“It seems like there are more people here than there were last year.”
You heard this phrase a lot last week at EAA AirVenture 2025. And according to numbers totaled by the EAA, the observation is spot-on. The theme of this year’s event (July 21-27) was “One Week, Endless Possibilities,” and it rang true as the Experimental Aircraft Association’s annual fly-in/airshow total attendance reached a record-setting 704,000, topping the 686,000 mark set in 2024.
“Whether it was aviation history or innovation or camaraderie, it was present in countless ways during the week,” said EAA CEO and chairman Jack Pelton. “This year’s highlights and activities also set the foundation for what’s to come in the world of flight, and that is perhaps the most exciting development of all.”
- READ MORE: It’s Time to Ride Post-Oshkosh Wave Once Againn
Pelton noted that Saturday, July 26, saw particularly high attendance and could not have happened without the efforts of the 6,000 volunteers and EAA staff and partners who make the event happen.
AirVenture by the Numbers
• Aircraft: More than 10,000 aircraft arrived at Wittman Regional Airport (KOSH) in Oshkosh and other airports in east-central Wisconsin.
• Aircraft operations: There were 16,246 aircraft operations in the period from noon CDT July 17 to noon CDT July 28 at KOSH, which is an average of approximately 108 takeoffs/landings per hour when the airport is open. When arrivals are happening, aircraft land approximately every 17 seconds “on the dot.”
• Show planes: There were 2,543, breaking down to 995 vintage aircraft, 910 homebuilt aircraft, 361 warbirds, 101 ultralights and light planes, 75 aerobatic aircraft, 74 seaplanes and amphibians, 18 rotorcraft, and nine balloons.
• Campground users: 40,000 visitors made use of 15,000 campsites in aircraft and drive-in camping.
• Volunteers: Nearly 6,000 contributed nearly 300,000 hours. The volunteers do everything from helping park airplanes to policing the grounds, providing ground transportation using golf carts, feeding the volunteers on-site, and teaching classes and seminars.
• Commercial exhibitors: A record-setting 962 showed up this year.
• Forums, workshops, and presentations: There was a lot to choose from, as there were more than 1,600 sessions hosted during the week at 65 venues.
• Social media, internet, and mobile: If you couldn’t make it to Oshkosh physically, you could get there virtually, as more than 21.2 million people were reached by EAA’s social media channels during the week. Engagement topped 2 million, and total social media video views were 20.3 million, which was an increase of 19 percent over 2024. The EAA noted an increase of 44,000 social media followers gained.
• International guests: AirVenture boasts worldwide appeal. A total of 2,305 attendees from 94 countries outside the U.S. registered at the International Visitors Tent. This included the first registered visitor from Senegal. The EAA notes that since a “significant number of international visitors do not officially register at the tent” when they arrive, the actual international visitor total is likely much higher.
• Media: AirVenture was covered by 901 media representatives on-site, hailing from six continents.
• Fundraising: The EAA Aviation Foundation’s annual fundraising event to support its education programs attracted more than 1,000 people and raised $2.49 million to be used to support the organization’s mission of growing participation in aviation.
• Local economic impact: The EAA estimates the event brought in $257 million for the five counties in the Oshkosh region (Winnebago, Outagamie, Fond du Lac, Calumet, and Brown). That figure is based on a recent University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh economic impact study for the 2024 event.
Looking Forward to Next Year
Mark your calendars for AirVenture 2026 on July 20-26.
“There is never a shortage of ideas from EAA members, AirVenture attendees, our partners, and from inside our own volunteer corps and staff,” said Pelton, when asked what to expect for the next event. “We’ll take a little time to enjoy this year’s accomplishments but will soon start planning for next year’s edition of ‘The World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration.’”
