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From its beginnings in the late '50s, Chapter 54 of the Experimental Aircraft Association has served aviation enthusiasts, dreamers, aircraft builders, pilots and individuals interested in helping young people become aviators in the East Metro of Minnesota's Twin Cities. Please come to our next meeting or event as our guest. Let us know you're coming so you can be properly greeted and introduced to the chapter. In the meantime, please explore this site to learn about the many programs and benefits we offer. Select the dropdown menu to the left to learn our history, find out how young people can get a free flight, and the latest chapter news. You can also find flight planning and airplane-watching tools. Find all the details here. |
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We meet on the second Monday of each month at the 
Our next meeting is the annual Holiday Party on Monday December 16 at 6 p.m. at the Chapter House at Lake Elmo Airport. Please note that this is a week later than our usual meeting date. Holiday Party seats at a premium
The Chapter House has been decorated and transformed into a banquet center and all that's needed now is you. On Monday December 16 at 6 p.m., we'll be celebrating 2024, which was a fantastic year for Chapter 54 in the first year of president Marlon Gunderson's term. Chapter awards will be presented, and we'll hold the world premiere of a new movie from Kevin Szalapski. At last count we have about 44 attendees. Only twenty-three members failed to respond so in planning the menu and seating, we are assuming they are not coming. If you haven't RSVP'd, you only need to do so now if you are attending. We'll have pizza, salad, appetizers, and plenty of desserts. RSVP now. A donation bucket will be available to help defray expenses.
Can you spare 2 minutes to improve chapter life?
The EAA National Satisfaction Survey is now available. Frankly, our track record isn't very good over the last few years. We usually get about 25-30 people who take the time to click a link and answer a few questions. With a chapter our size, that's probably in line with an expected response rate, but that doesn't mean it's a good response rate. The national headquarters will separate the Chapter 54 responses out and send them to us and we often try to glean what they mean, but taking any action based on them with a minority of members participating is a dicey proposition. So, here's a better idea. Just click the link and take the survey. I timed it. It takes 2:30 to complete. That's two minutes and 30 seconds for you to invest in making the chapter better and improving your enjoyment of it. Or maybe you're perfectly happy with things. That's important feedback for our chapter's leaders, too. Take the time.
Coming to the Saturday Open House: ‘What Would You Do’?
Saturday Open House topics:
December 7 - Flying the Goodyear Blimp
December 14 - How are instrument procedures made?
December 21 - Flying a challenging mountain approach
December 28 - No program/Holiday weekend
December Chapter Video
In this month’s Chapter Video Magazine:
1.) Homebuilding week
2.) Tool crib reimbursement program
3.) UW Oshkosh getting rid of a dorm used for AirVenture
4.) VW bug donated
5.) Last call for Young Eagle credits and chapter renewal
6.) Chapter leadership training available
7.) Scholarship programs go beyond Ray Scholarship
8.) Huey exhibit at Museum
9.) Christmas in the Air
Full house packs EAA 54 headquarters to hear former NASA shuttle flight director
Minnesota might’ve been the best of times for a lot of aviators who once called the state home, but the rocketship-like career of Paul Dye, the longest-service NASA space shuttle flight director in history probably has pushed those years down on the list a bit. Still, when he spoke to EAA Chapter 54 on November 11, one could almost hear a touch of wistfulness in his via-Google Meet voice.“I started very early and I got a chance to play around with the J3 (Cub) and flew that a lot and we polished airplanes and cleaned airplanes to raise money,” he recalled about learning to fly here for a grand total of about $500. “It was a great time to grow up, and, and I've always figured that I was going to be in aviation, but I was never quite sure how I was going to do that?” he said.
He was also in a confession mood.“The last time I think I landed at Lake Elmo was probably a few decades ago back before everybody had Mode S transponders. I had a mode C, but I was flying my RV-8A and I was flying up from Houston and I and it’s very possible that I nicked the corner of the TCA coming downhill. I said, ‘Oh this is a problem.’ So rather than going straight to Anoka County, landing and getting busted, I just landed at Lake Elmo and I sat on the ramp for 10 minutes because nobody could tell if it's the same airplane.” Read more >>
PIREP: The Pulsar Fly-in
Welcome, new members!
