AirVenture 2014: Best of Oshkosh

See some of the best moments from this year's AirVenture with photography by Jim Koepnick.

U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds flying in ultra-tight formation at AirVenture. Check out more Thunderbirds photos here.

History Takes Flight A trio of commemorative Air Force World War II beauties over the frigid waters of the English Channel — OK, actually Lake Winnebago. Leading the pack is the B-25 Mitchell bomber Miss Mitchell flanked by a pair of P-51s, Gunfighter (foreground) and Angel's Playmate.

Military Might on Display A pair of Bell-Boeing V-22 Ospreys wowed show goers with their combination of vertical flight capability, good forward speed and, most of all, their giant props/rotors. The pair were parked at Boeing Square throughout most of the show.

Jaw-Dropping Airshows A youngster watches the airshow atop a grown-up's shoulders. This shot makes clear that, when given the chance to see them firsthand, kids love airplanes and will remember a day of airplanes and excitement like this for a long time.

The Man Who Started It All At this year's event EAA formally honored the organization's founder, Paul Poberezny, with tributes at the Young Eagles dinner and with Paul's iconic Volkswagen bug, Red One, stationed in the organization's main information tent.

When The Best Join Forces The 4EC four-ship team comprised of ultra-talented aerobatic pros Matt Chapman, Jack Knutson, Rob Holland and Bill Stein awed Oshkosh attendees with its stellar maneuvers. This was The 4EC team's second Oshkosh show after its inaugural performance last year.

Like-Minded Souls A huge part of the beauty of AirVenture is getting the opportunity to enjoy all things flying-related with like-minded folks. This year was no exception, with thousands of aviation enthusiasts joining together to take in the endless array of airplanes and innovation on display.

Polished to Perfection A proud aircraft owner polishes the bare metal on his warbird. Every year hundreds of warbird owners bring their airplanes to Oshkosh for the annual EAA fly-in. They pay for their own gas. The thanks they get are from folks who stop by just to say, "Wow, nice plane."

Lighting It Up The legendary Gene Soucy rolls to a sparkling performance during the night airshow on Saturday. The night show, started on a lark, has become one of AirVenture's biggest attractions, cementing EAA's claim as a great airshow and aviation event producer.

Racing Stars Crowds at AirVenture were good all week, and everywhere there were cool airplanes to see and great flying to be witnessed. Here an afternoon throng of show goers passes by in front of the ultra-cool Gee Bee QED racer.

Jack of All Trades A rare plane, the Fairey Gannet (top) appeared at Oshkosh. The post-World War II plane served as a sub hunter and electronic countermeasures platform. It's powered by a pair of turboprop engines that spin contra-rotating props.

Out on the Water The seaplane base at Lake Winnebago was again the place to be. A total of 91 seaplanes splashed in at AirVenture, many of which spent the week. Here a flock of birds is captured in the fading rays of another great day of flying.

Crafting a Fun Flier What goes into a Cubcrafter's Cub? At the company's display, there was little doubt. The question "Could I build this?" seemed to answer itself. The other question, "How fun would this be to fly?" doesn't even have to be asked.

One of the 'Best Ever' According to the EAA, there were more than 500,000 daily admissions to the show, an increase of between 5 and 6 percent.

Check out the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds on the cover of our October issue. View more from Oshkosh in our other photo galleries. • Opening Day in Photos
• Tuesday Show Sights • Wednesday Airshows • Thursday Aircraft and Airshows • Aircraft on Display • Glimpse Around Oshkosh • Seaplane Base **
** Can't get enough of Oshkosh? Watch this exciting 5-minute mashup of the best moments here.

Photos

Flying StaffEditor

Flying Magazine is a one-stop resource for everything aviation, including news, training, aircraft, gear, careers, photos, videos, and more.