Sport Aviation makes a wrong turn
I really hate the new direction that Sport Aviation and EAA in general is taking... When President Paul created this organization he did so to help guide and promote the "little guy"... There are many reasons to build an airplane in one's garage, and not the least of which is cost of the craft itself! In the old days Paul Poberezny, Tony Bingelis, Jack Cox, Steve Whitman, etc etc... built EAA to inform, promote, encourage others that may be interested in home building their own aircraft. They always had safety in mind, but were NEVER afraid of liability incurred by printing "How to Guides" in Sport Aviation. Further, these guys and others promoted & protected aviation in Washington. I attended Airventure 2011. It had been about 25 years since I was last there for the fly-in. Back in the 80's one could sit on the flight line and watch the homebuilt's, one of a kinds, and Experimental's fly around the pattern. Announcers would expound the virtues of this or that design. One could learn a little about the aircraft & designer/builder. Later in the afternoon those aircraft were parked so that interested potential builders or just the interested could walk right up to them and have a look.This past summer NONE OF THIS happened... NO HOMEBUILTS flew in the pattern except those arriving or departing Whitman Field. The Fly-In was about War Birds & commercial interest. The very reason for EAA's existence is now largely ignored or merely tolerated. BIG MONEY is the theme now at Oshkosh and Sport Aviation. RIP Sport Aviation & EAA... maybe someone will begin again, and pick up the torch of the founders of the original organization. I understand economics as well as the next person, but MONEY is now the driving force behind EAA... It used to be Experimental Aircraft... It's a real shame.