EAA Aviation Museum

Last updated

EAA Aviation Museum
EAAAirAdventureMuseum.jpg
Front Entrance
EAA Aviation Museum
Former name
EAA AirVenture Museum
Established1983;38 years ago (1983)
Location Oshkosh, Wisconsin
Coordinates 43°59′03″N088°34′42″W / 43.98417°N 88.57833°W / 43.98417; -88.57833
Type Aviation Museum
Collection size~200 aircraft
Owner Experimental Aircraft Association
Nearest car parkOn site (no charge)
Website EAA.org/museum
Eagle Hangar at the EAA Aviation Museum EAAAirAdventureMuseumEagleHangar.jpg
Eagle Hangar at the EAA Aviation Museum
Panorama shot of the Eagle Hangar. EAA Museum Eagle Hangar Panorama.jpg
Panorama shot of the Eagle Hangar.
Eagles Aerobatic Team aircraft, flown by Tom Poberezny, Charlie Hillard and Gene Soucy, on display in the EAA Aviation Museum entrance Eagles Aerobatic Team Display.jpg
Eagles Aerobatic Team aircraft, flown by Tom Poberezny, Charlie Hillard and Gene Soucy, on display in the EAA Aviation Museum entrance
EAA Air Adventure Museum sign on Interstate 41 EAAAirAdventureMuseumSign.jpg
EAA Air Adventure Museum sign on Interstate 41

The EAA Aviation Museum, formerly the EAA AirVenture Museum (or Air Adventure Museum), [1] is a museum dedicated to the preservation and display of historic and experimental aircraft as well as antiques, classics, and warbirds. The museum is located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, adjacent to Wittman Regional Airport, home of the museum's sponsoring organization, the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), and the organization's EAA AirVenture Oshkosh event (the world's biggest fly-in and airshow) that takes place in late July/early August.

Contents

With over 200 aircraft, indoors and outdoors, and other exhibits and activities (including occasional aircraft rides nearby), the AirVenture Museum is a key tourist attraction in Oshkosh and is a center of activity throughout the AirVenture fly-in and airshow each summer. The museum is open year-round with the exception of a few holidays.

History

EAA founder Paul Poberezny proposed the idea of the EAA Air Museum-Air Education center in August 1958. [2] In the late 1970s, Paul's son, EAA president Tom Poberezny, led the campaign to build the current updated EAA museum and headquarters, which was officially opened in 1983.

Features and exhibits

The museum's collection displays more than 200 aircraft [3] and 20,000 artifacts, [4] including civilian and military aircraft of historic importance, and aircraft popular with aviation hobbyists—vintage, homebuilt, racing and stunt aircraft.

Some of the more historic and unusual planes include a Curtiss Pusher, Bleriot XI, Curtiss Jenny, Pitcairn PCA-2 autogyro, Sikorsky S-38 amphibian flying boat, and the Taylor Aerocar flying car, as well various warbirds and Golden Age aircraft.

Other exhibits include functional replicas of the Wright Flyer and its predecessor, Octave Chanute's hang glider, French and German World War I fighters, Lindbergh's Ryan NYP "Spirit of St. Louis" replica (flown in the movie), and a replica of the historic Laird Super Solution 1931 racer.

A large section on Burt Rutan's aircraft includes a portion of his homebuilts, replicas of his globe-circling Rutan Voyager and the first private spacecraft, Space Ship One, crafted by Rutan's own shop.

The museum has a variety of donated aircraft, including the Church Midwing, Funk B, Monnett Moni, and many homebuilt and kitplane aircraft (some foreign)—many built by the original designers. Notable homebuilts on display consist of Van's Aircraft's Van's RV-3, designed by Richard VanGrunsven, Christen Industries' Christen Eagle II, designed by Frank Christensen, and Cirrus Aircraft's first model, the Cirrus VK-30, designed by the Klapmeier brothers.

Pioneer Airport

Pioneer Airport, is an old grass airstrip immediately behind the museum.

Rides

Aircraft rides are offered through various EAA programs at the Museum's Pioneer Airport, or at the adjoining Wittman Field, especially during AirVenture Fly-In and Airshow, typically in late summer.

Ford Tri-Motor rides

A 1920s/1930s vintage Ford Tri-Motor airliner sells rides occasionally at adjoining Wittman Field. [5] A particular program is the Fall Colors Flights, short flights to view colorful fall foliage in the area. [6]

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress rides

The EAA's 1940s-vintage Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress World War II bomber, the Aluminum Overcast, sells rides occasionally at adjoining Wittman Field. [7]

Helicopter rides

Helicopter rides, typically in Bell 47 ("MASH") helicopters are available occasionally at adjacent Pioneer Airport, or from adjoining Wittman Field.

Children's section

The museum includes a children's section which provides extensive hands-on aviation-related exhibits and activities, plus a "control tower" observation platform overlooking Pioneer Airport. [3]

Library

The EAA library has been open to EAA members since 1985.

Location

The EAA Museum is near the northwest corner of the grounds of Wittman Regional Airport, on the southeast side of the interchange connecting Interstate 41 with Wisconsin state highways 44 and 91.

See also

Related Research Articles

EAA AirVenture Oshkosh Experimental Aircraft Association annual convention and air show in Oshkosh, Wisconsin

EAA AirVenture Oshkosh is an annual air show and gathering of aviation enthusiasts held each summer at Wittman Regional Airport and adjacent Pioneer Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, United States. The southern part of the show grounds, as well as Camp Scholler, are located in the town of Nekimi and a base on for seaplanes arrivals on Lake Winnebago is in Black Wolf. The airshow is arranged by the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), an international general aviation organization based in Oshkosh, and is the largest of its kind in the world. The show lasts a week, usually beginning on the Monday of the last full week in July. During the gathering, the airport's control tower, frequency 118.5, is the busiest in the world.

Experimental Aircraft Association Aviation organization in Oshkosh, United States

The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) is an international organization of aviation enthusiasts based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, United States. Since its inception it has grown internationally with over 200,000 members and nearly 1,000 chapters worldwide, and hosts the largest aviation gathering of its kind in the world, EAA AirVenture Oshkosh.

Oshkosh, Wisconsin City in Wisconsin, United States

Oshkosh is a city in Winnebago County, Wisconsin, United States, located where the Fox River enters Lake Winnebago from the west. The population was 66,083 at the 2010 census. The city is located adjacent to the Town of Oshkosh.

Warbird Vintage military aircraft operated by non military forces

A warbird is any vintage military aircraft now operated by civilian organizations and individuals or, in some instances, by historic arms of military forces, such as the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, the RAAF Museum Historic Flight or the South African Air Force Museum Historic Flight.

Homebuilt aircraft

Homebuilt aircraft, also known as amateur-built aircraft or kit planes, are constructed by persons for whom this is not a professional activity. These aircraft may be constructed from "scratch", from plans, or from assembly kits.

Paul Poberezny United States aviator, founder of Experimental Aircraft Association

Paul Howard Poberezny was an American aviator, entrepreneur, and aircraft designer. He founded the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) in 1953, and spent the greater part of his life promoting homebuilt aircraft.

Wittman Regional Airport Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin

Wittman Regional Airport is a county-owned public-use airport located two nautical miles (4 km) south of the central business district of Oshkosh, a city in Winnebago County, Wisconsin, United States. A large portion at the south end of the airport is located in the town of Nekimi. It is located adjacent to Pioneer Airport, part of the EAA Aviation Museum. The airport was named after pioneer air racer, aircraft designer and builder Steve Wittman in 1972. Originally named Winnebago County Airport, the name Steve Wittman Field was proposed in 1968 and it is also known as Wittman Field. It is included in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2019–2023, in which it is categorized as a regional general aviation facility.

Cirrus VK-30

The Cirrus VK-30 is a single-engine pusher-propeller homebuilt aircraft originally sold as a kit by Cirrus Design, and was the company's first model.

Steve Wittman American aviator

Sylvester Joseph "Steve" Wittman was an air-racer and aircraft designer and builder.

The CAFE Foundation is a U.S. non-profit aviation development and flight test organization based in Windsor, California. CAFE was an acronym for"Competition in Aircraft Flight Efficiency" and became later "Comparative Aircraft Flight Efficiency." The organization promotes experimental aviation activities which promote the development of highly efficient aircraft. It is sponsored by many organizations including Boeing Phantom Works, NASA, EAA, AOPA, Glasair Aviation, among others; and funding is also obtained through an FAA grant.

Tom Poberezny US aviation leader

Thomas Paul "Tom" Poberezny is a retired American aerobatic world champion, as well as chairman of the annual Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Fly-In and Convention from 1977 to 2011 and president of EAA from 1989 to 2010. He succeeded his father, Paul Poberezny, who founded the organization in 1953.

Wittman Buttercup

The Wittman W-5 Buttercup is a two place aircraft designed and built by Steve Wittman in 1938. Designated as the Buttercup Model W, the original aircraft is housed in the Experimental Aircraft Association, EAA AirVenture Museum in Oshkosh, WI.

Aviation in Wisconsin

Aviation in Wisconsin refers to the aviation industry of the American Midwestern state of Wisconsin.

Poberezny P-5 Pober Sport

The P-5 Pober Sport is an early low-wing homebuilt aircraft designed by Experimental Aircraft Association founder Paul Poberezny. The one example built was flown across the country to every EAA chapter at the time.

Florida Air Museum

The Florida Air Museum, formerly known as the International Sport Aviation Museum and the SUN 'n FUN Air Museum, is designated as Florida's "Official Aviation Museum and Education Center." It features a display of aircraft including one-of-a-kind designs, classics, ultra-lights, antiques and warbirds.

WACO Primary Glider

The WACO primary glider or simply WACO glider, was an early product of the Waco Aircraft Company. The low cost glider was intended to be flown from low hills or towed by a vehicle.

Sport Aviation is an aviation magazine published since 1953 starting as The Experimenter. The content focuses on experimental homebuilding of aircraft and general aviation topics, including antique, war, and classic aircraft.

Richard E. "Dick" VanGrunsven is an American aircraft designer and kit plane manufacturer. The number of VanGrunsven-designed homebuilt aircraft produced each year in North America exceeds the combined production of all commercial general aviation companies.

Klapmeier brothers American entrepreneurs, founders of Cirrus Aircraft Corporation

The Klapmeier brothers, Alan Lee Klapmeier and Dale Edward Klapmeier, are American aircraft designers and aviation entrepreneurs who together founded the Cirrus Design Corporation in 1984. Under the leadership of the Klapmeiers, Cirrus was the first aircraft manufacturer to install a whole-plane parachute recovery system as a standard on all its models—designed to lower the airplane safely to the ground in case of an emergency. The device is attributed with saving over 200 lives to date. From the brothers' use of all-composite airframe construction and glass panel cockpits on production aircraft, Cirrus is known for having revolutionized general aviation for modern light aircraft pilots.

Pioneer Airport Airport in Wisconsin, United States

Pioneer Airport is a privately owned airport located two nautical miles (4 km) south of the central business district of Oshkosh, a city in Winnebago County, Wisconsin, United States. The airport is located on the northwest edge of Wittman Regional Airport, with which it co-hosts the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh airshow.

References

  1. ↑ "EAA changes name of its museum". Northwestern Media. February 24, 2017. Retrieved March 19, 2017.
  2. ↑ Sport Aviation. February 1960.Missing or empty |title= (help)
  3. 1 2 "Visitor Information" topic, EAA AirVenture Museum section, EAA official website
  4. ↑ "Collections" topic in "EAA Museum" section, official EAA website
  5. ↑ Ford Tri-Motor Tour topic, "Flight Experiences" section, EAA official website, as retrieved April 2, 2015
  6. ↑ "Of fall flights, sights, and frights", Wisconsin Traveler Wisconsin Natural Resources magazine, October 2009, as retrieved April 2, 2015
  7. ↑ B-17 Aluminum Overcast Tour topic, "Flight Experiences" section, EAA official website, as retrieved April 2, 2015

Coordinates: 43°59′16″N88°34′40″W / 43.987813°N 88.577785°W / 43.987813; -88.577785

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.