With EAA AirVenture kicking off on Monday, a national organization focused on historic Air Force and Navy planes is hitting the skies over Manitowoc County.
The T-34 Association, formed in July 1975, has been coming to the Manitowoc County Airport for the past 15 years to conduct EAA qualifying flights ahead of the annual aviation showcase in Oshkosh.
Billy Smith, the President of the T-34 Association, has been in that role since the group’s first year coming to Manitowoc.
He had nothing but positive things to say about the airport, and the community.
“There is no comparison. Manitowoc is the number one spot we go to,” he said with a smile.
The relationship with the T-34 Association and EAA Chapter 383, which is one of the oldest EAA chapters in the state, came to be when the group made a stop in Manitowoc, and as Smith put it, fell in love with the place.
“The EAA chapter here treats us like family,” he explained. “They open up this room to us. They do everything for us. They bend over backwards. It’s a truly thankless job for them. I try to highlight their attention to detail with us.”
In fact, Smith specifically noted the revamped briefing room. He mentioned offhandedly last year that he would love to have a big screen on a specific wall, which was done this year without question.
Additionally, Smith noted that all of the pilots always stay at The Inn on Maritime Bay and enjoy everything Manitowoc has to offer.
“The maritime museum down there, the local restaurants, and stuff that we hang out at. It’s just it’s like a homecoming every year,” he said. “We look forward to this. We love to celebrate with the local people.”
But it’s not all fun and games.
The pilots began taking to the skies in formations on Friday after a briefing with the FAA and with their individual formation groups.
In those group briefings, the formation leaders take the time to go over their specific flight details, including call signs, weather conditions, aircraft information, altitude restrictions, maneuver details, safety reminders, and emergency procedures.
“I call this our rust remover clinic,” he revealed. “We get everybody here on the first day like we’re doing today, we just send guys out, and it’s just basic formation skills. It’s blocking and tackling, to use a football analogy. And then we build from there.”
Residents and guests also make the trip out of the airport off of Menasha Avenue to watch the planes take off and perform their maneuvers in one of four quadrants, which stretch out over Lake Michigan.
A total of 45 planes will be at the Manitowoc County Airport over the weekend, with Sunday being the make-or-break moment for the less experienced fliers.
“Sunday afternoon, we practice the show that we’re going to do at Oshkosh, and everybody by that point is at the proficiency level they need to be, or I won’t allow them to fly in the formation,” Smith explained.
The T-43 Association will take off for Oshkosh on Monday for day 1 of EAA AirVenture, where they will be a part of a 30-minute air show.
Then on day 2, they will do a 45-minute show after spending the night in Oshkosh.
