The Experimental Aircraft Association, Oshkosh, WI, has announced that EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2026 will highlight more than a century of American aviation under the theme “Celebrating the Freedom of Flight.” The annual fly-in convention is scheduled for July 20–26 at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Click HERE to book tickets for the event.
“‘Celebrating the Freedom of Flight’ will focus on the unique role aviation has played in America’s progress since that first flight of the Wright brothers in 1903,” said Rick Larsen, EAA’s vice president of communities and member programs, who coordinates AirVenture features and attractions. “Be it innovations by individuals or colossal accomplishments by the nation’s companies and our military, America’s leadership role in the progress of flight has been a remarkable part of our nation’s history that we’ll celebrate at Oshkosh.”
The EAA AirVenture Oshkosh ‘Heritage Flight’ with (from top) an F-35 fighter jet, a P-51 warbird, and an F-16 fighter jet, represents America’s military aviation legacy and is part of the America 250 aviation commemoration at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2026. (EAA photo/Dave Witty)
Organizers say the theme will be visible throughout the event, from exhibits exploring the earliest years of powered flight to displays featuring modern military aircraft, unmanned systems, and spaceflight technology. Boeing Plaza, daily air shows, Theater in the Woods programming, and the Fly-In Theater are all expected to include elements tied to the theme.
Additional areas around the grounds will spotlight specific chapters of U.S. aviation development, including postwar general aviation growth represented by the Vintage area’s “Class of ’46” aircraft and patriotic paint schemes among amateur-built airplanes. More aircraft and activity announcements connected to the theme are expected in the months leading up to AirVenture. For more information and to support the EAA, click on this link: www.eaa.org/eaa.
