Quote Originally Posted by Jim Rosenow View Post
I'm sorry if I wasn't clear on my earlier post, Ron. The purpose was to say that MY position is that FAA is asking EAA to pay for 'routine' staffing, and that those specific words expressed MY position well.
Thanks, Jim, glad to know it wasn't deliberate. I don't have many buttons, but THAT was one of them. :-)

Quote Originally Posted by Jim Rosenow View Post
I define routine as something that happens with regularity, in a cycle, and is expected. The cycle could be hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, Schwinn*, yearly, etc. The fly-in currently meets my criteria. Having been there at other times, I fully concur that the operational levels at KOSH are different the rest of the year than during the fly-in. (I've tried to get into this "Airventure" phraseology, but probably never will.)

My argument is only with the administrator within the FAA who made the decision to charge for what are by my definition (I understand not yours, Ron) routine services, and whoever up the chain should have nixed it. I specifically support EAA staff and implementing FAA staff who have no choice in the matter.

Side question...Had there previously been a FAA-budgeted amount (line item) for this which was removed?...What was the methodology that brought the change about? Was it an announced policy change....Just somebody said...hey, how about if we.... ?? Hal?...other EAA staff?...anyone know?
Gotcha, and understand your use of the term "routine", now. Your point about FAA budgets was a shrewd one, and I suggest "budgeted" would be a better term than "routine."

This HAD to have been accommodated within the FAA budget before. I did a cursory look through the FAA's 2010 budget (gad, the things I do for you folks). Searched for "EAA", "Oshkosh", "Airventure," and even "Air Show" and "Special event", and didn't come up with any hits. So it's buried deeply; not surprising when it's probably $500K out of a $9+ billion budget. As such, it's probably "in the noise" as far as overall policy is concerned. It's a Very Big Deal to us, but to the beancounters at the FAA, it's just pocket change.

Ron Wanttaja