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” and most comparable to flying a motorcycle.

Isn't making an airplane expensive? Oh, yes it can be, but that's the point: homebuilts typically cost around $30K 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. 

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!  

Monthly Chapter Meeting!

THE BEST WAY TO LEARN ABOUT WHAT EAA IS ALL ABOUT IS TO COME TO OUR NEXT MEETING.  THIS IS ON TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 25TH AT 6:30 PM AT THE PEARSON FIELD PILOT'S LOUNGE (JUST EAST OF THE AERO MAINTENANCE BUILDING) AT DOWNTOWN VANCOUVER'S HISTORIC PEARSON FIELD.  THIS IS A POTLUCK DINNER BEGINNING AT 6:30 PM!

The tentative agenda on the 25th is:

• Current local aviation and airport news affecting members.
• Chapter projects and initiatives for the coming year.
• Airplane building projects in work.
• Upcoming events in the PDX area.

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 RESTORATIONS LIKE AERONCA'S OR EARLY BONANZA'S.

FOR QUESTIONS OR OTHER INFO EMAIL: