This year’s EAA AirVenture, the 49th to be held at Oshkosh, Wisconsin, set several new records including attendance of 601,000, up nearly 2% from the year before, despite the absence of a major jet aerobatic display team (the Blue Angels performed in 2017).
More than 10,000 aircraft arrived at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh and other airports in east-central Wisconsin. At Wittman alone, there were 19,588 aircraft operations from July 20-30, an average of approximately 123 takeoffs/landings per hour during daylight, making it the busiest airport in the world over that period.
Many attendees paid for aircraft rides during the show: 2,800 flew aboard EAA’s two Ford Tri-Motors, while 3,032 rode EAA’s Bell 47 helicopters and 680 flew in EAA’s B-17 bomber "Aluminum Overcast."
The show attracted 867 commercial exhibitors and generated $170 million in business for the surrounding area, based on a 2017 University of Wisconsin Oshkosh economic impact study.
