Dunno about national treasure, unless you're thinking of a big fat lump of Fool's Gold. :-)Originally Posted by Jeff Boatright
My position at the meeting last week was a bit anomalous... I was the only "outsider" there (given my rather weird sense of humor, it's probably the LAST invite I'll get, too :-). While invited by EAA, I was not officially part of the EAA delegation.
Like anyone who works for a company, the EAA folks would have to be guided by their corporation's policies regarding public data release. The EAA guys can't just post their impression of what happened, just like Hal can't post a summary based on what he heard in the hallways after the meeting. Their employer requires that information like this go through a release process...and they can't talk about it, publicly, until that item is released. They just aren't allowed to answer off the cuff, like I do. The FAA guys are under the same strictures, probably worse.
But I'm not EAA, and I'm not FAA. I'm a bit freer to speak on what I observed (reason #2 for NOT inviting me back :-). There's stuff that was obviously sensitive, or personal opinion, and I haven't commented on those.
Another factor is that I'm rather tuned in to the online communities, where stuff like the medical reform is always being discussed. It's natural for me to chime in, then, when questions arose and I had information from the meeting to share. But, again, the EAA guys can't do that, and after working these problems all day, they probably don't want to talk about them on their time off.
The people at EAA that are working these problems are the people you *want* working these issues. They're knowledgeable, they're capable, and they're passionate fans of personal aviation. I've known some of them for 10-15 years, and have been happy to help when issues arise that are within my limited zone of expertise.
And... doggone it, the FAA people I met were good, too. They weren't hidebound bureaucrats, they were guys who loved aviation. We got a private tour of the museum after the first day's meeting (I got to sit in the P-38!) and they were like any airplane nut in a candy shop.
The problems we're worrying about the most aren't technical or medical...they're political. EAA's working those, too, but sometimes you can't talk about it as much.
The last factor to consider is...well, I could have heard them wrong. Wouldn't be the first time, wouldn't even be a low exponent. Or maybe I'm channeling my inner Brian Williams, and none of this happened at all. :-)
Ron Wanttaja
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