And here we see why smoking should not be allowed anywhere on the grounds. These two people, both of whom are smoking, were just a few yards upwind from the B-17 on the west ramp about an hour before the Bentley concert. I went to find a west ramp crew member, who said he would find security, but did not. When I saw a group of security guys a few minutes later, I told them about the smokers and they said they would check things out. By then the couple had probably finished their cigarettes.
BTW, NONE of the EAA personnel with whom I spoke knew that smoking wasn't allowed in that area!
I guess I shouldn't be surprised that some people are stupid enough to smoke a few yards upwind from an irreplaceable airplane. I looked at the map of the grounds. The ultralight smoking area is just on the other side of the barn from the boundary fence. The vintage and warbird smoking areas are a few hundred feet away from the fence, as is the smoking area behind the Wearhouse. If people need to smoke that badly, they are never too far from the boundary fence.
It's way past time to ban smoking from the grounds.