Like Sting, Bono or Madonna, only a handful of events in the world can pull off the single name and get away with it. Mention Indy or LeMans to a car racing fan and they know what you're talking about. Mention Oshkosh to any pilot or aviation fan and they know your not talking about the overalls you wore as a kid.

Technically it's called Airventure and it's the largest gathering of aircraft and aviation nuts in the world held every year at the end of July in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

Unlike Indy or LeMans where you'll get a only a certain segment of the auto racing clan, at Oshkosh they all show up. "If it has flown, is flying or will fly, it will show up at Oshkosh at some point" is how spokesman Dick Knapinski sums it up. Knapinski works for the Experimental Aircraft Association which has been putting on the annual event since the first gathering was held in Milwaukee in 1953.

Since that time Oshkosh has grown into part air show, part trade show, part seminar, part pilgrimage and everything about aircraft. More than 10,000 airplanes will fly in for the week long event and over half a million people from 65 countries will past through the gates. The air traffic control tower at Oshkosh is the busiest in the world for landings and departures during the week, surpassing Atlanta Hartsfield for the number one slot every year.

All of these people come to see a wide range of aircraft young and old. Of course one of the things that draws people year after year is the chance to see the latest innovations in aviation. This year, to steal a pun from the automotive headlines, much of the buzz is about electric airplanes. As Wired.com reported earlier this week, electric aircraft are undergoing extensive development around the world right now.

Last year at Oshkosh, a lot of news was generated by the flight of a single electric airplane. This year there are several expected to show up and the hope is for daily flights showing off this emerging technology. With so many of the Oshkosh faithful being tinkerers themselves, the revolution happening with electric airplanes is sure to attract a lot of attention.

Another of the big attractions will be the White Knight Two. The unusual looking four engine jet, christened 'Eve' from Scaled Composites is one of the latest designs from legendary aerospace designer, Burt Rutan. He has been coming to Oshkosh for more than 35 years and has debuted many of his aircraft at the show since his first airplane, the VariViggen back in 1972 .

It will be the first chance for the general public to see Eve which will be the carrying craft for SpaceShipTwo's space tourism flights. Eve is expected to make several flights during the week, no doubt reigniting some excitement during these space tourism doldrums.

The Airbus A380 super jumbo will be making its first appearance at a North American air show, and the unmanned Predator B will also be on the flight line courtesy of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Interestingly, both aircraft will be flown in by members of the Experimental Aircraft Association (experimental refers to the Federal Aviation Administration's designation for aircraft which are not factory built, though still must meet rigorous safety requirements).

Just as both of these pilots flying these headlining aircraft have been to Oshkosh before, many of the visitors make the pilgrimage to Wisconsin every year. The EAA's Dick Knapinski told Wired.com many visitors use the show as the place to catch up with old friends, "I look at it as aviation’s family reunion."

Jim Voss is a long time pilot who built his own airplane years ago. He says he's been to Oshkosh almost every year since his first visit in 1981. And one of the few times he couldn’t make it in person, he was still able to call in from his perch high above the midwest during a six month stay on the International Space Station.

"It wasn't an easy thing at the time [2001]" Voss says, "it was a surprise for the audience gathered in Oshkosh, and I had some friends there that day and they couldn't believe they were able to talk with me."

The only other times Voss missed the show was while he was in Russia training for one of his five Space Shuttle flights. The former astronaut will be there this year, checking out the latest general aviation aircraft and admiring the endless rows of airplanes, "anyone who loves flying, loves Oshkosh."

Spaceship transports, electric airplanes and the A380 won't be the only attractions at Airventure this year. In addition to the headline grabbing attractions, Oshkosh features more than 1,000 seminars where visitors can learn about everything from how to build a composite airplane of their own, to hearing a great flying story from pilots such as Chuck Yeager or Sully Sullenburger and his crew talking about their landing in the Hudson.

More than 2,500 show planes will be on display including hundreds of vintage warbirds from World War II as well as other historical events throughout aviation history. This year a replica of the 1909 Wright B flyer will be on display not far from the massive U.S. Air Force C-5 transport and the massive Sikorsky Sky Crane helicopter.

While companies like Boeing and Airbus tend to use Paris or Farnborough to show off their aircraft, just about every smaller aircraft maker makes the trip to Oshkosh every year. Cessna is a name that is synonomous with small aircraft for most people. The company makes several models from small two seat training aircraft to the world's fastest private jet.

Cessna's John Doman told Wired.com Oshkosh is the pinnacle show in the industry. "We can go there with the heart of our product line and talk to our customers" he says of the trade show aspect of Oshkosh, "and it’s not just a domestic show, it has a global draw."

Working in the aviation industry, Oshkosh can be a lot of work for people like Doman, but as a pilot he says it's still a place he loves to go every year, "I never tire of just looking up in the sky and watching the airplanes fly by, from ultralights to B-17s."

Wired.com will be posting updates all week from Airventure starting Monday.

Source: wired.com