EAA: AirVenture decision point in May

Many of the jobs and tasks related to planning the world’s largest airshow, which typically draws an international crowd measured in hundreds of thousands over the course of a week to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, can be delayed or accomplished by staff working from home. EAA Chairman and CEO Jack Pelton noted in a March 26 online announcement that while the COVID-19 pandemic has created rapid change and consequences that continue to unfold, EAA is up and running.

Pelton said EAA is following closely the advice of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as other government entities. He noted that while AirVenture shares much in common with other major events that have been postponed, including the 2020 Summer Olympics in Japan (now to be held in 2021), preparation for each AirVenture begins as soon as the preceding year’s event ends, and onsite preparation would not normally begin in earnest until May.

“We have the rare luxury of making our decisions just a little bit later,” Pelton wrote. “Currently our timetable for our next major decision point is not until May. In the meantime, we are continually preparing and in planning mode, which includes a variety of ‘what-if’ scenarios. The choices are stay the course, delay, or cancel.”

Pelton said he may not have any significant updates before the end of April, but vowed to keep EAA members and the wider aviation world aware of the plan.

“Frustrating as it is, we're in a holding pattern right now. The best thing we can do is keep a watchful eye on the conditions and make the best decisions as factual information comes in, to ensure the health and safety of everyone attending our event,” Pelton wrote. “As aviators, we know that this, like all storms, will pass, and whatever transpires over the next couple of months, EAAers will see it through with the mutual support and fellowship that have been the cornerstone of our organization for the past 67 years.”