Comm Center Dedicated in Memory of ‘Green One’
Ron Scott Volunteered for 55 Years
October 2016- More than 100 people came together the Sunday before AirVenture to celebrate the life of longtime Communication Center Chairman Ron Scott as the building was dedicated in his honor.
In addition, Ron made notable contributions to the homebuilt aircraft community, and 46 years ago built Ol’ Ironsides, the first aircraft to use fiberglass structurally in a skin-stressed application. He was inducted into the Wisconsin Aviation Hall of Fame in 2013.
Jack J. Pelton, EAA CEO and chairman of the board, said it was a bittersweet day. “Every time I go down the flightline and I see those speakers I remember Ron and what he did to make this event better every year,” he said. “Through Ron’s vision, he is talking through those speakers to thousands of people.”
Josh Sullivan, Communications Center vice chairman, said Ron was the first chairman the Communications Center had and he was able to expand the center as needs changed. “He started the Comm Center with just four military radios and he built it from there. He was good at surrounding himself with a lot of experts — people who had years of knowledge with electronics, radio, audio, and video, and he brought them all together and formed a little family here.”
Communications Center Chairman Craig Fitzsimmons was responsible for the 56-warbird formation that flew overhead to honor Ron. Warbirds were Ron’s favorite airplanes, he said. “I’ve been around here since 1979, and I know a lot of people,” he said, explaining how the formation flight took place.
Ron’s daughter, Tracey Reich, said the dedication brought back many memories for the family. “From the time my father was a child making model airplanes in the basement to the time he met Paul Poberezny, who encouraged him to design and build his own experimental airplane, aviation has been a major part of his life,” she said. “And it’s something that has become a part of our lives since all three of us were born. To have this honor for the rest of the world to see is very touching.”
