There are air shows—and then there is EAA AirVenture Oshkosh.
I recently had the privilege of attending the 2026 gathering with the Royal Air Force Red Arrows, fellow representatives of the British Government and British military, and fellow leaders of the Spirit of St. Louis Air Show & STEM Expo. It was an extraordinary few days celebrating aviation, international friendship and the people who keep the spirit of flight alive.
The numbers alone help convey the extraordinary scale of the event. EAA AirVenture Oshkosh welcomed approximately 734,000 people in 2026—the highest attendance in its history. More than 10,000 aircraft arrived in Oshkosh and at surrounding airports, including 2,851 showplanes displayed across the grounds.
Those showplanes included 1,346 vintage aircraft, 875 homebuilt aircraft, 360 warbirds, 118 ultralights and light planes, 88 seaplanes and amphibians, 40 aerobatic aircraft, 18 rotorcraft and six hot-air balloons.
Even those remarkable numbers cannot fully prepare you for the experience.
Oshkosh is difficult to comprehend until you see it for yourself. Aircraft of seemingly every type and generation fill the grounds and the skies. Historic warbirds sit alongside advanced military aircraft, experimental designs, homebuilt airplanes and the latest innovations shaping the future of aviation.
At one point, Tom Charpentier, who leads Government Affairs for EAA and hosted us in the Performer’s Tent for the weekend, generously took us on a golf cart tour of the grounds. The tour lasted nearly two hours—and we still barely scratched the surface.
That experience alone illustrated the remarkable size and complexity of AirVenture. Everywhere we turned, there was another aircraft, exhibition, workshop, gathering or story waiting to be discovered. Tom and the entire Oshkosh team showed us tremendous hospitality, making our British and St. Louis delegation feel genuinely welcome throughout the visit.
For those of us connected to the Spirit of St. Louis Air Show, Oshkosh also felt like a reunion.
Many friends of our show were performing, participating or representing military aviation during the week. They included Captain Nicholas “Laz” Le Tourneau, commander and pilot of the F-22 Raptor Demonstration Team; Skip Stewart; Matt Younkin and his remarkable Beech 18; and Samuel “RaZZ” Larson, the former F-22 demonstration pilot who now serves as Thunderbird 8, the advance pilot and narrator for the United States Air Force Thunderbirds.
The TITAN Aerobatic Team and The Chuters—both part of the 2026 Spirit of St. Louis lineup—were also among the performers at Oshkosh. Spending time with many familiar faces reinforced just how close-knit the air show community really is. These performers travel across the country and around the world, but they remain a family united by professionalism, trust and a shared love of aviation.
A particular highlight was, of course, the Royal Air Force Red Arrows.
The team’s appearance marked its first visit to Oshkosh, where it helped celebrate America’s 250th anniversary. The Red Arrows have displayed since 1965 and have performed nearly 5,000 times in 57 countries, representing the very best of the Royal Air Force and the United Kingdom.
Their flying was everything we have come to expect: precise, disciplined, graceful and breathtaking.
Yet the excellence of the Red Arrows extends far beyond the aircraft in the sky. It is found throughout the entire team—in the engineers, technicians, planners and support personnel whose professionalism makes every display possible. They are extraordinary ambassadors for Britain, for the Royal Air Force and for the values of teamwork, service and excellence.
Having helped welcome the Red Arrows to St. Louis during their 2019 North American tour, it was wonderful to be with them again in the United States. Their presence at Oshkosh was also a powerful expression of the enduring friendship between the United Kingdom and the United States.
That international partnership was reflected in the delegation joining us. Bringing together British government and military representatives, the Red Arrows, EAA leaders and members of the Spirit of St. Louis Air Show created valuable opportunities to strengthen relationships and explore how aviation can continue connecting our two nations.
The most important part of Oshkosh, however, may not be any single aircraft or performance.
It is the inspiration the event creates.
Young people were able to stand beside historic aircraft, meet pilots and engineers, participate in hands-on activities and see technology that might otherwise exist only in books, videos or their imaginations. EAA reinforces that experience through youth programming, workshops, forums and educational resources designed to create pathways into aviation and aerospace careers.
Some of the children attending Oshkosh will become tomorrow’s pilots. Others will become engineers, mechanics, air traffic controllers, military leaders, astronauts, scientists or entrepreneurs.
They may not yet know which path they will take. But events such as Oshkosh allow them to see what is possible.
That same mission is at the heart of the Spirit of St. Louis Air Show & STEM Expo. Air shows entertain, but their greater purpose is to educate, inspire and connect the next generation with opportunities in aviation and STEM.
None of this happens without volunteers.
Approximately 6,000 volunteers helped make the 2026 event possible, contributing nearly 300,000 hours of service. They directed aircraft, welcomed guests, provided transportation, supported performers, managed exhibits, answered questions and carried out countless other responsibilities across the enormous grounds.
Their professionalism was evident everywhere we went, but so was their enthusiasm. They were not simply completing assignments. They were sharing something they love.
That spirit is familiar to all of us involved with the Spirit of St. Louis Air Show. Large aviation events succeed because thousands of people are willing to give their time, knowledge and energy in service of something larger than themselves.
The aircraft may draw people through the gates, but volunteers create the experience.
I returned from Oshkosh with tremendous respect for what EAA has built and for the people who make it possible. I also returned energized by the friendships connecting Oshkosh, St. Louis, the Royal Air Force and the wider international aviation community.
EAA AirVenture Oshkosh reminds us that aviation is about far more than machines.
It is about imagination, service, teamwork and human achievement. It brings nations together, preserves our history and encourages young people to look toward the sky and imagine their own place in the future.
That is the true spirit of aviation—and at Oshkosh, it is alive everywhere you look.
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