"The World's Busiest Control Tower": Big characters designate the location at which approx. 10.000 airplanes are moved in just one week. During the seven days of the EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association) AirVenture at Wittman Regional Airport (better known as Oshkosh) is the Mecca for General Aviation and counts worldwide for the most aircraft movements. The organization founded in 1953 for people with interest in building and restoring "recreational aircraft" has reached meanwhile a breathtaking dimension. Every year hundred thousands of visitors come to Wisconsin to experience this event.

We are here the first time and not only as a visitor, but as guests of the EAA.

Michel Bryson, Chairman of the International Tent, heard about our project in October of the last year. She spontaneously came up with the fantastic idea to invite us to "Parade of Nations" at Oshkosh. We should hold a guest speech at the opening event of the Internationally Day. This invitation for us and our “Round-the-World Project” was a great honor. Hence, we changed the timing and the routing accordingly, so that we could arrive in time on Friday at KOSH.

This time the preparation for our flight to KOSH has to be even more thoroughly. We must study a 32 page NOTAM to understand the special VFR and IFR procedures for approach and departure.
We take off in Westchester, New York a little earlier than originally planned, because we have to take into account a strong headwind en-route. The radar controller kindly gives us some shortcuts and sends us finally on a direct course to Oshkosh. That is good news, because we save some time. However, we consequently have to fly approx. 4 hours on a straight course.
The NOTAM recommends to “cancel IFR” 60 NM prior reaching the airfield and then to follow the described VFR procedures. We ignore this recommendation today which simplifies our approach quite considerably. Without problems we get radar vectors for the VOR approach RW 27. "Clear to land runway 27. Land on orange dot". (On every of the three runways there are up to three in colored dots on which you touch down only at short distance to your traffic ahead . In order to cope with the traffic density, the American Aviation Authority permits reduced separation for approach and departure especially for this event.) The most difficult maneuver today is the taxing process to our final park position. One must follow a large number of clearances of Ground Control and numerous signs of the flagmen.

With the invitation to Oshkosh we had received "AeroShell Square" as a park position for our Cessna. As novices of this event we really only understand the dimension of the honor when we turn towards the Sqaure. The AeroShell Sqaure is the central exhibition platform of this event on which only special exhibits are displayed. The gigantic C5 Galaxy is among others, like F4, F15, F16, F18, DC3, DC7B, C1077 (from 1927), P51D, our neighbor for the next 3 days. The C5 pilot cannot hold back his offer to park our Cessna in the loading bay of his aircraft – of course we have to reject this kind proposal!
(On the Square we meet countless visitors with even more questions which would like to know more about our trip during the next days. A great resonance which we didn’t expected at all.)
We owe this special appearance to Adam Smith from the EAA headquarter which has suggested our aircraft to be on AeroShell Square.

Upon arrival Jerry, the presenter of the AeroShell Squares, introduces us and our project to the audience. Burning interest seems to be in the question, how a married couple can undertake a 4.5 month journey without being finally divorced.

Next our host Michel Bryson as well as the organizers Margaret Koskinen and Victor Briones give us a warm welcome to the International Tent. At 12 o'clock the Parade of Nations with visitors from 75 countries starts. In our guest speech we introduce our project. A small contribution in comparison to the opening words of Paul Poberezny who speaks immediately behind us. Paul founded the EAA 57 years ago and enjoys the highest recognition among the visitors.

On Saturday we have to start early again. The only available and completely overcharged for hotel is in Appelton, half an hour drive away from Oshkosh. At 8 o'clock a live interview is scheduled with EAA Radio.

Beside all invitations we take the time to view the numerous air shows. The new Night Show is really impressing. Night aerobatics – flying at highest level! No less impressively is the mass takeoff of the participants on Sunday late afternoon. Lined up in two rows on a runway, the pilots get their take-off clearance and leave the airport at 0.5 NM intervals.

After three days we are tired and deeply impressed. EAA AirVentur is no flight show in the classical sense. For decades the organizers formed a sort of gigantic meeting of friends which meet every year. The atmosphere is very warm and friendly which is to be ascribed certainly to approx. 7000 volunteers who dedicate their spare time for a successful event.

We have been here the first … but certainly not the last time.

(Please check “exhibitions” for more pictures of EAA AirVenture)