Originally published at: AirVenture Reflections: A Comfortable Frenzy - AVweb
AirVenture is history and this one was definitely historic.
I want to know if the Canadianâs boycotted the event like they said they were going to and how deleterious was the boycott?
Nope. I saw tons of Canadian-registered aircraft in both homebuilt camping as well as general aviation camping. I also met lots of Canadians there. Donât believe everything the media tells you.
I agree with Scott. I saw a nymber of Canadian registered planes, including one Glasair. Kinda bummed I didnât see more Glasairs, but I only walked a few of the areas. If memory serves me correctly there was a Pitts airshow team - they had Canadian registrations.
May I interject something old and less toxic from times long past and forgotten?
Way back, when I was a child, I spent 98% of my free time on various airports. A decal I remember distinctly, placed on many vehicles and airplanes parked on our airfields, was the one above. The aircraft I soloed and the aircraft I flew my PPL checkride in carried this decal. My late fathers pilots case carries it.
Translated, for those who never knew a single language other than American English:
Flying Connects - People - Countries - Continents.
This is what OSH represents and reflects.
Iâve never been privileged enough to attend this event.
If you learn to apply this very simple rule to all of your aviation contacts (and believe in it) the nationality of anyone in our profession will never matter for another second. You will be immune to modern day populism and asinine propaganda.
You will also be UNABLE to look down on a Candian, Mexican, Italian, German or Russian/ Ukranian pilot. Try it! Muffins trolling will be just what it is. Populistic trolling.
Any Canadian protesting Trumps new world and etiquette in communication 101 - and hence boycotted the event in OSH - had every right to do so - even though - punishing your fellow aviators for political bullsh!t is counterproductive to how and why our industry functions.
I hope someone within IAOPA, AOPA or the EAA will reinvent the wheel and bring this decal back.
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Your second last paragraph says it all. Nothing would have come of this had the Canadianâs just kept their mouths shut and either attended, or, stayed home. No one attending Oshkosh really gives a damn what other attendees political opinions, or, positions are. Keep them to yourself.
Thats flat. What else do you have to offer?
I can speak Merican English, Blighty English, Hoser English and Aussie English.
Thatâs Four - count 'em. 
EAA reports over 704,000 people at AirVenture 2025, a new record. But whatâs fueling the growth?
Is it still the builders and backyard flyers, or more about big exhibits, glass panels, eVTOLs, jet teams, AI in aviation, and high-tech demos? Whatever the reason, 704,000 people showed up for airplanes, and thatâs a good thing.
Big thanks to the 6,000 volunteers who made it all run. Progress is great, as long as it builds on the grassroots spirit that made Oshkosh what it is.
Answer: YOUTUBE, People love watching their fellow Americans âFreely Travelingâ and want to be them. This is why the Sport Pilot 2.0 will be so popular.
Over 11,000 RVâs have had a first flight. Now that most of those planes fit the SP/LSA 2.0 group more will be built faster. Along with so many other Homebuilts and the new Factory LSAs.
The Little Canada group camping was not full, EAA Canadian councils breakfast was half full, BBQ was ok but not crowded. And the biggest indicator was the international parade had about a handful of Canadians participate. Iâd say message sent. Oh the other side I couldnât count the number of apologies we recieved for the current situation and many were thankful that we attended.
My Wilga was at the brown arch.
Good number of planes⌠But how many go because thatâs what they do every year in home built. Not nearly as many down in the South 40 GA.
Agreed, Klaus. YouTube is driving curiosity, people want that kind of access. But letâs keep it in check: there are only about 7,000 active Sport Pilots today. Thatâs a small slice. Sport Pilot 2.0 has potential, but itâs going to be a long haul. Thereâs room for more, but weâve got work to do. 
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Iâm thinking that Cessna and Piper may re-certify their trainer 172 & PA-28 as LSA by next yearâs Oshkosh. There will also be quite a few other companies introducing competitive structurally sound LSAs.
Many organizations over the past 5 years have offered quite a few $5K scholarships. A Sport Pilot Licence may be in reach between $5K to $7K. Most Universities are charging over $10K per semester. I donât know about anyone here but, I would have traded one semester for a SPL. 
Yeah, itâs exciting to think older Cessna 172s and Piper Cherokees might be turned into LSAs, but under MOSAIC, they donât have to be. If they meet the new stall speed and design rules, Sport Pilots can fly them as-is, no recertification needed.
As for getting a Sport Pilot license for $5,000 to $7,000, that might happen in a best-case scenario, but most people end up spending closer to $8,000 to $10,000. That includes aircraft rental, instructor time, ground school, the FAA written test (about $175), and the checkride (often $600 to $1,000). A $5,000 scholarship helps, but it wonât cover everything.
At the end of the day, safety is what matters. With more capable airplanes and busier skies now in play, Sport Pilots need stronger training and sharper skills. That needs more knowledge, more flight hours, more money, not less.
Itâs all about the Money⌠âConsensus Standardâ built aircraft will have âOff-The-Shelfâ parts and components. The cost of every washer is tripled or more when you have to hang an 8130 Form on it. Many avionics companies sell âExperimentalâ and âCertifiedâ equipment that both do the exact same job but half the price.
Iâm going to be a glass-half-âFullâ on the future of Aviation. When airspace seems to be too busy and too confusing⌠Maybe? itâs time. Taking Off from Oshkosh taxiway is just another sign that itâs time to open the airspace to the next generation.
That tracks with my multi-decade observation. The Vintage stalwarts were still there, but the number of âNo, they didnât make it this yearâ replies from their countrymen were up.
Youâre right, Muffin: Canadians have no âfree speechâ rights down here, or even in an international digital forum, if they proffer a reason for skipping Airventure that happens to gore the ox you are riding.
Apparently you donât remember the egregious behavior of our federal agents towards anyone even suspected of being foreign nationals, this spring. Thatâs when most folks are making their plans to attend Airventure. Perhaps things werenât as bad on our Canadian border as in LA, NM, or TX, but there was a noted increase in the scrutiny/delay of everyone coming in from the north. The egregious behavior of the CBP, FBI, et al. would make anyone think twice about crossing any national border.
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