What is it about flight that captivates us? Some kids zoom toy airplanes through the air before they can talk, and the excitement of aviation accompanies many into adulthood. Whether you’re a full-on flight buff or have some wannabe pilots in your family, a trip to the EAA Aviation Museum is sure to set imaginations soaring.
Run by the Experimental Aircraft Association, a nonprofit for aviation enthusiasts with 200,000 members around the world, the Oshkosh museum boasts a collection of more than two hundred aircraft.
Visitors can trace the fascinating history of flight from homebuilts to classics to racers and crafts showcasing advances in technology. Highlights include a full-size replica of the Wright brothers’ Flyer of 1903, considered the first true airplane.
The Spirit of St. Louis replica, built in 1977 to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of Charles Lindbergh’s flight across the Atlantic Ocean, and the Eagle Hanger, a hall of honor commemorating those who served in World War II, with Allied fighters and bombers, Army and Navy aircraft and German and Japanese planes, are also standouts.
Families won’t want to miss the KidVenture Gallery, packed with interactive fun. Climb into the cockpit of an F-22, try your hand at a variety of flight simulators and check out the view from an observation deck.
A tip for parents: Tour the main museum before checking out the KidVenture area, especially if you have young kids in tow. Otherwise, you’ll spend a lot of time keeping little hands off historic displays and explaining that no one is allowed to sit in the big, shiny planes.
Before you head home, take a spin around the museum’s grounds, which let you get up close to aircraft in outdoor displays.
And if you find it hard to leave, mark your calendar for AirVenture, the annual gathering that brings more than 500,000 aviation enthusiasts and 10,000 airplanes each year to Oshkosh. Daily airshows and children’s activities are just part of what’s in store for this year’s event, held July 23-29.