VFR Flight Following -- What's going on here?

Is it true that the EAA force people to become EAA members to attend
Oshkosh?

When we first started attending OSH, back in the early '80s, you could
attend the fly-in without being a member, but you could not go on the flight
line without a separate pass that required membership. To get that precious
pass, you had to join EAA -- which is what got me in the fold! I wanted to
be where the action was, and I couldn't see it from 200 yards away behind a
fence.

At some point they eliminated that whole thing, and now just let everyone
in, everywhere, although they do charge non-members more.

IMHO it was better to only allow full members access to the flight line.
Some of the show planes at OSH represent thousands of hours and tens of
thousands (hundreds of thousands, in some cases) of time and money, and I
don't think letting the NASCAR crowd in unimpeded was a good idea. Not
often, but occasionally I have seen ignorant parents letting their kids run
around too near fabric planes, and have just about had a heart attack. That
NEVER happened under the old rules.

To combat this, they now have an entire battalion of volunteers called
"Protect Our Planes" (or something similar), to police the grounds. This
seems silly, to me, (as opposed to going back to the old rules) but I
suppose they are trying to open the flight line to everyone in hopes of
growing GA?
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Jay Honeck wrote:
At some point they eliminated that whole thing, and now just let everyone
in, everywhere, although they do charge non-members more.

Two years ago I had a few of the non-aviation types in front of me
during the airshow. When the show was over they stood up and started to
walk away, leaving their trash behind them on the ground.
I called after them and told them to pick up their trash stating, "We
don't leave trash on the grounds here."
Despite his indignant glare, I stood and pointed to the mess they had
left. He came back and picked it up, but was not happy that I publicly
pointed out his littering.

Two years ago I had a few of the non-aviation types in front of me during
the airshow. When the show was over they stood up and started to walk
away, leaving their trash behind them on the ground.
I called after them and told them to pick up their trash stating, "We
don't leave trash on the grounds here."
Despite his indignant glare, I stood and pointed to the mess they had
left. He came back and picked it up, but was not happy that I publicly
pointed out his littering.

THANK YOU. This kind of activity epitomizes what I mean when I call them
"the NASCAR crowd."

Since EAA got rid of the flight line members-only rule, I've had to tell
people not to smoke, not to leave piles of crap next to planes, not to touch
fabric or props, not to let their kids climb on a wing. And I'm not even
camped in that area -- I just see it and instinctively react.

I have come to expect this kind of behavior at every other airshow in
America -- but never, ever, EVER in Oshkosh. The day it becomes the norm at
Airventure is the day I stop going to OSH.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

I always thought that removing the members only flight line admissions
was a mistake. Not just because of the ignorant types, but food and
drink also. They should have at least kept the gates to the flight line
and enforced the no food and drink rule (except water bottles).

John