Business leadership and political leadership is under enormous stress and responsibility with this Covid-19 pandemic. But so is the average citizen.
AirVenture attendance far outstrips the local area hotel and motel resources/room availability. Many long term attendees, exhibitor and spectator alike, have had long term housing arrangements with local Oshkosh, Fondulac, Appleton homeowners. As Mr.D has shared, most will not take the chance of having EAA participants staying in their homes. A wise decision. Most homes large enough to be rented out for AirVenture are owned by folks with kids and relatively large families. That makes renting your home to out of town/state/country folks a real danger to your family upon return. Secondly, where would those willing to rent their homes go when AirVenture starts? Wisconsin residents would not want to go to Illinois or Michigan. Go west to a closed national park? Even rest areas are closed. Lastly, as an attendee, do you really want to stay in a home of unknown infection opportunity? Sleep tight while you cover yourself in someone else’s sheets, after showering in someone else’s shower, after walking all day with mask and gloves on, after having EAA volunteers taking your temps before entering after leaving, and standing six feet away from everyone. Kind of makes trying on the latest ANR headset , or touching that stick/yoke of the latest flight sim, discussing the latest pilot iPad app, or working in the latest workshop with an EAA volunteer instructor, or buying an AirVenture 2020 T-shirt a real adventure. I wonder how many of the normal 5,000+ volunteers want to see, talk, or be around a bunch of masked/gloved gray hairs, while in close proximity taking temps?
If EAA does host AirVenture 2020, are they ready for the litigation/liability avalanche of lawyers/lawsuits, massive poor, politically motivated local/national/global press, opinions, and analyse/armchair quarter-backing, followed by the outrage of Oshkosh citizens who have their town medically turned upside down by “rich, country club, general aviation pilots/aircraft owners”?
I am sure Jack and friends have already considered all these scenarios and more. EAA would turn from a family friendly, Oshkosh supported, long term, highly regarded aviation organization grown with hard work, dedication, volunteerism, and common sense, into oblivion. And if EAA fails from the fallout of an ill-timed event in the face of a global pandemic, it will be a very large nail in the aviation coffin.
A lot at stake for Oshkosh locals, attendees, the EAA itself, and aviation as a whole. Today, no one is immune from the ramifications of their Covid-19 decisions.