Airventure - Bigger is not better

[hunter]

I cringe when EAA leaders say they are looking for ways to make Airventure bigger and better. Growth for growth’s sake is counterproductive. It creates an even more competitive aspect to actually getting on the grounds.

If everything and everyone is thrown into a tizzy when bad weather happens or there is an incident at the airport, the infrastructure or the system to get onto the airport both in the air and on the ground is already overloaded even though the grounds seem to be able to handle the crowds on foot. The movers and shakers at EAA need to experience the competition to get there first-hand to understand it. It reminds me of life in a big city where it seems most everyone has their special deal to ease life’s angst.

Here’s a case is point. On another forum website, in recounting his OSH experience, one pilot bragged about being able to fly into and out of OSH several times during the event without any problems. The accompanying photo of a T-28 said it all. He had his special deal as he didn’t have to compete to find a time to fly the Fisk arrival when he could reasonably expect to land at OSH without being diverted or delayed by someone with a higher priority like mass arrivals, early starting airshows, or overly long airshows.

Also, with the proximity of the warbird campground, he likely didn’t need to worry about slogging through Camp Scholler to get to his campsite and could camp with friends who drove in and then, as a bonus, have his plane parked nearby. He had his deal.

Other issues where the average attendee have to compete are:

1. Booking a hotel or dorm room a year or more in advance at triple the normal rate and risk financial loss if they can’t follow through.
2. If you drive in, you’d best plan to get to the blue lot by 0730 or you’re in for at least a 1/2 mile walk just to get to an admission gate from other lots.

The added stress of the competitive aspect of just getting onsite is beginning to eclipse the onsite enjoyment, because it has become such a pain in the rear to get there. Because of the Wittman Airport layout, it's basically one way in and one way out both in the air and on the ground. EAA leaders need to address those competitive aspects because bigger is not necessarily better and the stress of dealing with those issues doesn’t make for very good vacation no matter how much your enjoy aviation.

As a builder of an RV-7A in 2005, I don’t feel any more welcome at the event than your average Cessna pilot. In times past, showplanes had some priority. But, no more. The attitude is “Let’s make room for everybody!” There isn’t room for everybody.