Saturday And Sunday Attendance Grew By 20 Percent Over 2013

If things felt a little crowded at AirVenture this year ... EAA's official head count may give you the reason. The numbers are in, and EAA says attendance topped 500,000, an estimated 5 to 6 percent higher than in 2013. Those numbers were bolstered by huge increases on both Saturday and Sunday, August 2-3, which saw 20 percent more people coming through the gates than a year ago.

“It was a tremendous week on many levels," said EAA Chairman Jack J. Pelton. “We filled Wittman Regional Airport with aircraft for the first time in several years, with both aircraft camping and parking areas completely full at midweek.”

The cooperation and support of the airport’s east side community made possible the historic first appearance of the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds at Oshkosh, which attracted many people to the event. And many of the 800 exhibitors reported outstanding business throughout the week, with some selling out of product.

“Certainly the Thunderbirds’ first performances at Oshkosh helped the attendance,” Pelton continued. “There was another factor, too – a renewed sense of optimism that was reflected in people coming to Oshkosh to celebrate the world of flight. You could feel it among the attendees, exhibitors and our 5,400 volunteers whose work made the event possible.”

Other facts and figures:

• AirVenture’s KidVenture experienced record attendance in its 16th year.
• Total aircraft: More than 10,000 aircraft arriving at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh and other airports in east-central Wisconsin.
• Total showplanes: 2,649 (308 more than in 2013) – including close to 1,000 homebuilts, 1,050 vintage airplanes, 303 warbirds, 122 ultralights and light-sport aircraft, 91 seaplanes, 40 rotorcraft, 38 aerobatic aircraft, and eight hot-air balloons.
• International visitors registered: 2,081 visitors registered from 69 nations, with Canada (505 visitors), Australia (416), and Brazil (194) as the top three nations. (This total includes only non-U.S. visitors registered at the International Visitors Tent, so the actual international contingent is undoubtedly larger.)
• Media: 917 media representatives on-site, from five continents.
• EAA’s One Week Wonder project totaled more than 2,500 participants and resulted in a finished airplane on closing day, August 3.

Preliminary features for the 2015 AirVenture (July 20-26) include legendary aircraft innovator Burt Rutan who wants to share some innovations with the aviation community, and a new B-29 restoration, Doc, to help commemorate the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II.

FMI: www.eaa.org