Vintage in Review Returns to AirVenture 2026 With 90-Year-Old Flyers

EAA's daily showcase of antique and classic aircraft brings pilots, mechanics, and their stories to the Interview Circle July 20–24.

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The Granville Brothers Gee Bee R-6 “Q.E.D.” being serviced before the 1934 MacRobertson Air Race; Mid America Flight Museum flies a replica of this aircraft. [Credit: Wikimedia Commons]
The Granville Brothers Gee Bee R-6 “Q.E.D.” being serviced before the 1934 MacRobertson Air Race; Mid America Flight Museum flies a replica of this aircraft. [Credit: Wikimedia Commons]

One of AirVenture’s most storied traditions is back. The Vintage in Review showcase returns to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh in 2026, spotlighting the unique and iconic aircraft that were built and flown during aviation’s first half-century. Sessions run daily July 20–24 at the Interview Circle, just east of the Vintage Red Barn.

Each day at 10:30 a.m., pilots take the microphone alongside their rare antique and classic airplanes, walking the crowd through the flying, the wrenching, and the history behind each machine. This year’s lineup represents roughly 20 years of American civil aviation design, with some featured aircraft as old as 90 years.

“Vintage in Review gives a wonderful opportunity to see and learn about planes that can’t be seen anywhere else, with some of our featured aircraft being as old as 90 years,” said Ray Johnson, Vintage in Review chairman. “It also gives a chance to get to know the owners and pilots, who are often the mechanics too, behind these vintage aircraft. It’s a great time to sit back, relax, and be regaled by some great stories about the flights and upkeep of these planes, and learn about the time and effort needed to keep these aircraft in the sky.”

The daily interviews come with a period soundtrack. The Ladies for Liberty will perform World War II-era songs at each session, followed by an engine run of the iconic 1915 Curtiss OX-5—the first mass-produced American aircraft engine and the powerplant behind the legendary Curtiss JN-4 Jenny.

The current daily schedule:

  • Monday, July 20 — Mid America Flight Museum, 1934 Granville Brothers Gee Bee R-6 QED (replica)
  • Tuesday, July 21 — Shawn Honaker, 1946 Aeronca Champ
  • Wednesday, July 22 — Tim Talen, 1935 National Airplane and Motor Co. Bluebird LP-4
  • Thursday, July 23 — Jan Johnson, 1944 Stinson L-5E
  • Friday, July 24 — Will Kientz, 1953 Temco T-35A Buckaroo
Wednesday, July 22 — The 1935 National Airplane & Motor Co. Bluebird LP-4. [Credit EAA Vintage Aircraft Association]
Wednesday, July 22 — The 1935 National Airplane & Motor Co. Bluebird LP-4. [Credit EAA Vintage Aircraft Association]
Thursday, July 23 — A Stinson L-5 Sentinel in U.S. Army Air Forces markings. [Credit: Gary Todd / Wikimedia Commons]
Thursday, July 23 — A Stinson L-5 Sentinel in U.S. Army Air Forces markings. [Credit: Gary Todd / Wikimedia Commons]
Friday, July 24 — A Temco T-35 Buckaroo. [Credit: U.S. Air Force]
Friday, July 24 — A Temco T-35 Buckaroo. [Credit: U.S. Air Force]

More sessions will be added as the schedule is finalized. Additional details are available on the Vintage Aircraft Area page at eaa.org.

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