News Archives
VAA Parking Policy Guidelines
EAA AirVenture Oshkosh is fast approaching, and we’re looking forward to welcoming well over 1,000 pilots and their airplanes to parking in Vintage! A few guidelines to keep in mind:
• To qualify for parking in Vintage, your aircraft must have been constructed prior to December 31, 1970
• Parking east of Wittman Road is first come, first served. If you want to park as a group of two or more airplanes, you must arrive together.
• Staking out and reserving aircraft parking or camping spots east of Wittman Road is prohibited. Stakes, tie-downs, banners, ribbons, ropes, and credentials will be removed if an aircraft is not occupying that space. Exceptions include aircraft temporarily at Aircraft Repair or Showcase Display.
Thank you for your cooperation!
New Merchandise
New Online Shopping Experience
Not only are we bringing brand new, exclusive merchandise to the VAA Red Barn Store in Vintage Village, you’ll notice an improved online shopping experience when you visit our web store! With faster load times and a format optimized for your mobile device, you’ll be able to gear up with new merchandise before you even land in Oshkosh! Click the button below to be check out the new collection and the new store format!
If you’re visiting https://www.eaa.org/ click on SHOP at the top of the page, scroll over to SPECIAL INTEREST and click Vintage from the drop down menu.
Have you been thinking about volunteering at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh?
There’s no better place to volunteer than with the Vintage Aircraft Association! We welcome people of all ages, backgrounds, and experience, and have a wide variety of jobs available.
This year we’re particularly looking for volunteers at Tall Pines Café, in our Red Barn Store, and on our Flightline. But no matter where you work, you’ll meet great people, have fun, and earn awesome benefits! For more information on volunteering, click the button below.
VAA Special Events at
EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2023
The Vintage Aircraft Association is proud to host two special anniversaries at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh in 2023!
Over 100 Cessna 170’s will gather on the Vintage grounds for the 75th Anniversary Vintage Reunion. There will be forums, special merchandise in the Red Barn Store, and interviews at Vintage in Review hosted by Ray Johnson in Rose Plaza.
The Continental A-40 engine 90th Anniversary Celebration will feature at least a dozen A-40 powered aircraft along with displays, forums, and a cutaway engine in the Vintage Hangar. One of the planes attending will be flying in with a single-bladed Everel propeller!
Keep an eye out here for a more detailed schedule of events as forums and interviews are finalized in the coming weeks!
Thank You Work Weekend Volunteers!
A successful VAA Work Weekend is in the books! Volunteers came to Oshkosh from as far away as New Hampshire on the East Coast and Seattle on the West Coast, and all sorts of places in between. Some of the projects they worked on included improvements to the Metal Shaping Workshop, building a Coffee Kiosk for Tall Pines Café, organizing the Bookstore, and making a safer stage for the Vintage Hangar. Thank you to all the volunteers who helped!
New Parts Program Big Win for Vintage Fleet
Thanks to years of EAA’s advocacy efforts, the FAA has unveiled a new program for the use of off-the-shelf parts in type-certificated aircraft. This is the first approval granted under the new Vintage Aircraft Replacement and Modification Article (VARMA) program, the next big step in keeping vintage aircraft flying.
Continue reading here
90 Years of General Aviation Powered by the Continental A-40 Engine
VAA member Mark W. Stewart shares a brief history of the Continental A-40 engine in an article you can read here!
OSH22 Vintage- Yesterday’s Best
The Vintage area at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh is where the early days of civil aviation come to life. Take a closer look at some of the lovingly maintained classics that were proudly displayed during AirVenture Oshkosh 2022. Head over to EAA’s YouTube Channel to check out “Yesterday’s Best- Vintage Aircraft at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2022”!
Forrest Lovley Welcomed as Vintage Aircraft Association Inductee at EAA’s Halls of Fame Cermony
On Thursday, November 10th, five new members were welcomed into the EAA Halls of Fame during the annual induction dinner held in the Eagle Hangar. Among them was Vintage Aircraft Association inductee Forrest Lovley.
Lovley has had a lifelong passion for vintage aviation, and among his award-winning restorations were an original Model-A Pietenpol Sky Scout with a Chevrolet Vega auto engine, which received Best Auto-Powered Homebuilt at the 1972 EAA Fly-In Convention at Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Five years later, he restored the Kari-Keen Sioux Coupe, one of the only 32 Kari-Keen Sioux Coupes ever built, which won the event’s 1977 Grand Champion Antique award. In 1980, Forrest rebuilt the Wittman Big X, a one-of-a-kind build from 1945 by the legendary air racer and designer Steve Wittman. Along with his restoration skills, Lovley is renowned throughout the vintage aircraft community for his knowledge of aviation history, as well as aircraft types, engines, and more.
You can read more about Forrest in our VAA Hall of Fame section here.
2022 Vintage Volunteers of the Year
The Vintage Aircraft Association is proud to recognize two outstanding individuals as our 2022 Volunteers of the Year. Congratulations to Michael Surls, Flightline Volunteer of the Year, and Jim Brown, Behind the Scenes Volunteer of the Year. Both were honored at the VAA Fall Board Meeting that took place on Thursday, November 10th at the EAA Air Academy Lodge in Oshkosh.
You can read more about both Michael and Jim on our Volunteer of the Year page here.
Did You Know?
The award-winning EAA YouTube Channel has a playlist dedicated exclusivly to vintage aircraft! At this time there are currently over 40 videos featuring interviews with airplane owners, great aerial footage, stories of restorations and more. You’ll also be able to re-live AirVenture at Vintage Village from years past. Be sure to check it out!
2022 Vintage in Review Videos Now Available!
Whether you didn’t get a chance to make it to Oshkosh for AirVenture 2022, or you want a second look at an interview you saw in person, videos from all five days are availble to view here!
2022 Vintage Aircraft Awards
The annual Vintage Awards Ceremony at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh on Saturday, July 30th honored a select group of airplanes and owners who exemplify the best of the vintage aircraft movement. Take a look at the winners from each category below!
2022 Antique Awards
2022 Classic Awards
2022 Contemporary Awards
Congratulations to EAA Vintage Chapter 2!
EAA Vintage Chapter 2 of Spring, Texas, was recently awarded a plaque recognizing 30 years of support of the EAA Young Eagles Program! More than 2 million young people have enjoyed a free introductory flight through the Young Eagles program. These flights are made possible through the generosity of EAA Chapter member volunteers.
To learn more about the program, visint the EAA Young Eagles website here.
VAA in the News
Spectrum News was in Oshkosh on Monday and talked with our very own Vintage volunteer Jim Cunningham about setting up the Bookstore! Click Here to view the video!
Take a closer look at The Mid America Flight Museum’s spectacular, Lindy-winning 1929 Travel Air 6000, one of the highlights of the Vintage area this past summer at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2021. Click below to learn more about this amazing aircraft and hear from its team of dedicated restorers.
VAA Welcomes New Advisers to the Board of Directors
The Vintage Aircraft Association was happy to include four out of our five new Advisers during the Fall Board Meeting that took place on Thursday, November 21, 2021 in Oshkosh. We welcome (L-R) Maxwell Wenglarz, Luke Lachendro, Kathy McGurran, and Charlie Waterhouse! Jesse Clement was unable to attend, but we look forward to his involvement in the future!
2020 VAA Hall of Fame inductee Steven Dyer
2021 VAA Hall of Fame inductee Steve Nesse
Steven Dyer and Steven Nesse Inducted into the EAA Halls of Fame
On Thursday November 11th, 2021, Steven Dyer and Steven Nesse were welcomed into the EAA Halls of Fame as the Vintage Aircraft Association 2020 and 2021 inductees at a ceremony held in the Eagle Hangar of the EAA Museum. VAA President Susan Dusenbury was on hand to help EAA President Jack Pelton present the awards. We’re proud to honor both men with this prestigious recognition. Congratulations to both!
Wes Schmid
12/31/1921 – 6/26/2021
The Vintage Aircraft Association was saddened to learn of the recent passing of former VAA Secretary and Director Emeritus Wes Schmid.
VAA Director Dan Knutson offered the following statement: “Wes Schmid was truly the real deal. He joined the EAA in
1956 and since he resided in the Milwaukee area, he became close to Paul Poberezny. While Wes was serving on the EAA board of directors, it was decided that each of the EAA communities would have a representative from EAA on their board. Wes went to the VAA or as it was called in those days, the “Antique Classic Division”.
“Wes always believed that moving the organization forward was far more important than personal recognition. He was always approachable and congenial. It must also be remembered that his involvement with EAA goes back 14 years before the convention was moved to Oshkosh in 1970, absolutely amazing . Wes Scmid truly stood for what the EAA and VAA are all about. Rest In Peace Wes.”
2019 VAA Contemporary Grand Champion Cessna 150 Featured in AOPA Video and Magazine
VAA member Dennis Ozment has earned a spotlight in the June 2021 issue of AOPA magazine along with his award winning Cessna 150 and Cessna 172. The article and two videos can be viewed by clicking the button below. Congratulations Dennis!
Vintage Volunteers Highligted in EAA’s Sport Aviation Magazine
Congratulations to Vintage volunteers Jim Hornby and Dennis Lange, who are featured in the Volunteer Spotlight of the February issue of EAA’s Sport Aviation magazine! Their combined hours of volunteering totaled close to 2,500 in 2019, due in part to the fact that they are on the EAA AirVenture grounds in the months leading up to and after the convention. Their dedication to the improvement and upkeep of the Vintage grounds make them a huge asset, and they deserve sincere recognition and gratitude.
You can read more about Jim and Dennis in the Sport Aviation article by clicking the button below.
VAA President Susan Dusenbury Featured in EAA’s Timeless Voices Video
Susan Dusenbury is a longtime vintage aircraft enthusiast, Vintage Aircraft Association member and chapter leader, and was named VAA’s president in 2017.
This content is availble only to EAA/VAA members, so make sure to have your EAA login information handy.
Joe’s Tech Corner
By Joe Norris, A&P/IA, DAR, VAA Director
There are many benefits of owning a vintage airplane. One of the most impactful is the low initial entry cost, making vintage aircraft a true gateway to aviation. But there’s more to the story. Vintage aircraft owners can further enhance the ownership experience and save some money at the same time by doing some of the maintenance themselves.
VAA Director Named “Champion of the Month”
Congratulations to Vintage Aircraft Association Director Ray Johnson, who has been honored as “Champion of the Month” on the City of Marion (Indiana) website!
Ray began serving on the VAA Board as an Adviser in 2015 before becoming a Director in 2017. Those who have attended EAA AirVenture Oshkosh may know him better as the Chairman of Vintage in Review, a daily program where he chooses a select group of aircraft to be featured and interviews the owners, pilots, and mechanics.
Read more about Ray and his accomplishments in this City of Marion Champion of the Month article:
An unprecedented effort to bring the EAA community at Oshkosh to aviation fans around the world was a grand success on July 21-25, as EAA’s inaugural Spirit of Aviation Week drew enthusiasts from throughout the country and around the world for five days of flying engagement and fun.
On-Demand videos will continue to be available for a limited time on EAA’s Spirit of Aviation Week page. Stay tuned to eaavintage.org for the addition of Vintage-related videos from the event, which will be permanently accessible through the Multi-Media section.
August 7, 2020
It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing of John Turgyan, Lifetime Vintage Aircraft Association Member, current Director Emeritus, former board member, and 2019 Hall of Fame inductee. His contribution to Vintage and the aviation community in general has been nothing short of extraordinary. More information is available on his Vintage Hall of Fame inductee page.