4-29-16 world war one aviation centennial at eaa

Airplanes reaching back to the earliest days of military aircraft will be in the air and on the ground this summer, as the centennial of World War I aviation is a major part of EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2016, the “World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration.”   EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, the 64th annual Experimental Aircraft Association fly-in convention, will be held July 25-31 at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.  The airplanes participating at the centennial celebration in Oshkosh will come from museums and collections throughout the U.S., and include vintage aircraft and replicas from such legendary names as Sopwith, Fokker, and Spad from the 1914-1918 era. Activities will include four flying demonstrations: Early mornings on Wednesday, July 27 and Saturday, July 30, and following the daily afternoon air show on Monday, July 25, and Thursday, July 28. The aircraft will also be on static display throughout the week near the Vintage Aircraft Association “Red Barn” headquarters. Among the collections represented at Oshkosh will be the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome of Rhinebeck, New York; and Golden Age Air Museum in Bethel, Pennsylvania. Other collections are expected to add aircraft to the displays, which will be highlighted daily in the vintage aircraft area on the AirVenture grounds.  A special addition is a rare 1909 Curtiss Pusher aircraft from the Collings Foundation of Stow, Massachusetts, which has just been completed from a two-year restoration by Century Aviation in East Wenatchee, Washington. Along with the aircraft display, there will be giant-scale radio-controlled aircraft flights, a “living history” area with historical re-enactors, and forums and presentations throughout the week.