AirVenture 2017 Another way to describe the event’s size is to point out that more than 10,000 aircraft arrived at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh and other airports in east-central Wisconsin. When you consider that Germany has a total general aviation fleet of a little over 21,000, it is like half of all of the general aviation aircraft (of all kinds!) in Germany left their hangars and showed up at one fly-in! At the Wittman airport alone, there were 17,223 aircraft operations in the 10-day period from July 21-30, which is an average of approximately 123 takeoffs/landings per hour. And the busiest place for takeoffs and landings was in the ultralight area, when it was open for operations! There are planes and there are planes. Show planes are aircraft which have been specially cared for by the private owner. The aircraft may be a refurbished vintage airplane, an ultralight, a homebuilt, a warbird, or anything else an owner has taken special pride in and wants to have judged as a best in category. Competition is fierce with 2,991 show planes entered this year, which, like the crowds, was up 5% over last year. Here is a breakdown of the competition: 1,107 homebuilt aircraft; 1,162 vintage airplanes (up 12 percent); 351 warbirds; 168 ultralights and light sport aircraft; 79 seaplanes; 54 rotorcraft; 60 aerobatic aircraft; and 10 hot air balloons. This relaxed pilot is Michael Ostrander from Rantoul, Illinois with his 2017 Antique Ultralight Champion aircraft, a Quicksilver MX Helicopter Gold Lindy winner Christopher Davenport from Danville, California takes his winning Safari 400 out for a spin Gyroplane Silver Lindy winner Chris Lord of Hanover, Illinois flying his ELA Eclipse 10. Chris recently became the US importer for this handsome Spanish machine. EAA Ultralight & Light Sport Aircraft Award Winners Antique Ultralight – Champion Michael Ostrander, Rautoul, Illinois Quicksilver MX, E001MO Light Sport Aircraft – Grand Champion Michael Kraus, Jackson, Michigan Kitfox Super Sport 7, N213KF Light Sport Aircraft – Reserve Grand Champion Benjamin Schneider, Flanagan, Illinois Just SuperSTOL, N45FT (Shown here) Light Sport Aircraft – Honorable Mention Oren E. Heatwole. Dayton, Virginia Just SuperSTOL, N363JA. EAA Rotorcraft Aircraft Award Winners Helicopter – Gold Christopher Davenport, Danville, California Safari 400, N271CD Helicopter – Silver Norm Groom, Rockford, Illinois Rotorway 162F, N8066R Helicopter – Bronze Charles Bucci, East Troy, WI Rotorway 162, N365CB Gyroplane–Gold Jason Knight Tomball, Texas, Autogyro Cavalon, N7770TX Gyroplane – Silver Chris Lord, Hanover, Illinois ELA Eclipse 10, N510EA Gyroplane – Bronze Brent Lavallee, St. Clement, Ontario RAF 2000 CTX SE, C-GYRF Doug Rhodes, Rio Rancho, New Mexico Magni M-22, N223DR Christine Toeys, Whitewater, Kansas Titanium Explorer, N234TE
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