UW-Oshkosh Chancellor Manohar Singh talks to guests staying on campus during EAA AirVenture taking place at nearby Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh. All available residence halls on campus are in use and filled with EAA visitors from around the world.

Each summer in late July, the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh is buzzing with activity as thousands of air show visitors make college residence and Blackhawk dining halls a comfortable home base during EAA AirVenture.

First-time visitors to Wisconsin and EAA AirVenture, Barry Butters and his wife, Christine, traveled from Australia are staying in a UWO residence hall during their week stay.

The two were having breakfast at Blackhawk Commons and checking out the Tuesday print edition of EAA AirVenture Today-the airshow's official daily newspaper that contains feature stories and the day's schedule of events.

"This is his dream trip," Christine Butters said.

A lifelong plane enthusiast who flew several decades ago, Barry Butters said he's especially interested in checking out the warbirds parked at AirVenture.

"I've never been at an airshow that is so well-organized," he said. "We'll be here until the show finishes."

After a week in Oshkosh, the two planned to head back to Chicago and then travel to Washington, D.C. to see the Smithsonian. He said they were in the U.S. once previously and toured New York and saw Niagara Falls.

Barry said though his flying days are in the past, he enjoys challenging himself with flight simulations on his computer and reading pilot biographies about their flying experiences or time in war.

Derrick Gilbert of Shanty Bay, Ontario; was eating breakfast Tuesday morning with friends Hannah Serrette, an aspiring pilot from Barbados and her father, Malcom Serrette, also of Barbados; as well as Milan Andic of Bradford, Ontario.

Hannah, who recently graduated from college in Barbados, plans to attend flight school this fall in Canada. The others have been involved in the aviation industry-as engineers, instructors and professors. The Serrettes are attending EAA AirVenture for the first time while Gilbert said he's attended eight times.

The group of friends has rooms in Scott Hall during the week.

UWO residence halls and the corresponding shuttles to Wittman Field are a popular option for EAA AirVenture visitors and reservations routinely fill early.

Lynn Kleman, director of University Event and Conference Services, said reservations show more than 2,500 guests on campus this week, with seven available residence halls in use.

"We know we have international guests from Canada, New Zealand, the U.K., Australia and Germany (and more)," she said, adding they often hear about their guests' locales through informal conversations at check-in.

More than 600,000 attendees came through the gates last year at EAA AirVenture-the world's largest general aviation gathering with more than 10,000 aircraft in attendance from around the world. This year's fly-in runs through Sunday, July 26.

The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) was founded in January 1953 in Milwaukee, as a local club for those who built and restored their own aircraft. It quickly grew to become a vibrant and growing aviation community that includes all who enjoy flying for recreation and welcomes all aviation enthusiasts to participate, according to EAA, which is headquartered in Oshkosh.

Words printed on UWO guest's T-shirt summed up the passion for aviation felt by many of the visitors: Eat. Sleep. Fly. Repeat.

See photos:

AirVenture guests on campus 7/20

Breakfast with EAA visitors 7/21