Oshkosh decision expected in May

The annual EAA AirVenture, scheduled to begin on July 20 at Oshkosh in Wisconsin, is still slated to go ahead at the time of writing (March 31). The organisers have said they will make a final decision during May, which is ideally when the set-up for the massive event needs to begin.

The Boeing Plaza at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. IMAGE VIA EAA

EAA CEO and Chairman of the Board Jack J Pelton said: "We are closely following and assessing many of the larger closures of world events. In the case of the Olympics, the world's athletes have already lost crucial training time because of restrictions imposed in response to the viral outbreak. It also is a completely international event. This meant the organizers were forced to make their "go/no go/go later" decision early on. 

"As we look at AirVenture, with our own similarly complex but also radically different set of circumstances, we have the rare luxury of making our decisions just a little bit later. While AirVenture 2020 planning began in earnest at the end of AirVenture 2019, the real onsite preparation work for our annual convention doesn't happen until May. That is when many of our dedicated volunteer work parties arrive in force and start the serious work to prepare the convention grounds. We have already identified those tasks that could be deferred until June, while still enabling us to have a safe and successful event in late July.

"Currently our timetable for our next major decision point is not until May. In the meantime, we are continually preparing and in planning mode, which includes a variety of "what-if" scenarios. The choices are stay the course, delay, or cancel. Of course, the ability to delay would be dependent on volunteer support and exhibitor commitment and probably could not be later than late August. It is important to consider all options."

To read the full statement see: https://bit.ly/3bHV4Jc