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Thread: Something Missing

  1. #1

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    Something Missing

    I have read the other forums and I agree that something just did not feel like the previous years. I cant put my finger on it.
    Was it the temperature?I don't know! cant control that. Some say the economy, which I do agree is a major issue in aviation and personal finances,and right now we cant really control that. It seems that there is a different attitude by EAA than previous years.
    It appeared to be a carnival attitude especially when you ordered your tickets and paid for your camping over the phone with extremeTix. I came into the flight line and saw the Ferris wheel and the bouncy cage and it hit me! I realized it is just a carnival with airplanes. I came to Camp Scholler on Saturday before the show and left the following Sunday, and it was not as crowded as previous years. There are a few things that need improvement but as a whole I think it was just OK. I think we (EAA) needs to focus on what works and what doesn't work and in my opinion we do not need to be a carnival.
    I think the trams seemed to work very well this year and I think that would be a major improvement if they used they same type of vehicles in the camp ground vs the buses. There seemed to be a lot of pedestrian and ATV/scooter traffic this year in the camp and it just a matter of time before there is a serious accident. I think there needs to be speed bumps to slow down some these ATVs and additional walk ways along the roads and that includes Lindbergh, it will take away a few camp sites along the road but it needs to be done. I also think there need to be more camp sites with at least electricity. it appeared that the were a lot of rental trailers ( as they all looked alike) in the Full Hook-up sites. Whats with that? I went to the Life Members dinner on Tuesday and the meal was a disappointment when compared with previous years according to other life and century club members but the program was very very good. It was nice to see Paul and Audrey and listen to the one on one with Paul about EAA history. I do enjoy the airshow but in moderation, you could record the last few years shows and its the same stuff. I would like to see more Military/war birds and a Lot more BIG airplane demos and have that included in the airshow and posted in a schedule. I think the show needs to actually start earlier in the day as it does interfere with evening activities with people preparing meals and trying to wind down a bit in the early evening. I could say I am not going to come back, but that is not true. I will come back, I just hope the old EAA comes back and they leave the carnival rides in the shopping center parking lots.

    M.N. Wordell
    ATP,A/P, F/E
    EAA 779745

  2. #2

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    Quote Originally Posted by MNWORD View Post
    I came into the flight line and saw the Ferris wheel and the bouncy cage...
    Are you serious? Was there really a Ferris wheel at Airventure this year

    In the thirty years or so that I've been an EAA Member, the concept of a Ferris wheel at the EAA Convention has never entered my mind. I am incredulous. I've gone to Oshkosh for over twenty years or so to see and enjoy airplanes.

    Thank god for the regional fly-ins such as CopperState that haven't transmogrified to this heightened plane of existence yet (is EAA now being lead by Caligula?). So its to those regional fly-ins that I'll be going in the future. No carnivals for me when I'm intent on enjoying airplanes. I'll leave the rides for the state and county fairs where they belong (and I can enjoy the cream puffs at reasonable prices).
    Bill

  3. #3

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    Yes, Ford put up a small Ferris wheel well away from the flight line. So?
    Anxiety is nature's way of telling you that you've already goofed up.

  4. #4
    Jim Heffelfinger's Avatar
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    So, EAA did not put up a Ferris wheel, nor an amusement ride vendor. Just a HUGE underwriter of the Spirit of Aviation in their exhibitor area. Humm a non starter in my book.

  5. #5
    Jim Hann's Avatar
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    Can we put the chalets back with the wheel? Just kidding!!! Actually, if the chalets were more like HAI's pavilion both in style and location I think we would not hear anywhere near as much about them. Maybe up north behind the home built parking near the old commercial exhibit buildings. Fed pavilion, etc.

    Just thinking out loud.

    Jim
    Jim Hann
    EAA 276294 Lifetime
    Vintage 722607
    1957 Piper PA-22/20 "Super Pacer"
    Chapter 32 member www.eaa32.org
    www.mykitlog.com/LinerDrivr
    Fly Baby/Hevle Classic Tandem


  6. #6

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    Aircraft and ferris wheels don't mix! this happened not far from where i live.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UL7JW6Gijw

  7. #7
    Mayhemxpc's Avatar
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    Yes, there did seem to be the "I can't quite put my finger on it" kind of thing missing this year. Maybe the thing missing was Burt Rutan or some "wow" factor of the coming thing in aviation -- something the average pilot can get enthused about even if we will never play with it. (E.g., VMS Eve and VSS Enterprise.) In regard to the above points:
    + Yes, I was surprised to see the Ford ferris wheel. It seemed out of place. But it was small, kids seemed to like it. No big thing.
    + Camp Scholler: First time for me there. I will NOT go to Scholler next year. LOUD, serious concerns about the ATVs (at all hours of the night). No being able to get a wifi signal more than 200 feet from the station was an inconvenience. (In fact, I found it nearly impossible to log in to the wifi anywhere. Fortunately 3G service was good.) Bus service was very good and the drivers in Scholler were helpful and courteous. (This was not always the case for the pre-post bus drivers elsewhere.)
    + Trams: Better routing and schedule, except in that hour before they shut down, say 7 pm onward. As long as you don't mind the exercise, my 8 year old son and I found that you can walk from the Theater in the Woods to Warbirds faster than the red line tram can get you there. Trying to get anywhere with a family of five usually meant walking: no room on the trams if you tried to board anywhere but the end points.
    + The airshow. Yes, after awhile, seeing different people do much the same thing, often in the same or similar type of airplane, one right after the other, makes me want to go do something else. My sons enjoyed it, however. Again, any suggestion for improvement is one of those "I can't quite put my finger on it" kind of things.

    The Aeromart seemed a little sparse this year.

    Oh, I will be back. It is still Disneyworld for aviators...like nothing else in the world.

    Change is not always improvement. Improvement doesn't necessarily mean change. Here is to hoping that the EAA and AirVenture leadership are committed to improvement -- not change.

  8. #8

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    Quote Originally Posted by Mayhemxpc View Post

    + Camp Scholler: First time for me there. I will NOT go to Scholler next year. LOUD, serious concerns about the ATVs (at all hours of the night).
    Thanks for posting that.

    I camped in Scholler in '05 with a tent. Same problems with kids riding & racing ATV's within 5 FEET of the door of my tent at no less than 20 mph. Didn't happen during the day, only after hrs when nothing else was going on. I wrote multiple letters expressing concerns for safety (my kids were very small then) and offered suggestions on how the issue might be solved without an inconvenience to anyone - all of which were summarily ignored like "no such problem exists." I faithfully camped in Scholler for the next 5 yrs and ATV activity continued unabated although I had upgraded to a pop-up camper.

    Change is not always improvement. Improvement doesn't necessarily mean change. Here is to hoping that the EAA and AirVenture leadership are committed to improvement -- not change.
    Agree. I plan on going back one day. Hope it won't be my last.
    Last edited by martymayes; 08-04-2012 at 08:10 AM.

  9. #9
    Inspector Fenwick's Avatar
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    It has been many years since I stayed in Camp Scholler....but don't they post "quiet hours" in that area and on the camping documents? If not....why not? We can argue about what that means but I do think in most areas the generators have to be shut down. Or maybe not, I guess I will check. I can't believe that EAA would allow kids to run ATV's around the campground at all hours of the night. That just ain't right.

    On edit.....generators must be turned off at 10:30p. To me, that represents the beginning of quiet hours. To me, that does not stop the bull sessions and other tools of fellowship, BUT it does say this: control your kids!

    Where are the brain dead parents when these kids are driving the ATVs through the campground?
    Last edited by Inspector Fenwick; 08-04-2012 at 09:19 AM.
    Larry Nelson EAA 35011
    President EAA Chapter 821
    Springfield, MO
    PA 30 / Cessna 195

  10. #10
    steveinindy's Avatar
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    Where are the brain dead parents when these kids are driving the ATVs through the campground?
    Where was the closest bar?
    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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