What should EAA look like?

[Christopher Ingram]

I think the EAA should be about EXPERIMENTAL AVIATION, or they should change their name and quit misleading us.

Sport Aviation should go back to the way it used to be, where we all couldn't wait to get home, open the mailbox then sit dowm and read cover to cover. There is very little in there anymore for a low budget homebuilder. Is anyone else tired of reading about glass panel installations in every aircraft? We get it already.

Airventure- all I would change is the prices. It shouldn't cost a family hundreds of dollars just to get in the gate.

Chapters- There should be more emphasis on new chapters and new members, there should be more activity among these chapters to promote homebuilding of ALL TYPES, I hear constantly about people attending meetings and being turned away because they aren't building the same type of airplane as the "core" group, and being talked down to about their choice of aircraft.

[Mike Switzer]

Chapters- There should be more emphasis on new chapters and new members, there should be more activity among these chapters to promote homebuilding of ALL TYPES, I hear constantly about people attending meetings and being turned away because they aren't building the same type of airplane as the "core" group, and being talked down to about their choice of aircraft.

Some chapters don't even have ANY building to speak of. One of the reasons I'm not a chapter member is because the only one anywhere close with anyone building anything larger than a powered hang glider is over an hour's drive away. Anyone in the local chapter I have anything in common with is already a member of our flying club.

[Aaron Novak]

Homebuilding,
I think what we are seeing is a perpetuating cycle. EAA reduces the exposure and support ( ill get to that ) of homebuilding to the aviation world, thus fewer people get motivated to actually homebuild. With fewer homebuilders, EAA does not see the need to devote a high percentage of its work towards that group, and so reduces the investment and exposure again.......just a downward cycle. I believe the original goal was to support, and grow homebuilding, pulling people into the hobby and growing that segment through its gaining popularity ( due to the exposure and support of the EAA at the time ). What I see now is not growing a segment anymore, but gravitating to a different larger segment that already exists. So what would I like to see?? Well honestly I would like to see the EAA revamp the homebuilt and workshops area, promote it, and help the volunteers inspire people to actually build again. What should ( in my mind) be a center of the convention ( not THE but A center ) has been neglected in lieu of fany exhibitor structures and the like. Much like Young Eagles is a tool to get people into aviation, the workshops/homebuilt area is a tool to get people into homebuilding.

[CarlOrton]

Really like Daniel's take on it, above; no need to reiterate his content.

Personally, I've only been a member since 2005, so I missed out on a lot of the legacy "spirit" that I've come to know only thru the postings here.

I really don't know how to shape the future of EAA. What the long-timers want cannot be fulfilled anymore, IMHO. Take away the kit aircraft, and I think the current plans/scratchbuilders could fit in one forum pavillion. Not knocking kits - I've built one and am currently flying off my Phase I hours. Just saying that the hours available for family members to spend crafting individual parts has been overtaken by life's other priorities.

It's not the money that keeps folks from homebuilding, it's time more than anything.

The idea of chalets etc., didn't bother me at first. I considered it to be in the same vein as the other sponsorships. If I don't want to see 'em, I don't look at 'em, and also don't let them degrade my overall fun time at AV.

However, I remember reading about the good old days where the "it" folks in aviation, whether it was the Rutans, Harrison Ford, or others, would just be strolling around the grounds. If they were noticed, they were left alone. We were all "one." Maybe they longed for some isolation even back then, but the number one reason they were there was to be enveloped by aviation - and that trumped their desire for isolation, in my rose-colored-glasses utopian view of things.

I guess the bottom line of my post is that I really don't have much of a problem with the sponsorships and quest for cash; it's only that we will no longer have that which made it "special" or "different" from other large events. AirVenture has gone the way of 8-year old kids walking over to a friends house, 4 blocks away, in the dark. But it's still one heckuva place to be the last week in July.

[PaulDow]

Back about 10 years ago, Paul tried to start the Sport Aviation Association. It's purpose seemed to address almost all of the criticisms brought up here. It was supposed to promote flying and building for the fun and education of it. It was supposed to have very little of the business, politics and general extra headaches that comes with the huge organization.
Unfortunately, it didn't reach critical mass to keep it going. You can find information on it over at the Wayback Machine at www.archive.org. Search for www.sportaviation.org, and select some older versions before that domain was repurposed.
Maybe there's now enough interest to try again.

[martymayes]

Back about 10 years ago, Paul tried to start the Sport Aviation Association. It's purpose seemed to address almost all of the criticisms brought up here.
Maybe there's now enough interest to try again.

Already in the works. Ed Fisher is the guy in charge. Membership is enjoying quite a surge, I just joined last week.

[Kyle Boatright]

Already in the works. Ed Fisher is the guy in charge. Membership is enjoying quite a surge, I just joined last week.

Does the SAA have a web presence? My google-fu hasn't turned up anything...

[Rconc]

Paul Ed Fisher has started up the SAA again. The web site is www.sportaviationassociation.org.

Back about 10 years ago, Paul tried to start the Sport Aviation Association. It's purpose seemed to address almost all of the criticisms brought up here. It was supposed to promote flying and building for the fun and education of it. It was supposed to have very little of the business, politics and general extra headaches that comes with the huge organization.
Unfortunately, it didn't reach critical mass to keep it going. You can find information on it over at the Wayback Machine at www.archive.org. Search for www.sportaviation.org, and select some older versions before that domain was repurposed.
Maybe there's now enough interest to try again.

[BeagleOne]

What I would change about AirVenture:

1. NO SMOKING ANYWHERE ON THE GROUNDS!!! I've seen smoking right next to airplanes and butts all over the place. If people need to smoke, they're never so far from a gate that they can't step outside the grounds and smoke.

2. Ditch the chalets on the flight line.

3. Ditch the new speaker system. It was too loud, the sound from those speakers was slightly out of synch with the "traditional" speakers, and the speakers themselves blocked part of the flightline view.

4. Ditch the music over the loudspeakers unless it's part of the airshow. The best Oshkosh soundtrack is airplane noise.

5. Ditch the food stands at Phillips 66 Plaza on Saturday. They look tacky and are unnecessary. The food choices have really improved over the past few years and there are plenty of options without the Saturday stands. Keep that space for airplanes.

6. Continue the new tram system. Much better than the old routes and having to change trams more often. I didn't get a chance to ride the Warbird-area "tour" tram but definitely will next year; great idea!

7. Who are all of the people riding around on golf carts? Do they really all need them? It seems like there is a LOT more vehicular traffic than in the past and I'm wondering why.

8. Keep the Honor Flight arrival if possible. What a moving tribute to the veterans, with the band, the people saluting, the families waiting, etc. Just please keep the security people under control. I had a very unpleasant encounter with a security goon who literally pushed between a veteran and his waiting family, and have written to the feedback address about it...and gotten a response. Hopefully the culprit won't be there next year.

9. Show "Airplane!" at the Fly-In Theater every year!

[ercoupe]

I love going to Oshkosh and look forward each year. I have been attending since 1978 or 1979. I have only missed a couple of those years and plan on returning next year. I was disappointed to see the chalets. They used up at least 50 or more prime parking places. I agree with the previous writer that talked about walking the grounds with the "celebrities. They didn't act like that around the airplanes. I enjoyed walking and visiting with the likes of Mike Melville, a famous test pilot, Burt and Dick Rutan and their families. I see all that going away with the chalets. Please don't go that route. If attendees don't want to walk around with the rest of us I'm not sure we want them there.

On another note. Did you see the Red Chinese Communist flag in one of the chalets? I'm not sure that was appropriate.. Do you think the Flag of the United States of America is flying at events in Red China?

I think the chalets are the beginning of the end of Oshkosh as we like it. Please do away with them.