If you’ve read my home page (you have, right?), you know I live in Oshkosh. Once a year (not 2020), our air is full of airplane excitement because the EAA Convention–an international airshow–is back in Oshkosh. My son took this picture at one of the airshows we attended several years ago.
People fly in from all over the world–not even kidding. The tiny Oshkosh airport is the world’s busiest airport for this week, and our skies are noisy. Our streets and restaurants are also packed–I read this morning that the EAA expects 700,000 visitors. For a town of 67,408–just checked the census–it’s a crazy week. The visitors bring lots of money to spend here, so we are thankful, even though we avoid that side of town like the plague. (HA!)
Pretty soon, our skies will be buzzing with planes. We can sit in our backyard and see planes overhead circling back to the air show. Social media is often filled with “What plane was that?!” when someone very loud buzzes the city.
EAA has a little bit of everything from historical planes to astronauts, and it’s fun to observe. The celebrities that show up also make it fun and add a bit of buzz to the excitement. The Disney Movie Planes debuted at EAA in 2013, too–how’s that for pretty cool?
Between celebrities, astronaut sightings, and the noise and traffic, EAA brings in missionary pilots, and in my opinion, that’s the coolest part of the whole thing. They sneak in under the radar, and it’s not widely known how many missionary pilots and missionary aviation organizations come to Oshkosh. “Oshkosh” is a dream for many pilots–they want to come just once. It’s the same excitement and draw for missionary pilots, but they aren’t rich business owners or celebrities.
I’ve always had a soft spot for missionary pilots, even though I am not a missionary or a pilot. I imagine my first introduction to them was when I read Through Gates of Splendor or Jungle Pilot and learned about the missionaries in Ecuador. Another excellent book is the Burnham’s story In the Presence of My Enemies.
Hearing about their service and the dangerous conditions they live and fly in makes me thankful that they serve God this way. They are amazing.
I love that organizations and ministries help missionary pilots get to Oshkosh by providing meals, housing, vehicles, and other things to make their time here easier and less expensive. The pilots experience the airshow and time with other pilots. They get to meet and spend time with other missionary pilots, and they get to spend time in local churches.
Our church benefits from pilots at EAA sharing their stories in our children’s and adult ministries. It’s a blessing to hear them share how God uses them in remote areas of the world to share the Gospel.
The EAA International Airshow in Oshkosh begins in a few more days, but the excitement is already here–lots more traffic and more airplanes in the noisy sky. Pray for the missionaries this week to have a blessed time of refreshment and networking, and safety. And say a prayer for me, so I don’t forget and get stuck in a traffic jam on that side of town!
But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary, and they shall walk, and not faint. Isaiah 40:31
I’m planning to be there. I come every year. My daughter married a pilot. 😊
Oh awesome!!! Hope you have fun and the weather cooperates.
What an amazing event! I wish I could come hear some of the missionary pilots speak!
It’s so fun and interesting. You can follow along on the EAA social media but of course, the missionary pilots aren’t on there.
I talked to the missionary pilot who shared with the elementary kids on Sunday. I picked up my bonus baby and saw the man standing there so we talked for a few.
He said the missionary pilot could never afford to come without help from the local churches. He also said that he wanted to become a missionary pilot from reading the same books I mentioned.