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 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 a certified plane 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 question is what to fly?  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 and there are homebuilt designs to do all of these things that can be built at home.  Fly the bush in Alaska or Idaho?  Fly 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 armature-built and not to a certification standard like commercial aircraft are but really can be built to better standards than certified.   Though there are scratch-built airplanes that are one-off's or true experiments like the Wright's Flier or SpaceX's first rockets that can be 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 having repeated inspection phases in your building process.  However, the airplane itself cannot be used for compensation and only for personal use and for personal education.  Beyond that 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.  It's not for everyone, but if you are detail oriented and can take direction and follow instruction and learn you will fit right in.

Monthly Chapter Meeting!

THIS IS OUR MARCH MEETING ON TUESDAY MARCH  26TH AT 6:30PM AT PEARSON FIELD IN THE PILOT'S LOUNGE.  

THIS IS A POTLUCK DINNER AT 6:30 AND THE MEETING STARTS AT 7 PM!   THE MAIN DISH IS HOMEMADE MINESTRONE! 

The tentative agenda is:

• Current local aviation and airport news.
• A presentation from our local FSDO inspector.  He will be speaking of his experiences while inspecting newly built airplanes.  What is the best and worst examples he has seen and what he thinks is the best practices to do before a builder calls up the Feds for an inspection prior to the first flight and what paperwork errors not to do that will slow you down and waste everyone's time!
• The Alaska Days youth event.
• Current airplane projects in work.
• Ideas for Young Eagle flights for children of cancer survivors.

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: