US Air Force 75th Anniversary to be Highlighted at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2021

U.S. Air Force Heritage Flight Foundation pilot Stuart Milson, flies in formation with U.S. Air Force Maj. Kristin "BEO" Wolfe, F-35A Lightning II Demonstration Team pilot and commander, and Capt. Haden "Gator" Fullam, A-10 Demonstration Team pilot and commander, at the 2021 Thunder over Michigan Air Show, Aug. 8, 2021, Willow Run Airport, Mich. The air show also featured the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and the U.S. Navy Blue Angels. (U.S. Air Force photo by Capt. Kip Sumner)


PRESS RELEASE – The 75th anniversary of the U.S. Air Force will be one of the highlights of EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2022, the 69th edition of the Experimental Aircraft Association’s annual fly-in convention coming July 25-31 at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh.

“At Oshkosh in 2022, we aim to showcase the memorable history of the Air Force, from its initial post-World War II era to the impressive personnel, aircraft, and technology of today,” said Rick Larsen, EAA’s vice president of communities and member programming, who coordinates AirVenture features and attractions. “The Air Force’s presence at AirVenture also helps spark inspiration among today’s youth toward the innovations and possibilities available to them through aviation.”

A U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II, P-51D Mustang and VS Spitfire perform a USAF heritage flight during the 2018 Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) at RAF Fairford, United Kingdom (UK) on July 14, 2018. This year’s RIAT celebrated the 100th anniversary of the RAF and highlighted the United States’ ever-strong alliance with the UK. (U.S. Air Force photo by TSgt Brian Kimball)

Specific activities and aircraft will be announced as they are finalized, but will include fly-bys, static displays, and presentations throughout AirVenture week, including evening programs at EAA’s Theater in the Woods. Some of the aircraft will also fly as part of the daily air shows that are always favorites among AirVenture attendees.

The U.S. Air Force was created on September 18, 1947, as part of the National Security Act, which established a separate military air branch and put all military branches under a new Department of Defense. It recognized the importance of military air operations and separated it from the former Army Air Forces while naval aviation operations remained separate.

An AC-47 Spooky from Topeka, Kan., and an AC-130J Ghostrider from the 4th Special Operations Squadron at Hurlburt Field, Fla., fly in formation around Topeka on June 25, 2021, in preparation for a gunship legacy flight that will be flown at EAA AirVenture, July 30-31, in Oshkosh, Wisc. Air Force Special Operations Command Airmen and aircraft will be among the highlighted programs at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2021. The AC-47 belongs to the American Flight Museum in Topeka and is restored as John Levitow’s Medal of Honor aircraft. The AC-130J primary missions are close air support, air interdiction, and armed reconnaissance. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Christopher Boitz)

U.S. military air operations date back to the Civil War when balloons were first used as reconnaissance platforms. In the early 1900s, the Army’s Signal Corps was tasked with “all matters pertaining to military ballooning, air machines, and all kindred subjects.” The first aero squadron, as it was then known, became active in 1913 and saw its first combat duty in 1916.

Today, the Air Force has more than 325,000 personnel and more than 5,000 aircraft. The Air Force also has incorporated an increasing number of unmanned aerial systems as part of its inventory and continues the development of new aerial technology to meet current operational demands.

Boeing Plaza at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. (image via EAA)

About EAA AirVenture Oshkosh

EAA AirVenture Oshkosh is “The World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration” and EAA’s membership convention. Additional information, including advance ticket and camping purchase, is available at www.EAA.org/airventure. For more information on EAA and its programs, call 800-JOIN-EAA (800-564-6322) or visit www.EAA.org. Immediate news is available at www.twitter.com/EAA.

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