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Thread: EAA Direction (split from website feedback thread)

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    EAA Direction (split from website feedback thread)

    What do you like about EAA.org and why? It is a great sounding board and advocate for homebuilt airplanes.

    What would you change about EAA.org and why? More and more the EAA seems to be gravitating toward the $200,000 so-called homebuilts. EAA was formed for those of us who can't afford that kind of airplane. Please return to EAA's roots. The monied types have their own organizations and groups. Keep It Simple.

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    steveinindy's Avatar
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    What would you change about EAA.org and why? More and more the EAA seems to be gravitating toward the $200,000 so-called homebuilts.
    Not this crap again. As soon as Paul backs down from his "There's room enough for us all" stance then maybe there might be some grounds for your argument but as it stands, the reason EAA seems to be "gravitating towards" those sorts of airplanes is because that is what most people are building (RVs, Lancairs, etc). If you look at the numbers, not as many of us are building Pietenpols or other classics from the days when the EAA was Paul and his buddies hanging out at his house. Times change and organizations adapt or they because stagnant and wither on the vine.

    Statement of interests: I am designing a $200,000+ aircraft that I'm going to build so I guess I'm not really a homebuilder because my design is too expensive. The good news is that my LSA design is more in line with the "those of us who can't afford that kind of airplane." In fact, I'll be selling the plans for that to fund my real project.
    Unfortunately in science what you believe is irrelevant.

    "I'm an old-fashioned Southern Gentleman. Which means I can be a cast-iron son-of-a-***** when I want to be."- Robert A. Heinlein.



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    Quote Originally Posted by JerryCPP View Post
    What do you like about EAA.org and why? It is a great sounding board and advocate for homebuilt airplanes.

    What would you change about EAA.org and why? More and more the EAA seems to be gravitating toward the $200,000 so-called homebuilts. EAA was formed for those of us who can't afford that kind of airplane. Please return to EAA's roots. The monied types have their own organizations and groups. Keep It Simple.
    Hmm, I disagree with the highlited premise.

    IMO, EAA is gravitating towards being a vaguely defined aviation organization ("An airshow with a magazine"). The homebuilt, warbird, and antique focus is way down. That focus has been replaced with content built around columnists and certified aircraft.

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    steveinindy's Avatar
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    Do we really need another thread about how some of us have our panties in a knot? If you're not happy with the "direction" of the EAA, keep your money don't go to Oshkosh and maybe see how successful you are in starting your own group yearning for the "good ol' days" before Van and Lance Neiubauer ruined things.
    Unfortunately in science what you believe is irrelevant.

    "I'm an old-fashioned Southern Gentleman. Which means I can be a cast-iron son-of-a-***** when I want to be."- Robert A. Heinlein.



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    Quote Originally Posted by steveinindy View Post
    If you look at the numbers, not as many of us are building Pietenpols or other classics from the days when the EAA was Paul and his buddies hanging out at his house.
    I'd be interested in seeing "the numbers" from which you are making this claim....

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    Quote Originally Posted by steveinindy View Post
    Do we really need another thread about how some of us have our panties in a knot? If you're not happy with the "direction" of the EAA, keep your money don't go to Oshkosh and maybe see how successful you are in starting your own group yearning for the "good ol' days" before Van and Lance Neiubauer ruined things.
    If you have something more interesting to talk about, start a thread. Nobody is forcing you to read this one.

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    steveinindy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kyle Boatright View Post
    If you have something more interesting to talk about, start a thread. Nobody is forcing you to read this one.
    I'm just making the point that this is about the fourth thread since the new forums were put up about the same thing and nothing constructive has come out of any of them. They tend to be the same five or six people griping with no meaningful suggestions about how to improve things other than firing Mac and "returning to the roots of the EAA" (whatever the hell that means). There's room enough in the organization for those of us who want fast airplanes, those of us who want ultralights and those of us who want to relive our childhood fantasies of Cubs and other older aircraft. If someone can't except that, as you say, no one is forcing them to post on this forum, attend Oshkosh or give money to an organization that doesn't meet their expectations. Your admonition that I should more or less mind my own business cuts both ways Kyle. If you want to bash an organization I happen to think is doing quite well in keeping our ability to build planes a viable option and is moving to support the average builder rather than the wishes of a few traditionalists who just like to hear themselves whine, I'm most certainly going to stand up and vociferiously defend the Association. The EAA is my organization as much as it is yours and as my grandmother always taught me, "If you don't have a solution that actually solves the problem without creating bigger ones, then it's usually best to shut the hell up."

    I'd be interested in seeing "the numbers" from which you are making this claim....
    It's pretty frequently claimed that RVs are the most commonly constructed homebuilt these days with about 7500 of them built so far (Sport Aviation: 15. January 2012 et cetera). Someone without an agenda would generally look at that as a good indicator that the market has shifted.
    Unfortunately in science what you believe is irrelevant.

    "I'm an old-fashioned Southern Gentleman. Which means I can be a cast-iron son-of-a-***** when I want to be."- Robert A. Heinlein.



  8. #8

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    Quote Originally Posted by Kyle Boatright View Post
    IMO, EAA is gravitating towards being a vaguely defined aviation organization ("An airshow with a magazine").
    concur. example?

    EAA Sport Aviation - March 2011

    the cover story was covered better in the june 2006 issue of Kitplanes.




    Last edited by Mike M; 03-10-2012 at 05:43 AM.

  9. #9
    steveinindy's Avatar
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    What was the topic just out of curiosity?

    Regardless, I always argue- as a freelance writer myself- that if someone thinks they can do better, they should start writing. You'd be amazed at how receptive the publishing staff for Sport Aviation are to member-contributed articles about homebuilding topics. This is speaking from recent (within the past two weeks; Chad Jensen can vouch for this) experience. Basically, I was told to put more information pertinent to the average homebuilder into an article where I had tried to keep the discussion light and simple to avoid oversaturating the article with too much with regards to technical matters I was writing about. My experience (admittedly n=1) seems to indicate that a lot of folks who are griping about stuff are basing their opinions on hearsay and assumption rather than on direct experience.

    I've had my work published (or about to be published) in three magazines, one newspaper and four peer-reviewed journals. Out of all of them, the experience I have had with Sport Aviation has been the best outside of the one magazine where I'm a conference drinking buddy of the editor. I'm not saying you have to like Mac or the rest of the folks, but I am saying that unless you honestly put the effort into trying to work with them things are unlikely to get better. That old adage about "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" comes to mind. If the EAA falters and fails because we all can't learn to play nice with each other and stop letting disagreements over such things as our preferred types of aircraft and the content of a magazine splinter us into factions that make a kindergarten turf war not look petty by comparison, then the "adversaries" (to use the impression a lot of folks have; my own opinion is different at least with regards to the FAA) we really should be worrying about- namely the FAA and Congress- will do some real damage and none of us will get to build an aircraft whether it's a Fly Baby or a $500,000 people mover. Either we stand together as brothers (and sisters) or we figuratively die as isolated fools with regards to that issue.
    Unfortunately in science what you believe is irrelevant.

    "I'm an old-fashioned Southern Gentleman. Which means I can be a cast-iron son-of-a-***** when I want to be."- Robert A. Heinlein.



  10. #10
    Jeff Point's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by steveinindy View Post
    I'm just making the point that this is about the fourth thread since the new forums were put up about the same thing and nothing constructive has come out of any of them.
    And who is the most prominent poster in all of those unproductive threads?

    Those of us who take issue with EAA's direction are not going to take our ball and go home, we are going to work to try to change things. One of the ways that we do that is to use forums like this to persuade others to see things the way we do. That's what this forum is for. Feel free to do the same, but kindly refrain from referring to our opinions as "crap."
    Jeff Point
    RV-6 and RLU-1 built & flying
    Tech Counselor, Flight Advisor & President, EAA Chapter 18
    Milwaukee, WI
    "It All Started Here!"

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