? For EAA Staff

[Bill Greenwood]

You folks are in Oshkosh, I assume, I'd like to know what the economy and job/business situation has been like there this year. Im assuming Osh is a good indicator of many small midwest cities, maybe different in one way in that with the convention it has a boom week once a year.

The economy is booming many other places, sure is in Austin and here in Colorado. Some people may not remember how it was in the recession about 09 with all the losses in real estate , mortgage defaults , auto industry troubles, job layoffs, and of course not to mention a huge retraction in aircraft purchases and flying.
Now, the opposite is the case, unemployment is 4.8%, less than half what it was and there is a shortage of workers, not so much jobs. I know a man who owns small restaurant franchises and cant find enough good workers to hire. I see help wanted signs all over, one chain was offering annual salary of $53,000 plus ins and benefits for a manager and still looking for someone . That seemed a decent offer to me.
I think aviation, especially sport or recreational aviation is flexible demand, that is it for the most part discretionary spending and will vary with the economy and stock market. I think it will be reflected in higher attendance this year at Airventure and more spending in planes and related items. I know our resort town is busy and we seem to have a lot of corporate jets at the airport. Our FBO confirms that they are really busy this summer, sold 50,000 gal of fuel last Sunday!

What do you think?

[robert l]

Well Bill, in my neck of the woods things are better. My flying buddy just got his CFI and there are students coming out of the wood work. At one small (but very nice FBO) the manager told him that he would probably have to quit his day job because they had put him on there web site as one of the instructors. This was the day after he did his CFI check ride and the next week end he had two students.
Bob