Thought for the day: Who do you trust?

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 Once upon a time, I wrote almost 50 articles that were published by the EAA, I was on their masthead, I wrote for a half dozen other aviation magazines and was welcome in private industry discussion groups. Over time, people in our industry found out that I have never been a “go along to get along” type. If the industry had a dirty little secret to keep from builders, I was, and remain, the wrong guy to tell.

If there is an angle/system/ way-it’s-done which operates by keeping builders in the dark, it is now understood that I’m not going to keep quiet about it. I have written openly so builders can see and understand something of the consumer/marketing forces they face in our industry. It’s the kind of writing that has not made me friends with ‘the system.’

For this reason, I have a lot less ‘friends’ in industry than I once did. You write stuff like “Unicorns vs Ponies” and point out the new head of the EAA has a fake engineering degree, they don’t invite you to the cocktail parties anymore. That’s ok, I got into homebuilding to learn, build and fly, not be part of a marketing industry. Being welcomed into the workshop of a homebuilder is a real experience and a greater honor than being mistaken for an “Industry insider.” -ww.

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New Year’s Day 2005, Grace and I visited Phil Maxson and his family in Washington, N.J.   I have to be the only engine manufacturer in aviation who makes free house calls. In our travels of the last 25 years I have made about 400 such stops. Yes, that is me with the short dark hair. Phil’s 601XL has been flying for the last 8 years.

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To read a story of marketing over substance click on : Unicorns vs Ponies.

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If you would like to learn a little more about the EAA presidents background Google search the terms “Jack Pelton, CBS 60 Minutes, Fake Engineering degree”. Let me assist: http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-500164_162-654319.html

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