Aircraft of the Vietnam War

THIS YEAR AT EAA AIRVENTURE OSHKOSH 2023, we’re commemorating the 50th anniversary of the official end of U.S. military involvement in Vietnam — honoring the remarkable aircraft of the era, the nearly 60,000 American troops who made the ultimate sacrifice during the war, and the thousands of Vietnam veterans who served their country valiantly in Southeast Asia.

We’re expecting to have a strong presence of Vietnam Warera aircraft at AirVenture Oshkosh this summer to honor those who fought in the jungles of Vietnam half a century ago. While many of the most-famous aircraft from Vietnam have only one or two flying examples left (if any at all), we anticipate a number of the following aircraft, either still serving on active duty or in private hands as warbirds, will potentially make an appearance at AirVenture. Note: Not all of these aircraft will attend Oshkosh this year, nor at the time of this writing do we know definitively which ones will be attending, so keep your eyes open as you wander the grounds.

BOEING B-52 STRATOFORTRESS

INTRODUCED IN 1955, THE B-52 is still going strong for the U.S. Air Force and is expected to remain in service for decades to come. During the Vietnam War, BUFFs were the primary heavy bomber for the Air Force, taking part in Operation Rolling Thunder as well as Operation Linebacker II.

LOCKHEED P-3 ORION

ENTERING SERVICE IN 1962, the P-3 is primarily used for anti-submarine and maritime surveillance purposes — a purpose it served during Vietnam as well. Although the U.S. Navy is beginning to phase out the P-3 in favor of the P-8 Poseidon, it is notably operated by NOAA as a hurricane hunter.

LOCKHEED C-130 HERCULES

LIKE THE B-52, THE C-130 was introduced in the mid-1950s and is still very much in use by the U.S. Air Force, as well as the Coast Guard and numerous foreign air forces. Throughout the decades, the C-130 has been modified from its standard cargo iteration to also be used as a gunship, tanker, and electronic warfare, combat search and rescue, and special operations platform, among other applications. During Vietnam, the aircraft was used in many different ways.

LOCKHEED U-2

THE LEGENDARY U-2 DRAGON LADY was initially developed in the mid-1950s as a CIA reconnaissance aircraft for spying on the Soviet Union, eventually becoming incorporated into the U.S. Air Force’s arsenal. The U-2 was used for a number of spy missions over North Vietnam during the war. Almost 70 years after its introduction, the U-2 is still used by the Air Force as well as NASA for research purposes.

We offer hot coffee, doughnuts, fresh fruit, salads, sandwiches and much more.

Red One Market has everything you need to make your stay more enjoyable.

CONVENIENTLY LOCATED SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO LEAVE THE GROUNDS!

Head over to one of our six Red One Market locations today!

RED ONE MARKET CENTRAL* | RED ONE MARKET WEST *

RED ONE MARKET SOUTHWEST | RED ONE MARKET NORTH*

RED ONE MARKET SOUTH 40 | RED ONE MARKET EAST

*Cold beer and wine are for sale at our Central, West, and North Red One Market locations.

Moon Missions, Unique Aircraft

Part of NASA’s Presence at AirVenture Oshkosh 2023

AMERICA’S LEGACY AND FUTURE on the moon, unique aircraft, advanced aviation technologies, and a variety of presentations are among NASA’s highlights coming to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2023 on July 24-30 at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

NASA’s activities will be centered at its pavilion in Aviation Gateway Park, just northwest of the FAA control tower on the AirVenture grounds. Other exhibits and programs will be showcased throughout the week at various other locations as well.

Among the other NASA highlights at EAA AirVenture 2023 are:

• Monday, July 24, 8 p.m., Theater in the Woods: “NASA – The Next Bold Step” looks at the Apollo and Artemis programs, from the first steps on the moon to the next steps on the moon. Hosted by former space shuttle commander Charlie Precourt, the program will include NASA Administrator Bob Cabana, Apollo 16 astronaut Charlie Duke plus Gerry Griffin and Rick Weiss from the Apollo program, as well as Dr. John Blevins, Alex Kanelakos, and Dr. Ryan Watkins from the Artemis program.

• Tuesday, July 25, 2:30 p.m., Forum Pavilion 7: “Artemis Audience Astronauts” will cover mission and science objectives, prelaunch preparation, crew training, and human research objectives the crew will likely complete. Experts in lunar and Mars mission planning and spacecraft development will cover what crews can expect while living and working on and around the moon, and how long-duration Artemis missions will function as partial analogs for human missions to Mars.

• Monday-Wednesday, July 24-26, Boeing Plaza: NASA Super Guppy parked on Boeing Plaza. This unique cargo airplane carries large spaceship parts from location to location. The airplane will also carry a full-size test article of the Orion space capsule.

• Wednesday, July 26, 11:30 a.m., Forum Pavilion 8: “Preparing to Fly the X-59” will feature NASA research test pilot David “Nils” Larson discussing preparations for the agency’s first flight of its X-59 quiet supersonic demonstrator aircraft. The unique X-59 aircraft is the centerpiece of NASA’s Quesst program, which seeks to open the future to commercial supersonic flight over land.

• Thursday, July 27, 8:30 a.m., Forum Pavilion 8: “NASA Wicked Aeronautics Innovation” focuses on the Convergent Aeronautics Solutions project, which explores various opportunities for aviation transformations for the good of American society. These high-risk expeditions aim to illuminate paths to desirable futures enabled by aviation, as well as the future of flight itself.

Other NASA programs and activities are listed in the AirVenture schedule of events, available online at EAA.org/AirVenture and via the AirVenture app.