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Thread: Are the Chalets really the problem?

  1. #1
    Sirota's Avatar
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    Are the Chalets really the problem?

    Sorry for the long post but now that I'm home and had time to consider whether I should write this or nor, I feel compelled to share my thoughts about the "Chalets".

    EAA has the right to provide and sell these "high roller" amenities as they see fit. But the location used this year was too conspicuous and fed the feelings shared by many that EAA leadership has lost touch with many of the members and is moving the organization away from membership services; that the membership is there to serve the association instead of the other way around.

    EAA, I urge you to send out a membership-wide survey to find out if the direction you're moving is what the membership wants. Make it a fair survey. We all know that a good statistician can shape questions to evoke the response you want to hear. At the very least, don't go out of your way to alienate those that think this is a membership driven association. The Chalets could have been located so they were more discrete, didn't take away homebuilt display spaces, or block the sight line of such a large portion of the flight line and air show. But the Chalets are just a symptom of what many believe is a bigger problem. Is EAA still the organization we all love and respect?

    Respectfully,
    Dave Sirota

  2. #2
    rosiejerryrosie's Avatar
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    Dave, A survey is not really needed. The increase or decrease in membership over the years will answer the question loud and clear....
    Cheers,
    Jerry

    NC22375
    65LA out of 07N Pennsylvania

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    Quote Originally Posted by rosiejerryrosie View Post
    Dave, A survey is not really needed. The increase or decrease in membership over the years will answer the question loud and clear....
    20 years ago, the vast majority of EAA members were genuinely interested in EAA and Sport Aviation, and had some sort of involvement with the organization outside of the big show. Since then, they have priced Airventure where it is cheaper to "join" EAA and purchase tickets to AV than it is to just purchase tickets. Now, membership is inflated by a substantial count of people who simply drive in to the airshow and have no other affiliation with the organization.

  4. #4

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    Quote Originally Posted by Kyle Boatright View Post
    20 years ago, the vast majority of EAA members were genuinely interested in EAA and Sport Aviation, and had some sort of involvement with the organization outside of the big show. Since then, they have priced Airventure where it is cheaper to "join" EAA and purchase tickets to AV than it is to just purchase tickets. Now, membership is inflated by a substantial count of people who simply drive in to the airshow and have no other affiliation with the organization.
    That would be me.

    It was cheaper to renew my membership than to pay full price admission for my wife and me for two days. Not to mention any camping on field requires membership, or else your stuck with paying $200 a night to a gouger for a $50 fleabag room provided you booked in January. If not for AV, I wouldn't be a member at all, as the local chapter and the EAA itself is of little benefit to me. I just wish there was a way to cancel a membership, no refund expected, so I wouldn't be counted when membership was tallied.

    I'm not a "high roller" so the new EAA is not for me. They block my view flight line with tents for rich and privileged people and stop me from visiting the museum by closing it down for a high rollers dinner (over $1000 a plate I was told). What the hell does my admission and membership buy, a chance to bask in the greatness of the entitled?

  5. #5

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    Quote Originally Posted by turtle View Post
    That would be me.

    It was cheaper to renew my membership than to pay full price admission for my wife and me for two days. Not to mention any camping on field requires membership, or else your stuck with paying $200 a night to a gouger for a $50 fleabag room provided you booked in January. If not for AV, I wouldn't be a member at all, as the local chapter and the EAA itself is of little benefit to me. I just wish there was a way to cancel a membership, no refund expected, so I wouldn't be counted when membership was tallied.

    I'm not a "high roller" so the new EAA is not for me. They block my view flight line with tents for rich and privileged people and stop me from visiting the museum by closing it down for a high rollers dinner (over $1000 a plate I was told). What the hell does my admission and membership buy, a chance to bask in the greatness of the entitled?

    Your membership and airventure entrance fee doesn't pay for rental of a port a potty for 3 day so if your so unhappy with airventure don't bother to come and grace us with your presence. You have been whining on several threads on how unfair things are but what have you really brought to the table besides yourself.
    Last edited by RV8505; 07-30-2012 at 11:08 PM.

  6. #6
    steveinindy's Avatar
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    They block my view flight line with tents for rich and privileged people
    I can't see how they block your view unless you're standing right up against them. They aren't that tall and most of the airshow crap is done high enough to be seen over them. The only thing you'd miss by them being there would be the last half-second or so of an airshow performer leaving a mark on the history of Oshkosh that only the NTSB could fully appreciate (let's hope that never happens)

    stop me from visiting the museum by closing it down for a high rollers dinner (over $1000 a plate I was told).
    Two things:
    1. Aren't those normally held after the museum would normally be closed for the evening? I've been to a couple of them over the years (on someone else's dime or as an escort for a veteran, etc) and it's always late in the evening (8 or 9 pm) by which time most of the "real EAA members" (which is the attitude I'm picking up from you regarding your opinion of your corner of the organization) are busy with other activities or are well into the night's drinking at the bar.
    2. If they are paying $1000 a pop, don't you think they should get the museum opened to them after hours? If I offered you a thousand dollars to rent out your living room for the evening you'd probably take it and tell your kids to get the hell out. How is that any different since they are both private property? The difference is that the museum is rented out and you don't see any direct benefit from it.

    ou have been whining on several threads on how unfair things are but what have you really brought to the table besides yourself.
    That's the big problem I see with folks who whine about the "direction" of the EAA. They are plenty willing to b***h vociferously about things but aren't willing to do anything to improve things either locally or nationally. The lack of initiative to correct the perception that local chapters don't have anything to offer is what will destroy the EAA, not the rental of a few chalets or the "high rollers". The "high rollers" may bank roll AirVenture and keep the lights on to a certain degree but without mature and constructive input at the local levels or people contributing to the magazines with their knowledge (assuming that they have any to contribute which is something I seriously doubt with regards to a few of the "poor, poor pitiful me" posters on here) then what is one to expect but a decline in the direct utility of the organization?

    In other words, the folks who whine loudest without offering a solution are usually the ones who are most to blame for the decline of the chapters and other things that are dragging the EAA down.
    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.



  7. #7

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    Quote Originally Posted by RV8505 View Post
    what have you really brought to the table besides yourself.
    i think that was the point. without the rank&file members, what happens to EAA? what will it cost to hire the jobs now done by the volunteers? without the homebuilts that were the building force, will EAA become another Paris Airshow? or will it be just that much better? better for who? or is that for whom?

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    Good point about the museum...This was my 15th Oshkosh..I bring my kids with...my youngest son's favorite part about OSH is the museum....but even he commented this year when we were, on Sunday, trying to get into the part of the museum with the WWII stuff (particularly important to us since my father in law, who flew on B24's in the pacific) passed away a few months ago...and it was again roped off. My son said, "this part of the museum is ALWAYS closed for something".... this was at around 2:30pm on Sunday, so it was closed off to the public long before museum closing hours...come on EAA....

  9. #9
    Treetop_Flyer's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by wonka View Post
    My son said, "this part of the museum is ALWAYS closed for something"...come on EAA....
    Not sure where you're from, so this might not be feasible, but you do realize that your membership gets you free admission to the museum year-round, right? Why not take a weekend sometime not during AirVenture and then really get to enjoy the museum? Just a thought, but it might not work for you depending on where you live.
    Dave Sterling
    1957 PA22-150/160
    N6929D
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  10. #10

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    I've thought of that...but we live in the Chicago area...a bit too far to just hit the museum, since we are there already for AV every year.

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