AirVenture 2013 opened under a banner of resilience. In his remarks that year, the EAA President framed the show as a triumph over adversity, acknowledging the financial pressures, regulatory challenges, and organisational headwinds that had shaped the months leading up to Oshkosh. Yet the event that unfolded on the grounds of Wittman Regional Airport demonstrated the opposite of contraction: strong attendance, a revitalised programme, and a community determined to keep the world’s largest aviation gathering moving forward.
The flightline reflected this spirit. Warbirds, homebuilts, and vintage aircraft arrived in force, joined by a growing contingent of modern composite designs and advanced avionics platforms that were reshaping general aviation. The daily schedule leaned into heritage and innovation in equal measure, with large‑scale formations, precision aerobatics, and manufacturer showcases that highlighted both the history and the future of flight.
Across the grounds, AirVenture 2013 carried the unmistakable energy of a community refusing to be defined by its challenges. From the seaplane base to Pioneer Airport, the show reaffirmed Oshkosh’s identity as aviation’s annual meeting place — a gathering built not on ease, but on the shared determination to overcome obstacles and keep the spirit of flight alive.
Art Mortvedt’s vividly painted Cessna 185, Polar Pumpkin, displayed at AirVenture 2013 shortly after completing its flight to the Geographic North Pole. Mortvedt had previously flown the same aircraft solo to the South Pole in 1999, making it the first single-engined production aircraft flown solo by the same pilot to both ends of the Earth. The protective propeller covers and inflatable globe complement this remarkable veteran of polar exploration.
A three-quarter starboard nose view of Art Mortvedt’s Cessna A185F Skywagon, N90SN, Polar Pumpkin, in its distinctive orange “Antarctica Air” colour scheme. Mortvedt flew this rugged aircraft solo to the South Pole in 1999 and to the Geographic North Pole in 2013, carrying scientific equipment during the expeditions. Displayed at AirVenture 2013 soon after its successful Arctic journey, it is seen with insulated covers protecting the propeller and spinner, while the globe alongside symbolises its remarkable pole-to-pole achievement
Starboard-side view of Beechcraft V35B Bonanza N8135R, carrying race number 8 at AirVenture 2013. This six-seat, single-engined touring aircraft retains the Bonanza’s unmistakable V-tail and retractable tricycle undercarriage and is powered by a 285 hp Continental IO-520 engine. The streamlined fuselage, extensive cabin glazing and distinctive butterfly tail made the V35B one of the most recognisable high-performance American light aircraft of its era.
EAA’s Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress Aluminum Overcast passes overhead at AirVenture 2013 with its undercarriage extended. Built by Vega in 1945, the aircraft was delivered too late to see wartime service and now commemorates a namesake B-17 lost over France in 1944. The view reveals the Fortress’s broad wing, four Wright Cyclone radial engines and distinctive red-painted wingtips and tail surfaces.
An underside view of EAA’s B-17G Flying Fortress Aluminum Overcast during its display at AirVenture 2013. The code 3O-H and Triangle-W tail marking reproduce those carried by the original Aluminum Overcast of the USAAF’s 601st Bomb Squadron, 398th Bomb Group, lost over France on its 34th combat mission in August 1944. The broad wing, four Wright Cyclone radial engines, ball turret and red-painted extremities are particularly prominent from this angle.
The Shandong Pavilion of China at AirVenture 2013, representing the 50-member Shandong Aviation Industry Association. Its exhibitors promoted the province’s expanding general-aviation sector, including aircraft manufacturing, maintenance, flying training, aerospace education and aviation finance, while seeking commercial partnerships with American companies. The neighbouring EAA Canada exhibit and the large American flag emphasise AirVenture’s international character.
A rear three-quarter starboard view of the Commemorative Air Force’s Boeing B-29A Superfortress FIFI on static display at AirVenture 2013. Built at Boeing’s Renton plant in 1945, FIFI was recovered from the US Navy’s China Lake weapons range and returned to the air in 1971. At the time of this photograph, she was the world’s only airworthy B-29 and consequently one of AirVenture’s greatest attractions.
A close-up of the CAF “Ghost Squadron” emblem carried beneath the tail of B-29A Superfortress FIFI at AirVenture 2013. The name Ghost Squadron refers collectively to the Commemorative Air Force’s extensive fleet of preserved and airworthy historic military aircraft, maintained and flown as a tribute to the people who designed, built, serviced and operated them.
A portable fire extinguisher stowed inside an externally accessible compartment on the starboard rear fuselage of the Commemorative Air Force’s B-29A FIFI at AirVenture 2013. The inspection tag, pressure gauge and tamper seal illustrate the routine safety checks required to keep this enormous historic bomber operational, while the surrounding riveted structure reveals its original wartime construction.
A dramatic head-on view of the Commemorative Air Force’s B-29A Superfortress FIFI on static display at AirVenture 2013. The extensive glazed nose housed the bombardier and provided the crew with exceptional forward visibility, while the four Wright R-3350 radial engines gave the enormous bomber its intercontinental performance. At the time, FIFI was the world’s only airworthy B-29 and attracted a constant crowd of visitors.
A close-up of the colourful Diamond Lil nose art on the Commemorative Air Force’s veteran Liberator at AirVenture 2013. Built in 1941 and originally allotted RAF serial AM927, the aircraft was damaged before delivery and subsequently converted for transport duties. After briefly carrying the name Ol’ 927 following its 2007 return to an early B-24 configuration, its familiar Diamond Lil identity and pin-up artwork—painted by Velasco—were reinstated in 2012.
Beech C-45H Expeditor N167ZA displayed in US Navy-style markings at AirVenture 2013. This military development of the Beech Model 18 combines twin Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp Junior radial engines with retractable tailwheel undercarriage and a capacious cabin used for transport and training duties. After service with the US Air Force, this aircraft passed to the US Forest Service in 1961 and later the Department of Agriculture before entering private ownership. Despite its present colour scheme, it does not appear to have served with the US Navy.
Eclipse EA500 N61HF displayed in its striking Veterans Airlift Command livery at AirVenture 2013. Donated to the organisation and upgraded by Eclipse Aerospace to “Total Eclipse” standard, this very light twinjet helped provide free air transport for wounded military veterans and their families travelling for medical treatment. The compact, single-pilot jet could cruise at approximately 430 mph at altitudes up to 41,000 feet.
The EAA Aviation Museum’s full-scale Nieuport 11 Bébé replica suspended above its Pioneer Airport exhibit during AirVenture 2013. Completed in 2003 by Arthur Huntley using model-aircraft plans and period photographs, it is a non-flying static reproduction. Its much smaller lower wing, distinctive V-shaped interplane struts and absence of a fixed fin reproduce the characteristic sesquiplane layout of the agile French fighter that helped end the German “Fokker Scourge” in 1916.
An elevated view across the EAA Aviation Museum’s Pioneer Airport gallery during AirVenture 2013, dominated by the blue-and-yellow Pitcairn PCA-2 Autogiro Miss Champion. Built in 1931 as a flying advertisement for Champion Spark Plug, it toured 21 states and 38 cities during that year’s Ford National Air Tour and later assisted an aerial archaeological survey of Mayan ruins in Mexico. Restored by Steve Pitcairn, son of designer Harold Pitcairn, it was flown to Oshkosh in 1986 and joined the museum’s permanent collection in 2005.
Art Chester’s tiny, purpose-built Chester Special air racer The Jeep, NR12930, displayed in the EAA Aviation Museum during AirVenture 2013. First flown in 1932 and powered by a 185-hp Menasco C-4S Pirate inverted inline engine, it competed in the National Air Races from 1933 through 1937 and reached approximately 235 mph. The aircraft was restored to its 1936–37 racing configuration
The prototype Christen Eagle II, N2FC, dramatically displayed standing vertically on its tail in the EAA Aviation Museum during AirVenture 2013. Designed by Frank Christensen, this two-seat aerobatic biplane introduced an exceptionally comprehensive homebuilding kit, complete with prefabricated components, tools and detailed construction manuals. Its flamboyant eagle-feather scheme became one of the most recognisable liveries in aerobatics. Christensen donated the prototype to EAA in 2011, and this display opened in December 2012.
Steve Wittman’s extraordinary D-12 air racer Bonzo, NR13688, suspended in the EAA Aviation Museum during AirVenture 2013. Built specifically for the Thompson Trophy, its angular, tightly packaged airframe—nicknamed the “flying barn door” by the press—was constructed around a 485-hp Curtiss D-12 V-12 engine. Bonzo finished second in the 1935 Thompson Trophy and, in developed form, was capable of approximately 325 mph. Wittman donated the aircraft to EAA, where it was restored for permanent display in 1982.
The remarkably diminutive Stits DS-1 Baby Bird, N4453H, displayed in the EAA Aviation Museum during AirVenture 2013. Designed by Don Stits to capture the record for the world’s smallest monoplane, it has a wingspan of only 6 ft 3 in and is powered by a 55-hp two-cylinder Hirth engine. Retired US Navy pilot Harold Nemer flew the tiny aircraft approximately 35 times between 1984 and 1989, after which it was donated to EAA.
A 1931 Heath LNB-4 Parasol, N953M, displayed above the during AirVenture 2013. Designed by Edward Bayard Heath, the lightweight, open-cockpit LNB-4 was one of America’s most popular pre-war homebuilt aircraft and among the few Heath designs to receive a type certificate. Its wooden parasol wing spans 31 ft 3 in, while the complete aircraft weighs only about 450 lb empty. John McGeary donated this example to EAA in 1986.
Kirby Chambliss’s Zivko Edge 540, N540KC, displayed inverted and viewed head-on in the EAA AirVenture Museum during AirVenture 2013. The three-bladed propeller is backed by the aircraft’s black-painted underside, while its canopy hangs below.
Starboard three-quarter view of North American XP-51 Mustang prototype 41-038, NX51NA, displayed in the EAA Museum’s Eagle Hangar during AirVenture 2013. Originally associated with the British Mustang order but retained in America for testing, it was the first Mustang delivered to the USAAF. Powered by an Allison V-1710 engine, the historic aircraft was restored to flight in 1976 and flown by EAA founder Paul Poberezny until its retirement in 1982.
A head-on underside view of the EAA Museum’s Fokker/Redfern Dr.I replica, N105RF, suspended in a steep bank during AirVenture 2013. Built by Walter W. Redfern and first flown in 1964, the aircraft wears the markings of German fighter pilot Hans Weiss and is powered by a 145-hp Warner Scarab radial engine
The EAA Aviation Museum’s rare 1933 Aeronca C-2-N Deluxe Scout, NC13089, viewed from the port-front quarter during AirVenture 2013. Nicknamed the “Flying Bathtub” for its distinctive deep fuselage, this 36-hp, single-seat light aircraft is one of only four C-2-Ns built and subsequently established several international altitude, speed and distance records.
A 1966 Pietenpol Air Camper, N7533U, displayed in a Pioneer Airport hangar during AirVenture 2013. Bernard Pietenpol designed this simple two-seat tandem homebuilt in the late 1920s, using traditional wood-and-fabric construction and originally adapting the Ford Model A automobile engine to provide affordable recreational flying.
The exceptionally rare 1929 Pheasant H-10, NC151N, displayed at Pioneer Airport during AirVenture 2013. Designed by Orville Hickman, the three-seat biplane was powered by a 90-hp, water-cooled Curtiss OX-5 V-8 engine. The Pheasant Aircraft Company built only about forty H-10s before succumbing to the Depression; celebrated Wisconsin aviator Steve Wittman served as the company’s test pilot and raced the type in the 1928 transcontinental air derbies. This example is preserved by the EAA Aviation Museum
The diminutive Nicholas-Beazley Pobjoy Special racing monoplane, represented by the full-size replica N6119G, displayed at Pioneer Airport during AirVenture 2013. Robert T. Jones designed the original in 1930 as an exceptionally small and lightweight racer. Steve Wittman acquired it in 1932 and achieved considerable success, including a 100-kilometre world speed record of 137.513 mph in 1934 for aircraft weighing no more than 440 lb. The original aircraft subsequently disappeared; this replica, powered by a 90-hp Pobjoy Niagara radial engine, was completed in 1998 and donated to the EAA Aviation Museum.
A full-size replica of Steve Wittman’s “Hardly Abelson”, accompanied by a smaller model, displayed at Pioneer Airport during AirVenture 2013. Wittman built the original in 1923 while still at high school, powering it with a Harley-Davidson V-twin motorcycle engine driving the propeller through a chain-reduction system. It managed only a few short hops across a cow pasture, inspiring its humorous name. With no drawings or photographs surviving, Pat Packard reconstructed the aircraft in 1995 after working with Wittman for four years to recreate its design from memory.
Steve Wittman’s 1953 Tailwind W-8C, N5747N, displayed in the Wittman Hangar at Pioneer Airport during AirVenture 2013. Originally called the Flying Carpet, the Tailwind combined a lightweight, uncomplicated airframe with Wittman’s tapered spring-steel undercarriage and an 85-hp Continental engine. Despite its modest power, it could cruise at about 153 mph and reach 175 mph. This aircraft became the first two-seat amateur-built design approved by the FAA to carry non-revenue passengers and helped establish the Tailwind as an enduring plans-built homebuilt.
The original 1938 Wittman Buttercup Model W, N18268, displayed at Pioneer Airport during AirVenture 2013. Steve Wittman used the two-seat cabin monoplane as a light-aircraft development test bed for more than 50 years. This view clearly shows its remarkable variable-camber wing, with full-span leading-edge slats and slotted trailing-edge flaps that altered the aerofoil for increased lift at low speed while retracting for faster cruising flight. Powered by an 85-hp Continental C-85, Buttercup could reach approximately 145 mph and influenced Wittman’s later Tailwind design.
Steve Wittman’s tiny Witts V Formula V racing aircraft, powered by a converted 1,600 cc, 65 hp Volkswagen engine. Wittman built the prototype to promote Formula V as an inexpensive entry into air racing; its light weight and clean lines gave it a maximum speed of around 180 mph. Photographed among the historic racing exhibits in the EAA Museum during AirVenture 2013.
The unique Rider/Elmendorf R-5 “Jackrabbit,” NX264Y, designed and built by Keith Rider for the 1936 racing season. Originally flown by Dave Elmendorf as the yellow Elmendorf Special, it was later acquired by Hal Marcoux and Jack Bromberg, repainted black and yellow, and renamed Jackrabbit. With Earl Ortman flying, it finished fourth in the 1938 Greve Trophy race. The streamlined racer was powered by a supercharged six-cylinder Menasco engine and could reach approximately 225 mph. Photographed in the EAA Museum’s Air Racing Gallery during AirVenture 2013.
This unusual tandem-wing aircraft originated as Henri Mignet’s HM-20 Pou du Ciel, begun in 1937. Frank Easton acquired the unfinished components during the Second World War and rebuilt the aircraft in 1946 as the modified ME-2Y. It has no elevators or ailerons: the upper wing pivots to control pitch, while the large rudder provides directional control. Powered by a 40 hp Continental A-40 engine, N43993 became a familiar participant at early EAA fly-ins during the 1950s and 1960s. Photographed at Pioneer Airport during AirVenture 2013.
The EAA’s airworthy Blériot XI bis replica, representing Earle Ovington’s American-built Queen Monoplane Dragonfly. On 23 September 1911, Ovington became the first officially appointed United States airmail pilot, carrying 640 letters and 1,280 postcards from Garden City to Mineola, Long Island. The replica incorporates an original three-cylinder Anzani engine and carries the historic “U.S. Mail Aeroplane No. 1” inscription. Photographed at Pioneer Airport during AirVenture
A full-size reproduction of the Wright brothers’ first production aeroplane and their first design equipped with wheels rather than launching skids alone. Built over four years by 19 members of EAA Chapter 610 in New Carlisle, Ohio, it remains close to the original design but incorporates safer flight controls, a larger radiator and a Model A Ford engine. The replica was donated to the EAA in 2011 and has successfully flown. Photographed at Pioneer Airport during AirVenture 2013.
A replica of Henry Ford’s diminutive 1926 Flivver, conceived as a mass-produced “everyman’s aeroplane” to complement the Model T motor car. Designed by Otto Koppen, the single-seat original was powered by a 35 hp, three-cylinder Anzani engine. Charles Lindbergh was the only person apart from Ford test pilot Harry Brooks known to have flown it—and reportedly described the Flivver afterwards as “one of the worst aircraft he ever flew.” This static replica was constructed over five years by EAA Chapter 159, with advice from Koppen, and delivered to the EAA Museum in 1991. Photographed at Pioneer Airport during AirVenture 2013.
A full-size replica of the diminutive 1921 Snyder–Macready “Baby Bomber,” N1034, designed in Dayton, Ohio, by Orville H. “Bud” Snyder in association with U.S. Army test pilot Lieutenant John A. Macready. Despite its grandiose name, it was a tiny single-seat light aeroplane intended to explore inexpensive, low-powered flight; the original was entered in the 1924 International Air Races at Dayton. Photographed at Pioneer Airport during AirVenture 2013.
A passenger’s-eye view from the distinctive bubble cockpit of Bell 47G N666SM, with its engine running and the combined engine-and-rotor tachometer in the operating range. Ahead lies the grass landing area at Pioneer Airport, with several other helicopters waiting beside the hangar. The Bell 47 became the world’s first helicopter to receive a commercial type certificate and gained lasting fame in military service as the H-13 Sioux. Photographed shortly before take-off for an AirVenture pleasure flight in 2013.
A passenger’s-eye view from Bell 47G-3B-1 N666SM as it lifts away from Pioneer Airport during EAA AirVenture 2013. The central instrument pedestal, collective control and blurred rotor reflection frame the grassy airfield beyond the Bell’s famously expansive bubble canopy. The helicopter was formerly U.S. Army TH-13T Sioux 66-4292.
Seen from the Bell 47G during a sightseeing flight from Pioneer Airport, the EAA Museum’s Northrop F-89J Scorpion occupies the centre of the lawn, its large red-tipped wing tanks making it readily identifiable. Alongside is the smaller Lockheed P-80C Shooting Star, while AirVenture’s densely packed parking and camping areas fill the background. Photographed over the EAA Aviation Museum grounds at Oshkosh during AirVenture 2013.
Seen from a Bell 47G, French aerobatic pilot Nicolas Ivanoff performs a smoke-on, steeply banked pass in his Hamilton-sponsored Zivko Edge 540 beyond Wittman Regional Airport’s main runway. Below, the control tower, exhibition halls and densely crowded show grounds demonstrate the immense scale of AirVenture, with Oshkosh and Lake Winnebago beyond.
An aerial view from the Bell 47G over the Warbirds of America parking area, on the eastern side of the AirVenture grounds beside Runway 18/36. Prominent aircraft include the Cavanaugh Flight Museum’s de Havilland Canada C-7A Caribou at left, a red-and-white Grumman HU-16 Albatross amphibian in the centre, and a Douglas C-47 Skytrain at upper right. Several North American B-25 Mitchells and smaller trainers are gathered below, illustrating the remarkable concentration of historic military aircraft at AirVenture 2013.
Kirby Chambliss’s yellow-and-blue Red Bull Zivko Edge 540 falls away from a tailslide at the top of a near-vertical smoke trail during the AirVenture 2013 flying display. The unusual air-to-air perspective was photographed from the Bell 47G sightseeing helicopter operating from Pioneer Airport.
An aerial view from the Bell 47G across the Warbirds in Review presentation area beside Wittman Regional Airport’s Runway 18/36. A U.S. Navy Vought F4U Corsair stands beside the spectator seating with its inverted-gull wings folded, while the surrounding display includes a shark-mouthed Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, a North American P-51 Mustang, and a colourful mixture of North American T-28 Trojans and Beechcraft T-34 Mentors with 1 AT-6/SNJ. Photographed during AirVenture 2013.
An aerial view from the Bell 47G over AirVenture’s Warbirds of America parking area. Dominating the scene is the Cavanaugh Flight Museum’s de Havilland Canada C-7A Caribou N149HF, carrying U.S. Army serial 62-4149, alongside Grumman HU-16E Albatross N226CG, restored as U.S. Coast Guard aircraft 7226. A line of T-6/SNJ-based Japanese aircraft replicas and numerous other trainers and warbirds fills the surrounding grass. At upper right, the Orange Dot marks one of the NOTAM-designated touchdown points used to manage AirVenture’s exceptionally heavy arrival traffic. Photographed at AirVenture 2013.
Looking east from Bell 47G N666SM, orderly rows of homebuilt and general-aviation aircraft fill the grass parking area beside Wittman Regional Airport’s main north–south runway. More visiting aircraft are parked beyond the runway among the airport hangars, with the residential neighbourhoods of Oshkosh stretching into the distance. The Bell’s instrument pedestal frames the left side of this aerial view, photographed during AirVenture 2013.
Viewed from Bell 47G N666SM, hundreds of antique and classic aircraft stand in orderly rows across AirVenture’s Vintage Aircraft Association area, close to the southern portion of Wittman Regional Airport. Peace Lutheran Cemetery occupies the foreground, separated from the aircraft by Waukau Avenue, while the runway and taxiways lie to the right. The Bell’s instrument pedestal, mixture and carburettor-heat controls frame this sweeping aerial view of AirVenture 2013.
Looking west from Bell 47G N666SM, the EAA Aviation Museum occupies the centre-right of the photograph, with the curved-roofed Eagle Hangar clearly visible. The wooded grounds and period buildings of Pioneer Airport lie in the foreground, while extensive AirVenture car parks, surrounding roads and the Interstate 41 interchange spread across the background. Reflections from the Bell’s bubble canopy overlay this aerial view, photographed during AirVenture 2013.
An aerial view of Pioneer Airport from a Bell 47G during EAA AirVenture 2013. The grass runway extends along the left, with the Pitcairn Hangar, Pioneer Airport hangars and KidVenture pavilion grouped at center. EAA’s silver 1942 Douglas DC‑3, N7772, is parked beside the pavilion, while two helicopters wait near the upper end of the field. Pioneer Airport recreates the atmosphere of a vintage aerodrome with period hangars and historic aircraft
An aerial view along the grass Runway 13 at Pioneer Airport during AirVenture 2013. Several sightseeing helicopters are operating beside the runway, including Bell 47s, while visitors gather outside the Pitcairn Aviation hangar; the neighbouring building is marked Ryan Flying Co. Photographed from Bell 47G N666SM.