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No better place to mark a milestone

Piper, AOPA, SPA celebrations at EAA AirVenture

August 2, 2022 By AOPA ePublishing staff

While EAA AirVenture Oshkosh itself is a weeklong celebration of aviation, there are many celebrations within the celebration. What better place to throw a party, after all, than right where so many pilots already are?

AirVenture celebrations

  • AirVenture celebrations
    Carly Shukiar documents her fellow Piper Aircraft interns during an eighty-fifth anniversary celebration at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh in Wisconsin July 26. Photo by David Tulis.
  • AirVenture celebrations
    WomenVenture returned to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh and marked 15 years with various activities including the traditional group photo, this taken with the Boeing ecoDemonstrator providing a sustainable background. Photo by David Tulis.
  • AirVenture celebrations
    AOPA celebrated the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Airport Support Network at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. Photo by David Tulis.
  • AirVenture celebrations
    A serious spread was served at the Seaplane Pilots Association corn roast. Photo by David Tulis.
  • AirVenture celebrations
    Hot dogs and roasted corn put smiles on seaplane pilots' faces. Photo by David Tulis.
  • AirVenture celebrations
    The official anniversary cake marking 50 years for the Seaplane Pilots Association. Photo by David Tulis.
  • AirVenture celebrations
    The Seaplane Pilots Association marked its 50 years of floatplane fun with a corn roast at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. Photo by David Tulis.
  • AirVenture celebrations
    Shout out to the Seaplane Pilots Association for the T-shirt design. Photo by David Tulis.
  • AirVenture celebrations
    Pilot, aircraft owner, and performer Jeff Auen joins the Seaplane Pilots Association celebration. Photo by David Tulis.
  • AirVenture celebrations
    Seaplane Pilots Association President Steve McGaughey presents 'AOPA Pilot' Editor at Large Dave Hirschman with a plaque recognizing AOPA's support for 50 years of floatplane flying during a corn roast dinner at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. Photo by David Tulis.
  • AirVenture celebrations
    Piper Aircraft did not slouch on food at its EAA AirVenture Oshkosh party. Photo by David Tulis.
  • AirVenture celebrations
    Flight training students enjoy an outdoor picnic on (a) Piper. Photo by David Tulis.
  • AirVenture celebrations
    Piper's anniversary celebration got two thumbs up. Photo by David Tulis.
AOPA Vice President of Airports and State Advocacy Mike Ginter recognized Airport Support Network volunteers for 25 years of service during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh July 28. Photo by David Tulis.

Local governments closing airports with little notice inspired AOPA to create the Airport Support Network in 1997, recruiting local pilot volunteers to keep an eye out and report any trouble to people who can get things done. Today, the ASN program has grown to more than 2,000 volunteers who work with AOPA staff as needs arise. That teamwork resolved more than 200 airport issues in 2021.

Success like that, and the program's twenty-fifth anniversary being an excellent cause for celebration, AOPA honored ASN volunteers with a special event July 28 at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh in Wisconsin.

There is plenty of room for more, particularly if your airport is among the roughly 3,000 remaining in need of an ASN volunteer.

Naturally, we were not alone celebrating milestones in Oshkosh. The Seaplane Pilots Association held another outstanding corn roast on the same day as our ASN celebration, and AOPA Pilot Editor at Large Dave Hirschman accepted SPA’s recognition of AOPA's support over its 50-year history. A delicious meal of corn, hot dogs, and other fixings was topped off with a slice of fiftieth anniversary cake.

EAA WomenVenture marked 15 years of inspiring and empowering young girls and women to break barriers and be bold. The group photo on EAA WomenVenture Day (July 27) was a welcome return for a tradition that was scrapped in 2020 and 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Piper party

 

Ever since William T. Piper introduced the iconic yellow Piper Cub in 1938, Piper Aircraft has been synonymous with training aircraft. So, it was fitting that students, instructors, and company interns and apprentices celebrated the company’s eighty-fifth anniversary at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh in Wisconsin, with a picnic on the wings of Piper aircraft such as the venerable Archer. Piper honored the partners, universities, and flight schools using its training aircraft at Oshkosh with a luncheon, music by a DJ, and great seats for the afternoon airshow.

Piper Aircraft began as the Taylor Aircraft Co. in Bradford, Pennsylvania. The Piper Aircraft Corp.was officially founded on November 1, 1937, following William T. Piper’s purchase of company shares of joint owner Gilbert Taylor . The newly renamed aircraft company immediately increased production and went on to lead innovation within the general aviation market with iconic products like the Cub, which was introduced in 1938. Since that time, the aircraft manufacturer has produced more than 37,000 aircraft.

—Julie Summers Walker
AOPA ePublishing staff
AOPA ePublishing Staff editors are experienced pilots, flight instructors, and aircraft owners who have a passion for bringing you the latest news and AOPA announcements.
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