From: billphil@earthlink.net (Badwater Bill)
Newsgroups: rec.aviation.homebuilt
Subject: Re: The EAA is out of control.
Date: Mon, 07 Aug 2000 15:05:31 GMT

>
>Best Regards,
>Dave Barnhart

Dave:

You Sir are a good man.  You and I have met many times and of all the
people here on this NG, I have no more respect for any of them that
tops how I feel about you.  So, with that in mind, please temper my
remarks in your interpretation.

Everything you've said above is true.  The education of the general
public to GA is crucial.  It's AOPA's job and it's the EAA's job to
educate people.  But, since you are a very good natured man, I think
you suffer from what I call the Jimmy Carter syndrome.  You guys are
honorable, decent men.  Because of that, you view the world with
mercy, kindness and compassion.  Unfortunately the world doesn't work
that way.  Tom is a money grubbing son of a bitch.  Bottom line.  I
can't find anything he or his organization does on a continuing basis
to promote either experimental aircraft or GA in any way.  They use
this "excuse" to make gobs of money.  They are opportunistic.

When I was in the heat of the battle over the Mini-500 do you think
they would get into the shit?  Hell no.  I called them and their
response to having a Mini-500 builders group, similar to the C-170
owners group was, "Sounds good, but remember, the primary function of
supporting any group like this is to INCREASE MEMBERSHIP IN THE EAA."
That's a direct quote over a telephone call.  They couldn't care less
about the deaths surrounding the Mini-500 or how to engineer that
thing so it works safely. They were only interested in revenue through
increased membership.  In fact Fred Stewart made some comment about
our future association with EAA and we got a scathing letter from them
demanding a retraction which we made and was not known to the public.

They can take their organization and shove it up their asses.  They
want money, first, primarily and foremost...period.

BWB