Return of the Legendary P-38 ‘White Lightnin’ at AirVenture Oshkosh 2026

One of the most storied warbirds in American aviation history, the Flying Bulls’ meticulously restored Lockheed P-38 Lightning — affectionately known as “White Lightnin'” — made a triumphant return to U.S. skies at the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2026 (July 20–26, Wittman Regional Airport, Wisconsin).

The Austria-based Red Bull flight team marked their historic first-ever American debut, crossing the Atlantic under their own power. This remarkable journey took both the P-38 and a Douglas DC-6B through England, Iceland, Newfoundland, and Canada before finally reaching the Midwest. Throughout the week-long event, the aircraft were displayed at Boeing Plaza and participated in afternoon air shows.

The P-38’s story is truly remarkable. As a 1944 photo-reconnaissance variant, it is one of only about 10 airworthy P-38s remaining worldwide and the only airworthy P-38 currently based in Europe. The aircraft, known as “White Lightning”, spent decades racing at the Reno Air Races before suffering a crash-landing in a Mississippi cotton field following an engine fire in 2001. The Flying Bulls acquired the damaged airframe in 2007 and invested three years in a complete restoration. The Flying Bulls, who operate over 40 aircraft from their base at Hangar-7 in Salzburg, Austria, owe their collection to a foundation established in the 1980s and formalized with support from Red Bull founder Dietrich Mateschitz in 1999.

EAA Vice President Rick Larsen lauded the aircraft as “among the finest restorations of their type anywhere on earth.”

Source: General Aviation News – Flying Bulls’ P-38 Lightning Returns to the U.S.