The Aero-Fest Program Is Underway
I've hinted at a major
announcement for a few months now, usually in reference to our many
concerns about Sun 'n Fun, and I guess that it's time to let the
feline out of the paper enclosure.
For the better part of several years, we've take an active
interest in what it might take to fix events like these and
barring the ability to fix them, what it might take to replace
them... with something far better. We've been researching this
aggressively, traveled the world over, and interviewed hundreds of
experts on the subject... and are beginning to reach an
understanding of what's wrong with today's fly-ins and what it
might take to put them right.
While it may not be hard to dream up SOME concepts and
augmentations that are better than what we find elsewhere, overall,
the execution of a plan to actually accomplish something of that
ilk is a major task... akin to brain surgery with one hand tied
behind your back -- at least if you're doing it right and aiming as
high as you need to. Most of all, one thing is clear... its time to
start with a clean sheet of paper.
Sure; we have a number of fully proper reasons to want to see
something better come about, but we feel that there is an
over-riding reason to seek an alternative above and beyond all the
"obvious" reasons. Mind you; the base reasons are plenty good
enough... the event is clearly failing, attendance is down, the
management seems (at best) incompetent and possibly corrupt, safety
has deteriorated dramatically (and in some cases involving some
well-reported accidents, we feel that Sun 'n Fun has been willfully
negligent in not instituting safer protocols), the event continues
a pattern of alienation of its supporters, the facility is clearly
not up to the tasks at hand, and the event has simply lost all
semblance of focus -- or credibility.
We have little doubt that without some major re-formatting, that
this event is lost. Worse; it is equally obvious that the
management of this event will not take constructive criticism,
often seems to act outside of the law (via such acts as the
admittedly fraudulent attendance figures they put out for many
years) and acts aggressively and viciously against those who would
hope to save/critique it. In other words, they're not interested in
getting any help to fix their many, well-documented, ills. So be
it. We give up. We get the message... Their egos have spoken and
doomed this event to failure.
Enough. Let them bury themselves... we have far better things to
do than aid those who would not be aided. You can only bang your
head against a wall for so long before you realize that it will
only feel good when you stop.
Besides all that... we've come to the conclusion think that it's
time for a (truly) clean-sheet approach to seeking changes for the
Fly-In network that used to be such a pivotal part of the American
aviation landscape and to restore one of the one of the most
critical aspects to the foundation of such events... it's time to
make Fly-Ins "fun" again. I mean, REALLY fun.
Think about it... while some events manage to entertain their
attendees in some form or fashion for a goodly part of the time
(such as the annual Arlington EAA Fly-In, person for person, the
best fly-in in the nation), we really don't hear all that much
about how much fun our flying friends are having at these events
anymore... and the memories I have of the better days of the Fly-In
network (before commercialization and egomania became the
over-riding concern for virtually every decision made by a
number of fly-ins) are cherished indeed.
As we see it, there are
three "E's" to building a proper fly-in... Entertainment,
Education and Empowerment. The events
have to be fun, interesting and exciting... they need to offer
plenty of opportunities for learning, enrichment and insight... and
they certainly must provide a sense of willingness and empowerment
among those who attend to continue in this craft and even grow
within the ranks of flyers the world over--both for one's personal
enrichment as well as that of the industry's, at large. Most
fly-ins do a little of all of the above and pay a little
lip-service to these goals, but few of them are truly driven by
tenets described above.
Instead; crass commercialization drives way too many decisions,
attendees are rarely surveyed and consulted and the management
decides what they like to see rather than what they think attendees
might actually like. Nobody denies that you have to make money at
these things unless you want to be a one-shot wonder, but I think
that many fly-in organizers use too little of their imagination in
dealing with vendors, sponsors, and supporters... and practice
bloody poor customer service once they have them. It's possible to
be a commercial success without being a commercial embarrassment...
besides, build a positive, well-attended event and you'll find
commercial support to follow in rapid order. Build VALUE and you
will build support and participation - on all fronts, attendees,
sponsors, vendors, community -- you name it.
We're not the only ones to think that way. In the conversations
we've had with the major players of the aero-world -- vendors,
organizations, attendees, airshow performers, and the like... not a
single one has turned us down when we asked if they'd support this
project. Not a one of them.
A New Approach
Yes... it IS time to start with a clean sheet of paper.
It's time to do something better by building a plan for future
fly-in programs that will be able to keep up with a world that has
ceased to be impressed with the way airshows and fly-ins have been
conducted over the last few decades... and it's time to bring such
events to the forefront of the aviation world, for our own sakes,
as well as for those who are interested in aviation and aerospace
-- but have been put off by the way that the Fly-Ins have declined
and abused the public's trust. This new formula will require
ingenuity, honesty and insight... and I'm pleased to tell you that
for the last few years, the matter has been under serious
discussion by some of the finest and most visionary folks in the
industry -- and it has resulted in a plan. A new plan... a really
new plan.
I'm not going to spill all the beans right now... but I will say
this. There is now a firm and surprisingly mature plan for
'Aero-Fest' -- the first of a planned series of annual fly-ins and
tradeshows that will be crafting a new generation of aviation
events out of 'clean-sheet' plans -- starting a few years hence. It
is designed to offer an alternative venue for the many folks who
have become so disaffected with other events, and to pose a
challenge to the entire aviation community to come together,
professionally, to produce a cost-effective, highly entertaining
aero-event that will educate, entertain and empower the aviation
world for years to come. Hundreds of people have been consulted on
this issue... and we've not taken their input lightly... this is a
VERY different event plan from those you have seen in the past...
and it is VERY different from the declining embarrassments we've
seen elsewhere.
We'll have LOTS more to say in the future, but do know this --
we're pursuing this program -- for real. We're committed. We need
your input, your support and ideas... so that the Aero-Fest program
comprises the very best we, as an industry, can muster for the
benefit of us all.
Wish us luck... but if you do, we hope you'll get directly
involved and help us build something truly valuable and exciting
for our industry to enjoy and for the world to share. We'll need
ideas, volunteers, staffers, and incredible support... but if this
isn't the right time to do this, no time is. We're looking forward
to hearing from YOU. This is going to be an interesting
program...
Jim Campbell, Editor-In-Chief, Aero-News Network
Chairman, Aero-Fest Planning Committee