An airplane and flight enthusiast, Peter Killcommons belongs to the Experimental Aircraft Association, Inc (EAA). Based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, EAA operates internationally as an aviation organization and currently includes approximately 1,000 chapters that collectively contain more than 160,000 members.
Members of EAA are interested in all kinds of aircraft, including aircraft built outside of a factory by an individual craftsman and those that have not yet been fully proven in flight. The organization opens its doors to a wide variety of individuals; EAA's membership includes private enthusiasts, businesspeople, engineers, astronauts, professional pilots, and airline personnel.
Thoroughly involved in American politics, EAA serves as an advocate for aviation enthusiasts' interests in governmental affairs. One of EAA's primary goals as an advocate is to reduce or remove the current obstacles that exist between interested individuals and the practical possibility of flight. In working toward this goal, EAA develops and proposes alternatives to strict regulatory laws currently enacted. EAA also focuses on maintaining and enhancing the safety, affordability, and security of aviation both in the United States and abroad.
In addition to its political role, EAA maintains a variety of programs. One of these, dating back to the early 1990s, is the Young Eagles program, which provides children ages 8 to 17 with the chance to take flight in a general aviation airplane. This program offers these opportunities free of charge, continuing through the kindness and charity of EAA volunteer pilots. More than 1.5 million children have flown in the Young Eagles program.
EAA also maintains the AirVenture Museum, a museum situated at the organization's headquarters in Oshkosh. Open year round, the AirVenture Museum has gained a reputation as one of the world's most significant aviation attractions. It features a variety of displays and galleries, as well as the Pioneer Airport, an operational aerodrome that highlights the golden age of aviation. A number of vintage planes regularly take off from the runways at Pioneer Airport.
