The first EAA AirVenture to be held in the coronavirus era has drawn crowds only 5% down on the record set in 2019.
Held last week, the seven-day event drew 608,000 people and10,000 aircraft to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, a result the president of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Jack Pelton was a great return for the effort needed to put on the show.
"This was perhaps the most challenging set of circumstances we’ve ever faced as an organisation to make the event happen," Pelton said. "I could not be more proud of our volunteers, staff, and participants on the way they came together to exceed our expectations and make AirVenture 2021 a truly memorable experience.
“We went into this year not knowing what AirVenture would look like and how big of an event was possible. The aviation community spoke loudly, though – it was ready to come to Oshkosh and we were happy that we could welcome them.
"Our theme was ‘The Wait is Over,’ and indeed it was. And the wait was worth it. There was joy and excitement throughout the grounds and it set the stage for the return of AirVenture, making us very excited for the future.”
At Wittman Field alone, there were 16,378 aircraft operations in the 10-day period from 22-31 July, which is an average of approximately 116 movements per hour when the airport was open.
Despite the prevailing pandemic conditions, aviation enthusiasts came from 66 countries and around 40,000 people were accommodated in the camping areas. Although no numbers of international visitors have been revealed, it is clear that numbers were well down, which Pelton hopes can be corrected next year.
“Planning is well underway for next year’s event, including discussions during AirVenture 2021 about possible features and attractions for 2022," Pelton said. "We also look forward to welcoming more international visitors next year to return AirVenture to a truly global reunion."