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The People that Make This Possible
I arrived a week early ( beneficial for this first-time attendee to get acclimated to the area ), and there were lots of volunteers flying around ( figuratively ), ensuring everything was perfect for the 650,000 + aviation enthusiasts expected to arrive over the following week .
Organizing thousands of people , planes , and activities is no easy feat . It takes 6,000 + volunteers to make this event a success . And there have been 50,000 + pilot volunteers ( throughout the history of EAA ). The generosity of this many people coming together to “ share the spirit of aviation ” is commendable .
In addition to the volunteers , it also takes critical personnel to ensure everyone arrives and remains safe during the event .
During the EAA AirVenture week , the Wittman Regional Airport is known as the “ World ’ s Busiest Control Tower .” The controllers operating at this tower were nothing short of amazing ( and always kind ), synchronizing thousands of arrivals and departures . At one point ( on Sunday ), I recall hearing the announcer share that there were 80 + flights stacked . The controllers executed these landings with flawless control and safety . They also remained calm and in control when things went wrong ( pilot or aircraft trouble ).
There was one instance ( that I witnessed ) that caused the airport to shut down temporarily . ( It ’ s important to note that no one was hurt during this incident ) On Sunday , a Cessna 310 was battling wind gusts , had issues with its landing gear ( collapsed upon landing ), and found itself quickly in trouble . The Controllers rerouted the other flight ’ s holding , and the Oshkosh emergency team activated immediately . They soon had the pilot and the plane safely removed from the runway , and the runway opened back up for new arrivals .
Everyone – the volunteers , staff , vendors , and attendees – was exceptional and encouraged the “ spirit of aviation .”
E3AVIATION . COM