Great start Jim.
One "plank" that I believe that you support and an area that I think the EAA
could place more emphasis on is the area of owner assisted maintenance for
pilots and owners of both experimental and certified aircraft.

Not only reminders of which maintenance procedures are allowed by part 43,
but examples of how under the supervision of an A&P, an interested and
active owner/pilot can dive in to the inner depths of his airframe and
powerplant without feeling that he is "doing something illegal" or wrong.

How many owner/pilots change their own oil/filter?
How many know where their jack points are on their airplane?
How many know which type of grease/oil to use where?
How many know how to safety wire?
How many own the parts and service manuals for their airplanes? The parts
and service manuals for their engines?
How many know how to research AD's and SB's on their airframe, engine, AND
accessories?

As the expense of flying continues to climb, pilots need to become more
involved in the maintenance and airworthiness of their aircraft. This is
and easy way that a pilot/owner can dramatically lower his average hourly
operating costs while increasing his safety by virtue of the additional
knowledge and familiarity of his aircraft. The lower the owner/pilot can
keep his costs, the more he will fly, and hopefully the safer both he, as a
pilot, and his aircraft will be.

I applaude your focus and passion for education. On going education and
pilots seem to go hand in hand. While some pilots seem content with their
current position in aviation, most seem to be continually asking themselves
"what's next?". I would love the EAA to develop a series of booklets or
articles on "So you just passed your XXXXX flight test, what's next?" or
"So you just bought an airplane, now what?" We can't let our established
pilots down by forgetting that they need encouragement and support to take
the next step. I'm particularly appalled at the lack of "building blocks"
and interim training between the commercial certificate and the CFI. The
EAA could help by developing a "So you think you want to teach somebody to
fly? bridge to fill that huge gap. Or a CFI mentoring program to help
coach CFI wannabe's and lead them through maze of information. Maybe such a
program exists, but it wasn't obvious to me or several other CFI's I know.

You've also touched upon an area that I've thought about many times. That
is the many areas of aviation that would mesh together in a formal middle or
high school education program. A program that a local EAA chapter or pilots
association could present to a school board or a group of teachers and say
"Here is a predesigned aviation education program that brings together
aspects of mathematics, aerodynamics, physics, chemistry, history, weather,
writing, electronics, research ect." Each class could mesh together and
with assistance from the EAA chapter or pilots group, not only bring the
airport to the kids, but take the kids to the airport at the appropriate
times to make the lesson reality and show them how what they are learning
applies to the real world.... make it exciting... start the fire burning. I
think this idea may have a better chance of taking off, if it were first
presented in middle or high school as an elective, as many students may not
have the initial interest and many parents may simply think it's "too
dangerous", but hopefully a trickle down effect would occur similar to how
sports, choir, and band have trickled down into the younger grades. I find
it rather bizarre that you can fly a glider at 14, solo an airplane at 16,
get your private pilot's cert at 17, commercial at 18, ALL before you
graduate highschool, yet in most highschools across the country, these goals
and opportunities are NEVER presented to the students! I would love for
this idea to be moved forward by the EAA.

Thanks for stepping up to the plate and keep up the good work.

Sorry for bending your ear off.

Jim