A few EAA staffers and CEO Jack J. Pelton headed to
William Northern Field on September 13 for AOPA’s Tullahoma Fly-In to visit
with fellow EAA members, answer questions, and enjoy familiar sights, sounds,
and smells with fellow aviation enthusiasts.
It doesn’t
matter where you are — Oshkosh, Rockford, Tullahoma — the love of aviation can
be seen, heard, and felt by all who gather for any fly-in.
“This is a
way for EAA to connect with its members,” Jack said. “The opportunity to visit
with them at their locale. To listen, to learn, and to enjoy the common passion
for aviation at these fly-in events across the country. It also gives us a
chance to let aviators who are not part of EAA know what we are all about.”
While it was great to visit with our members and aspiring
future pilots, we also enjoyed a few event highlights.
Lee
Lauderback in his P-51 Crazy Horse 2
and Jeremy Holt in his Pitts Model 12 Pegasus
put on unforgettable aerobatic shows that were worth bearing the 94-degree
heat to watch.
“Flying
the Mustang is truly a privilege, to get to share it with other people who
might not get to see the P-51 up close,” Lee said. “To do events like today
with AOPA, what a great way to share the aviation, share the tradition and
history of the P-51 with the public. Flying the Mustang is awesome. I always
get excited about it.”
When you
weren’t looking up at the sky to catch Lee and Jeremy’s show, you could find an
array of aircraft on display at show center including a Starship 1, Black Hawk,
Aero L-39 Albatros, and Harmon Rocket, as well as a few other aircraft that
were new to the market such as the TBM 900 and Texas Aircraft’s Colt.
EAA’s main
mission is to grow participation in aviation and share The Spirit of Aviation. Going
to fly-ins like AOPA’s is just one of the ways we try to achieve that mission.
“EAA works closely to collaborate with AOPA on our advocacy issues,” Jack said. “We work to align our agendas in a supportive way. While we are both involved in getting youth into aviation, EAA focuses on the Young Eagles flights and elementary and middle school education. AOPA is doing a wonderful job with freshman-senior high school curriculum programs. Yes, we both have flight scholarship programs, but that is in support of getting out to two different membership bases. The more touch points the better.”
