Air Force One on the tarmac of Green Bay Austin Straubel Airport on June 25th, 2020. (WTAQ/Casey Nelson)
OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ) – President Donald Trump’s campaign has officially announced that he will stop at Basler Flight Service in Oshkosh on Monday afternoon. But what does that mean for the airport and surrounding area?
It’s been a while since a President landed in Oshkosh, but they’re still prepared to handle it.
“Last time we had a sitting president visit Oshkosh, I believe, was 2004 when George W. Bush was here…So it’s been 16 years, so it’s not something that happens all that frequently and it’s an honor to host him,” says Wittman Regional Airport Director Jim Schell, “As far as handling the flights in and out, it’ll actually be very similar to Vice President Pence’s visit that he conducted here about a month ago.”
Wittman Regional Airport ceased all passenger services in 2003 – but is often used for smaller aircraft and personal planes.
Air Force One is technically a civilian Boeing 757, but it’s designated as a C-32 by the military. Planes of that size and nature aren’t incredibly frequent visitors to the runways on the south side of Oshkosh, but Schell says it’s well within the capabilities of the airport to handle it.
Meanwhile, Schell is working with federal authorities to issue a published temporary flight restriction, or TFR, which is standard for any presidential visit.
“There’s obviously flight restrictions in the immediate vicinity of the airport and surrounding areas,” Schell explains.
“The secret service does put down a total clampdown on the airport, it will be a no fly zone for about 3 to 4 hours on Monday for that,” says EAA Spokesman Dick Knapinski.
The entire airport will essentially be shut down prior to the president’s arrival, and for a brief time after Air Force One returns to the sky.
“It is different for people who may be used to flying around Wittman. It’s going to be a period of time late Monday afternoon into the evening where that simply is not going to be possible. You won’t even be able to access your hanger or your airplane during that time,” Knapinski explains.
EAA is located on the opposite side of the airfield to Basler’s hangar – but they also have responsibilities to clear out the area ahead of the visit. Knapinski says the Secret Service is very thorough with ensuring a secure perimeter.
“Anything inside the airport fence that we use, we’ll have to clear out by 4:00 p.m. on Monday,” Knapinski tells WTAQ News, “[The Secret Service does] a walk through – they say ‘This is the way it’s going to be done’, and there is not a lot of wiggle room how it’s going to be done.”
But Knapinski is fine when it comes to dealing with such hassles, especially if that means he gets to see something unique happen right in the EAA’s own backyard.
“Being airplane geeks, I think we’re more excited about the airplane than any political candidates that will happen to come by. You know, Air Force One is a one of a kind aircraft,” Knapinski says, “The chance to see that 757 land at Wittman, even from afar, is always really something. That’s a lot of fun. And I think for airplane enthusiasts such as myself to see it land on the runway at Oshkosh is always something special.”
Knapinski predicts the landing will occur on the field’s longest runway, which is about 8,000 feet long.
Trump’s stop in Oshkosh is scheduled for two and a half hours after a stop in Mankato, Minnesota. Trump came within 1.5 percentage points of carrying Minnesota in 2016 and has made winning the state a priority this year. He is also scheduled to appear in Yuma, Arizona, on Tuesday.
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