AirVenture 2021 Planning Continues - Advance Tickets On Sale

EAA Air Venture Oshkosh 2021, which will be held July 26-Aug. 1 at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, continues in the planning and organizing mode. Among those preparations are incorporating best practices for large public events that can be incorporated at Oshkosh this summer.

"There will be Air Venture in 2021, as it is so important for all of us in every segment of the aviation community," said Jack J. Pelton, EAA CEO and Chairman of the Board. "We have heard from many, many EAA members and others who have pent-up enthusiasm to be back on the flightline at Oshkosh. While it's still too early to know exactly what everything will look like for the event, it's important to have Air Venture in 2021

which, coincidentally, is the 100th anniversary of the birth of EAA founder Paul Poberezny."

Advance sales for admissions, camping, and other areas are currently open at the Air Venture website (eaa.org/airventure). In addition, free youth admission, generously supported in part by Boeing, will be continued in 2021, giving more families and young people the opportunity to fully enjoy the World's Greatest Aviation Celebration.

Here are some highlights in the works for the 2021 show: EAA Air Venture Oshkosh 2021 to Highlight U.S. Air Force Special Operations The aircraft and personnel of the U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) will be among the highlighted programs at EA Air Venture Oshkosh 2021.

AFSOC is comprised of highly trained, rapidly deployable Airmen, who conduct special operations missions worldwide. Airmen who undertake Special Operations careers specialize in unique skills such as parachuting, scuba diving, rappelling, motorcycling, survival

skills, and more. Aircraft in the command include specialized mobility aircraft such as the MC-130, CV-22 and C-146, Close Air Support aircraft such as the AC-130 gunship, and Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft such as the MQ-9 and U-28.

"Even those who have a solid familiarity with the U.S. Air Force often know little about its special operations units and the important mission they fulfill, so we want to bring some visibility to that at Oshkosh in 2021," said Rick Larsen,

EAA's vice president of communities and member programming, who coordinates Air Venture features and attractions. "The Air Force has been extremely cooperative through the years at showcasing its remarkable people and aircraft at Air Venture, and we look forward to discovering even more in 2021."

In 1990, AFSOC formally stood up a as a Major Command (MAJCOM) within the Air Force and the air component to United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), but their heritage traces back to the Army Air Forces during World War II. In the three decades since AFSOC's formation, they have been involved in missions around the world in both independent campaigns and in conjunction with other military branches.

EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2021’s ‘75th (Plus One)’ Flying Demos Commemorate End of World War II

"We are excited to highlight specialized airpower at the nation's largest air show, but it's the Airmen flying these aircraft that provide our real value to the nation. Humans are more important than hardware. The 20,000 innovative problem solvers in this command are exactly what we need to maintain our competitive advantage in the future and I am proud to showcase them at Oshkosh," said U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Jim Slife, commander of Air Force Special Operations Command. Final announcements on participating aircraft and activities has not been released, but are expected to include aircraft flying during Air Venture air shows and presentations by USAF Special Operations units throughout the week.

EAA Air Venture Oshkosh 2021 will feature expanded warbird flying activities as the annual fly-in convention commemorates the 75th anniversary (plus one) since the end of World War II.

EAA Air Venture will tell the many aviation stories of The Greatest Generation and the worldwide conflict during its renowned afternoon air shows.

It will feature flying displays and groups that are favorites for EAA audiences.

Highlighting the weeklong commemoration will be major air show flying activities on Friday and Saturday, July 30-31.

There will also be additional World War I aircraft featured on the showcase

Boeing Plaza on July 30-31.

"We originally planned to mark the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II and tell all the aviation stories as part of Air Venture 2020,' said Larsen. "We still want to pay tribute to all the people and aircraft involved in bringing the end to this conflict, so in 2021 we will properly commemorate the aviation story of World War II, from the Eagle Squadron and American Volunteer Group through the final Allied victories in 1945."

Specific aircraft and flying demonstrations are still being finalized for EAA Air Venture 2021, but will feature aircraft from both the European and Pacific Theaters. Additional highlights will tell the stories of remarkable heroism and pioneering technology that changed the course of the war. In addition, evening programming on Friday, July 30, will focus specifically on World War II and the legendary aircraft that turned the tide of the war. Throughout the week, evening movies at the Fly-In Theater will include a number of films devoted to World War I aviation. Further details on individual highlights and aircraft will be announced as they are finalized.

Orbis Flying Eye Hospital Returns to Oshkosh for Air Venture 2021 The Orbis Flying Eye Hospital, which has been saving sight and training eye care professionals in more than 95 countries around the world, will return to the world's largest fly-in convention in 2021 as part of EAA Air Venture Oshkosh.

"For more than a century, aviation has created a unique niche that has made the world a better place, whether it's through delivering medical care, fighting fires, or rescuing lost and injured individuals,' said Larsen. "The Orbis Flying Eye Hospital and its dedicated team of volunteer medical personnel has given and returned the gift of sight to thousands of people around the world over the past 40 years. Its return to Oshkosh in 2021 is a most suitable anchor for our salute to humanitarian aviation."

The current Orbis Flying Eye Hospital, a McDonnell Douglas MD-10, was donated to Orbis by FedEx, which had used the airplane as a cargo aircraft.

The Orbis team then outfitted the aircraft with a fully accredited ophthalmic teaching hospital, including an operating room, recovery room, classroom, and some of the world's most advanced ophthalmic training equipment. This aircraft, which took its first sight-saving flight in 2016, replaced a DC-10 that Orbis had used since 1994 after beginning its work with a donated Douglas DC-8 in 1982.

The Orbis team travels around the world, working with local hospitals in countries where access to eye care, such as cataract surgery and glaucoma treatment, 1S often limited or nonexistent. The Orbis team uses the Flying Eye Hospital to train local eye care professionals at each of its stops. Orbis' telemedicine

platform, Cybersight, which has been even more important during the COVID-19 pandemic, provides long-distance mentoring and education to more than 35,000 eye care professionals from more than 200 countries and regions.

"The Orbis story is one of a unique and lasting alliance between aviation and medicine. Our previous trips to Oshkosh allowed us to tell that story to thousands of aviators, many of whom had never heard of our work," said Bruce Johnson, Director of Aircraft Operations at Orbis. "We are eager to return to Air Venture and share the latest developments in our mission.'

The Orbis MD-10 aircraft is expected to arrive in Oshkosh the weekend prior to Air Venture and stay throughout the week. For more updates, and for ticket information, visit the EAA website at www.eaa.org.