By Aldrich M. Tan • Of The Northwestern • July 31, 2008

The clear blue sky is their stage.

Above the flight line of the AirVenture grounds, planes whiz, boom, and roar as they paint the sky with trails of curvy light gray smoke.

Their audience, hundreds of feet below, strains their necks from gazing skyward as their eyes follow each performer's every turn, loop, and flip.

For more coverage, see our special section: EAA AirVenture 2008

Approximately 100 planes will soar through the skies over the course of this year's AirVenture 2008's traditional afternoon air shows, said Danny Clisham, vice-chairman of the announcers stand for the Air Show.

Variety is the key to the air shows' success, from the thunder of the top gun jets to high performance aerobatic planes doing flips and helicopters that do things that no other helicopter has done before, Clisham said.

"If I asked ten people of different ages about their favorite thing today, they would have all different answers," he said.

Four-time AirVenture attendee Paul Wilder's favorite part of the show is the sound that the planes' engines make as they zoom through the sky, such as the ear-splitting roar of the military fighter planes.

His new favorite is the Red Bull helicopter, which is making its first appearance at AirVenture.

"I have never seen a helicopter turn upside down," said Wilder, 49, of Peachtree City, Ga.

It's a trick that helicopter pilot Chuck Aaron calls the "Chuck Cibak," in which he guides the helicopter up and straight back. Aaron said he is having a great time performing for AirVenture.

"It's a huge crowd and it's a lot of fun to be with the rest of the professionals," he said.

The largest of the new performers was Boeing's Dreamlifter, the world's largest cargo aircraft, Clisham said. The plane is approximately 220-feet long, 70-feet tall, and has a 211-foot wingspan.

Ten-year-old Casey Reich's jaw dropped as the plane prepared to take off on Wednesday afternoon.

"Whoa," the boy from Menomonee Falls said. "That's huge!"

Crowd favorites like Sean Tucker, Patty Wagstaff, and Gene Soucy have also returned, Clisham said.

Coming back to Oshkosh is like a pilgrimage, said Soucy, who has been flying in Oshkosh since 1971.

"I love flying in any air show, but everyone wants to be in the big one," he said. "It's like the Oscars of air shows."

Teresa Stokes, who performs with Soucy as a wingwalker, said Oshkosh crowds are her favorite because the spectators are also pilots.

However, the air show is not just about the performance in the skies. After each act, the pilots meet their fans, pose for photos and sign autographs.

Jeanette Doratio, from Fernandina Beach, Fla., gave the thumbs up for a photo with pilot Sean Tucker, with her husband Tim, her father Rick Wilson, and 15-month-old daughter Brooklyn.

Doratio, an air traffic controller, said she appreciates having the opportunity to see her favorite air show performer.

"It's like seeing a sports star," she said.