The New EAA.........again?

[Victor Bravo]

Anngray, I think you might be falling victim to a very common problem on internet discussion forums, which is that many people cannot write out their "tone" or emotions. So it becomes very easy to misjudge someone's underlying meaning. Also, on the internet, people write stuff before they fully think about it. Text is sometimes very difficult to read between the lines and "sense" whether someone is really being rude, or they just aren't very detailed in their writing.

I'm not saying that the other fellow was being rude, or polite, or right/wrong. I'm saying (from hard-knocks experience) that internet chatroom discussions require a different set of skills than airport hangar discussions, and people frequently wind up thinking, or saying, the wrong thing. Please trust me, I've been the good, the bad and the ugly on several of these aviation forums! I've made some serious mistakes in this area, and have paid the price for my errors and the errors of others.

On balance, and in fairness, the exact words you used to describe some of the speakers at the EAA meetings does make it sound like you were looking down your nose at them a little. Whether someone on this forum over-reacted, or misunderstood, does not change how it "sounded".

As usual, it turns out that everyone was right about one thing or another. EAA meetings can get boring, or stray far away from the original purposes of EAA, and some of the chapter members can be stand-off-ish or rude. But WW2 vets talking about air combat from first-hand experience is a treasure for younger generations, and this treasure won't be around much longer. So many chapters will go out of their way to take advantage of such a speaker whenever possible, and I don't think they're wrong for it.

The bottom line is that you (and I) have to be the agent of change in local chapters, not just be annoyed at the (obvious and plentiful) problems that chapters have.

Any time that you are looking to blast someone with both barrels (and the Derringer), feel free to point your keyboard square at me, I've been known to keep angry hordes of up to 10-12 internet pugilists at bay simultaneously

[Kyle Boatright]

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

As a long time member, I completely disagree. This is one of the challenges EAA faces. EAA used to have a core mission with everything else in the background. Today, it has become all things to all people, which is a losing proposition. The magazine is a duplicate of Flying or AOPA, so the content is largely redundant. At that point, why bother?

[miemsed]

As a long time member, I completely disagree. This is one of the challenges EAA faces. EAA used to have a core mission with everything else in the background. Today, it has become all things to all people, which is a losing proposition. The magazine is a duplicate of Flying or AOPA, so the content is largely redundant. At that point, why bother?

And there is the problem. Long time members who believe there is no room at EAA for anything but homebuilts. So,the only answer to that would be to ask all new members who do not have that passion to leave. I get what you mean I am just not sure it is the answer for EAA. Perhaps you are correct and we should leave but is that really in the best interest of EAA. I have to admit I do not have the answer for that question. I do respect your passion for homebuilts but I do not share that passion. I hope there is room for both of us at EAA.

[Kyle Boatright]

And there is the problem. Long time members who believe there is no room at EAA for anything but homebuilts. So,the only answer to that would be to ask all new members who do not have that passion to leave. I get what you mean I am just not sure it is the answer for EAA. Perhaps you are correct and we should leave but is that really in the best interest of EAA. I have to admit I do not have the answer for that question. I do respect your passion for homebuilts but I do not share that passion. I hope there is room for both of us at EAA.

Nobody said leave. My thoughts are that others are attracted to EAA because of what EAA is about. The other aviation groups and magazines are primarily focused on production aircraft, so why dilute what is special about EAA and blur the lines between it and AOPA or blur the lines between Sport Aviation and Flying magazines?

As I've posted previously, you go to football games to see football. The halftime show is a break in the action. You wouldn't expect the priorities to reverse at a ball game, nor should it happen with EAA.

[miemsed]

Nobody said leave. My thoughts are that others are attracted to EAA because of what EAA is about. The other aviation groups and magazines are primarily focused on production aircraft, so why dilute what is special about EAA and blur the lines between it and AOPA or blur the lines between Sport Aviation and Flying magazines?

As I've posted previously, you go to football games to see football. The halftime show is a break in the action. You wouldn't expect the priorities to reverse at a ball game, nor should it happen with EAA.

I can see this conversion will not get us anywhere. The football analogy makes no,sense. I originally stated I felt that EAA has evolved and,there is room at EAA for more than homebuilts. You stated as a long time member you disagree. If there is no room at EAA for anything but homebuilts then who would be a member of EAA if that was not their passion. I think the EAA magazine is much better than flying mag. I no longer even get flying. The EAA mag has different content than AOPA but is just as good and I enjoy them both. My point was and is there is,room at,EAA for a broader interest and I respect that you disagree. Perhaps we will run into each other at Airventure someday, my wife and I attend every year, and we can talk about the different passions that keep us flying as I think that is the most important aspect,of,this discussion.

I do value your input as a long time EAA member as I have only been a member since 2005. You have a history with the organization that I do not have. That in my opinion is also important to EAA. I guess it is a fine balance and I believe EAA will find that balance.

[Victor Bravo]

EAA can indeed be all things to all people in aviation, and it is positioned to do just that. That's great, because we really need a large powerful organization to advocate for all of our interests, from warbirds to homebuilts to Cherokees. All that it would take, as I mentioned, is to have different branches of the same tree, for the different people with different specific interests. The one and only thing that needs to be prioritized is that the original founding purpose of EAA (homebuilding and light aircraft technical ingenuity/creativity) stays the root and trunk of that tree, and is given some measure of seniority, and not pushed aside. That's all. This is the same principle as having earned seniority at a job, or letting a grandparent sit at the head of the table out of respect.

Think of it like a big swap meet. Everyone goes to find something different, and there are hundreds of people who have no interest in what the other people are there for.. But the old guy with the tools for sale always gets the first booth at the entrance, because he's been there the longest and because it started out as a handyman's swap meet. Now it's grown to include antique dealers, knitting needle manufacturers, and stamp collectors. But it stays true to its roots and doesn't push the old tool guy into the back row.

[martymayes]

EAA can indeed be all things to all people in aviation, and it is positioned to do just that.

This is where being in touch with your membership pays dividends. Is that what the majority of members want? If so, by all means, proceed. I think the organization as a whole will suffer as resources are diluted to cover all bases. They can't grow large and powerful if they don't have members and you can ask AOPA how those membership drives are working out for them. Despite their efforts to become more diverse and appeal to a larger audience, their membership continues to shrink.

[crusty old aviator]

EAA's mission is to embrace ALL of the aviation community: if you fly, you are welcome. However, you may not be able to participate.

A member named Jen, a proud driver/owner of an immaculately maintained Bonanza, wonders on another thread why EAA doesn't extend the opportunity to have their aircraft judged at AirDisney, while parked in the N40, to members with relatively "modern" production built aircraft. She suggests that EAA create a "modern" aircraft division, but her email to EAA, proposing it, has yet to be responded to. The idea of a "modern" division makes sense to me, since the majority of EAA members fly "modern" aircraft and that's the majority of the aircraft we see displayed in the commercial displays area at the convention.

Heck, why not have a "transport" division, too? It would attract a lot of current and retired bus drivers, and inspire those young, starving CFI's who are building enough time to make it into the regionals. They could start local chapters and acquire retired airliners to restore and display to the public as part of our aviation heritage. Jeff Skiles would make a good "transport" division president, and he's already on staff.

[anngray]

I started reading the forums to find out about Chad Jensen, whom I have never met. I have been an EAA member for 35 years, I fly a production airplane which is not an antique. I am finished with these forums, not because people have disagreed with my position when I responded to someone who posted how meaningless chapter meetings are to him, but because this is a waste of time. Did a quick investigation of a person who was insulting and was not surprised at what I found. Goodbye forums, you guys have fun tearing each other apart. I'll keep paying my EAA dues, may go back to Oshkosh (volunteered for 24 years) will read Sport Av and Experimenter and Flying and AOPA and Air and Space and will let all of you fight it out over EAA's real mission. Good luck and CAUV to all. I pretty much love all airplanes.

[Lindberg]

I started reading the forums to find out about Chad Jensen, whom I have never met. I have been an EAA member for 35 years, I fly a production airplane which is not an antique. I am finished with these forums, not because people have disagreed with my position when I responded to someone who posted how meaningless chapter meetings are to him, but because this is a waste of time. Did a quick investigation of a person who was insulting and was not surprised at what I found. Goodbye forums, you guys have fun tearing each other apart. I'll keep paying my EAA dues, may go back to Oshkosh (volunteered for 24 years) will read Sport Av and Experimenter and Flying and AOPA and Air and Space and will let all of you fight it out over EAA's real mission. Good luck and CAUV to all. I pretty much love all airplanes.

A "quick investigation" Wow! Those people at the Witness Protection Agency have been slacking off. Let that be a lesson. Don't insult a volunteer or you will be investigated.
Good Luck! See you at the Acee Duecee.