Upcoming Events
Annual Business Meeting & Evening Program (Monday, November 20, 6:00 PM - FREE pizza and soda starting at 6:00 PM)
Our Chapter's 2023 Annual Business Meetings (as required by Montana, non-profit corporate law) will begin at 6:00 PM. The only items of business currently on the agenda are to vote for the slate of officers presented by the Board of Directors for the positions of Chapter Treasurer and Chapter Secretary and to hear an update on Chapter activities and future plans from our Chapter President Ed Lovrien. More information about the 2023 Annual Business Meeting will be sent out in a separate email in early November. After the Annual Business Meeting, we will have a presentation by longtime Chapter member and former flight instructor Sherry Rossiter about what we can learn from pilots who have experienced inflight emergencies or aviation accidents. Sherry will talk specifically about an engine failure she had in a Cessna 182 at night near Bakersfield, California, in December 1976, and also about an U.S. Army UH-1H helicopter accident she was involved with on a 100 degree day near San Luis Obispo, California, in June 1981. She will relate not only what she learned from these two experiences, but also what she could have done differently to possibly affect the outcome. Amazingly, there were no injuries or fatalities in either situation, but the UH-1H helicopter was completely destroyed (Sherry was NOT pilot in command).
Coffee and Donuts (Saturday, December 2, from 8:30-10:00 AM)
Come by to visit with other Chapter members and make new friends. In addition to donuts and coffee, we usually have juice, and possibly some other baked goods.
Regularly Scheduled Events
Pancake Breakfast (Typically the first Saturday of the month, April through September)
Come join us at the EAA Chapter 517 Hangar for breakfast and for great conversation with local aviation enthusiasts! Specific dates will be posted above when scheduled.
Young Eagle Flights (First Saturday of the month, summer months)
These generally coincide with our pancake breakfast events. Specific dates will be posted above when scheduled. Visit our Young Eagles page for more information.
Eagle Flights (Based on demand)
Five Valley Flyers, operating as EAA Chapter 517, Inc., conducts Eagle Flights based on demand. See our Eagle Flights page for more information.
Evening Program (3rd Monday of the month)
EAA Chapter 517, Inc. has special speakers and topics of interest. Normal programs are the 3rd Monday of the month held at the EAA 517 hangar starting at 6:30 pm. Sometimes these are preempted during the summer months due to the Saturday fly-in gatherings. Specific dates will be posted above when scheduled.
Board Meeting (Once per year)
EAA Chapter 517, Inc. only has one official member meeting per year, usually in November, to meet the requirements of a Montana corporation.
Special Meal Events
In December each year we host a Celebration of Flight Dinner to commemorate the anniversary of Orville and Wilbur Wright's 1903, First Manned Powered Flight and the Christmas holiday.
Other Activities
Five Valley Flyers often participates in the planning and support of other aviation events in our service area. Periodically, the annual Montana Aviation Conference is held in Missoula. In 2018, there was the AOPA Regional Fly-In and a Tryke Fly-In in Stevensville. The Chapter supported all these events and expects to continue such in the future. We also help support the annual Aviation Day in Hamilton each year.