Wow!

[flyingriki]

"EAA's acclaimed SportAir Workshops will for the first time ever offer a pair of sessions during the week of AirVenture Oshkosh......"

I'm shocked, what were they thinking before.....?

Oh, I remember, they were counting on folks to pay them to come do this for free. Sounds like they got a clue and bailed out.

So do what you should have been doing ALL ALONG.........................!

Yeah, yeah, I know,.........

[martymayes]

"We've often been asked by AirVenture attendees, 'Why don't you have SportAir Workshops during Oshkosh?'"

No doubt the same ones asking: "Why don't you have some $40K weekly chalet's for the high rollers to chill during Oshkosh?" Welcome to the "new and improved" (i.e. $$$) EAA.

[Kyle Boatright]

I struggle as much as anyone with EAA leaving its roots. But, if EAA wants to offer more "for pay" services during Airventure, I'm OK with that as long as it doesn't detract from the experience. Nobody makes me sign-up for a Sportair workshop, so I don't really care.

But if the free workshop(s) go away, well, that's a problem.

This is the problem with the Chalets. Prime convention space is being repurposed from general use to pay for play use...

[Burtles]

They don't call it O$hko$h for nuthin'!!!

[Chad Jensen]

Are you guys coming to Oshkosh?

[Kyle Boatright]

Are you guys coming to Oshkosh?

Si.

[Jeff Point]

I don't get the criticism here. They are still offering the full schedule of free workshops as always, but now offering the full Sportair classes too. I know of at least one person, a prospective new member of my chapter, who plans to attend the sheet metal class. So what is the issue?

For the record, I say this as someone who is generally critical of the new direction of the organization, but we do need to give credit where it is due.

[malexander]

Maybe it should ALL just be free....after all, it is a members organization isn't it?
If there's something there you don't want to "buy" then DON'T!! Someone else just might be interested & this may be their only opportunity!!!
C'mon guys, this isn't the government ya know, they can't GIVE you everything you want like the government can.
Again, if you don't want it, don't buy it.

[Old Timer]

To Jeff the criticism is that Oshkosh was once equal for everyone, rich or poor if you loved aviation you were all there at the same level. There was no "VIP".

Now it is motivated by how much money you can spend and is not equal.

That probably just means that Oshkosh has become like the rest of the world. But it is sad to see this happen, it used to be such a special place.

[Jeff Point]

I don't understand how some people can equate the flight line chalets and other changes to EAA, with offering the Sportair workshops during the show. Are you also critical of them selling B-17 rides for $400 a pop? Again, I am critical of the new direction of the organization, but I don't see how anyone thinks that this is part of that. If anything it is a step in the direction that they should be going. Sportair workshops are not a high-roller activity, far from it. They are a way for regular people to learn the skills to build their own airplane.