Doors open at 6pm and the meeting begins at 7pm.
Come early. The VFW allows us to use the Hall free of charge, so help support them by ordering food from the kitchen and your favorite beverage from the bar.
Here is a recap of the November (11/4/25) chapter meeting.
- Matt Trowbridge, Quality Assurance Manager at FlexJet and a volunteer A&P mechanic at the Liberty Air Museum in Port Clinton, OH, presented on the history of the B-25 WWII bomber, the museum, and the Georgie's Gal B-25 in the museum's collection.
- Matt is a graduate of the Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics who joined the Liberty Museum team in 2012.
- The North American Aviation B-25 was designed as a medium bomber with a 2000 mile range. The type was used during the Doolittle Tokyo raid and featured in the novel/movie/mini-series Catch 22. Author Joseph Heller was a B-25 crew member, and 6 B-25s featured in the 1970 film are still flying. A handful of the approximately 45 B-25s still flying had seen combat time, particularly in the Mediterranean Theater. A B-25 crashed into the Empire State building in 1945 due to thick fog.
- Liberty Air Museum is actively involved in numerous restoration projects, including the Ford Tri-Motor and a PT boat. Kermit Weeks recently visited the museum and featured it on his YouTube channel.
- The museum has a collection of airworthy aircraft, including a Stearman, B-25 "Georgie's Gal", a PBY Catalina (being readied for the airshow circuit), and a privately owned TBM Avenger that resides at the museum hangar.
- Georgie's Gal was delivered to the Army in July 1945, too late to see combat in WWII. It was used as a trainer through 1949. The airframe had been modified over the years, including fairing over the original nose windows which have since been restored. The airplane was named "Georgie's Gal" in honor of the museum's primary benefactor George Woodling Jr. The paint scheme is designed to be generic in nature, rather than an exact copy of a particular wartime airframe. The nose art was painted by Bruce Crandall.
- The airplane is flown 12-15 hours a year on average. Maintenance is conducted over the winter months according to an FAA approved maintenance program, including gear swings, brakes, and compression testing. Flights are primarily to airshows in the Cleveland and Detroit areas. The crew consists of a pilot, co-pilot, flight engineer (A&P), and a rear spotter to look for smoke and leaks. The airplane can carry more passengers in the rear compartment and a front bench. The nose and tail positions are left empty during takeoff and landing. The plane burns around 150 gallons of avgas per hour, plus oil consumption.
- 2025 Scholars:
- Donald Sarian has passed his written (knowledge) exam and is working to book a Designated Pilot Examiner for his practical exam/checkride. DPE availability is currently very tight. Ryan Majhi is scheduled to take his written exam on 11/20, as his original passing test results have expired. He is also working on checkride prep and booking a DPE.
- 2026 Planning
- Sue McCoy believes that the EAA requires chapters to choose between fully-funded and partial match scholarships. (Note: This was later confirmed by an e-mail exchange with EAA headquarters; chapters cannot combine fully-funded and partial match scholarships in the same year.)
- Coordinator Rob Krane provided a status update. The Keystone HS club is interested in building another model kit for the 2025-2026 school year. Mike McCoy noted that the wood kit has been simplified since the original model purchased in 2020. The existing radio controller can potentially be reused. Anne Morrison confirmed there are at least 13 Keystone HS students interested in a build project. Need to confirm a build site (Keystone or the DAC hangar. Anne noted that the classroom utilized last year is no longer available.)
- Mike McCoy confirmed current EAA kit pricing as $450 for foam, $550 for wood. Katie Hancheck raised a motion for the chapter to allocate $550 to purchase a kit for the Keystone HS student club, either through the EAA or an alternative source. Steve Janowski seconded the motion, which passed without objection. Rob Krane will look for comparable kits that may be less expensive than those being offered through the EAA.
- Mike McCoy will reserve one slot each for the two oldest group (HS) offerings, availability permitting.
- Guest speakers are needed for 2026 meetings.
- Thank you to Steve Janowski for supplying EAA 1252 engraved pens as speaker gifts.
- Basing the chapter at Medina would provide additional meeting/event options beyond LPR. Ray Ebner will have further conversations with airport leadership.
- The group discussed potentially splitting meetings between the airport in the summer/flyable months and the Columbia VFW for the remainder.
- The chapter is hosting a Young Eagles event for Keystone HS students on Saturday, November 8 at DAC/Lorain County Airport.
- The Chapter Christmas Party will be Sunday, December 7 at the Hanchecks' house at Skypark: 9022 Skylane Drive, Wadsworth, OH 44281
- Start time will be 3:00 PM
- The chapter will provide ham; attendees to bring a side or dessert
- The chapter began nominations for next year's officers. Please reach out if you are interested.
- Nominations raised:
- Secretary: Ava Vidovich
- Treasurer: Ray Ebner
- Vice President: Mike McCoy
- President: Steve DeBrosse
- Elections to follow at the January chapter meeting (1/6/26)
- There is an Aeronca Champ for sale at Hinde Field (88D) in Huron.
- Safari Helicopters is seeking a buyer.
- Steve Janowski has a friend selling old runway lights from Cuyahoga County Airport (CGF).
- MOSAIC/Sport Pilot 2.0
- Chapters Update
- Renewal due by December 31, 2025
- Pins and certificates by Thanksgiving
- Chapter Recognition extra credit
- Ray Scholars
- Application now open
- Webinar on November 18 at 7 p.m. CST
- EAA Aviation Foundation Scholarships
- Museum Update
Meeting Adjourned.
IMC Club
Question: What does it mean to be established on an instrument approach?
Answer: While some pilots may believe they must be within a specified distance of a fix or geographic point, such a condition, while helpful in maintaining situational awareness, is not necessarily required. The following references suggest that the aircraft must be on the centerline of the subject course, and at the assigned or prescribed altitude. According to the FAA Instrument Procedures Handbook, FAA-H-8083-16B, Chapter 4:
For aircraft operating on unpublished routes, an altitude is assigned to maintain until the aircraft is established on a segment of a published route or IAP. (Example: “Maintain 2,000 until established on the final approach course outbound, cleared VOR/DME runway 12.”) The FAA definition of established on course requires the aircraft to be established on the route centerline. Generally, the controller assigns an altitude compatible with glideslope/ glidepath intercept prior to being cleared for the approach.
From the AIM:
When operating on an unpublished route or while being radar vectored, the pilot, when an approach clearance is received, must, in addition to complying with the minimum altitudes for IFR operations (14 CFR Section 91.177), maintain the last assigned altitude unless a different altitude is assigned by ATC, or until the aircraft is established on a segment of a published route or IAP. After the aircraft is so established, published altitudes apply to descent within each succeeding route or approach segment unless a different altitude is assigned by ATC.
This month's IMC Club video scenario featured a partial loss of engine power on an ILS approach in actual IMC after an otherwise uneventful four-hour IFR flight.
Steve DeBrosse
Secretary
EAA Chapter 1252
