EAA AirVenture Oshkosh had another record-breaking year in 2023. Here's a look at the final numbers.

OSHKOSH – The numbers are in for the 70th EAA AirVenture Oshkosh Fly-In & Convention.

The Experimental Aircraft Association said in a news release Aug. 1 that 2023 marked another record year for attendance with approximately 677,000 people attending the July 24-30 event at Wittman Regional Airport. That number topped the previous attendance record of 650,000 set in 2022.

Total economic impact for the five counties in the Oshkosh region — Winnebago, Outagamie, Fond du Lac, Calumet and Brown — is estimated to be $170 million based on a 2017 University of Wisconsin Oshkosh economic impact study, the EAA said.

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“There was so much going on during the week that encompassed the entire world of flight, from the presence of the U.S. Air Force Training Command and NASA, to magnificent aircraft restorations and exciting new flying technology,” said EAA CEO and Chairman Jack Pelton in the news release. “Oshkosh was again the place that brought the aviation world together.”

More than 10,000 aircraft arrived at Wittman Regional Airport and other airports in east-central Wisconsin, EAA said, adding that at Wittman alone there were 21,883 aircraft operations in the 11-day period of July 20-30, which is an average of approximately 148 takeoffs/landings per hour when the airport is open.

This year’s event also had a record 848 commercial exhibitors.

Total show planes were 3,365 with a record 1,497 registered in vintage aircraft parking, plus 1,067 homebuilt aircraft, 380 warbirds (up 3% from last year), 194 ultralights, 134 seaplanes and amphibians, 52 aerobatic aircraft, and 41 rotorcraft.

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Camping wise, there were more than 13,000 sites in aircraft and drive-in camping accounted for an estimated 40,000 visitors.

The event also saw more than 5,500 volunteers contribute more than 250,000 hours.

“We had record-setting totals of campers, exhibitors, volunteers and more,” Pelton said. “It was also a challenging year at times with weather, logistics and other factors, which makes me even more proud of the efforts by our volunteers and staff to organize an outstanding event.”

More than 1,400 forums, workshops and presentations were also included throughout the week. And EAA said international visitors returned in a big way in 2023 with 2,372 attendees registering at the International Visitors Tent from a record-tying 93 countries outside the U.S. According to EAA, since a significant number of international visitors do not register at the tent when they arrive, the actual total of international visitors is likely much higher.

On social media, more than 18.3 million people were reached by EAA’s social media channels, up 78% over 2022, with engagement of 1.9 million. More than 189,000 hours of viewing EAA video clips online also occurred during the event, more than double the 2022 total, EAA said. The 2023 AirVenture also had 863 media representatives on site from six continents.

The Gathering, the EAA Aviation Foundation’s annual event to support its aviation education programs, attracted more than 1,000 people and raised more than $2 million, EAA said.

EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2024 will be July 22-28, 2024, and organizers said they will begin planning the event later this month.

“We are already looking at a number of big activities, including the 100th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Air Force,” Pelton said in the release. “Plenty of ideas have also been forwarded to us from EAA members and others that will be part of the planning for 2024.”

Five unexpected forced landings or crashes were reported in the region during AirVenture 2023 with two fatal crashes July 29. No one was seriously hurt in the other three incidents.

Contact Brandon Reid at 920-686-2984 or breid@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @breidHTRNews.

This article originally appeared on Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter: EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2023 attendance breaks record