Chapters at EAA AirVenture 2024

August 2024 — This year saw another record-breaking AirVenture, with an estimated 686,000 people passing through the gates to attend. Among that number were thousands of EAA chapter members who came from all corners of the United States and from other parts of the world to experience Oshkosh. There was much to celebrate at AirVenture in 2024, including the 70th anniversary of the birth of EAA chapters.

Camp Scholler was packed with AirVenture visitors this year, including members from 103 EAA chapters that reserved group campsites. Our chapter group camping opportunity remains popular, providing EAA chapter members with the experience of camping together and enjoying Oshkosh with each other.

Pancake breakfasts were served at the Chapters Pavilion in Camp Scholler from Saturday, July 20, through Saturday, July 27, with a different EAA chapter hosting each day. Campers could enjoy a hot breakfast each morning to start the day’s adventures. The following chapters hosted pancake breakfasts during EAA AirVenture 2024:

• Saturday, July 20, 2024 — EAA Chapter 75 — Quad Cities, Illinois/Iowa
• Sunday, July 21, 2024 — EAA Chapter 706 — Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin
• Monday, July 22, 2024 — EAA Chapter 663 — Livermore, California
• Tuesday, July 23, 2024 — EAA Chapter 9 — Columbus, Ohio
• Wednesday, July 24, 2024 — EAA Chapter 677 — Columbus, Georgia
• Thursday, July 25, 2024 — EAA Chapter 29 — Champaign, Illinois
• Friday, July 26, 2024 — EAA Chapter 1365 — Mauston/New Lisbon, Wisconsin
• Saturday, July 27, 2024 — EAA Chapter 1158 — West Bend, Wisconsin

Together, these chapters served more than 5,700 breakfast meals — a 20% increase over 2023’s numbers — and raised a combined total of more than $38,000, which is a 32% increase from 2023. Each chapter will get to keep the profits from the breakfast they hosted.

Aside from the chapter-hosted pancake breakfasts, the Chapters Pavilion was also used for a variety of additional activities. These included the Chapter Leaders Corn Roast on Sunday, July 21; the Ray Aviation Scholarship Corn Roast on Monday, July 22; and the Young Eagles Corn Roast on Thursday, July 25. Several EAA chapters also reserved the pavilion for lunchtime and evening events during the week.

The EAA Blue Barn, the home for chapters and Young Eagles during AirVenture, was routinely busy as chapter members and visitors stopped by. Chapter members could represent their presence at AirVenture by pinning the wall-sized chapters map and getting their photo taken in front of it. EAA staff and volunteers were available to educate people about EAA chapters and chapter programs and activities, from Young Eagles to VMC/IMC Clubs, to chapter insurance, and much more. Examples of EAA AeroEducate activities, Young Eagles Workshop kits, and the Young Eagles Build and Fly kit were on display for everyone to see, including an RC airplane built by EAA Chapter 572 of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.

Twenty forums were held from Monday through Saturday at the Blue Barn, covering a range of chapter-relevant topics from how to start an EAA chapter, to the revised Young Eagles online registration software, to strategies for growing your chapter, and more. In addition to EAA chapters staffers, several forums were presented by EAA chapter leaders with proven experiences in the field of making their chapters successful.

The assembly of chapter signage in front of the Blue Barn continues to grow, with more chapters bringing custom-made signs to put on display this year. Additional chapter Adirondack chairs also arrived in Oshkosh this year, adding to the growing collection of chairs showcasing their chapter’s pride.

The Blue Barn also saw the return of the “World’s Fastest Cleco-er Contest,” where contestants competed to see who could insert and remove Clecos from a block of metal in the fastest time possible. Clecos, for those unfamiliar, are fasteners used to temporarily join two sheets of metal during the construction of aircraft. This year’s Cleco contest was won by Josh Harman of EAA Chapter 468, who completed the contest in a remarkable 26.27 seconds! Congratulations, Josh!

Young Eagles coordinators, pilots, and ground volunteers had the opportunity to attend the Young Eagles Banquet on Tuesday, July 23, at the Founders’ Wing in the EAA Aviation Museum. At the banquet, longtime EAA Young Eagles Chairman Sean D. Tucker formally retired after 11 years of service, and Co-Chairman Jimmy Graham ascended to the position of chairman of the program. Several Young Eagles volunteers were also awarded for their outstanding efforts on behalf of the Young Eagles program and youth aviation activities. Read more about this year’s Young Eagles awards.

More than 80 EAA Ray Aviation scholars attended AirVenture this year, whether for the first time or as a repeat visitor. Scholars and their EAA chapter mentors were recognized for their hard work and dedication at the Ray Scholarship Corn Roast. At the corn roast, Ray Foundation directors Chuck Ahearn, Jeff Tempas, and Patti Arthur were presented with a memento to commemorate the milestone of 500 completed Ray scholars: a collage made of photos of Ray scholars who had just passed their pilot checkrides. Ray scholars at AirVenture were also given the opportunity to tour a C-130 Hercules of the Connecticut Air National Guard on Boeing Plaza on Tuesday, July 23, and to attend a meet-and-greet with EAA Young Eagles Chairman Jimmy Graham on Wednesday, July 24.

The annual Chapter Leaders Breakfast took place on Saturday, July 27, in the Founders’ Wing of the EAA Aviation Museum. At this ceremony, several chapter leaders were awarded for their outstanding efforts on behalf of their chapters. Read more about this year’s Chapter Achievement Awards.

The EAA chapters team held another annual drawing for a lucky EAA chapter to receive a free Lincoln Electric TIG welder. This is a great way to support aircraft builders and restorers in the winning chapter. This year’s TIG welder was won by EAA Chapter 1314 of Keene, New Hampshire. Congratulations!

Lastly, the EAA chapters team extends a tremendous thank-you to all of the volunteers who helped us during AirVenture and in the days and weeks before and after the convention. This includes everyone who helped staff the Blue Barn and the Chapters Pavilion, those who assisted with chapter group camping stakeout, and those who helped set up our facilities before AirVenture and clean up after the show was over.

Special thanks are in store for our Blue Barn chairmen Ted Kirkpatrick of EAA Chapter 850 and Mark Kolesar of EAA Chapter 25; Chapters Pavilion chairman Keith Lindsay of EAA Chapter 38; and Chapter Advisory Council members Sarah Pagano (EAA Chapter 1093), John FitzGerald (EAA Chapter 613), and Justin Cook (EAA Chapter 33), who helped manage the corn roasts at the Chapters Pavilion. Thank you for all the time and effort you dedicated to making AirVenture 2024 a success!

We look forward to seeing you in Oshkosh next year! Until then, keep living The Spirit of Aviation at your local EAA chapters!