Meanwhile, I'm starting to like Jack Pelton. At least his commentaries each months Sport Aviation sound good. "Our mission at EAA is to promote all types of personal flying in any aircraft for whatever reasons you may have." Right on Jack!This is what I joined EAA for 30 years ago.
Yep, same here. I don't belong to the local chapter. The programs, over and over, are some WW2 guys so proud that they bombed Germany. Boring, because in the first place somehow I doubt their memory. I am not preparing food for that bunch who usually bring a quart of store bought potato salad. We left the greatest chapter going, 790, to come to this.....Forget it.Originally Posted by 58boner
I must admit I find this puzzling, especially the remarks about the "WW2 guys." Whatever your feelings about EAA, of which some chapters are more effective than others... The WWII vets put it ALL on the line many times for us. They had their lives interrupted, damaged, and destroyed. They saw friends in their early years of adulthood get killed in front of them. They saw the destruction their bombings did and knew there were people on the ground dying as well. For those who are left, they are in their final years, not in their prime, and I think can be forgiven for not having a perfect memory (and actually many I have talked to DO have a good memory of those events). Even if you do not believe in their cause or respect them for their efforts, you could at least be grateful that they came and spent time with you. At that age, going out and speaking takes a lot of effort.
Try this... there are plenty of short and reasonably good single volume histories out there on the personal experiences of air combat crews. Since you would appear to have some spare time in that you're not attending chapter functions now, you might read one and then have be able to draw more enlightened conclusions, whatever they are. Maybe you'll change your mind. Maybe not.
Miller, Donald L. Masters of the Air. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2006.
- ISBN-10: 0743235452
- ISBN-13: 978-0743235457
If you want something shorter and easier to read try
Ambrose, Stephen E. The Wild Blue: The Men and Boys Who Flew the B-24s Over Germany. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2001.
ISBN 0-7432-0339-9
If you do not wish to purchase these, your local public library may have them, and if they don't copies are available through interlibrary loan that they can obtain for you.
If for whatever reasons that won't work, let me know... I'm a librarian and can get copies for you to read.
Jim Cunningham
All right...........what's the punch line? Maybe if you search high and low (very low) you will find others who share your opinions about WW II pilots and form your own chapter. Perhaps you can then attend AirVenture and carry signs of protest in the Warbirds area. I would advise against it.
Some EAA chapters get old and stale because the older guys don't put in the effort to get new people involved. This is common in volunteer fraternal organizations.
Each chapter has its own personality, strengths and weaknesses.
The common thread is that people complain about the shortcomings, but don't step up and be part of the change, or be part of alternatives to the things that are old and stale.
So do like I did in my chapter, and create discussions, or promote new ideas, or in all fairness just help create alternatives. Although I personally have a greater reverence for (and interest in) WW2 vets than others such as anngray, I still had to face the fact that old and stale ideas were starting to drag my chapter "out to pasture". So rather than demanding that we turn away from old gray haired speakers, we simply added other alternatives.
This way, there is something for everyone.
In out chapter, I managed to get a few aircraft projects and wrecks donated. We "parted out" a totaled Comanche 400 I got donated, which put over nine thousand dollars in the kitty. I convinced an EAA widow to donate her late husband's 3/4 built project, and now we have a chapter project for people to work on and gain experience. Our chapter built a successful Young Eagles program (5000+ kids flown). These various activities attract different people for different reasons. The win-win is that the old gray haired folks can listen to stories about WW2 combat, the younger guys who are bored with WW2 can work on a chapter project, and everyone can come together to fly Young Eagles.
So my admittedly chastising admonition is instead of bemoaning the problem or complaining... get of your duff and make activities so there's something for everyone.
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I think you hit the nail on the head. The other scenario are those with the vision and desire to effect change, but don't have the time available due to being active in their own builds and need to get their projects completed or their personal commitments don't give them enough discretionary time to devote to chapter activities.
Did I say I don't like veterans? NO. We have veterans in our family. My husband is a veteran. Did I say I don't like warbirds? NO. We belong to Amvets where we here amazing stories told in the correct setting. EAA is about homebuilts, about Vintage, about Sport Planes and ultralights. A part is Warbirds but only a part. And thanks for your help. I am a librarian myself and have read the books you suggest. Seems this subject is a little too sensitive. Can't have a criticism; people get so defensive and decide what kind of person one is based on their interests. Sure does reinforce my belief, and that of others, that I can take my aviation activities elsewhere while still paying the annual dues to EAA. I am a member same as you apparently are, Mr. Cunningham, and I very much resent your remarks. I have to go to the Ft. Sam National Cemetery to visit our family WW2 vets; you don't appreciate that with your quick judgment and insulting remarks.
My response is below.
My response stands as it was based on your original post. Perhaps you were having a bad day when you insulted WWII pilots. Nevertheless, my heart is gladdened to hear that you are such a patriot. Still, I confess that I am at loss to your comment about potato (or is it potatoe) salad
I am a member of EAA and I have no primary interest in what you listed. I do enjoy looking at some of those at Airventure but I fly a piper challenger. EAA use to be about just home builds but has evolved over the years as it should have. I do not mind reading an article about homebuilts from time to time but I think EAA has room for more interest than homebuilts
States visited with my Piper Challenger
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