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That petition was still on the court docket with
an uncertain outcome when agreement was reached.
EAA was facing the same uncertainty for the 2014
event that air traffic services potentially
might not be provided if the matter remained
unsettled in the courts, as the FAA's plan was
to continue to charge for AirVenture ATC
services in the future.
"Our ultimate goal was to bring certainty and
stability for AirVenture, for EAA and our fellow
members," said Jack J. Pelton, EAA's chairman of
the board. "Every possible option, from contract
and volunteer controllers to canceling
AirVenture entirely, was considered. EAA
thoroughly explored the contract controller
option and concluded that it was not available
for 2014 or for the foreseeable future. There
was also no assurance that, had EAA prevailed in
its court case, the FAA would have agreed to
provide ATC services at any price. No
alternative solution was found that would permit
AirVenture to continue in its present form. The
stability of the organization on behalf of its
membership mandated this difficult decision."
FAA will provide air traffic control and other
personnel for AirVenture as in past years, with
EAA covering the cost of travel, accommodations,
backfill overtime, and other miscellaneous
expenses. At the same time, the FAA agrees that
if EAA does find a better solution to provide a
high standard of ATC services at Oshkosh, EAA
may move to that option with full FAA support.
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