Is It Time To Find Out Who's Willing To Stand Up And (Re-)Build Aviation's Future?

Hi Folks... Long day, bone tired.

The cumulative effect of too many 16-20 hour days is wearing me down... but not nearly as much as a conversation, today, with one of the brightest guys in all of GA... who's beginning to wonder if an insidious force won't be the final death knell for the aviation world.

Aviation is ruled by four primary forces -- lift, thrust, drag and gravity... but I think a fifth --Apathy-- may be making itself more prominent as time goes on.

As an industry, we suffer from both a lack of leadership and direction. And too many don't seem to much care anymore.

We all know that aviation is not doing well, but few folks seem willing to drill down and examine the reasons why, as well as to investigate NEW and VIABLE solutions for correcting them. And the current state of aviation leadership is simply depressing... with many of our once-effective leaders either retired, muzzled, or so bogged down by other priorities, that the current crop is not exactly setting the world on fire. Pelton (EAA), Derks (AEA) and Cudahy (ICAS) continue to show promise (among a few), but the rest... not so much.

And don't get me started on AOPA... $175K for a kiddie park... really? I'd rather solo 100 motivated people right now than throw the dice on whether some kid will be inspired by a set of swings that looks like a P-51 (mind you, it's a cute idea... but $175K??? Again, REALLY?)

I ask you...

• Who are the up and coming leaders for the battles to come?
• Who has enough on the ball to realize that the biggest enemy of aviation is the mindset that is (endlessly) typified by the phrase, "Well, that's the way we've always done it" ??
• Who has sufficient imagination to realize that true innovation, the kind that can shake up aviation and help it to embark a healthier and more progressive path is CRITICAL to our future?
• Who realizes that its going to take radical and creative solutions to rebuild a future for aviation... and most of all, who's willing to take ALL the crap that's going to come their way for even trying to suggest that we can fix our plight (take my word for it, that's a big part of the gig)?

And who among you, out there in the real aviation world, is unwilling to sit idly by and watch this mess keep swirling the drain... to get off their duffs and get INVOLVED?

I'd like to know... really.

I'm trying to build a list...

More to follow...

FMI: How About You? Are YOU Willing To Get Involved In Building Aviation's Future?