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Van's Hall Of Fame

Geico266

Geico266

Well Known Member
A post in another thread got me to thinking. Why not start a VAF / Van's Hall OF Fame? We could come up with a loose set of guildline recommendations and have nominations and a voting body of deligates.

Someone is gonna start a Hall of Fame and it might as well be VAF.

What do ya'll think and who would you nominate?
 
Don't bother...

Sam Buchanan said:
Oh man.....am I the only one who thinks this is a bad idea?
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Nope, I agree that it is a bad idea. These things always get controversial and somebody's feelings are hurt. Besides, we all know who the "heros" are without a formal list.

John Clark
RV8 N18U "Sunshine"
KSBA
 
The downside here is that a lot of the people who should be on such a list are little known, while perceived popularity will inevitably dictate those "chosen". There are a LOT of the old Gray Beards who are responsible for where we are today, yet very few of them are well known. People like Sam happen to be one of those that participates on these forums, but he'll remember a lot of the guys responsible for getting us to where we are who don't participate in these forums. Conversely, there are a few newcomers who are extremely well known, very popular and very public who enter a lot of peoples minds immediately....but aren't necessarily in the same league.

I'm rather ambivalent about it, but I do agree that decision by committee will only result some inevitable analysis paralysis. Everybody has a different take on who is qualified...

Me, I think Van is the Man! :)

My 2 cents as usual.

Cheers,
Stein
 
Van is the man

I nominate everyone that has built, flown, or is building an RV. Everyone that participates in the experience adds something to everyone else's success.
 
plehrke said:
I nominate everyone that has built, flown, or is building an RV. Everyone that participates in the experience adds something to everyone else's success.
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Now that is a wonderful idea! :)

P.S. Well stated, Stein. How many on this forum remember pioneers like Art Chard, Frank Justice, Will Cretsinger, etc, etc? These builders and their contemporaries (most predated the world wide web) are the ones who led us out of the wilderness.......those of us with web sites just stood on their shoulders.

There....by mentioning names I've probably slighted someone.................
 
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SteinAir said:
The downside here is that a lot of the people who should be on such a list are little known, while perceived popularity will inevitably dictate those "chosen". There are a LOT of the old Gray Beards who are responsible for where we are today, yet very few of them are well known. People like Sam happen to be one of those that participates on these forums, but he'll remember a lot of the guys responsible for getting us to where we are who don't participate in these forums. Conversely, there are a few newcomers who are extremely well known, very popular and very public who enter a lot of peoples minds immediately....but aren't necessarily in the same league.

I'm rather ambivalent about it, but I do agree that decision by committee will only result some inevitable analysis paralysis. Everybody has a different take on who is qualified...

Me, I think Van is the Man! :)

My 2 cents as usual.

Cheers,
Stein
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We induct say 5 - 10 members a year. Certainly no one would complain about waiting a few years. I think we should leave it up to VAF members for nominations and VAF monitors to vote, or we could do polls and let all VAF memb ers vote.


I can understand the "politics" of such a situation, but I think that is minor compared to the goodwill and recognition it would bring to Van's Aircraft, VAF, and those who have made it what it is today. IMHO, it would be a shame not to recognize those who have contributed so much to the most popular, most recognized, most desired homebuilt aircraft in the history of man.

But hey, this would not be the first great idea I have had shot down in flames, and it won't be the last. :D

I think Van should be #1 also.
 
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I am a VAF member and i don't have a clue as to who anyone is. so i'd sit out voting on anyone, except a write in for the first person to give me a ride in their personal RV. :)
 
Hall of Fame

I agree with Sam, although I am a repeat builder, I am just standing on the shoulders of those who were the real hall of famers, some of which are no longer alive.

The early Van's Aircraft kit builders who had to bend most of their parts and did not have pre-punched holes are my idols. They more than anyone else brought us to where we are today. I marvel at their skill, attention to detail and their workmanship when I see one of their airplans. Were their airplanes as error proof as the new kits? No, but they showed lots more skill. No matter how many RV's I might end up building(I am probably not going to be through when I finish the -7) I doubt I will ever attain the skills that little known people right here in my hometown (EAA 19) have aquired.
 
hmmm..

I'm going to have to agree with Sam and Russ. I think it's a bad idea because of all the politics involved as well as the potential to get into thread drift and other things.... but if I were to nominate some people... Van, Art Chard, Doug, etc.... would be nominees from myself. Also if someone would sell me their RV-3 or -4 or -6 at a realllllllly low price :) I'm sure they would have a nomination around here somewhere!!!! ;) The yankee should be sold next weekend..... and I'm hankerin for a -3 through a -8. Maybe I'll just HAVE to go ALL the way to CA to buy one just so I HAVE to fly across this beautiful country(via vans shop) to bring one back...oh darn.... that would be horrible (cough cough wink wink nudge nudge)....
 
Maybe one requirement for being in the VHOF -- other than for Van himself -- is that you must have passed on.

Two people come to mind in that category: Bill Benedict and Eustace Bowhay.
 
As with Hall of Famers, there are always some Hall of Shamers. Most of the shamers are self nominated at a time when sanity and intelligence were nowhere to be found. Fortunately, the dubious honor of a Shamer is usually short lived.

That being said......

I am not in favor of a Hall of Fame because I don't know where we would hang over 6,000 pictures of completed RVs.
 
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I understand the sentiment behind the idea Larry - don't get me wrong! It is a great thought to honor the "Giants" on whose shoulders we all stand....but I have to agree that it would be problematic to select folks in this day and age, for most builders have come into the RV world since the days of the Internet, and don't know the true greats who we have to thank for much of what we have in our RV's, but have never sat down at a computer.

I hear their names occasionally - builders whose clecos I am not fit to remove....

Paul
 
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Ironflight said:
I understand the sentiment behind the idea Larry - don't get me wrong! It is a great thought to honor the "Giants" on whose shoulders we all stand....but I have to agree that it would be problematic to select folks in this day and age, for most builders have come into the RV world since the days of the Internet, and don't know the true greats who we have to thank for much of what we have in our RV's, but have never sat down at a computer.

I hear their names occasionally - builders whose clecos I am not fit to remove....

Paul
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I agree. But I too am one of those new builders that only entered aviation less than two decades ago and hence don't know many of the true greats. However I really feel like if we are passionate, it is our/my job to pick up the torch and move it forward in some way. There is little need to idolize, just learn from the resources available to you, add something to the knowledge base, and be prepared to march forward and be one of those resources in the future. No different than life in general.
 
Just say "Thanks"

Larry, No doubt there are many who cut brush before us. Their efforts make this market much more viable, and our amateur building experience is better as a result.

In principle, I do like the idea of rewarding effort with result. But from a practical point of view, I don't like the idea of assigning merit or credit based on the perception of one or even a few individual's opinion.

Most all of the hard working folks and professionals I know are happy to receive market recognition/reward for their effort. When that's not their goal a simple thank you is appropriate.
 
Dream Team

...not to change the thread, but along the same lines...
I had once thought about who I would get for my "dream team"...that is a group of guys that would come in and finish this darn thing for me. :eek:
I figured I'd need three people on the "team": an airframe guy, an engine guy and an instrumentation guy.
Just from my limited experience here on the forum, my picks would have been Ken, Mahlon & Stein. But then there must be countless others out there that are equally qualified...I just don't know who they are.

Gotta get to work....
 
Bad idea for all the obvious reasons that have already been expressed.

For me, anyone who's given me a ride for encouragement in their RV, Rocket, Experimental, etc... They're all in my personal hall of fame. And that's the most important one to me anyway. :)
 
While I'm usually a lurker, sometimes I just have to speak up. I feel there is nothing wrong with recognizing someone that has gone above and beyond what is average. We re lucky that Doug has given us this forumand I think its a great place to also recognize those that are willing to help out. My nominee's are Van, Doug, and Mahlon, all of them give generously of their time and knowledge and have added to our hobby
 
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