Wisconsin Aviation Community Mobilizes for Tornado Relief Efforts

EAA donates food, water, and supplies left over from AirVenture.

Meg Godlewski

Thursday, July 30, 2026 at 01:35 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

EAA ships donations to storm-ravaged communities in Winnebago County, Wisconsin. [Credit: Experimental Aircraft Association]

Key Takeaways:

An EF-3 tornado caused extensive devastation in Menasha, Wisconsin, shortly after EAA AirVenture, destroying homes and infrastructure but miraculously resulting in no serious injuries or fatalities.
The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) swiftly donated 18,000 pounds of leftover supplies from their convention to assist tornado recovery efforts in the hardest-hit areas of Winnebago County.
Social media, previously used for AirVenture, is now coordinating community-led recovery efforts, with ongoing calls for donations of essential items to support affected residents.

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A week ago pilots and aviation enthusiasts in Wisconsin were using social media to share information about EAA AirVenture 2026 in Oshkosh. Now those same channels are being utilized to organize tornado recovery efforts for the residents of Winnebago County, especially in Menasha, located about 23 miles to the north of Wittman Regional Airport (KOSH).

According to Dick Knapinski, director of communications for the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), the organization on Wednesday packed up supplies left over from the annual aviation convention and trucked them to Menasha, the hardest-hit community about 15 miles north of Oshkosh.