I have gone to EAA AirVenture almost every year since 2009. My very first time I remember standing near the flight line watching the 100 Beechcraft Bonanzas come flying in. I remember landing on the taxiway feeling like something wasn’t quite right because we were not on the runway. I remember being swarmed by the media as soon as I stepped out of the Ercoupe. That was my introduction to this special community in aviation. I found a family that shared my passion.
When it comes to AirVenture, many often say “we come for the airplanes but stay for the people.” This rang true for me this year. I usually deliver two speeches at the annual event, and so there were people in the audience who have heard me speak every year. This is special because people came up to me and said they were at AirVenture when we announced The Impossible Airplane Project and were so glad to see how much we have accomplished since then. One family showed me a picture taken of me with their 7-year-old a few years back. They then told me that the little boy in the photo was now the teenager towering over me.
