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Thread: Hightower Resigns as EAA President/CEO

  1. #11

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    "Infirm of purpose!' to quote Shakespeare, if Hightower departed for the stated reasons. Its incredibly hard to believe that a successful businessman would undertake such a change as the move to Oshkosh, which is a delightful town, without the support of his family. If he did, then it calls his judgement and common sense into question.

    I also have a hard time believing that the "roar of the few" stampeded the EAA board into booting him. We'll probably never know the real reason for his departure.

    Let us hope, though, that the next CEO wouldn't feel the need for an assistant to handle the CEO's branding.
    Bill

  2. #12
    Joe Delene's Avatar
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    Never had any issues(bad) with him myself.

  3. #13
    EAA Staff / Moderator Hal Bryan's Avatar
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    Guys - no personal attacks. There's no reason this can't stay civil.

    Hal Bryan
    EAA Lifetime 638979
    Vintage 714005 | Warbirds 553527
    Managing Editor
    EAA—The Spirit of Aviation

  4. #14
    It's understandable that the "personal" reasons rationale be used to reduce divisiveness BUT if you can't plan ahead and manage your family how the heck do you plan ahead and manage a large organization? Best of luck in future endeavors.

  5. #15

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    I'd let my membership expire. When I saw that Jack Pelton is the new boss today, I renewed.

    I've been very impressed by Pelton.

  6. #16
    mikeno's Avatar
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    In my humble opinion Rod Hightower's priority was not with experimental aircraft or homebuilders or any of the things that made EAA the strongest aviation community in the world. The first indicator was a piece he wrote early in February 2012 and said if you hadn't flown formation or aerobatics you were not an aviator, only a pilot (this is not a personal attack Hal, read the article). That statement in and of itself probably excluded 75% of the membership from his elite club of "aviators". I knew when I read that article that Mr. Hightower was better suited to a tailored flightsuit with nary a single spot of oil or grease or mustard that us plain old pilots have.

  7. #17

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    Perhaps those of us who would applaud other departures from the organization and Sport Aviation in particular will have their hopes realized....

  8. #18
    kscessnadriver's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by mikeno View Post
    In my humble opinion Rod Hightower's priority was not with experimental aircraft or homebuilders or any of the things that made EAA the strongest aviation community in the world. The first indicator was a piece he wrote early in February 2012 and said if you hadn't flown formation or aerobatics you were not an aviator, only a pilot (this is not a personal attack Hal, read the article). That statement in and of itself probably excluded 75% of the membership from his elite club of "aviators". I knew when I read that article that Mr. Hightower was better suited to a tailored flightsuit with nary a single spot of oil or grease or mustard that us plain old pilots have.
    So the simple act of not having an experimental plane or building one should exclude us from the EAA then, is what I'm reading between the lines. That's the number one reason I feel like EAA is trying to alienate a big portion of people, and a reason I'll have to strongly think about before renewing this winter.
    KSCessnaDriver
    ATP MEL, Commercial Lighter Than Air-Airship, SEL, CFI/CFII
    Private SES

  9. #19

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    Quote Originally Posted by kscessnadriver View Post
    So the simple act of not having an experimental plane or building one should exclude us from the EAA then, is what I'm reading between the lines. That's the number one reason I feel like EAA is trying to alienate a big portion of people, and a reason I'll have to strongly think about before renewing this winter.
    EAA was moving away from its core mission. That didn't go over well with the people who joined EAA because of its uniqueness. The analogy would be a football game where they cut the game to 20 minutes and had a 3 hour halftime. You participate in EAA because of the unique things it offers, just as you attend a football game (primarily) to see the game, not to watch the halftime activities.

  10. #20
    kscessnadriver's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kyle Boatright View Post
    EAA was moving away from its core mission. That didn't go over well with the people who joined EAA because of its uniqueness. The analogy would be a football game where they cut the game to 20 minutes and had a 3 hour halftime. You participate in EAA because of the unique things it offers, just as you attend a football game (primarily) to see the game, not to watch the halftime activities.
    What is its core mission then? Because what people say is experimental is nothing like it was back when EAA started, best I can tell. People actually experimented, changed things, designed their own plane. Now its one company with more than 50% of the planes flying out there, built to cookie cutter specifications, often by for profit builders. How is that experimental, it isn't. It's circumventing the regulations, IMO.

    The real problem, is there is a identity crisis with EAA, no clear mission. Make the mission clear and let the cards fall where they fall.
    Last edited by kscessnadriver; 10-22-2012 at 07:47 PM.
    KSCessnaDriver
    ATP MEL, Commercial Lighter Than Air-Airship, SEL, CFI/CFII
    Private SES

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