VA Vol 4 No 6 June 1976 - EAA Vintage Members Only

~ - =>-~~ .. ~THE RESTORER'S CORNERby J. R. NIELANDER, JR. Once again it is time for all of us to begin making our plans for participationin the annual pilgrimage to the world's largest aviation event, the 24thAnnual EAA Convention and Fly-In at Wittman Field, Oshkosh, Wisconsin,from Saturday, July 31st, through Sunday, August 8th, 1976. This is thelongest EAA convention in history, nine days beginning and ending witha full weekend.Your Antique/Classic Division has already organized a full schedule ofactivities ,for antique and classic aircraft and their owners including judgingof the exhibit aircraft and the awarding of trophies in a multitude of classifications,recognition of well known old-timers in aviation as well as outstandingrestorers at either the Interview Circle during the day or the PavilionEvening Program, historical sequence air pageants, and forums on thevarious types of antique and classic aircraft. As in the past, these forumsgenerally will include information on maintenance problems, parts availabilityand substitution, modifications, specific restoration techniques,flight characteristics, aircraft availability, etc., plus additional forums ontechniques and procedures of restoration which are applicable to all aircraft.They will usually be scheduled for a 1 % hour period and will be heldin a large meeting tent located next to the Antique/Classic Division HeadquartersBarn. The tent will be complete with blackboards, rostrum, publicaddress system, electricity for projection equipment, and adequate seating.We are again this year inviting all type clubs to make the EAA Conventionone of their annual fly-in activities. Due to limited parking spaceavailable in the Display Aircraft Parking Area and even more limited manpower,we do not plan to provide special parking rows for each type aircraftas we have done in the past. However, we do have the aircraft typesigns available, ' so if any type clubs do want their own row(s) we shall behappy to supply the signs, but it will be necessary for them to make arrangementsdirectly with the Antique/Classic Parking Chairman, M. C. "Kelly"Viets, RR 1, Box 151, Stilwell, Kansas 66085, before July first and to policetheir own rows with their own members starting on Wednesday, July 28th,and continuing through the entire convention period.While on the subject of the Display Aircraft Parking Area we would liketo emphasize that the EAA Convention is somewhat different from theaverage fly-in which most of us usually attend. The basic theme of the EAAConvention is EDUCA nON, and the Antique/Classic Division tries toencourage this theme in both its forum programs and its Display AircraftParking Areas. We would like to ask your cooperation in using the DisplayAircraft Parking Area only for parking those aircraft of which you can bejustifiably proud of your work or efforts spent in its restoration, reconstruction,or continued "Tender Loving Care" brand of maintenance. Thisis the area for showing off that which we consider to be excellence in ourfield and that from which others can learn by close inspection, by example,and by conversing with the owners and restoers. This is the area where hewho is planning to restore an antique or classic aircraft can look to see whathe can expect to achieve and can thereby be fired with enthusiasm. This isthe area where photographers can photograph the finest collection of therestorers' art. This is the area where he who comes just to admire historicbeauty on wings can savour the excellence of workmanship.For those who are presently using their airplanes for transportationonly and are not planning to restore them until next year or the year afteror maybe never, we have a very large Member and Guest Parking Areaalong the E-W runway which is more conveniently located to the actionthan are many parts of the Display Aircraft Parking Area. It would be a bighelp to your overworked and undermanned Parking Committee if aircraftwhich fall into this latter category were parked in this Member and GuestParking Area.Well, it had to happen sooner or later. Your officers and directors havemade it as much later as they possibly could, but that old devil, inflation,finally caught up with us. After watching your Division expenses exceed. your Division income for some months, your officers and directors had toface the unpleasant task of increasing the membership dues. The fact thatthis was the first dues increase since the Division was founded didn't makethem feel any better about it.At the Board of Directors meeting on April 24, 1976, they noted a duesincrease and restructuring to become effective June 1, 1976. Effective thatdate Division dues will be $14.00 per year for EAA members and $20.00per year for non-EAA members. The latter will receive the additional benefitof non-subscription membership in EAA. This is a full membership inEAA with all of its rights and privileges, but minus the subscription toSPORT AVIATlON magazine. The officers and directors hope that theiraction meets with the approval of the majority of you members and thatyou will understand the need for this increase.