20th Annual Electric Aircraft Symposium Sets Attendance and Speaker Records at University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh

The 20th Electric Aircraft Symposium at University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh drew nearly 200 in-person attendees, a 50% rise, with a record 47 speakers and 12 moderators across 12 sessions on July 18-19, 2026.

Original report
generalaviationnews.com

Industry impact

Growing attendance and speaker counts at a dedicated electric-aviation forum signal that regulators, propulsion suppliers and eVTOL developers increasingly treat certification and infrastructure questions as shared, cross-industry problems rather than single-company concerns.

What happened

The 20th Annual Electric Aircraft Symposium (EAS) took place July 18-19, 2026, at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, the weekend before EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2026. The event drew nearly 200 in-person attendees, a 50% increase over the previous year, and featured 47 speakers and 12 moderators across 12 sessions, with speakers representing seven countries. More than 100 registrants also ordered video recordings of the event.

Participants included Robinson helicopters, nine eVTOL developers — AIR EV, Eve Air Mobility, Horizon Aircraft, Joby Aviation, Jump Aero, Laminar Vector Technology, Pivotal Aero, Skyfly, and Wisk — and six eCTOL/eSTOL developers including Ampaire, AURA Aero, Bye Aerospace, and Electra Aero. Seven propulsion system companies presented, among them H2FLY, magniX, Pratt & Whitney Canada, and Whisper Aero. FAA Southern Region Administrator Jeffrey Vincent and Florida Department of Transportation COO Will N. Watts, Jr. held a session on the FAA's eVTOL and AAM Integration Pilot Program, while NASA Deputy Program Manager Michael Vincent presented on NASA's Open eVTOL initiative. A special session addressed the FAA's newly enacted Light Sport Aircraft MOSAIC rule, moderated by Scott Severen, President of the Light Aircraft Manufacturers Association.

A hydrogen-electric propulsion session organized by the HySky Society featured Hydroplane CEO Dr. Anita Sengupta, H2FLY founder and CTO Dr. Josef Kallo, and Munro Defense Senior Engineer Dr. Nick Ingarra. A closing retrospective on 20 years of electric aviation featured Mike Hirschberg, Ken Swartz, Will Tacke, and Whisper Aero CEO Mark Moore. Mike Hirschberg, co-producer of EAS 2026, said the symposium "highlighted a wide range of new aircraft designs and propulsion system developments, as well as important regulatory and infrastructure developments — some for the first time." First held in 2007, EAS has featured more than 600 talks over its 20-year history and has been co-located with EAA AirVenture Oshkosh since 2017. EAS 2027 is scheduled for July 24-25, 2027.

Who this affects

• Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) — Airframe and propulsion developers across the electric aviation sector shared a common forum with FAA and NASA officials on integration pathways and the new MOSAIC rule.
• Aviation Manufacturing Supply Chain — Propulsion and hydrogen-electric suppliers presented alongside nine eVTOL developers and NASA's Open eVTOL initiative at the same forum.
• Air Traffic Management (ATM) Authorities — Regulatory officials presented directly on the eVTOL and AAM Integration Pilot Program and the newly enacted MOSAIC rule alongside the developers those rules will govern.