The International Cessna^® 170 Association

It seems to me this is a "damned if they do, damned if they don't" situation. If they just let the event control it self like small airports, and there's an accident, they will be blasted by the media and that will give personal aviation a bad name. If they become their own controllers, and there's an accident, they will get sued because they didn't use official, professional government controllers.

This probably came on too late for them to do much but pay the FAA. The FAA, like all agencies, gets plenty of money to do their job. It's the priorities that are the problem. As a retired engineer, I am a technical consultant for a government agency (can't say which one as that's against my contract), and I can't believe how badly things are run. Decisions by people that have no knowledge of what they're doing, money wasted on projects that result in nothing, and things they shouldn't be doing anyway. If a private industry was run this way, they wouldn't last one week.

I had my problems with the EAA when they wouldn't help fight the TCA's back in the 70's, but I think they've gotten a lot smarter since then. Not perfect, but then, nobody is. I'll cut them some slack on this one, and see what happens next year.

blueldr wrote:I gave up my membership back in about 1995 when one of the directors over at the Pioneer Airport told us about having to stop "Pope Paul" from loading a DC-3 up with firewood in Wisconsin to take to his place up in Colorado.

Blue, I quit in 1995 too but for an entirely different reason. I was managing the Hart Airport at the time and put on an "Airport" Day" for the local citizens. One of our local pilots suggested that we have a "Young Eagles" event to go along with the gala event. I did a lot of preparation for that including mowing a huge "WELCOME YOUNG EAGLES" in the grass at the approach end of the runway. Then I began the attempt to formalize the event with the EAA. It went from little interest from them to ought right insanity. Waivers, insurance, pilot investigation etc. etc. that I felt was totally irrelevant to getting kids airborne.

The Chief investigator for our DAs office had helped me take some aerial shots of the beautiful "sign" in the grass and I had sent copies of them to the EAAs office for possible advertising and publication. I got them back with a note "We do not accept "UNSOLICITED" photos for publication".

Well we had our event. The local radio station came out, a local pilot did an Aerobatic show, some local merchants brought a huge BBQ pit and we had burgers and dogs for all and it was sans the blessing from the EAA! We flew some 75 young and not so young passengers. Most of the locals never knew anything about the EAA but knew it was sponsored by "JUST US" the Hart Airport Flying Club. BTW since that time I have never again attended and EAA event.

bsdunek wrote:...As a retired engineer, I am a technical consultant for a government agency (can't say which one as that's against my contract), and I can't believe how badly things are run. Decisions by people that have no knowledge of what they're doing, money wasted on projects that result in nothing, and things they shouldn't be doing anyway. .....

....which is WHY they (correctly) hired a technical consultant, perhaps...??? Sounds like a good decision was made in there somewhere.
(Not addressed to Bruce or anyone in this particular thread, and No personal critcism intended in the following):
I worked for the "gov't" for a little over ten years. When I first hired-on, I had a low opinion of most agencies and their workers. After a few months I realized that the vast majority of employees are not only talented, smart, and dedicated....but they also work HARD and receive an inordinate amount of unfair criticism, especially considering the legal restraints placed upon them because of critical and demanding people they serve.
Unlike many private and corporate operations, most gov't agencies and their employees have a higher duty and stricter conformity requirements to legal/constitutional constraints mostly unknown/unseen/unappreciated by the casual observer.
That was my overwhelming, personal observation. (Yes, like most organizations, there are always a few slackers, but as a group, gov't agency employees are unappreciated for the relatively lower-paid positions they occupy. For the most part they could get a lot more money for a lot less work in the private sector.....and that is one reason the slackers amongst them frequently "get out early" and become "consultants".....sometimes coming back under contract to their previous jobs and receiving both retirement and salary for the same job-description as previously. )
I, for one, appreciate the good ones who hang in there and do their duty.

I quit Paul's private profit-center EAA for the same reasons already stated.