14
AIRVENTURE TODAY
AIRVENTURE 2014 CONT. FROM P1
lots of great air shows, but lots of good stuff on the ground for people to see, and educational sessions. “I think the exhibitors are pleased— they said they had more traffic and more sales than they’ve seen on a Monday in a long time,” he added. One metric by which to measure each year at AirVenture—and perhaps one of the most important to the pilots who fly in each year—is the number of arriving airplanes. This year was one of the best in recent memory, according to Pelton. “We had an exciting milestone on Tuesday, when GA parking was filled. You hate to turn anybody away, but it’s a nice problem to have. It says things are recovering.” “But the most exciting part has been the One Week Wonder,” he allowed. “Just being a part of that, taking the cover off and seeing the huge crowds that were there” was one of the show’s highlights for EAA’s chairman. What does Pelton think about the 2014 edition of AirVenture? How good was it?
“I think it’s clearly got to be one of the landmark events,” in EAA’s history, he said. “And we’ve had some great ones, going back to when the Concorde was here, and other things. But bringing the Thunderbirds for the first time, and the crowds we’ve had,” will make 2014’s AirVenture a contender, he told us. Among Pelton’s special memories this week is the way in which association Founder Paul H. Poberezny’s passing last year, shortly after AirVenture 2013 concluded, was remembered by attendees. Several events and displays during AirVenture 2014 were dedicated to his legacy. Perhaps the most well-attended was Sunday’s dedication of a plaque honoring him on EAA’s Memorial Wall. “Having that and having people not turn it into a downer, being excited about the way it was and having that family culture…there’s just a lot of people feeling good about EAA,” Pelton thoughtfully added. But when Pelton looks out his office window in February, and then he looks at the site today, what goes through his mind?
“The first thing…is the volunteers—I hope we’re treating them properly, and they all come back and show up. That’s how it gets done…it’s the whole core and backbone of this,” he added. “Without them, this whole thing just would not get done.” But as good as AirVenture 2014 was—and is—Pelton isn’t the least bit content to let its success be the highwater mark. He and EAA’s staff already are thinking about 2015. “Next year, there’s a few things we’re hoping to bring back, the most significant of which is Burt Rutan,” Pelton told us. “He’s got some things in the works
he’s not willing to talk about, but he’s saying, ‘Jack, I want to be there next year.’ He told me, point-blank, in an email, ‘I have my own projects that very much need to be unveiled at EAA.’” And that brings us back to considering how the AirVenture grounds are transformed each year and how special the results become. What words does EAA’s chairman use to describe that transformation, and the results? “Pure magic,” he told us. Who are we to argue? See you next year, for AirVenture, July 20-26, 2015.
PHOTO BY PHIL WESTON
EAA’s One Week Wonder has drawn a steady crowd.
Take your first step into the exciting
world of flight
Discover the fun, freedom, and excitement of flying with EAA Eagle Flights. It’s a free, hands-on introduction for adults who have always wanted to fly, but didn’t know how or where to take that first step. To learn how you can participate, visit the new EAA Pathways Pavilion located just west of the EAA Welcome Center on Celebration Way.
Eagle Flights
™
EagleFlights.org
The EAA Eagle Flights program is made possible through the generous support of Sennheiser