More Than 100 Bonanza Airplanes Will Gather in La Crosse and Winona This Weekend Destined for EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh

Jul. 19—More than 100 aircraft from the same manufacturer will gather in the area this weekend as pilots from the 33rd annual Bonanzas to Oshkosh event take off from La Crosse Regional Airport.

Winona residents also will have an opportunity to catch a glimpse of the aircraft group as a formation practice is planned Friday at Winona Municipal Airport.

Ultimately, the group will depart Saturday from La Crosse to fly in formation to Oshkosh for EAA AirVenture.

The Bonanzas to Oshkosh event began in 1990 when Wayne Collins and his friends sought to ensure they could camp together at the annual EAA AirVenture fly-in and air show.

Since then, the yearly formation flight has established a nationwide network of regional training sessions and set the world record for formation of civilian aircraft of 132 Beechcraft Bonanzas and Barons.

Every year 100 to 150 Beechcraft Bonanzas and Barons assemble in the spirit of aviation.

Fixed Based Operator at the Winona Airport George Bolon said the event's pre-flight practice in Winona is a fun thing to witness.

"They'll launch around 2 p.m. and do their formation passes. You're always welcome to come out and sit along the fence," Bolon said of the airport. "Formation flying, if it's with the correct people who have been briefed and trained, is a very common thing at events."

While typical events like a football game have a few military aircraft flying in formation, the Bonanzas to Oshkosh event will feature over 100 planes in formation with the pilots being properly trained and rehearsed beforehand.

"It's all about history, it's all about aviation," Bolon said.

Apart from the spectacle of the formation flight, Bolon said he looks forward to meeting the pilots who come from all over the country to participate.

After Friday's rehearsal, it's a short 10-minute flight to the La Crosse Airport before pilots take flight to Oshkosh, which is about an hour-long flight.

La Crosse Airport Director Ian Turner said the Bonanzas to Oshkosh event has a great impact in the La Crosse community and brings in several hundred people between pilots and passengers in the aircraft.

"It's a great event to showcase the airport, aviation as a whole, and awareness of everything the airport and aviation has to offer the community," Turner said. "This particular event is very unique."

In La Crosse, Turner said he doesn't encourage visitors to the airfield because it can cause operational issues. People in the area can expect to see plenty of Bonanza aircraft flying in and around the airport.

For more information on the Bonanzas to Oshkosh flight, visit b2osh.org.

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