Historic warbirds will dazzle audiences and salute the veterans who flew them as part of the daily air shows at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2010, set for July 26-August 1 at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh.
As part of the week-long "Salute to Veterans" commemoration, the warbirds' legacy from various eras will be celebrated in daily, themed, afternoon air shows. Highlighting the week will be the "Max Effort" air show on Tuesday, July 27, honoring the 75th anniversary of the DC-3/C-47 through formation flights and aerial displays. Other themed shows include classic warbird jets and Vietnam War-era warbirds as well as solo aerobatic performances that will close AirVenture on Sunday, August 1.
Attendees will be able to see the widely popular warbirds up close at Scotts Warbird Alley, which is home to the twice-daily "Warbirds in Review" program. Among the several notable warbirds on display during the week will be the DC-3/C-47, B-17, P-51 Mustangs, F-86, Nakajima A6M2 Model 21 Zero and a newly restored Focke-Wulf Fw190A-9.
At least four of the remaining airworthy Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" aircraft will be on hand to commemorate the legendary World War II bomber's 75th anniversary during EAA AirVenture 2010. Boeing produced nearly 7,000 B-17s, but today less than a dozen in the world are considered airworthy.
Two extremely rare Axis World War II fighter aircraft - a German Focke-Wulf Fw190A-9 and Japanese Model 21 Zero - are expected to attend AirVenture 2010. The Focke-Wulf Fw190A-9 is from the German Luftwaffe. More than 20,000 were built during WWII. The 1941 Nakajima A6M2 Model 21 Japanese Zero was restored from a wreck discovered in the Ballale Island jungles in the Solomons in 1965. With everything original except the engine, the airplane's restoration has been praised by Japanese aeronautical engineers and other world experts.
The iconic Goodyear blimp will return to the skies over AirVenture 2010 this year, arriving on Tuesday, July 27 and departing on Monday, August 2. It will fly regularly during the festivities and be moored near the EAA AirVenture Museum's Pioneer Airport for up-close viewing at other times, giving visitors a unique view of an aircraft that is commonly seen only from afar.
Other highlights of AirVenture 2010 include mass, hot-air balloon launches on the shows last two mornings, Saturday, July 31 and Sunday, August 1; musical entertainment from actor Gary Sinise's Lt. Dan Band as well as the legendary sound of Asleep At The Wheel; an impressive fireworks display; and much more included with regular AirVenture admission rates.
EAA AirVenture Oshkosh is the world's greatest aviation celebration and EAA's yearly membership convention. In 2009 the show drew 578,000 spectators, including 2,182 international visitors from 75 nations of the world. More than 10,000 aircraft flew into Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, including 2,662 showplanes. EAA AirVenture information, including advance ticket and camping purchase, is available online at www.airventure.org.
