The World's Greatest Aviation Celebration
EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2026 runs July 20 through 26 at Wittman Regional Airport (KOSH) in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. For one week each summer, this city transforms into the busiest airport in the world, with over 10,000 aircraft arriving from across the globe.
If you are a Minnesota pilot, you are in one of the best launch points in the country. Oshkosh is roughly 200 to 250 nautical miles from the Twin Cities — an easy 1.5 to 2.5 hour flight depending on your aircraft and route.
The NOTAM: Read It, Study It, Live It
The FAA publishes a special AirVenture NOTAM governing all arrivals and departures. It typically runs 30+ pages and usually publishes in June 2026. This covers the famous Fisk Arrival, departure procedures, TFRs, and radio frequencies.
The Fisk Arrival funnels all VFR traffic along railroad tracks to the Fisk intersection where controllers sequence aircraft using light signals and radio calls.
Airports Along the Route
Departure Airports (Minnesota)
- Flying Cloud (FCM) — Full service FBOs, western departure corridor
- Anoka County-Blaine (ANE) — Good for northern routing
- St. Paul Downtown (STP) — East metro convenience
- Lake Elmo (21D) — Already pointed east toward Wisconsin
Western Wisconsin Fuel Stops
- New Richmond (RNH) — East Metro Jet Center. Just across the St. Croix, popular meetup for formation flights
- Menomonie (LUM) — Gibson Aviation Services. Full maintenance, Garmin avionics
- Eau Claire (EAU) — Ascension FBO, Gibson Aviation. Halfway point, excellent weather-hold airport
- Osceola (OEO) — Osceola Aero Sport. Charming St. Croix Valley stop
Central Wisconsin Options
- Wausau (CWA) — Ovation CWA. Full FBO, good for northern routing
- Stevens Point (STE) — Quiet alternative, ~60 nm NW of Oshkosh
- Appleton (ATW) — Appleton Flight Center. Primary IFR alternate and overflow airport
The Destination: Oshkosh (OSH)
Basler Flight Service is the resident FBO. During AirVenture, most services handled by EAA volunteers. Fuel available but expect long lines. Camp under the wing alongside thousands of aircraft.
Alternate Airports
- Fond du Lac (FLD) — Fond du Lac Skyport, 15 nm south, shuttle services
- Appleton (ATW) — 20 nm north, full FBO and car rentals
- Green Bay (GRB) — 45 nm north, Jet Air Group, hotels available
- Sheboygan (SBM) — 50 nm east, Lake Breeze Aviation
Planning Tips
- Arrive early morning or late afternoon to avoid Fisk congestion
- Have a backup airport plan — do not push limits for KOSH
- Monitor 124.5 MHz (Oshkosh ATIS during AirVenture week)
- Fuel up at your last stop — lines at KOSH can be long
- Bring camping gear, sun protection, rain gear, comfortable shoes
Browse all Wisconsin airports and FBOs on Aeradex to plan your route.