EAA cuts

[Dan Grunloh]

The current EAA Director of Publications has almost no experience with antiques, ultralights, warbirds etc. and his articles have been about business flying.

I get your point but hands up all veteran aviation magazine editors with experience in all those areas (not including the retiring acting director of pubs).

[smutny]

Bill, I think you explained this already. I can see this happening easily and my family is part of the reason. I went from an individual membership ($40) to a family membership ($50) which means we pay ten dollars a head with my wife and three kids added in. Throw in some folks that went with the life membership in 2009 would swing it also if it is not amortized over multiple years.
Jim

To add to this, I only pay $20/year, the only reason I'm a member is that I'm required to be in order to compete in the IAC. I chose the most basic option (not on the website, you have to call and request it) that does not include the magazine. No big problem now that they publish them online.

[steveinindy]

Again, I'll say it. The problem EAA has is an age problem. Look at the active members of chapters, what age are they? Why is it that they are all older, while there are very, very few young people?Its an age crisis, and this might be their way of trying to draw more people in.

They do have a problem with that here. Im the youngest person that I have seen with any regularity at meetings that I have attended...and I am 31. Most of the members are in their late fifties or early sixties.

[flyunleaded]

> ...

There is no need to put "donations" in quotes. These are sponsors of sport aviation and they along with the volunteers make it happen.

The words that I put quotes was only to denote that they were the titles of the entries on the annual report, so that people could look at those entries and judge for themselves. Wasn't trying to single them out for any specific negative reason.

[tonycondon]

Again, I'll say it. The problem EAA has is an age problem. Look at the active members of chapters, what age are they? Why is it that they are all older, while there are very, very few young people?

Its an age crisis, and this might be their way of trying to draw more people in.

because young people need to pay college debt, houses, and kids and don't have money to build airplanes.

[Jon Ferguson]

In my lifetime the EAA has been populated older people. This is okay so long as young people step in as they get older. Flying has definitely gotten so expensive that only a choice few can participate.

My folks used to rent planes for $40 an hour(1980's). Nowadays you are lucky if you can find a rental for less than $100 an hour. We used to have EAA meetings, the works, I miss those times.

[Treetop_Flyer]

because young people need to pay college debt, houses, and kids and don't have money to build airplanes.

While this is probably true for many, there is certainly a large proportion that will still have enough disposable income to afford to fly...provided they have good jobs. With my group of friends, I've found that money usually isn't the issue. It's usually more along the lines of...

1) Spouse doesn't want them flying because...
a) Fear an accident will leave the other spouse alone, potentially with kids to raise, bills, etc.
b) Doesn't want the spouse spending the money on a "frivolous" pursuit.
c) Insert other reason here.

2) They have kids and just feel they don't have any time to devote to their own pursuits.

This is one of the main reasons my wife and I do not have kids and never will. We have a list of things we want to do during our lives and kids just don't fit in that equation. So instead, we'll give back to youth through programs like Young Eagles, Mentoring at local schools, and spoiling the heck out of our nieces and nephews. Doing that still leaves us plenty of time to fly and have fun.

Now...what we need to do is attract families to EAA! That is something Paul has wanted all along and our chapter has really taken that to heart the past couple of years. We are actively recruiting families and encouraging the meetings and events to be family events. We've had a lot of success doing this and the meetings have been much more well attended in the past two years.

Remember the stool!


Paul's View of EAA by ToT-LUG, on Flickr

Part of the "Social" leg is families. Paul stressed this when he spoke at the EAA Leaders Academy session I went to in 2011.

[Bill Greenwood]

Chad there perhaps a thousand of so EAA people who could write with knowledge, experience, and even expertise about a T-6, which is a very important airplane for it's history as an advanced military trainer and it's great service which still continues today. There are vets who trained in them, and guys who own them now and who fly airshows in them or teach in them.
So why have an article from a guy that knows so little about a T-6? It would be like me writing about Learjets, hey, I did have a half hour flight in one once,
He has experience and probably expertise in business type planes, and who be a good source of an article in Business Aviation or Flying or even AOPA. But that is not what our mag should focus on and not what most of our members are interested in reading about.
Nothing wrong with the TBM article, except it is just in the wrong magazine, wrong organization.
Notice that the TBM article is about twice as long as the T-6 one and sounds like the writer knows what he is talking about.
I could, of course be wrong about what our members want, maybe they can't wait for the latest turbine and jet news, and maybe I am just one of the few old fashioned ones around.
How to know for sure; take a poll of members in the next issue, include a mail in card, and let our members choose if they want to read more about a WW II Mustang, or the air conditioned business jet that Cessna calls a Mustang?

[steveinindy]

In my lifetime the EAA has been populated older people. This is okay so long as young people step in as they get older. Flying has definitely gotten so expensive that only a choice few can participate.My folks used to rent planes for $40 an hour(1980's). Nowadays you are lucky if you can find a rental for less than $100 an hour. We used to have EAA meetings, the works, I miss those times.

The only problem with that idea is that it basically implies that folks as they get older naturally become interested in slower aircraft or rag wings or whatever you wanna call it. I don't believe that is the case. I believe it is more that those now in that age bracket (the older members) simply have a strong sense nostalgia for their youth and the aircraft that were popular at that time.

[Chad Jensen]

Chad there perhaps a thousand of so EAA people who could write with knowledge, experience, and even expertise about a T-6, which is a very important airplane for it's history as an advanced military trainer and it's great service which still continues today. There are vets who trained in them, and guys who own them now and who fly airshows in them or teach in them.
So why have an article from a guy that knows so little about a T-6?

That question contradicts what many people have been calling for. Why not get Mac to fly some Experimentals to get his perspective? I've heard that so many times in the last few months. A fresh perspective from someone with expertise in another area of flying. I can tell ya...the first time I got my hands on a Learjet, I was ECSTATIC about it, and couldn't stop talking about it. I think if I would have written an article about that experience, it would have been a good read.

I don't know what all Mac has flown as far as Warbirds, Vintage, or EAB's go, but new perspectives are usually an interesting read.

How to know for sure; take a poll of members in the next issue, include a mail in card, and let our members choose if they want to read more about a WW II Mustang, or the air conditioned business jet that Cessna calls a Mustang?

Every issue since April of 2008 has had a survey done on it, and what we are seeing now is a direct result of what our members are saying. Some of the choices have been great, some not so great, but that all depends on the individual preferences and opinions. Do I read every single article in Sport Aviation? Nope. Some of them don't interest me, and that's fine...I don't really care, because it does interest someone else, and I'd like to think they are enjoying the magazine as much as I do.