EAA - AOPA...different missions
I do not believe EAA has abandoned home builders or the experimental amateur built effort. Experimental aviation is the nuts and bolts of the convention (along with war birds) and will remain so or the event will go away. Why would vendors spend big bucks to show their wares if the event were not mostly about and for home builders? Why would any pilot attend the gathering if it were not so? Sure times are changing but the interest in what we do is there, is rock solid, and I think EAA leadership knows it.
EAA has no other way to go unless they see a bright future marketing Ford and John Deere products and other consumer items. If and when that happens, most of us will pass on the event. I don't know who will go but it won't be grass roots aviators. Yea, it is a nuisance at the show, you can look at Ford cars at home, but if it brings bucks to the convention have at it.
OSH is EAA and EAA is OSH. I don't see that changing. If it does, our leadership has failed us. I don't see that happening.
How many of you attend the annual AOPA convention? I never have and never will. Its a a different ball game. If EAA is migrating in that direction, and again, I don't believe they are, most of us will skip the event.
Rod Hightower has made a effort to attend local chapter meetings in many parts of the country. He flew into the Troy Air Park in his old biplane to attend one of our Chapter meetings last fall and I did not for a minute get the impression EAA was anything but fun grass roots flying. It was a great day and I thought a great start for the new boss of the organization. Yes, there are issues going on including a joining with AOPA in an effort to lobby for matters concerning both organizations. I don't know how far that partnership has gone but feel certain it will never be a marriage. Paul Poberezny would like to turn the clock backward, but that won't happen. He is of an era of plans built, scratch built airplane building. Those days are mostly gone. The game today is kits because the product is excellent and that is where the money is. Selling plans is a lot of head aches, law suits and not much money.
Maybe I am missing something, but I thought the OSH 2011 was a lot of fun and hope to be here to do it again next year. And I won't be attending the AOPA convention because I am not a member.
One aviation magazine a month is enough.