This Is THE Year To Be Seen, Be Heard, And Be Counted

Analysis/Opinion by Jim Campbell, ANN E-I-C/CEO

Unlike most of you, I leave for Oshkosh in a couple of days… There is much to do, as always, and this year we have the additional chore of installing our own permanent office in the Media Mall on the Wittman Field grounds – just one more indication of the commitment we feel we need to make to the Oshkosh experience and its place in the aviation world.

And that provides me an excellent segue into the topic I wanted to address today… I've heard all manner of worisome complaints, criticism and comments about what may or may not happen at Oshkosh this year and, in particular, about what the FAA did in the last few months to make this year's Oshkosh the most political in recent memory. Now, as most of you know, we’re not in anybody's pocket… We say what we know/believe, we check our facts carefully, we don't ‘kow-tow’ to the established way of doing things, we question authority without hesitation and we have a rather frequent habit of turning sacred cows into steak – sometimes rare and bloody.

So… it’s from the heart when we say that we believe that now is NOT the time to take out your displeasure on EAA or Oshkosh… by boycotting or avoiding AirVenture.

We've heard all manner of discontent from the aviation community over what the FAA did to EAA and Oshkosh, as well as some of the (often justifiable) grumbling that persists in light of the last year or so of EAA history – easily the most turbulent time that we can recall for this organization. But I'd like to suggest something different, for a change, and while we all have issues with the FAA -- or with Oshkosh -- or with EAA -- or with the status quo of the embattled world of aviation, this is not the time to retreat or decide to take all your toys and go play someplace else.

This is the year to be seen.

This is the year to speak up.

This is the year to be counted.

If Oshkosh looks healthy, aviation looks healthy. This is the year that those in attendance at Oshkosh, especially FAA and DOT staffers, the few elected officials who may make their way out to the Fly-In, as well as other notables involved in the aviation community, need to understand who and what we are -- and the fact that aviation is a pivotal, even defining, part of our lives – and that we want it to stay that way. I have heard from way too many people who think that abandoning Oshkosh this year, or not going, or even curtailing their stay is a way to punish the FAA – which is shear foolishness. I've also heard of others who are not happy with the direction of EAA and some of the shenanigans that have gone on over the last year or so, and while I certainly can relate to many of the complaints that have been espoused, this is not the year to call in absent.

Again, I urge you to stand and be counted.

We need to make this year's Oshkosh a very positive, very vocal, and very noticeable event. The entire Fly-In community is struggling, as it is, due to the issues associated with a bad economy, poor public perception of aviation, and the extremely poor showing from a number of non-Oshkosh events that have disappointed a great number of vendors, exhibitors, attendees and ‘Just-Plane’ folks. I can't tell you how many times I've heard about what a disaster this year's Sun n Fun/Lakeland show was (among others), and how badly that event performed for so many people who make a living in this industry… 

As such, the confidence in the Fly-In network and aviation events, in general, has sunk to a new low, based on the hundreds (yes, hundreds) of comments that we received from knowledgeable parties from the aviation world. Folks, life isn't a whole lot of fun in the aviation world right now… We’re struggling due to economic issues, we're struggling due to political issues, and we're struggling because we’re in an industry that for some unfathomable reason has not learned to sell itself and its benefits to the nonflying public.

And that's not all...

Of all the times I can recall, in my personal experience as both a pilot and a person doing business in the aviation world, the current Aero-Climate is about as tough as it's ever been.

If we don't make a good showing at Oshkosh… If we don't stand up and be counted… If we don't reach out to speak to the Feds and other political creatures that attend the Fly-In… If we don't come together and try to grow and empower our community, we’re going to continue to do damage to a struggling industry that's REALLY hurting and is hampered with an even poorer prognosis. 

So let me make this clear, ANN is putting ‘it's all’ into our coverage of this year’s Oshkosh like it does every year… But we see this year, and its unique dynamics, as one of the most critical on record and we think you should too.

If you can make it to Oshkosh, do so.

I'm not telling you to endorse everything the FAA is doing, I'm not telling you to endorse everything the EAA has ever done, I'm not telling you to come because Oshkosh is inexpensive or easy to participate in (and is, in fact far from it), I'm asking you to come to Oshkosh to be a vocal/visible part of our community, to stand up and stake a claim on that part of the aviation world that matters to you, and make sure that we produce as powerful an event and as powerful a presence as we possibly can -- so that those who would judge us, those who would restrict us, those who would tax us into oblivion will see that we are a force to be reckoned with and that even though we’re not in the best of health as a community, that messing with aviation is neither smart, nor in the best interests of America.

If this becomes the best Oshkosh yet, we can send an amazing message -- that we are a united community, ready to fight for what's ours... and if you want to mess with aviation and/or aviators, you do so at your political peril.

I realize this sounds rather dramatic… But in the 42+ years since I soloed a glider and became a real-live pilot of a real-live flying machine, I have become convinced that aviation is one of most breathtaking pursuits known to man and my dedication to its survival is absolute. As bruised and battered as it may be, an aggressive and innovative approach to rebuilding the industry, the community, the sport, and all associated activities is not only possible, but well within our grasp. REALLY.

I'm working with some amazing people (believe me, you know the names) on something we call “The Grassroots Initiative” and while we’re not really ready to talk about much of it right now, not quite yet, it is a synergistic effort to restore, first, the community and the spirit that once drove this industry, and build a wholly innovative future that can produce an aviation world that can survive for future generations. I'm really excited about what it might be able to accomplish.

I'm not arrogant enough to think that this ‘Grassroots Initiative’ is the answer to everything (thought it is, in fact, something you have NEVER seen before), and I do believe there is a significant/necessary role for a number of the other movers and shakers in aviation, including the often errant aviation associations that are struggling to find their way (and still seem WAY off the mark -- some more than others). I am pleased to see that many in our community are (finally) becoming convinced, if not aware, of how critical certain aspects of this industry's health have become. Many of those who had been snoozing along while the aviation world has dealt with crisis after crisis now seem less inclined to blow smoke and ignore the criticality of the issues we face without doing much about it. Believe it or not, that's progress. You can't fix anything until the consensus agrees that fixing is in order.

I do see the start of substantial changes in aero-thinking… I do see attitudes evolving… I do see some amazing people stepping up with aggressively innovative and truly creative ideas… And I'm thankful to say that we're working with quite a few of them, and I think more than a few of us are beginning to get somewhere.

We’ll have a lot to say about this in the future… There is still much to learn, much to organize, and much to create… But if you'll join us all at Oshkosh, if you lift your voice up and help us all contribute to letting the world around us know how amazing the aviation experience is, how extraordinary the Oshkosh experience also is in our lives -- and how passionately we feel about our right to fly, as well as our love for aviation, then we can make some very positive steps in educating the morons around us who attack and belittle aviation simply because they neither understand it, approve of it, or may in fact simply be jealous of our capabilities and freedoms.

Aero-News is installing our ANN HQ building just a few feet west of the Press Headquarters and just a couple of hundred yards north of the KOSH control tower. Our banners will be on the side of the building with our Aero-News logos so we won't be hard to find, and we invite you to stop by and chat with us, to tell us what you think aviation needs to do to survive, what you are willing to do to help it do so, and share YOUR insights with us in order to help ANN put together Aero-News stories, Aero-Cast audio programs, and Aero-TV video programs that we can share with the rest of the world to display how amazing aviation is, and how enduring the spirit of today's aviators truly are.

Thanks… And please come by and see us at Oshkosh.

Blue Skies!

James Richard Campbell,
Oshkosh-Bound Aero-News Network Editor-In-Chief/CEO

FMI: www.eaa.org, www.aero-news.net, www.faa.gov