Sport Aviation March 2013 - Celerity 2011 Lindy winner fell through the cracks!

[Aaron Novak]

Frank,
What you have hit upon is what an old family friend of ours told me a couple years ago. Basicly there are 2 types of people interested in aviation, Airplane People (AP's) and People That Fly Airplanes (PFA's). AP's tend to be the Antique, Homebuilt, and Warbird Guys, PFA's tend to be the C172, Bonanza and other generic aluminum aircraft pilots. AP's tend to stick with the lifestyle ( its not a hobby to them ) throughout their lives, PFA's tend to come and go as if it were any other hobby like boating, motorcycles, stamp collecting etc. In years of poor economy, the AP's will still be there, however the PFA's tend to grow with disposable income. PFA's can become AP's, but rarely is the opposite true.

[Victor Bravo]

I noticed you mentioned possibly assisting EAA with your expertise in another thread. Did you ever hear anything?

I made a similar offer yesterday but on refelection I wonder if it would merely be wasted effort.

I have made a couple of offers of assistance to EAA over the years on various things.

In 1992, I owned a very rare oddball antique airplane from England called an Auster. I happened to have a great adventure over two weeks ferrying it back to Los Angeles from Tucson, with mechanical failures, strange flying qualities, becoming stranded, and finally fighting my way home against intense heat and winds. Forgive my ego, but I wrote a very entertaining, humorous, and emotional two-part feature story essay about that trip. I submitted the article to Sport Aviation, and I would have bet my life they would have wanted it for a feature story. The Edwards AFB EAA chapter published it in their newsletter, and I was honored to have Air Force test pilots complimenting me about the story, and roaring with laughter and amazement as they read it. One of the test pilots said it was the best weird airplane ferry story he had ever read. I never heard back from Sport Aviation.

I offered some harsh, but accurate and appropriate criticism in a detailed feedback letter, after being a new product vendor at Oshkosh in 2010 and 2011. As part of that feedback, I recall I offered to work with them, or provide suggestions on how to resolve the shortcomings that I pointed out. Other than "thank you for your feedback", they did not take me up on that offer.

Along with (and submitted through) my chapter president, I offered some very good suggestions on how to improve the publicity and presence of the B-17 tour stop here in the LA area. (The B-17 had become "old news" here, because our media coverage game is very very different here in crazy old "Hollywood" than anywhere else... and the PR person they sent here to LA on another EAA related event was just completely out of her depth.) Our offer to help guide EAA on how to maximize the success and coverage of the event was not acted upon. In so many words, "we know what we're doing, thanks... we'll call you if we're interested".

So yes, as much as I don't want it to be that way, in all honesty there is a fair chance that any "outside" offers to assist EAA with suggestions or expertise, or help with fixing problems, or improve some EAA process or program, might fall on deaf ears.