July 20th 2025 Meeting

Our July meeting was held at Gilbert International Airpark, with Ron Angerman once again generously hosting us in his hangar. President Eddie Brennan opened the meeting by welcoming 33 members and a guest, Hugh Chisolm, who introduced his aviation business and website, JustPlanes.com, a platform for listing planes for sale. Although we had a strong turnout, we fell just short of the quorum required to approve official chapter business.

In the absence of Safety Officer Don Schmotzer, Dave Gardner stepped in to clarify some points from his June presentation, sparking a lively and informative discussion on related flying topics. Secretary Debbie Philbin reminded everyone that the June minutes had been posted online, though a vote for approval was deferred due to the lack of quorum.

Treasurer Jim Matthews gave a financial update and noted that lunch donations haven’t quite been covering costs. He encouraged members and guests to consider pitching in an extra dollar or two at future meetings if they’re able.

While Ray Scholar Ana Filich was away attending AirVenture Oshkosh and participating in “Women in Aviation” events, Eddie mentioned that she’ll return in August with an update on her experiences and her upcoming flight training schedule. Eddie also led the monthly EAA VMC and IMC Club discussions, presenting real-world scenarios and walking through FAA-compliant solutions.

Our planned guest speaker, Brad Hood, who was scheduled to share his experience flying both the P-51 Mustang and the F4U Corsair, had to postpone his presentation until the August meeting so more members returning from Oshkosh can attend.

Looking ahead, our next meeting will be Sunday, August 17th at Ron’s hangar. We’ll enjoy a summer-friendly lunch featuring casseroles, salads, sides, and desserts. Thanks to all who came out and helped make it another great meeting!