EAA Airventure

Billed as the World’s Greatest Aviation Event, some 700,000 people from around the globe flock to this annual week-long aerial extravaganza, held every summer at Oshkosh’s Wittman Regional Airport. A major perk for families: free admission for children 18 and under.

AirVenture’s most popular event is the daily afternoon air show, where some two dozen pilots perform precision aerobatics. This year’s headliners are the Canadian Forces Snowbirds, the Royal Canadian Air Force’s aerobatic team. The Snowbirds will perform Friday through Sunday.

There also will be two evening air shows. “During the evening shows, the airplanes have lights and fire on their wingtips and under their bellies,” says Dick Knapinski, EAA marketing coordinator. “It’s like taking a sparkler and waving it in the air, with music and a big fireworks show at the end.”

Attendees also enjoy AirVenture’s flight line, where EAA members park their aircraft. Visitors are free to stroll amid the plus-10,000 planes, which include vintage models, ultralights, home-built craft and warbirds, which are vintage military aircraft.

Another popular spot is KidVenture, where hands-on children’s activities await. Think flying a radio-controlled airplane or experiencing a flight simulator.

Admission to the EAA Aviation Museum is included in your ticket. The museum — one of the most popular attractions in northeastern Wisconsin — contains 100 airplanes, including two full-size replicas of Charles Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis aircraft and a Huey helicopter flown in Vietnam.

Finally, AirVenture boasts more than 800 aviation exhibitors and 1,400 educational workshops, seminars and forums, designed for kids to adults. Evenings bring aviation- and space-themed movies shown on a five-story screen. There’s even free popcorn!