In article , cal
(BD5ER) writes:

Earth to "bd5er", the ratio of "non-aviation commercial BS" to
aviation related stuff at Oshkosh is EXCEEDINGLY SMALL.

Earth to David: Can you count. Last time I attended I could walk down an
entire row in the flymart and not see a single aviatiion related booth. The
ratiio of aviation to BS HAS changed over the last 20 years. If I want all
that other BS I'll just attend the local county fair.


A lot of things have changed over the last 20 years and AirVenture is no
exception. I have attended for the last 5 years and yes, the flymart has a lot
of non-aviation related vendors. So what, I don't go to Oshkosh for the
flymart to begin with and make one quick pass to look at odds and ends of tools
and hardware. Aside from that, I don't care whats there and can't understand
why you do either. On the other hand, most of those non-aviation businesses
were making sales to someone or they wouldn't be there.

Understand this, the show will NEVER return to those lazy good ol'
days of yore when homebuilts were the biggest part of the show.

Then I may never return. Homebuilts is why I went. If that is not the main
attraction I'm not going to waste my time. Large numbers of people is not
really my "thing" but if they were there to talk HOMEBUILDING, and not plug
the isle up in front of the waterless cookware demo, than the more the
better.


Then its your loss because obviously you are not looking in the right places.
There is plenty at Oshkosh for everyone who attends if they are willing.

As for http://www.sportaviation.org/ :

He couldn't keep control of one organization and keep it on track (if that
was
ever the intent) so what is there to make me think this group isn't headed
down
the same track?


It is a free world, you should start your own organization and show us how it
should be done. If you are not willing to do that where do you come off being
critical of those who are trying?

The only true homebuilt oriented flyins any more seem to be the little "type"
fly-ins. I'd love to look at Piets, T-18, Kr's, old Aeroncas, Swifts,
....the list goes on. Oshkosh WAS the place to go to see all of that but now
if you
want to actually talk to the owner and look under the cowl you have to fly to
a
few dozen type events to do the same thing. With the "Airventure" trying to
be
all things to all people it's original usefullness has been lost. When I
first
went it was rare to see a plane roped off so you couldn't walk up and look
inside or crawl under the wing to look at some datail. But then we didn't
have
the hoards of uneducated people ripping the planes apart due to ignorance.


I have attended a number of smaller regional flyins over the years and I
enjoyed them very much. They did not however give me anywhere near the
opportunities to see the variety of aircraft and talk with half as many
builders. They also didn't even begin to provide the educational forums that
are available at Oshkosh.

If you think the "Airventure" is so great the way it is, that's fine with me.

But I either feel kind of sorry for you that you missed the "good 'ol days",
or
wounder why you didn't really appreciate what we had and don't want to share
the good times with others again.


I feel sorry for you. You are either unable or unwilling to look beyond the
superficial aspects of AirVenture and look for those items which you are
interested in. AirVenture is what those who attend make it.

As for the cop-out catch all - "but it brings new people into, and promote,
general aviation". That IMHO opinion is NOT the job of the annual EAA fly
in.
That job is yours and mine, every day of the year.



Yes, it is yours and mine but it is also the EAA's and every organization that
is in aviation. Now, either deal with the change or isolate yourself in the
past.



Bob Reed
www.kisbuild.r-a-reed-assoc.com (KIS Builders Site)
KIS Cruiser in progress...Slow but steady progress....

"Ladies and Gentlemen, take my advice,
pull down your pants and Slide on the Ice!"
(M.A.S.H. Sidney Freedman)