I believe the most valuable asset of EAA, and the main reason it has flourished over the years, is the unique place that it occupies within the imagination of aviators throughout the world. EAA’s success has arisen from the successful marketing of one’s dreams – a dream of building and flying your own airplane. It doesn’t matter if your dream consists of a fast or slow airplane, building with tube or carbon, or whether you wanted to go racing or land on floats. The success of EAA has been the pursuit of an individual’s dream and EAA’s ability to place that person into a community of people of similar thinking.
When people think of broadly of EAA they think of innovation, research and development, experimentation and flying examples of how builders and pilots were able to construct a unique or better airplane out of their basement or garage. The aircraft that people think of when EAA is mentioned are experimental, amateur built aircraft. When you pick up a magazine or read an article from EAA you expect to see unique ideas that have come to life and that you, too, may be able to build something similar with the help of EAA and its membership.
Many that have supported EAA will never build or own an experimental aircraft. But these supporters share our excitement in doing something out of the ordinary and of witnessing a new idea that comes to into the aviation market. These are people who enjoy hearing about other people’s ideas, their successes and failures. While many will not directly participate in amateur aviation there’s a certain satisfaction in witnessing aviation history being made by ordinary people.
The problem I see with the current direction at EAA is the intentional dilution of the dream by the intended mass inclusion of people who share no interest in it. In the pursuit of becoming a generalist, EAA will lose the uniqueness that made it different from all the rest and what originally attracted its 170,000 paid followers to it. With a broad General Aviation theme EAA will be at risk of diminishing or losing its status as the world’s authority on experimental aviation.
With today’s information technology new special interest groups can develop and gain momentum in days not decades. If members are exposed to alternatives that provide a better match with their interests EAA will be at risk of losing the very people which make it a unique and interesting organization to be a member of.
I long ago cancelled my subscriptions to Flying magazine, Plane and Pilot and Private Pilot. I am still a member of AOPA but I have often reconsidered this long-term relationship. These magazines are no longer relevant to me or the average person. Owning a $500,000 airplane is a fantasy for all but the “top 1%” and only a small percent of those will ever buy one. America’s middle class is shrinking, avgas is $6.00/gallon and insurance has become more costly. The new reality is that general aviation makes less sense as a personal travel option given the loss of disposable income, the sharp rise in the cost of flying and less expensive alternatives to travel. General Aviation is fast becoming a casualty to simple economics.
The bright spot in aviation is experimental and recreational aviation. The dream of building and flying your own aircraft is still affordable to a large portion of our population. And if one considers aviation as a recreational activity as opposed to a travel necessity one no longer needs a fast, gas-guzzling airplane, or one equipped with an expensive panel, turbos or de-ice. Recreational aviation can be surprisingly affordable when one considers the non-depreciating value of used homebuilts and vintage aircraft.
Today, EAA is the recognized authority on all things experimental, from race planes to gyroplanes. The dream of building your own aircraft, or participating in the dream of others, is much closer with your membership in EAA. This intangible asset is EAA’s most valuable possession. Without it, it will become another generalist in a fight for relevance in a declining population base that struggles to maintain a role in General Aviation.
Mike Hongisto
President - EAA Chapter 1221
hongistomichael@aol.com
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Originally Posted by Mike Hongisto
