Page 22 - World Airshow News Q3 2024

CELEbRAtING 100 YEARS OF tHE RCAF World Airshow News Staff Report

EAA AirVenture 2024

E AA AirVenture is often called to an average of 113 takeoffs/landings per The Canadian Snowbirds jet team, the

the “World’s Greatest Avia-
hour when the airport was open. A total
Canadian SkyHawks parachute team, and
the RCAF CF-18 Hornet demo, piloted
tion Celebration.” While those
of 2,846 show planes registered this year,
kinds of superlatives are some-
times thrown around without a consisting of 1,200 vintage aircraft, 975 by Capt. Caleb “Tango” Robert, all per-
homebuilt aircraft, 337 warbirds, 154 ul-
formed in the airshows.
lot to back it up, very few people would tralights/light planes, 82 aerobatic air- Several Canadian warbirds also came
likely take issue with using that moniker craft, 65 seaplanes/amphibians, 23 rotor- to Oshkosh, including the Avro Lan-
to describe AirVenture, held July 22-28 at craft, and 10 balloons. caster bomber owned by the Canadian
Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, While AirVenture is best known for Warplane Heritage Museum. Their Lan-
Wisconsin. Not only did AirVenture 2024 its daily airshows and wide variety of air- caster is the only example flying in North
attract a record crowd of 686,000 people, craft, the commercial exhibit/trade show America. Vintage Wings of Canada’s Vic-
but the airshow featured performances portion is often overlooked. Aviation ven- tory Flight, a unique formation of World
by all four USAF single-ship tactical jet dors, aircraft manufacturers, and aircraft War II-era fighter aircraft consisting of a
demonstration teams and either fly-bys parts and support firms ranging from Hawker Hurricane XII, a Spitfire IX, and
or performances from four military jet aerospace giants like Boeing and Airbus a P-51D Mustang also flew in the airshow.
formation teams. to small mom-and-pop family businesses
“Over the past decade, and especial- display their products and engage with FOuR JEt tEAmS
ly since 2020, we have seen AirVenture current and potential customers. This For the first time ever at AirVenture,
move to another level, as we maintain the year, a record 861 commercial exhibitors the show featured fly-bys or perfor-
heart of the event while adding programs were present on the AirVenture grounds. mances by military jet teams on six of the
and activities that appeal to aviation en- show’s seven days. The Italian Air Force’s
thusiasts of all interests,” said EAA CEO A CANADIAN CELEbRAtION Frecce Tricolori spent Tuesday at Air-
and Chairman Jack Pelton. “Kudos to our While AirVenture always showcases Venture and performed several fly-bys,
dedicated volunteers and staff who plan the full breadth and depth of aviation, complete with their trademark red, white,
and adjust to make it work.” this year the show focused attention on and green smoke. On Wednesday, the US
There were 16,780 aircraft operations Canada, helping our neighbors to the Navy’s Blue Angels performed a flyover
at Wittman Regional Airport in the elev- north celebrate the 100th anniversary of on their way to Fargo, North Dakota, fol-
en-day period from July 18-28, equating the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). lowed by a USAF Thunderbirds flyover

www.airshowmag.com 22 Quarter 3, 2024