Feelings on EAA

[MichaelFarley56]

I'm not sure how many people follow other homebuilt forum boards, but right now a hot topic on the RV forums is the "New Style" EAA that has been shaping itself over the past year or so. Long story short, there are lots of homebuilders that aren't very excited with the direction that the EAA seems to be heading.

This new EAA is being accused of abandoning the grassroots style of homebuilding, as well as making AirVenture more of a "carnival" atmosphere with more production aircraft and non aviation displays, instead of homebuilt airplanes.

Read one such posting here: http://www.vansairforce.com/community/s ... hp?t=86190

I'm curious if anyone here feels the same way. Personally, I support the EAA and the work they do for homebuilding, but the newest Sport Aviation magazines I've been getting are getting more and more like AOPA Pilot with more certified airplane articles than ever before. Further, as much as I absolutely love Oshkosh I can't help but see that some of the biggest displays there seem to be from Honda, John Deere, Ford, etc. I also get somewhat tired of watching Ford Mustangs do burnouts on the runway when we could be watching airplanes. Of course, that may be my jealousy of those drivers.... 8-)

What do you guys think? It's no secret that EAA has just went through a management shift recently. Do you guys like this new EAA?

[Mike53]

Personally I think it's much ado about nothing.The EAA is not Air Venture or the format of the magazine or who there sponsors are.EAA is and always has been the local chapters .
As to the direction the leadership is headed? Aviation needs new pilots ,lots of new pilots.I can't think of any organization that does more to support and promote aviation than the EAA.That comment about Air Venture being a carnival is amusing .Air Venture has over 700,000 people through it's gates each year.There isn't a carnival in the world that can even come close to those numbers.
AOPA and COPA serve a useful purpose also but they cater to pilots.The EAA through Air Venture and Young Eagles cater to future pilots.
My 2cts.

[N111YX]

Is there room for two "AOPA" types when their mission becomes the same?

I suppose at that point a new homebuilt organization will surface and hopefully the new "Oshkosh" will be closer to my home airport...:)

[142YX]

A friend of mine (who is a very active pilot, but not a homebuilder) at work just joined EAA for the first time this month. We were laughing about the first email that he recieved as a member.. which encouraged him to read two articles that EAA has recently published. One of them was about a cat that stowed away in an airplane crate that was shipped to Panama, and the other was about how no one should ever call the pavement at an airport a 'tarmac" (http://macsblog.com/2012/05/there-is-no ... n-airport/). We were laughing at the complete uselessness of these "featured articles".

I feel that EAA is all about the people. Some local chapters are good, and some are bad.. but overall i feel the average EAA'er has their heart in the right place. I am quite displeased with the recent string of events within the management, however. They fired half of their staff, including the director of all of those "Hints for Homebuilders" videos (which was one of my favorite things that EAA did), and the director of this year's Oshkosh. I have no clue what is going on with them anymore, but i hope the trend reverses. The young eagles program is a fantastic idea and as long as that continues, i am sure i will pay the $40 a year to be a member.

But what we dont need is for EAA to become a bunnch of crotchety old jerks who yell at people for calling the ramp a tarmac. Get over it, jerk, and take a kid for an airplane ride.