Welcome!

The Experimental Airplane Association is about personal aviation and the freedom to fly what you build and we are interested in all types of aviation and flying machines.   It is said that there are three types of EAA members: those who build to fly, those that enjoy just building planes, and those who like to be around aviation.  We do all three!

It sounds strange doesn't it?   But, you really CAN build and fly your own airplane!

  A wide spectrum of people from every walk of life and occupation make airplanes at home every day.  Do you need a lot of special training?  No, the majority of builders have done nothing more complicated than changing the oil in their cars prior to beginning their projects and use normal power and hand tools found at your local home improvement store when they did it.  Do you need a big fancy workshop to do any of this?  No, most people use a two-car garage at home thus the term "home built".  Can you work on old certified factory built airplanes?  Yes, but you need to do it under the supervision of a licensed mechanic or inspector and paperwork from the FAA.   Can a project be small?  Yes, a further subset below the experimental category that is still part of the homebuilt movement is the simplest, smallest, cheapest, and most fun form of this is the “ultralight”.  These light planes must weight less than 254 lb. in and can't fly at more than 64 mph.  Not considered an aircraft, it instead is considered a "vehicle" for a single pilot needing no license or pilot qualification and is considered most like having a flying motorcycle.  So you can see that all of this is up to the builder and some compare building to being a really good cook: using the right ingredients, with the right tools, at the correct times, all planned the right way and dinner comes out. 

Isn't making an airplane expensive? Oh, yes it can be, but homebuilts typically cost around $40K to $150K and are still affordable to the average person and will fly just as fast as certified planes that cost over a million dollars.  That's the power of sweat equity as you are doing this yourself.   But, your journey isn’t just about making an airplane, but about learning new real-world skills, ideas, and concepts and learning from others who become your friends that will push you to grow as an individual. However, there are also a lot of  antique and classic airplanes that have been sitting for years in hangars or derelict on airports that can be turned into gems again with some concentrated effort of simple cleaning and learning how to repair that will reward the owner with years of fun and adventure.  So whether a full amature-build or a restoration of an existing plane, when you are all done you can fly your creation whenever and wherever simply because you want to and you can!  

OK, so now you are thinking about it and the question becomes what to fly?  The answer is that it depends on your mission and personality.  What do YOU want?  Some people like to fly really slow, some as fast as possible, some just for travel, but others to fly upside down.  The good news is that there are homebuilt designs to do all of these things that can be built at home.  Fly the bush in Alaska or Idaho or a traveling type of airplane to see relatives? Your mission can be achieved.  You just have to begin the project and, in time, you will be flying.

Ok fine, but how can this be legal? There are laws allowing you to do so because the aircraft we build are in the experimental category aircraft and are amature-built and not to a certification standard like commercial aircraft are but really can be built to better standards than certified.  However, no amatuer built airplane itself can be used for compensation and only for personal use and for personal education.  Though there are scratch-built airplanes that are one-off's such as true experiments like the Wright's Flier or race planes of any design, most builders buy pre-engineered kits with the really difficult parts pre-made that have really good assembly support.  Additionally, there are best practices construction rules and parameters to "home built" aircraft that they must fall within and must pass inspection phases in your building process.  Beyond this the experimental category has no restrictions on relative size, speeds, or configuration.  You have the freedom to succeed or fail based on your design, judgement, skill, and capabilities. You will be around airplanes, airports, and aviation people and you will learn a great deal.   Anyone can buy a sports car but not just anyone can build their own airplane.   It's not for everyone, but if you are detail oriented, can take direction, follow instructions, the learning process will result in something that is special to everyone who has built an airplane with their two hands. 

Monthly Chapter Meeting!

OUR NEXT MEETING IS ON TUESDAY,  NOVEMBER 26TH AT 6:30PM AND WILL BE AT THE PEARSON FIELD PILOT'S LOUNGE (JUST EAST OF THE AERO MAINTENANCE BUILDING) AT DOWNTOWN VANCOUVER'S PEARSON FIELD.  THIS IS A POTLUCK DINNER BEGINNING AT 6:30 PM and IT WON'T BE TURKEY!

The tentative agenda is:

• Current local aviation and airport news affecting members.
• Chapter business to discuss.
• Elections for chapter officers in 2025.
• Cascadia Updates.
• Airplane building projects in work.
• Upcoming events in the PDX area.
• Chapter Christmas party!  

IN THE MEANTIME, MANY OF OUR MEMBERS WOULD BE PLEASED TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT DESIGN OR CONSTRUCTION OF THE MORE POPULAR DESIGNS (ESPECIALLY THE RV SERIES) OR CLASSICS LIKE THE EARLY BONANZAS' OR AERONCA'S WITH STEEL OR FABRIC CONSTRUCTION THAT YOU MAY BE HAVING DIFFICULTY WITH.

FOR QUESTIONS OR OTHER INFO EMAIL: