
Jet Warbirds were also in abundance at AirVenture 2024 with several of the Aero Vodochody L-39 Albatrosses in attendance. Also making its Oshkosh debut this year was the vibrantly pink painted L-39C titled “Pink Strong” with its mission to promote Breast Cancer Awareness. Several other Jet Warbirds were seen around the skies of AirVenture this year and included 4 Polish License built LIM-5/6 which is a license built copy of the Mikoyan Gurevich MIG-17.
The daily afternoon airshows offered its usual list of civilian performers and included such greats as Matt Youkin in the Beechcraft 18 and Scott “Scooter” Yoak in the P-51 Mustang named “Quicksilver.” Once again, the U.S. Military provided airshow support this year in the form of the East Coast C-17 Globemaster III demo team from Charleston South Carolina showing off the unique capabilities of this Heavy Air Lifter, staging from Milwaukee Wisconsin on July 25th. Several of the Wisconsin Air and National Guard units put on a well-polished air power demo on 7/26. State based air assets including Sikorsky UH-60A Blackhawks, Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II’s, and the Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker. This demonstration simulated the Blackhawks inserting ground troops into a hostile environment to provide Howitzer Fire Support while the F-35’s flew Close Air Support (CAS) with the KC-135 providing aerial refueling support. The 148th Fighter Wing based out of Duluth Minnesota in coordination with NORAD (North American Radar Air Defense) once staged a simulated intercept of an aircraft that flew into airspace where a TFR (Temporary Flight Restriction) was in place. A pair of Lockheed Martin F-16’s a C and a D model flew this demo along with a Piper Navajo.
As always Oshkosh has several other categories of aircraft and types including general aviation, vintage, seaplanes, and commercial airliners to be found on the AirVenture grounds and in the air. AirVenture 2024 did not disappoint with something to satisfy whatever your interest in Aviation is. Look for more AirVenture coverage to come, until then, “Blue Skies to All!”
