AirVenture Oshkosh

Who would you like to see honored with a brick at the Brown Arch?

Posted By:

Hal Bryan

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#1 Posted: 4/28/2010 17:08:49 Modified: 4/28/2010 17:21:52

4Opening Day_bk_0014.jpg

This week, Andre Fresco, a volunteer member of EAA’s Development Committee, is sending a letter to EAA Chapter leaders around the world. In this letter, Andre is joining us in encouraging his fellow members to sponsor a brick at the newly restored AirVenture Brown Arch.

This is how Andre describes the area, and we couldn’t have said it better ourselves:

As you may have seen at Oshkosh last summer, the Brown Arch—the original “Gateway to Aviation” leading to the AirVenture flightline—has been restored to its former glory. The Brown Arch has always been a prominent place to meet old friends and make new memories, but now the new paved area is comprised of individual bricks that can be purchased and then inscribed, memorializing a personal tribute that will be a permanent part of Oshkosh grounds.

Andre closes with the following post script:

P.S. This year, EAA is also honoring six members who have made significant contributions to AirVenture and sport aviation with a complimentary brick at the Brown Arch. If you know of someone who should share in this special recognition, please visit the AirVenture forum at Oshkosh365.org and enter the name or names of people deserving of this honor.

So this is where you come in …

Reply to this post and tell us about an EAA member you think deserves to be honored with a specially-placed brick at the “Gateway to Aviation.”

Post their story, share pictures, links, tell your friends to post … whatever you’d like.

Just tell us why you think your nominee should be among the six that will be commemorated as a permanent part of the AirVenture grounds.

We’ll announce more details over the next month or so, but, once we’ve chosen the winners, we plan to install the bricks during AirVenture, one per day.

Obviously, the bricks take a bit of time to produce, so please post your nominations here no later than June 30th, 2010.

Online Community Manager - EAA

Zack Baughman

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#2 Posted: 4/29/2010 09:02:35 Modified: 4/29/2010 11:26:25

I'd like to nominate three people: Jack & Golda Cox, and Norm Petersen. Jack was Editor-in-Chief of EAA publications for almost 30 years, and Golda was right there with him. Norm was basically EAA's airplane guru, or senior aviation specialist to be precise for many many years. All three have been critical to EAA's success over the years, and I think each are deserving of the honor.

Zack

EAA Timeless Voices Program Coordinator & Museum Collections Assistant "Let No Story Go Untold!"

Ammey McNally

1
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#3 Posted: 4/29/2010 11:33:22 Modified: 4/29/2010 11:34:35

I would like to nominate Mike & Jude Dennis. They are the owners of Oregon Aero, Inc. and very big supporters of the EAA. Their passion is aviation and they do a lot fo the aviation community.

Bob Meder

223
Posts

#4 Posted: 4/29/2010 12:32:56

Hal - I sent the name of the person I'd like to nominate to your e-mail address. If I did it openly, I suspect that the modesty of the person I nominated would cause them to ask that their name be removed from consideration.

Bob Meder "Anxiety is nature's way of telling you that you already goofed up."

Hal Bryan

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#5 Posted: 4/29/2010 12:57:39

Got it, Bob - thanks!

Online Community Manager - EAA

Joe Drab

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#6 Posted: 5/10/2010 19:02:48

I think that there should be one BIG brick, thanking all the EAA voluneers. It is those people that have donated their time and talents to make AirVenture what it is today.

Sherry Rickmeier

23
Posts

#7 Posted: 5/28/2010 13:10:15

Volunteer Young Eagle pilot Michael Woods.

And I'd love to nominate the amazing fellow who runs Pioneer Airport - I embarrassingly cannot think of his name at the moment - I'm so sorry. I'm sure you know who I'm talking about.

kevin norton

1
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#8 Posted: 6/30/2010 06:04:27

I would like to nominate Randell “Randy” Morris for a brick.

There are many, many reasons I feel compelled to nominate Randy Morris for this award. His entire career has been spent as a mechanic (A&P), pilot, airport manager, Chapter officer (30 years as treasurer), Charter member, lifetime EAA member, Wright Borther Master Pilot recipient,
friend to all and airport bum. He is ever present at the airport (70KY) for whatever reason you need, whether just to answer a question about your Nav/Com, your wheel bearings, discuss negative G’s while upside down or if your need a magneto or an engine rebuilt.

One thing that has always impressed me about Randy is his willingness to help with any cause, aviation or otherwise. He is well known and admired in the community but especially in the aviation community. He volunteers at AirVenture Oshkosh each year and he has not missed a year since he started going in 1972 (this will be his 38th year). I know when he was on Active Duty with the Army stationed in Germany with the 235th Helicopter Attack Group he requested leave and was allowed to come home from Germany to attend Oshkosh in 1976, 1977 and 1978. I have attended a couple of times myself and it seems Randy is always the first there and the last to leave; we always tease him about having to stay and lock up. He is also a lifetime EAA member.

At the end of our monthly EAA Chapter 657 meetings, Randy started having a short 15-30 minute safety briefing. The topics are planned out at each previous meeting and vary from “How to Identify Carburetor Ice” to “Flying into Class C Airspace”. We now rotate the presentation among the different members but Randy was instrumental in getting it started and is always sharing his aviation knowledge and trying to educate others.

I personally know he has allowed school kids that were interested in an aviation career of some sort to shadow him for a few days to learn about the ins and outs of being a mechanic or managing an FBO. Randy is always promoting the EAA and General Aviation in general.

Randy is always present at our Young Eagles events, either to print certificates or fly if we are busy enough. He has flown 164 young eagles. Sometimes I cringe (not really) when I see two school buses of kids arrive at one of young eagle days that he invited. Every Chapter event we have he is always there and ready to support any effort. We have two and sometimes three fly-ins or major events a year and he spends countless and sometimes thankless hours behind the scenes getting things ready for our events.

He has constructed two Experimental planes I know of, a Smith Mini plane and a Baby Bell helicopter. He is always ready to help anyone with their project and is forever traveling to someone’s garage to sign off on some additional work they have done.

Randy is wonderful spokesman and advocate for all areas of aviation especially regarding the EAA. He often talks about retiring and I don’t want that to happen without his effort or attitude regarding aviation being recognized. I think this award would be a real treasure to him.

A picture is attached of him receiving the Wrght Brothers Maaster Pilot award this February. Randy is in the middle.

Thanks for considering my request,

Mike Norton

Files Attachment(s):
Randy1.jpg (34674 bytes)

Dennie Morris

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#9 Posted: 6/30/2010 11:08:49

I second the nomination for Randy Morris (my Dad), for all of his contributions to EAA and genral avation.

Thanks

Dennie Morris

Steve MacCabe

1
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#10 Posted: 7/3/2010 15:20:14

We would like to nominate Arnie Zimmerman, EAA Chapter 461. Arnie, a Master Pilot and recent inductee into the Illinois Aviation Hall of Fame, has flown over 1,100 Young Eagles. For many years, he has generously given his time and airplane at AirVenture to give rides on the flight-line in his Breezy. He exemplifies the true spirit of EAA, AirVenture, and most importantly, general aviation. He continues to inspire all whose lives he touches.

Thanks for considering Arnie for this honor.

Steve & Carol MacCabe

EAA 460104 & EAA 365032 Life Time Member

Dennie Morris

6
Posts

#11 Posted: 7/4/2010 09:01:45

Hal,

How will we find out who the award winners are? Will you make an announcement?

Thanks

Ken Dwight

1
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#12 Posted: 7/4/2010 15:45:37

I can't think of anyone more deserving of this recognition than the man who had business cards printed with the title "Oshkosh Ambassador!" That would be George Ramin, of Houston, TX. George has attended every Fly-In at Oshkosh + the last one at Rockford. He's a Life Member of EAA and a great supporter of the organization.

But possibly his greatest contribution and reason to be honored in this way is his "missionary work" in encouraging people with a passion for aviation to experience Oshkosh. He has directly or indirectly been responsible for hundreds of airplane enthusiasts (and even some non-airplane nuts) attending what we now know as AirVenture.

To take away the excuse that "I don't have a place to stay," George reserves (and pays for) 100 dorm rooms every year. That way he can always find sleeping quarters for anyone who decides on short notice that they want to make the pilgrimage. What is known as "The Texas Group" in Gruenhagen Hall now includes many Californians and others George has met around the country.

That includes many, like myself, who come back every year. This will be my 40th, and some others in the group aren't far behind. And it's all because George made it possible and encouraged me in the first place. Whether it's providing a place to stay, matching up open seats with riders, or offering advice on flights and bus schedules, George is there for EAA.

Another great contribution George made was loaning the Museum his beautiful red Luscombe Phantom, so that all visitors to Oshkosh and the EAA Museum could see the lovely lines of this rare antique. It was on display there for some 15 years, and is probably the only Luscombe Phantom most Museum guests have ever seen. It also appeared behind Paul Poberezny in the photo that was used with his column in Sport Aviation for many issues.

All in all, I'm sure anyone who has been touched by George's love for EAA and Oshkosh would agree that he is exactly the type of person worthy of this recognition.

Ken Dwight

EAA #61196 - Lifetime, Century Club #92

Sandra Strebel

2
Posts

#13 Posted: 7/5/2010 20:33:10 Modified: 7/6/2010 16:58:53

The amazing fellow at Pioneer is Jim Casper and would be an excellent choice for a brick. I've sent Oshkosh365 an email with details about many things that Jim has done over the past 40 years for the Oshkosh Fly-In, aka AirVenture.

Sandra Strebel

2
Posts

#14 Posted: 7/7/2010 11:29:29

By the way, is there any way I can make sure my email was received at Oshkosh365? I just want to make sure the information got to the right place. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated, thanks

Hal Bryan

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500

#15 Posted: 7/7/2010 11:51:37

Hi Sandra -

Thanks for the nomination! We got your email yesterday and I sent a short reply - maybe have hit your spam filter ...?

Anyway, thanks again!

Online Community Manager - EAA