EAA grudgingly agrees to pay for traffic controller services

Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel ^ | 4/14/2013 | Meg Jones

[UB355]

The EAA AirVenture on Thursday completed a one-time agreement with the FAA over disputed charges for air traffic control services at the Oshkosh organization's large aviation convention that starts in July.

Last month the Federal Aviation Administration told EAA AirVenture officials the cost for air traffic controllers to come to Oshkosh would be more than $400,000. AirVenture authorities were stunned because FAA air traffic controllers and supervisors have come to Wittman Regional Airport for decades to handle thousands of planes at no additional cost to AirVenture.

Air traffic control operations are funded through aviation fuel taxes.

[kingu]

Still think that they should have said ‘okie’ and then deducted the aviation fuel surcharges and then sent the feds the bill for the extra $345k owed.

I know it is too much to demand, but whomever started this process really has to be fired.

[Java4Jay]

ping

[wally_bert]

I am planning on going to this. It would be the first I’ve gone to anything like it.

[Joe Boucher]

wally,
Why all the way to Oskosh?
Why not Sun N Fun?

[pabianice]

Cowards. Air Venture is a huge event. The EAA should have canceled and let the hundreds of businesses and millions of participants rain crap down on the FAA.

[diogenes ghost]

I was a controller at Chicago ARTCC for 13 years, and OSH was in my area of specialization. While it could get incredibly busy, I looked forward to it every year. Sure did get to work/talk to some verrry cool aircraft.

One of the few things I miss about Chicago.

[wally_bert]

Until last weekend, I had never heard of either one. I would like to but if I read right, there is something this weekend but no way I can make it. Maybe next year.....

Besides there is a lot of this country I have never seen and it sounds like something different. I’ve been to Florida.

All of this came about because I made a donation to SC Historical Foundation to preserve a B-25 during last weekend’s open house.

Here is something I slapped together. Not much to see.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-Wm2o-sMKM

[rlmorel]

Ya gotta go, and...don't forget yer gear! If you are into aviation, it is the best...:)

I forget what year this was I went above, but I do remember two things about it: First, it was so damned hot, and there was no shade anywhere, that people were standing with their backs against walls to get that 16 inches of shadow. People were crowded under the wings of planes everywhere. That was damned uncomfortable that year. Second, my feet were so damned slimy and wet from sweat that I put talcum powder on my feet. It was a bad move. My feet blistered so badly, I was walking with a peculiar rolling, bow-legged gait because I just couldn't put pressure on my feet. I had never put that kind of powder on my feet in conditions like that, and I regretted it. My buddy laughed at me though, he saw me walking across some field wearing the hat above with my bow-legged walk (as he described it) and he said that I looked like a Japanese soldier walking out of the jungle 20 years after WWII ended!

Another year we saw most of the Apollo astronauts (including all three from Apollo 8 and Apollo 11) in a big outdoor amphitheater, and they told really good stories about the Apollo days (Borman's propensity for bad gas in space was one) and it was great to see them all together, even Armstrong, who I am told, rarely does those things. That might have been 1994...

The best part was, as they were spinning their yarns onstage, the sun had gone down, and a Concorde took off in full afterburner, louder than hell with four striped cones of blue shooting out the back. Right in mid-word from the stage, everybody turned en masse and gaped.

Whatever astronaut was talking just said "Everybody go ahead and look...all of us up here onstage are too!"

I loved it. Here were these guys who had sat atop rockets and flown to the moon could still get their rocks off watching an afterburner in action! And we were all on the same level for a few seconds, astronauts and everyday aviation buffs alike, both appreciating the scene with the intensity of peers!

[wally_bert]

Thanks for the photo and tips. I love gadgets and machinery in general whether flies, floats, or crawls. I generally don’t get tired lugging camera equipment around.

I have a 60D this time around that hasn’t got a lot of clicks on it. Somewhere I have my photographer’s vest buried to handle the small collection of lenses, all Canon. I also just got the highly rated but plastic prime 50 mm that I am looking forward to using. The rest of the complement includes the 18-135, 100 macro, 70-200, 70-300. Plus I have the external battery grip. I will burn up batteries. I plan to fill a lot of my memory cards.

I do more video than photo and the 60D does very well. It was a bargain sale when the local Ritz was going out of business.

I haven’t been on the road through that section of the country since I was a kid.

[rlmorel]

I love it out in the Midwest.

I am from the Northeast, and it is beautiful country up here, but the Midwest and Plains have beauty of their own, and quite different, too.

I had to take a week off recently after nearly six months of 60-80 weeks or I was going to burn to a crisp and lose vacation time to boot. My wife couldn’t get time off, so...I just got in my car and drove west. Just to see how far I could go. I planned to make the Four Corners Monument in Utah, but...didn’t have enough time. But I made it as far as Tecumseh, Nebraska. Put 3500 miles on my car in less than a week.

It was great. Didn’t care much for Missouri, but I loved Nebraska. It was wide open, and looked like a state where real work was going on. But it was great to see this country of ours. Still. We still have it.

[afraidfortherepublic]

EAA suprised with increased Air Traffic Control charges

FReep Mail me if you want on, or off, this Wisconsin interest ping list.

[afraidfortherepublic]

Everybody should go to the EAA in Oshkosh at least once in his life.

My husband and I went with a friend who was a pilot and we got to go down right on the flight lines. It was fascinating. And there is a great Air Museum nearby too.

[Joe Boucher]

pretty cool,
Thanks.

[wally_bert]

Glad you like.

[wally_bert]

The guy who gave me the idea is apparently some judge so if I hang with him, who knows. If not, that is what long lenses are for.

[Joe Boucher]

There is an airport just north of where I live the refurbish
this and other WWII bombers I can’t remember which one though

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Wally: You will LOVE it. I’m sad to see this happen; I’ve been to it many times since I was a kid. Grandpa LOVED it, so we went every summer in my youth.

Always lots of military types to shake hands with and THANK.

The displays are cool, the air demos can be heart-stopping and getting to go inside of the aircraft is something you will never forget. (Second only, IMHO, to touring submarines or aircraft carriers, if you’ve ever been.)

Too bad this had to happen, but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless!

[wally_bert]

Looking forward to it. Ships can be fun to tour for me now. I was a resident on a Spruance class for 3 years and some change years back. When I am in Charleston, I visit Patriots Point.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

I was married to a Navy SEAL in another life. Got my fill of ships at sea, LOL!