Electric Aircraft Symposium draws record turnout and sets 2027 dates

The 20th Annual Electric Aircraft Symposium drew nearly 200 in-person attendees, a record 47 speakers and 12 moderators at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh on July 18–19. Organizers also set the 21st symposium for July 24–25, 2027, as the AAM conference continues to build around electric, hybrid and hydrogen-electric aviation.

Why it matters: - The Electric Aircraft Symposium remains a key gathering for the advanced air mobility sector, which is shaping the next generation of electric, hybrid and hydrogen-powered aircraft. - The 2026 event set records for speakers, moderators and attendance, signaling growing industry interest and momentum. - The symposium also feeds directly into the broader AirVenture Oshkosh ecosystem, where the aviation industry, regulators and developers meet at scale.

What happened: - The 20th Annual Electric Aircraft Symposium was held at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh on July 18–19. - The two-day event featured a record 47 speakers and 12 moderators. - Nearly 200 people attended in person, a 50% increase from last year and also a record. - More than 100 registrants ordered the EAS 2026 video recordings, and the recordings remain available to the public. - Organizers confirmed the 21st Annual EAS will be held in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, on July 24–25, 2027. - The 2027 event will take place on the two days immediately before the Experimental Aircraft Association AirVenture Oshkosh. - Organizers are inviting speaker and sponsor proposals for an expanded 2027 program.

The details: - EAS focuses on electric vertical-, short- and conventional takeoff and landing aircraft, grouped under advanced air mobility. - The conference is described as the world’s longest-running AAM conference. - The 2026 program included 12 in-depth sessions covering battery-, hybrid- and hydrogen-electric propulsion. - Speakers came from seven countries. - The roster included Robinson, plus nine eVTOL developers: AIR EV, Eve Air Mobility, Horizon Aircraft, Joby Aviation, Jump Aero, Laminar Vector Technology, Pivotal Aero, Skyfly and Wisk. - The event also included six eCTOL and eSTOL developers: Alphafrog, Ampaire, AURA Aero, Bye Aerospace, Electra Aero and EVIO Aircraft. - Seven propulsion companies participated: H2FLY, Hydroplane, magniX, Pratt & Whitney Canada, RED Aircraft, VerdeGo Aero and Whisper Aero. - FAA Southern Region Administrator Jeffrey Vincent and Florida Department of Transportation Chief Operations Officer Will N. Watts, Jr. joined a session on the FAA eVTOL and AAM Integration Pilot Program. - NASA’s Michael Vincent, Open eVTOL deputy program manager, also presented. - A session on the FAA’s Light Sport Aircraft Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification, which took effect the week of the symposium, was moderated by Scott Severen of the Light Aircraft Manufacturers Association. - AIR EV, Skyfly, Laminar Vector and Pivotal took part in that LSA session. - The hydrogen-electric propulsion session was organized by the nonprofit HySky Society and chaired by Danielle McLean. - That session featured Hydroplane CEO Dr. Anita Sengupta, H2FLY founder and CTO Dr. Josef Kallo and Munro Defense Senior Engineer Dr. Nick Ingarra. - The closing session looked back on 20 years of electric aviation and considered the coming decades. - Participants in that retrospective included Mike Hirschberg, Ken Swartz, Will Tacke and Whisper Aero CEO Mark Moore. - Moore spoke at the first EAS and most subsequent meetings. - Hirschberg and Moore also co-organized early Vertical Flight Society Transformative Vertical Flight and eVTOL Symposiums starting in 2014. - The event’s top sponsors and partners included AERO Friedrichshafen, Bloomy, GoEngineer, magniX, NEXA, Pivotal, Robinson, Toray, Vertiport Chicago, Whisper, Wisk and VFS headquarters. - Exhibitors included Bloomy, M4 Engineering, Neuroglia Technologies, Toray, TotalSim, Sun 'n Fun Aerospace Expo and VFS. - EAS was first held in 2007. - Since 2017, the symposium has been held with AirVenture Oshkosh, which again drew more than 734,000 attendees and 10,000 aircraft this year. - Over 20 years, EAS has featured more than 600 talks by leaders from industry, academia and government. - EAS 2026 was co-produced by Ken Swartz of Aeromedia Consultants and Mike Hirschberg of Hirschberg Heuristics Advisors. - The event was organized under the Vertical Flight Society Federal City Chapter. - Proceeds from EAS 2026 generated more than $4,000 for the chapter’s student scholarship fund. - Plans for EAS 2027 are already underway, with broader coverage of electric-powered aircraft, technologies and regulations. - More information is available at EAS 2027. - The Vertical Flight Society Federal City Chapter can be found on LinkedIn.

Between the lines: - The record turnout and broader speaker mix suggest the AAM sector is moving from niche interest toward a more established industry conversation. - The strong FAA and NASA presence points to continued regulatory and integration work as a major hurdle for electric aviation. - The range of propulsion approaches on display shows the market has not settled on one path to commercialization.

What's next: - Organizers plan a larger EAS 2027 program in Oshkosh on July 24–25, 2027. - Speaker and sponsor proposals are being accepted now. - The 2027 symposium will again precede AirVenture Oshkosh, giving it access to one of the aviation industry’s largest annual audiences. - EAS 2026 video recordings remain available for those who missed the event.