Jack Pelton

[plenam]

Has anyone ever seen Jack Pelton on the field. I have been down in the Warbird area for years, and have never seen him. It would be nice if he would meet and greet the people that pay his salary.

[bmckinney]

I have seen him 3 times already since Friday. He stopped at our table at the Chapter pancake breakfast Saturday morning in Camp Scholler to ask where we were from. Then we saw him again Sunday out near homebuilts. Then again later in the day out near warbirds. Very nice to chat with.

[Jarhead]

He’s around and I’ve seen him plenty. I’ve even seen him in Camp Scholler in the evening. Does he take a salary��?

[PaulDow]

Was Rod Hightower very visible to the masses during the convention? Jack has to be pulled a thousand different ways this week.

[deftone]

Jack is too busy dealing with execs and sponsors to increase revenue. Not much time left for us poor minions.

[Kyle Boatright]

I’ve seen him multiple times in the homebuilt area. That said, he’s spread pretty thin during the convention between various responsibilities.

[Low Pass]

Last time I saw him was at a forum where the FAA Administrator was pointedly questioned by some EAA members (before release of medical reform). Pelton criticized the members very harshly for challenging the Administrator. Not impressed.

[dougbush]

Last time I saw him was at a forum where the FAA Administrator was pointedly questioned by some EAA members (before release of medical reform). Pelton criticized the members very harshly for challenging the Administrator. Not impressed.
I don't know if it was the same event, but I was very impressed when I saw Pelton at a forum with FAA Administrator Huerta. Several attendees asked pointed questions of Huerta, and Pelton did not criticize anyone for their questions or comments. However, when Huerta mentioned in passing that he would be leaving office in January, one attendee enthusiastically applauded. Pelton said whoever applauded the Administrator's retirement showed absolutely no class and he hoped it did not represent an EAA member.

This was when Pelton was serving as a volunteer. I'm sure he and the staff had spent many hours building relationships and lobbying the FAA on our behalf. EAA's strategy has long been to engage and persuade lawmakers and regulators, not berate and taunt them. I think it's a good strategy, and it's working for us.

[Low Pass]

That was it. But I recall it a little differently. My take away at the time was that my personal government advocate was advocating for the government. Over time, the net results of his actions have been good, imo. We'll leave it at that.

[wallda]

Jack is too busy dealing with execs and sponsors to increase revenue. Not much time left for us poor minions.


I am not going to make it. But in years past I was always able to get a couple minutes to chat with Jack. He is always on the move but has always stopped and chatted.

[Scooper]

I ran into him (literally) in 2015 at an AOPA fly-in in Salinas, CA. He was wandering around by himself, and I spent maybe five minutes talking to him about 3rd class medical reform (this was before before BasicMed was codified). He was very approachable and tuned into the medical reform issue. He had become EAA chairman in 2012, and I wished him well in his EAA gig.

I was impressed; he's a nice guy.

[Mayhemxpc]

I have seen him in expected and unexpected places in every AirVenture I have attended since he took over. Chapel service on Sunday, EAA Young Eagle events, walking through four corners, introducing speakers, and so on. He must be the busiest man at AirVenture. I, too am very impressed by his approachability and apparently sincerity and commitment to our organization.

[Inspector Fenwick]

Has anyone ever seen Jack Pelton on the field. I have been down in the Warbird area for years, and have never seen him. It would be nice if he would meet and greet the people that pay his salary.

Well.....I saw him on two occasions. He is pretty busy, wouldn't ya' think? Possibly he was not aware that the Warbirds paid his salary. Maybe he did not have the proper attire.:rollseyes:

[Floatsflyer]

Possibly he was not aware that the Warbirds paid his salary.

But the EAA members who fly and own warbirds do! These people who also pay a fortune in fuel costs so attendees can see them fly deserve a visit. Maybe he does, maybe he doesn't. Personally seeing him walking anywhere on the grounds would be the result of timing, chance and coincidence.

The last time and only time I saw him in the flesh on the grounds was in 2007 when he was introducing the failed Skycatcher as CEO of Cessna.

[Inspector Fenwick]

But the EAA members who fly and own warbirds do! These people who also pay a fortune in fuel costs so attendees can see them fly deserve a visit. Maybe he does, maybe he doesn't. Personally seeing him walking anywhere on the grounds would be the result of timing, chance and coincidence.



It certainly is timing, and of course, the occasion to actually leave the warbirds area and mix with the riff-raff might help the odds. I am not in the warbirds group but I expect that the 14,000-17,000 other EAA members who fly to OSH also buy fuel and help defray the costs of administration. Believe it or not, even those who did not or never will attend OSH also help in that regard. I do appreciate and enjoy the warbirds and occasionally I walk up north to hear a speaker I admire but trust me, no special interest group has the right -of -way over anyone else. If I ever hear of such a favoritism, it is bye-bye EAA for me. I have been a member since 1967 so I hope that never happens.

[davevath]

I work in the warbirds area, and I did get to meet and talk with Jack.

[steve]

Mr. Pelton was the first speaker at the Young Eagles awards banquet Wednesday evening.

[CHICAGORANDY]

I have NO doubt that Mr Pelton would LOVE to be able to meet and greet with each of the 70,000+ visitors to AirVenture every year, those who fly in, those who drive in each day and those who camp on the massive grounds. But c'mon folks. What are the odds of bumping into one specific VERY busy person among a throng that large, spread out over near 1300+ acres of land?

Cut the guy a little slack.

I have heard that the difference between a Warbird owner and a god is that a god doesn't think he's a Warbird owner. lol - Just friendly kidding......as far as you know. lol

[Floatsflyer]

I have heard that the difference between a Warbird owner and a god is that a god doesn't think he's a Warbird owner. lol - Just friendly kidding......as far as you know. lol

Actually, there is no difference. Warbird owners are gods and warbird owners have more money than god.

[Mayhemxpc]

Actually, there is no difference. Warbird owners are gods and warbird owners have more money than god.

As for the first clause, well, my wife thinks so and that is all that matters. As for the second, there are two classes of Warbird owners, and I am definitely not in that class. I suppose that I have to settle for Demi-god.

[Floatsflyer]

As for the first clause, well, my wife thinks so and that is all that matters. As for the second, there are two classes of Warbird owners, and I am definitely not in that class. I suppose that I have to settle for Demi-god.

In past years I've seen your 0-2A in warbird flypasts. Hopefully paying for your own fuel for the show doesn't impact your Demi-god status too much.

[Mayhemxpc]

In past years I've seen your 0-2A in warbird flypasts. Hopefully paying for your own fuel for the show doesn't impact your Demi-god status too much.

In full disclosure, I do get reimbursed for fuel for flying in the airshow. (This is not a secret, especially as the airshow announcer said as much to everyone this year.) It is not much, but I appreciate it. This year, my plane was not there as it needs a new front prop. (Weeping oil that gets all over the windshield. Makes short final real interesting.) I did, however, get to fly as “orientation pilot”/section lead with a pilot new to the airshow this year. Lots of fun.

Chris “Mayhem” Mayer
Airshow Pilot
Demi-god
:D

PS: to get this back on track...I think Jack Pelton is doing a GREAT job:thumbsup:

[Floatsflyer]

In full disclosure, I do get reimbursed for fuel for flying in the airshow. (This is not a secret, especially as the airshow announcer said as much to everyone this year.) It is not much, but I appreciate it.

Very good to hear that you do get reimbursed for fuel. All participants should. It's a secret to me, first I've ever heard this because that show announcer, Danny Clishem, every year says over and over and over every day, ad nauseum, that the airshow pilots pay for their own fuel.

[rwanttaja]

Very good to hear that you do get reimbursed for fuel. All participants should. It's a secret to me, first I've ever heard this because that show announcer, Danny Clishem, every year says over and over and over every day, ad nauseum, that the airshow pilots pay for their own fuel.

I think Chris was referring to the warbird pilots, not the other airshow pilots. Paying the gas for a 15-minute routine with an Extra is less expensive than a P-47....

Ron Wanttaja

[Floatsflyer]

I think Chris was referring to the warbird pilots, not the other airshow pilots. Paying the gas for a 15-minute routine with an Extra is less expensive than a P-47....

Ron Wanttaja

But Chris is a warbird pilot with a warbird that participates in the liaison part of the warbirds show. His black 0-2A is the military version of the Cessna 337 in line twin.

[rwanttaja]

But Chris is a warbird pilot with a warbird that participates in the liaison part of the warbirds show. His black 0-2A is the military version of the Cessna 337 in line twin.

I understand that. But do we expect EAA to say, "We'll pay for some warbirds, but not others"? Can you imagine the rancor that would produce? "We'll pay for T-28s, but not for BT-13s"....? Or "Every one of the dozens of T-6s gets free fuel, but not the one-of-a-kind YL-15..."?

A single, blanket policy is much easier.

The policy re: airshow performers is that they're receiving free advertising that help them get gigs the rest of the year.

Ron Wanttaja

[Mayhemxpc]

Ron, the policy is clearly stated on the EAA Warbirds of America website. It does not differentiate among different types of warbirds flying in the airshow. As mentioned above, the short time when any particular Warbird is flying in the airshow is inconsequential when compared to the unreimbursed cost of getting the airplane to and from Oshkosh — regardless of the size or number of engines.

I remember two years ago when the crew of the B-25, “Yellow Rose” was walking through the crowd in the warbirds area soliciting donations to buy fuel to go home to Texas.

Also, as pointed out above (with one exception that I know of), none of us appear at OSH as marketing to get paid in future air shows. We are, instead, very happy to display our planes and help people to learn about our military aviation history. Flying them in the show is icing on the cake. I know that the Liaison and Observation Aircraft are not the draw of the fighters or the advanced trainer formation flights, but I hope that the attendees do get something out of it.

I imagine that vintage and homebuilders are the same way and I do enjoy visiting with them and seeing them fly.

[rwanttaja]

Got no way to confirm this, but: Story is that several local warbirders quit coming to the Arlington Fly-In when the fly-in stopped paying for fuel. The major warbird attendance now comes from the Flying Heritage Museum in Everett, WA, just a few miles away.

Ron Wanttaja