The smoke was not the only weather challenge pilots faced on their way into the mega air show. Lines of thunderstorms forced many pilots to divert en route. [Credit: Meg Godlewski]
Key Takeaways:
EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh was significantly impacted by smoke from Canadian wildfires, leading to blood-red sunsets, orange sunrises, and unhealthy air quality.
Pilots traveling to the air show faced multiple weather challenges, including both heavy smoke and lines of thunderstorms that required diversions.
The varying smoke conditions highlighted the increasing importance for aviators to adapt and utilize procedures like filing IFR to navigate smoke events.
“Goodness, look at the smoke!” said one visitor at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, on Monday evening.
The sunset was blood red, discolored by the smoke coming down from Canadian wildfires. The smoke did not clear by Tuesday morning, as the sun rose looking like an orange in the smoke and haze.
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Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.