OSHKOSH, Wis. (WFRV) – Day 3 of the 2025 edition of EAA AirVenture Oshkosh saw plenty of aviation enthusiasts learn about building custom planes amidst the nearly 100-degree weather.
Even as attendees battled high temperatures with constant water breaks and cooling center stops, it didn’t stop many from expressing and showcasing their love of custom-built planes.
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Local 5’s Ellie Davis spoke with multiple attendees, who flew in from all across the nation in their personally built aircraft, usually in a two-car garage.
According to some owners, they bought kits with a step-by-step instruction manual that takes them through a building process that takes roughly 2,000 hours.
At EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, there are daily workshops that show interested individuals how to properly and safely assemble a plane. Dan Loegering of Fargo, North Dakota, said there are plenty of classes to take, but there’s nowhere better to do so than in Oshkosh.
“There are lots of classes you can take here. There’s welding, fabric work, woodwork, and this plane has a little bit of it all,” Loegering said. “It’s something you must talk to people about, and what better place to do that than Oshkosh?”
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Loegering built and brought his custom plane to the EAA AirVenture grounds this year, a place he’s been coming to since 1987. But this time was extra special—it’s the first time he’s flown to the event in his plane.
“It’s kind of a family affair, and it’s something we did for our entertainment and family vacations,” Loegering said. “I knew I wanted to build a plane and be here with it. This is my first time flying in, so that bucket list item has been checked off.”
Dan Loegering’s Plane
Dan Loegering’s Plane
Dan Loegering’s Plane
Dan Loegering’s Plane
The founder of Van’s Aircraft, Inc., Richard VanGrunsven, was also in attendance, representing his company. The company has over 11,000 Van’s aircraft flying worldwide. It makes up about one-third of the nation’s experimental aircraft fleet.
“I started over 50 years ago, practically in my backyard, progressively building up as the kit plane field evolved,” VanGrunsven said. “People have liked our airplanes and kits; they enjoy building and flying them.”
VanGrunsven called kit plane building a learning process, and said it’s more than just opening a box of furniture and bolting it together.
“The person has to be open-minded to an extent,” VanGrunsven said. “It’s a process that almost anyone can do if you approach it methodically and if you have the patience.”
Another major aspect of Wednesday’s activities was the heat, as heat index values were reportedly expected to be up to 101 degrees, and many drank water/spent time at multiple cooling centers across the grounds.
Wisconsin native Asher Pitzer said he and his group won some cooling rags at a booth, which helped out plenty, calling hydration a key.
“We’ve been drinking a lot of water and sitting in the shade at the cooling booths,” Pitzer said. “We’ve got some nice cool water spraying on us, so it’s been a good day.”
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Overall, despite the heat, aviation enthusiasts were out in full force at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh with plenty of other activities and events to come in the following days.
Local 5 will continue its coverage of the 2025 EAA AirVenture Oshkosh as the week continues.