This is the semimonthly email newsletter from the Experimental Aircraft Association of Lake Elmo, MN. If you have difficulty reading this information, view it on the chapter website.
Marlon's 'fireside chat'
At the regular chapter meeting on Monday February 12, chapter vice president Jay Schrankler hosted a fireside chat with chapter president Marlon Gunderson, part of Marlon's plan to get to know chapter members better and be an even more welcoming chapter to members and visitors. He detailed his journey from a farm in Mora to California and back, a career as an engineer, and now the presidency of a chapter. It's a compelling story. Read more >>
Cinema 54
Prior to the start of social hour at each month's chapter meeting, we'll show an aviation-themed movie. Bring your dinner with you! Free popcorn will be served (it's a theater, afterall) and soda/pop/bottled water will be available at the usual price (75 cents). Read more >>
Schedule of Films*
March: Barnstorming (5:55 pm)
April: Top Gun: Maverick (4:15 pm)
May: Sully (5:05 pm)
June: Amelia (4:55 pm)
July: Cubs 2 Oshkosh (6:10 pm)
August: The Aviator (4:35 pm)
September: The Spirit of St. Louis (4:30 pm)
October: A Century of Flight: Those Daring Young Men (5:15 pm)
November: For the Love of Flight (6:05 pm)
December: Devotion (4:25 pm)
January 2025: Up (5 pm)
February 2025: Planes (5:15 pm)
March 2025: Airplane (5:18 pm
* Tentative. All films subject to change at the last minute.
Next meeting: Mark Schaible, Owner & President, Sonex LLC
A Sonex employee since 2003, Mark Schaible founded Sonex, LLC in 2022 and purchased the assets of Sonex Aircraft, AeroConversions, and Sonex Aerospace to lead the organization and its staff into the next generation. In his spare time, Mark places a high priority upon volunteering for aviation safety related groups like the EAA Safety Committee.
Please join us at 7pm for social time, 7:30pm for the program, on Monday, March 11 at the chapter clubhouse.
From Jay Schrankler: "Mark asked me to solicit any specific areas of interest you may want him to cover. Please send your input if you want by Feb 29th if you are interested. Otherwise he has a program in mind of his own. Mark will give his presentation from OSH, via video, where they are located. I will help Mark get his program set for us."
Welcome new members
Chapter 54 would like to welcome the following new members to the chapter:
Al Meuli
Mike Demulliing
Daniel Wharton
John Gozum
Alex Repucci
Members will find name badges on the round table as you enter the chapter house on meeting nights. If anyone needs a name badge, contact facilities@eaa54.org, making clear exactly how you want your name to appear.
Volunteer pilots and ground support needed
Volunteering as a Young Eagle or Eagle flight pilot is a great way to leave a lasting impression upon people who have only experienced flight by looking up. Our Young Eagles rallies begin again in (hopefully) May and now is the time to prepare. You must be an EAA member and take the youth protection training (online) as well as pass a background check. See the chapter's step-by-step guide which also includes insurance information for pilots. Ground support workers are also needed. We look forward to welcoming you at a Young Eagles rally in 2024. Are you in?
Aviation Groups, Skydivers Oppose Part Of Reauthorization Bill
A contentious section of the latest version of the FAA Reauthorization bill has survived the Senate markup and seven organizations have written Congress urging it be scrapped at the conference committee stage. The Air Tour and Sport Parachuting Safety Act would require sightseeing businesses, including heritage flight operations at aviation museums, to operate under Part 135. They now operate under Part 91 through letters of authorization. It also requires recurrent training on terrain avoidance and weight and balance calculations and the installation of terrain warning devices. The letter says most of the small businesses engaged in those types of operations will not be able to afford the measures. Read more on AVWEB.
The E-Beacon is a semimonthly newsletter highlighting news items from Chapter 54. If you no longer wish to receive the email, you can unsubscribe by sending an mail to facilities@eaa54.org.