Gallery: Companies Record Notable Firsts At World’s Largest Airshow

EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2021, the Experimental Aviation Association's annual convention and aviation celebration, is back in full swing after last year’s cancellation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is EAA's 68th annual fly-in. In a normal year, about 5,000 airplanes have flown in by the Sunday before the event opens. This year, more than 7,900 aircraft made the trip by Sunday evening, including more than 1,400 vintage aircraft, a record. Attendance at the show is back to 2019 levels. AirVenture runs July 26 through August 1.   Credit: Molly McMillin

Honda Aircraft is debuting its latest edition of the HondaJet, the HondaJet Elite S, with a special paint scheme at AirVenture Oshkosh. The upgraded aircraft was introduced in May, with increased maximum takeoff weight of 200 lbs, new avionics features, an Advanced Steering Augmentation System to reduce pilot workload, and three new exterior paint options, including Deep Sea blue, gun metal and luxe gold. Credit: Molly McMillin/AviationWeek

Jet It, a North Carolina-based fractional ownership company, is showcasing its services for the first time at AirVenture Oshkosh. Jet It, founded in 2018, operates nine HondaJet Elite aircraft with two additional HondaJets to be delivered soon. The company just passed 100 employees. Jet It is Honda Aircraft’s largest fleet operator in North America. It’s cofounder and CEO Glenn Gonzales, a former Air Force F15 pilot, spent five years as a Gulfstream demonstration pilot before moving to Honda Aircraft as a sales manager. Credit: Molly McMillin/AviationWeek

Red Tail Flight Academy officials took delivery of the first of two Piper Aircraft Pilot 100i trainers for its Tuskegee Airmen-inspired scholarship program during AirVenture Oshkosh. The Academy, part of Tuskegee Airmen Inc., will begin teaching students to fly beginning in September. Its mission to provide flight training opportunities to aspiring minority aviators in honor of the original Tuskegee Airmen. The first class includes six students. Organizers plan to grow to 30 students a year by 2026. Shown here is Glen Fraser, director of the Red Tail Flight Academy (left), and Jerry “Hawk” Burton, Tuskegee Airmen national president. Credit: Molly McMillin/AviationWeek

Icon Aircraft’s iconic Icon A5 will become certified in the primary category sometime this fall as the company works to expand its international sales to countries that do not recognize the light sport model of the aircraft, officials said during AirVenture Oshkosh. The company still expects at least 70% of its sales to come from U.S. customers. Icon plans to deiver more than 30 aircraft this year with projections of 48 to 54 deliveries in 2022. Icon will continue to offer the LSA version. Credit: Molly McMillin/AviationWeek

On the second day of AirVenture Oshkosh, flight-tracking provider FlightAware unveiled a new subscription-based service called Aviator, designed for general aviation pilots, or the “bug smashers,” says Matt Davis, FlightAware vice president of sales. The program provides detailed information on an aircraft’s movement, such as power-on time, taxi, takeoff and landing times and other data to those the pilot designates to receive it, such as family, friends, flying club managers, bosses, FBOs or others, Davis said during a press conference. A pilot can enroll up to 25 people to receive the information. Credit: Molly McMillin/AviationWeek

Engine maker GE is featuring the new Catalyst turboprop engine, designed for Textron Aviation’s new single-engine Beechcrat Denali, the first clean-sheet engine for the turboprop segment in more than 50 years, the company says. The engine is on display at GE’s exhibit at AirVenture Oshkosh. The company is finishing the documentation for permission for first flight with certification expected in the latter part of 2022. Credit: GE