Before I was married, I dated a pilot whose father was a pilot and whose brother was a commercial airlines pilot - which was how I got involved in the annual Oshkosh, WI EAA Air Venture exhibition and the St. Louis Great Forest Park Hot Air Balloon Race.
Every year, hundreds of thousands of people gather at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, for the Experimental Aircraft Association’s (EAA) annual Fly-In Convention. The event brings more than 3,000 show aircraft, including civil, commercial, military, and experimental aircraft. For one week, the Wittman airport becomes the busiest in the world, with more than 3,300 daily operations averaging about 121 takeoffs and landings per hour while the airport is open.
My boyfriend's dad (Bill) had scored VIP tickets to Air Venture so we flew to Oshkosh in his Cessna to attend. Never had I seen that many airplanes in one place before! We were in a holding pattern for nearly an hour just waiting to land! To give you an idea how busy the runway was...
My hats off to the air traffic controllers who handled that volume of planes as efficiently as they did!
Not only did I love anything that flew, I was excited at the prospect of meeting Pappy Boyington, the most heroic airman of WWII.
(I never missed an episode of the TV show Baa Baa Black Sheep, starring Robert Conrad as Boyington.)
Pappy turned out to be an arrogant jerk who was full of himself...but I got to sit in the cockpit of my favorite warbird, the F4U Corsair so I was a happy camper - regardless of Boyington being a tool.
If you're not familiar with the Corsair...
Pappy Boyington
The following video moves a bit slow but I chose it because you can see the cockpit, the wings unfold and the Corsair start up and take off.
The Vought F4U Corsair is an American fighter aircraft that saw service primarily in World War II and the Korean War. The Corsair was designed and principally operated as a carrier-based aircraft, and entered service in large numbers with the U.S. Navy and Marines in World War II. It quickly became one of the most capable carrier-based fighter-bombers of the war, feared by Japanese pilots.
Today there are only 2000 Corsairs left in the entire world...which was why my getting to sit in one was a big deal to me.
EAA AirVenture Oshkosh offers a plethora of attractions and activities for attendees of all ages:
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Daily and nightly airshows featuring aerobatics and unique airplanes, including historic warbirds and Goodyear blimps
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Educational workshops, aircraft displays, and the EAA Aviation Museum
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A night airshow with dazzling lights, fireworks and the famous Wall of Fire
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Camping brings a unique nightlife with outdoor movies and lively bars
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Early morning helicopter tours
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Ultralight shows: Illuminated aircraft lighting up the skies
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An AeroEducation Center
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Aircraft rides
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Aviation Gateway Park
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EAA GirlVenture Camp
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EAA Learn To Fly Center
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KidVenture
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Remote Control Airplane Flying Field
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Youth Welcome Center
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Veterans Activities
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Workshops and Forums
There's plenty to see and do for all ages even if you're not a diehard aviation buff. You don't have to be to enjoy Air Venture.
The Warbirds are always the most popular show at the Fly-In.
Following Air Venture we flew to the St. Louis Great Forest Park Hot Air Balloon Race.
Some of Bill's friends were racing and Bill had arranged for me to crew on one of their balloons and fly in the race. I'd flown in just about everything but never a hot air balloon. I hoped I didn't come off looking like the village idiot, knowing nothing about operating a hot air balloon.
We were rousted out of bed before the sun was even up to go get the balloon inflated. I wondered how hard it could possibly be that we had to be up before the sun...I mean, you just blew hot air into it and it expanded, right? Uhhhh. no. It's quite a complicated process actually.
The night before the race an event called The Glow is held. It draws about 100,000 spectators.
You still get the whole carnival atmosphere of race day itself: beer, funnel cakes and games for the kiddos. But rather than waiting around to see the balloons launch and vanish, you get ALL OF THEM inflating at once and sticking around for the whole night. The venue opens at 5pm, but the real action starts at dusk when they fire up the balloons. Everything ends with fireworks at 9:15pm.
Now you may wonder how does a hot air balloon race? It's not really a race per se.
The “hare” balloon launches first, goes where ever the wind blows it and lands in a field–which sometimes ends up being a high school football field.
The hare’s job is more than just starting the race. That balloon pilot has the job of finding a safe place for all the balloons to land. After landing, the pilot will place a giant X marker out on the field and the other balloon pilots will try to hit it with a bean bag marker, then fly off to land their own balloons. The pilot who gets closest to the marker wins the race! Dropping a bean bag from that height isn't anywhere as easy as it sounds.
Steering a hot air balloon involves using wind currents at different altitudes to navigate, as there is no direct steering mechanism like in other vehicles. Hot air balloons operate on the principle that hot air rises when surrounded by cooler air. The pilot has control over the balloon's altitude by adjusting the temperature of the air inside the envelope using a burner. However, horizontal movement is primarily dictated by the wind direction at various altitudes.
Race day has a carnival feel to it! Vendors sell every kind of festival food, from funnel cakes to meat on a stick. There’s beer for the grown ups and ice cream for the kiddos. The festival starts at 1pm, but the balloons don’t launch until 4:30pm, so you can while away the time with live music, games and bounce houses. There are also tons of booths from community groups and businesses who hand out freebies, so you can wander around collecting goodies.
Don’t forget to look up at 3pm for the US Army Golden Knights Parachute team! They’ll bring in the American flag and it’s a pretty cool sight to see.
Photo credit: Jerrod Lennon
Photo credit: Jerrod Lennon
TIPS FOR ATTENDING THE HOT AIR BALLOON RACE
⭐Come early to find a parking space and stake out a good viewing spot.
The balloon race is held at Central Fields–which means prime parking will be on the Muny lot. You can check out the balloon race’s page on parking here to see road closures. And here’s a great interactive map of Forest Park if you want to see where the parking lots are located. There’s also plenty of street parking!
Please note, they will close roads to keep pedestrians safe.
Also: East and West Bound Exit ramps at Hwy 40 & Hampton Ave will close from 6pm to 11pm on Friday and at 3pm on Saturday. Hospital Drive at Kingshighway Blvd will be closed the entire event.
You need to enter the park to the west or north. DeBaliviere Ave (by the History Museum), Skinker & Forsyth (by the golf course) are recommended entrance points. You can also get in at Skinker & Wells if you’re coming from south of the park. Hampton is fine if you’re there EARLY.
⭐ Bring chairs or a picnic blanket. You’re going to be here a while. If you decide to establish a base camp, you might need to leave one parent at your picnic site to keep an eye on the chairs. If you’re doing the glow, you may want to pack lighter and take just a picnic blanket. (This frees everyone up to wander around the balloons.) On Race Day you can stay in one spot to watch the launch.
⭐ Bring a cooler and snacks or an entire picnic meal. You’ll see people bringing everything from fried chicken to wine and cheese. Carnival style food is available (think meat on a stick) but at carnival prices. Budget savvy moms will pack drinks and snacks and save their money for a special treat (think funnel cake). If you have a toddler who doesn’t really need a stroller, bring it anyway to haul your gear. Wagons are also good if you don’t mind dragging them around. Forest Park also allows you to bring in your own adult beverages, hint hint. They ask not to bring glass, but cans and boxes are fine.
⭐ Pack your own souvenirs. Here’s a sneaky tip to keep the kids from spending all your money. Bring your own “souvenirs.” This is especially true for the glow when there will be vendors selling all manners of blinky and glowing toys. A quick trip to the dollar store will bag you cheap trinkets like glow sticks and punching balloons.
⭐Bring sunblock to the Race. You’ll be in a field, so the only shade is what you bring.
⭐ Bring a flashlight to the Glow. By the end of the Glow it gets pretty dark, and you might want the extra light to pick your way back to car, especially if you take any shortcuts away from the sidewalks.
⭐ Keep an eye out for freebies. Many of the booths have promotional items to hand out to the kids! We’ve picked up balloons, pens, glow in the dark cups and stress balls at previous balloon glows.
⭐ Bring your dog. The event is dog friendly, so why not? Just keep your four legged friend on a leash.
TIPS TO $AVE MONEY AT THE BALLOON RACE
Purchase tickets in advance.
Download and purchase tickets on Transit, the official app of Metro Transit, to avoid any additional costs.
Use public transportation.
The Central West End Metrolink station is 0.6 miles from Emerson Central Fields, and the Forest Park-DeBaliviere Metro Link station is 1.1 miles away.
Check for sponsorships.
Additional space and sponsorship opportunities may be available for those looking to save money.
Bring your own food and drinks vs. buying them at the race.
Hope to see you at the 2026 race!