OSHKOSH, Wis. — Thousands of airplanes will fly in and out of EAA AirVenture this week. One section of the grounds, the North 40, is the largest area for visitors to camp next to their planes.
Over 5,000 volunteers give their time to help make AirVenture run smoothly. The North 40 will utilize around 200 volunteers to help visitors get their airplanes to the right spot.
“This crew here, they’ve actually all been doing this for many years. They’re a very seasoned group of volunteers,” said Carol Corona, who’s helped for the past 40 years.
There are 12,000 campsites on the ground, but there’s something special about guests climbing out of their plane after a long trip and setting up their tents for the week.
“Sometimes we joke around with them and say, ‘hey, welcome to Fond du Lac.’ They usually get a bit of a kick out of it, and then they’re pretty happy to realize they’re actually truly in Oshkosh,” joked Corona.
Last year, over 10,000 airplanes flew into the area for AirVenture. Some still land in Appleton and Fond du Lac, but most call Oshkosh home for the week, helping to make it one of the busiest airports in the world during the event.
“We have a pretty good view of all the air operations. There are all types of aircraft, and we sort them and get them pointed in the correct direction,” said Corona.
It’s a family affair for Corona. Her sister Sandy, mother Pauline, and father Jim Casper, who was the first to get involved in 1975, all work in the North 40.
“I came to see what was going on. I was thrilled by the organization and the people running it,” said Casper.
Casper’s passion for flying rubbed off on his family.
“It’s fun. You’re doing something for people. The folks you meet here, they’re all just having a good time,” said Casper.
This time of year, he said there’s nowhere else he’d rather be.
“It’s the service and the airplanes. I love airplanes, so what else would I want to do?” said Casper.
During AirVenture 2022, 121 aircraft took off and landed every hour. Volunteers, such as the Casper family, give their time to make the visit to Oshkosh as enjoyable as possible.