Complaining and Negativity

I hate to see and hear all of the complaining and negativity about EAA and Oshkosh (Airventure...depending on how long you have been attending). I have been coming to Oshkosh every year since I was 4 years old except for 3 years and am 35 now. I have grown up around aviation and Oshkosh, I feel like it is my second home and the Poberezny's extended family and almost celebrities. I hated seeing Paul driving around in a Ford Fusion or riding a golf cart this year, up until the time I seen Red 1 was put in the museum, then realized that EAA wanted to preserve that part of its history, not eliminate it. Last year there was a huge negativity push from the Vintage area, this year there were more antiques and classics than I can remember seeing up there for years, there was a grass runway, and the huge Cub celebration. I love the antiques, mainly because that is my interest, but instead of just being negative and complaining, look at all the people that stepped up this year and made a 180 degree turn around from last. I was able to fly my Cub up to Oshkosh with my son this year; it was one of the greatest accomplishments of my life, something I had always wanted to do since I was a kid. I hope that my son has that opportunity to experience in the future, but unless we stop complaining and start doing, I'm afraid that he may not have it.
I am not an employee of EAA; I am a member, over the years look at all that EAA has done for aviation. Look at all that they have done to improve the facilities at Oshkosh. They are focused not only on preserving aviation they are protecting it, but they have to survive as well, and to ensure that they have made some sacrifices over the years. Change is a given and in order to survive it is something that will always have to be dealt with. Instead of all of the gloom and doom, propose or recommend changes, ideas, anything that you think might help keep Oshkosh around for my kids and yours.
I hope nobody makes too much fun of me for writing this; I'm not a journalist or reporter so my sentences and grammar maybe incorrect, but I do love Oshkosh, EAA, and more than anything I love airplanes and flying them. I hope I'm not the only one left that can see the positives.

I agree with your post 100%, and it is refreshing to see here.
One correction, Paul was driving around in Red 1 during parts of the convention. I saw Paul pull into Homebuilt HQ in it on Monday. I had to laugh that he has an ID badge with his name and "volunteer". Who doe not know him?! I know he has to have credentials, but it struck me as funny. I also saw him tooling Camp Scholler in Red 1 later in the week. I would guess some days Paul needed the AC rather than a convert, so the Fusion would be a better choice maybe:)
The VW in the museum is Red 3, Tom's ride.


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Look at it this way...

The people who complain about the EAA's care. They have an investment in the organization. They probably enjoy the organization and its big show every bit as much as you do.

But they see the flaws in the product (or at least think they do). So they point out those flaws in hopes of those flaws being addressed.

You'll never hear a complaint from someone who doesn't care.

True Kyle.
However, there are a few people posting here lately that have crossed the line from constructive criticism to outright slander. They may not be in the majority but they are very persistent.

Thanks for that. I was headed towards the VW when my kids pulled me away. Guess i didnt pay close enough attention...i should have known by looking at the wheels.

There are people who build an organization, be it a business or school or even the Green Bay Packers or Boston Celtics much by their persistence and the force of their personality, of getting others to respect what vision they see also.

There is one moment that sticks in my mind about Paul, and it is not any speech he gave, not any flying demonstration that he did or even an event at Oshkosh or a celebrity pilot there.

A visitor to Airventure can notice two things, not even aviation related. First the grounds are pretty clean, very few cups or glasses or trash on the ground, especially considering that there might be over 50.000 people there on a busy day. This comes down from the early founders of EAA,and is rare and so nice to see. I live at America's premier ski area, and it used to be that folks had manners and would unserve their lunch trays, but now we have our nose so far in the air that they ski company has hired large number of Hispanics to clean tables so half the visitors just walk off and leave their mess behind them. We have help to empty the trash barrels at EAA, but virtually all the visitors, no matter whether ordinary guy or big shot, empty their lunch tray into the trash.

About 15 years ago, I was standing in the frront yard in front of the warbirds briefing room and along comes Paul in his Red I V W. He saw some cigarette butts on the ground where I think some smokers had been standing. Paul probably could have easily gotten on the phone and got some volunteer or paid worker over to clean up, but not this guy. He got out of his car and got down and picked up the butts himself and put them in the trash.
Now, I sure don't smoke and I am not going to clean up after someone who does, but I make darn sure that I am not going to litter the grounds in any other way and am going to do my part to keep it as it should be.

A visitor can also see that EAA is a safe place as for as people violence goes, and certainly compared to most any other place like a major league football game or baseball game where there are 50,000 people, The lack of alcohol is probably a big part of this, but it sure is nice that people come to EAA and bring their families to have fun, not to hassle others. If only the rest of the world was like this.

I remember the announcers in years past would ask people several times a day "If you see trash, please pick it up, even if it is not yours. The EAA has the cleanest convention site in the country." My parents drummed that into me at a young age. To this day if I see trash at Oshkosh I pick it up. My kids have been taught this lesson as well. I have been to many big events, none are anywhere near as clean as Oshkosh.

Amen to that Bill.

Enjoyed airventure as i have for 23 years in fact my entire imediate family was there . The only negatives i experienced was picking up trash after people ,this use to be a given at the show that we were some of the cleanest showgrounds and campgrounds all during the week because people picked up after themselves. Does,nt seem so anymore. My brother is a 1 year member at 59 years of age and attended his first airventure i know he enjoyed but had to get over the shock of someones hatefullnes as he was trying to get turned around after getting directions from a volenteer seems people were much more plesant just a few years ago , i assumed because they came to relax and have a good time. This was also the first year i had to walk out of a portable johnny because of the condition and in hightsight i dont remember having to dodge the sanitation vehicles as in years past. I would hope we can improve upon the attitude for keeping cleaned up after ourselves and maybe the sanitation vehicles will be more numerous next year. As for hateful people i guess there everywhere and just have to endure.sorry my spellcheck does,nt seem to work.

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Originally Posted by AVIDMAN

Enjoyed airventure as i have for 23 years in fact my e
ntire imediate family was there . The only negatives i experienced was picking up trash after people ,this use to be a given at the show that we were some of the cleanest showgrounds and campgrounds all during the week because people picked up after themselves. Does,nt seem so anymore.

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True, years ago announcers didn't have to remind anyone to pick up trash. That was the cultural norm established and demonstrated by the leader, Mr. Paul. Culture of an organization has a huge impact on integrity, despite what is communicated in official written policy and procedure. Long timers like yourself are observing a large cultural shift at EAA and AV. And it's ain't due to a handful of uncomplimentary comments on a weboard. On the contrary, cultural change is driving the tone of current comments and complaints. Serioulsy, if EAA has a culture problem, first step in the solution is look in a mirror.