President's Column
Hi everyone. Well, I recently returned from the EAA Leadership Academy that was held in Oshkosh and wow was it rewarding. I learned many different aspects of running a successful EAA chapter. There were many people there that were centered around helping chapters flourish and grow. A tour of the museum and of the Sonex aircraft facility was especially rewarding as well. I met many different chapter leaders from around the country. We each traded information on how our chapters were run, very enlightening. I look forward to implementing some of these ideas moving forward.
As we enter the Holiday Season I hope everyone is healthy and looking forward to the chapter Christmas Party on December 13th. Don't forget to bring a new toy since we are again participating in the "Toys for Tots" program. See you at the next chapter meeting on December 5th.
November Newsletter
Submitted by Kurt Immekus
Chapter meeting November 7th 2024
EAA 1056 Chapter Meeting November 2024 Newsletter
Kurt Immekus, editor
The meeting opened with a review of the Chapter Christmas Party. This year, the same as last year it will be held at Lakeland Country Club at 6PM on December the 13th. The cost is $25.00 for a chapter member and a guest. An additional charge of $25.00 will be for additional guests. Please contact Steve Aupperle if you want to attend as soon as possible. We currently have 20 people signed up and would like to get at least 25. Please be aware you have to pay up front and the cost is non-refundable. We need the money to cover the minimum cost. Toys for Tots will be collected. So voluntarily bring a new unused toy for the collection.
Member Concerns
We have word that Paul Streng is in the hospital suffering from Pneumonia. We hope for his quick recovery!
Rick Hubert recently had cataract surgery. We also hope he’s doing well.
Elections
This year is a chapter election year with two open positions. No Party affiliations apply thankfully. A show of hands vote elected Steve Aupperle as our new Chapter president. The second position was an appointment for a board member “at large”. Yours truly (Kurt Immekus) was appointed to that position. Also with a show of hands confirmation. It’s a role I’ve had before and comes with the only responsibility of showing up whenever there is a board meeting.
We all thanked Mike Chekal for nine years of service as our previous President. He did a wonderful job.
He is moving to Grand Rapids for new position with GE Aerospace. We wish him well.
Chapter Dues
The next agenda item was a discussion of the re-instatement of $40.00 annual chapter dues. The dues were suspended recently to be offset by participation in various chapter service projects. Now that those are completed it was decided to re-instate the dues. Several reasons for this include added cost for maintenance of the building, the anticipated rise in County rent along with keeping the heat on in the club house this winter. Another factor was the requirement for the national EAA that we have a validated membership roster. This is necessary for chapter insurance, voting rights and privileges. So if you want to be a recognized member, dues will be required.
Presentations
Steve had a Powerpoint presentation on his trip to Oshkosh where he attended the EAA leadership academy. He said the Academy Lodge was very nice which included two bed shared rooms and a beautiful lounge/gathering area. Pioneer Airport is adjacent to the facility with a grass runway in between. The attendees were given strict instructions NOT to cross the runway to get to the academy facilities for obvious reasons. Apparently, it was a tempting short-cut. The academy includes seven buildings including classrooms and a dining facility. Attendance to the academy included food, lodging and instruction. All for free to EAA members. He showed us pictures of “Compass Hill” where there is a beautiful bronze sculpture called “Directions”. Included in the event was a private tour of the EAA museum, a visit to the Aluminum Overcast B-17 and a tour of the Sonex aircraft headquarters building on the Whitman airport grounds. They met the owner of Sonex, Mark Schaible who gave them the tour. Steve said it was fascinating. He had many pictures in the Powerpoint.
The classroom activities took a full day and a half with subjects important to chapter leadership. Things like insurance, public relations, Young Eagles and Flying Start event planning and how to hold monthly meetings. There were 49 people in the class. These seminars are offered 3 times a year with the next leadership class being held in January. Check the National EAA web site for details.
Aircraft Annual Inspections
The next subject Steve presented was on aircraft annual inspections. There are various differences between Experimental / Amateur built, Certified general aviation, and commercial aircraft inspection requirements.
Fred Liskovec assisted with this presentation with a lot of detail based on his experience doing annual inspections. He showed us a Cessna 172 seat track that failed inspection. A known A/D (Airworthiness Directive) applies to this concern and cannot be ignored. He stressed the importance of researching A/Ds prior to the annual.
Member Activities
Jeff Kemp is coming along on his self - designed Ultralight. It will be incredible to see when completed
Gary Konrad and his wife recently flew to Lockhart Texas in his RV-7 to visit family. They stopped overnight in Kentucky. The total flight time for the 1000 mile trip to Texas was 8 hours. The return flight with just one stop for fuel was 6 ½ hours. WOW. Average ground speed 197 KTS
Don Bunka (Welcome back Don!) is doing research on his Bonanza Restoration.
Jim Nye Just changed the tires on his RV 9A. He has been getting 310 hours per set.
Visitor Bruce Pratt has 120 hours on his Cozy 3 that he built with a 150 Hp Viking engine.
Katelyn Brooks is stripping the paint off of a Falcon 20 Jet for her job at IFL aviation.
Anthony Muldoon just completed his 20 day training program in Florida for his position as a 727 flight engineer position at IFL aviation. He should have his certificate to show off at the next meeting.
Ron Stonewall is building a Wag-Aero Wagabond and is currently working on the wing. His fuselage is residing in our transition hangar temporarily.
Carl Franz has gotten his medical back and started flying again. Hooray!
John Peretto is looking for car?
Mike Chekal is planning to fly to Tennessee for some warranty work on his Jabaru engine. A slight oil leak that needs attention. He recently returned from a business trip to Queretaro, Mexico.
I recently took an Amtrak trip to St. louis to visit a friend. Maybe next time someone in the chapter could do a long cross-country trip and take me there? I’ll pay for my share of gas.
Treasurer: Rick Hubert
Chapter at Large Officers:
Newsletter Editor:
Flight Advisor:
