Greetings from the Chapter Board and Officers, who hope you’re enjoying the summer months, and doing lots of aviating or aviation-related stuff!
We wanted to provide an update on Chapter happenings, and give a preview of what we’re planning for the Fall and beyond.
The headline is that the Chapter continues to thrive, undertaking many aviation activities, completing Chapter hangar maintenance and upgrades, all while also expanding the Chapter membership, and welcoming 21 new members this year to date (we also had 21 new members in 2022 and 15 in 2021). Our membership today stands at 177.
Welcome new members, we’re excited to have you with us!
First a look-back! In recent weeks volunteers teams have:
- refreshed and repaired the paint on the external staircase, cleaned out the hangar and storage areas, added new decals to entrance doors
- replaced and updated the Chapter hangar access arrangements and general security (info here)
- held three Fly-Outs, including to Tangier Island!
- held two well-attended IMC/VMC Discussion Groups
- held successful Pancake Breakfast events, and flew groups of Young Eagles
- held four ‘Saturday at the Chapter Hangar’ events, coffee mornings etc
- toured the Hagley Museum Machine Shop
JUST ADDED – We have two new Picnic Tables added to our deck for use when we have deck parties, cook-outs, coffee mornings and for expanded use during our Pancake Breakfasts too, enabling breakfasters to eat outside if desired. We’ve placed these more to the front of the hangar doors, for more regular use and replacing the old individual chairs we had there previously.
GLIDER SIM INSTALL – our Brandywine Soaring friends were given Board approval to install a Glider Flight Sim in the rear of our Chapter meeting room. Early reports indicate the sim is very impressive and will aid new and student glider pilots in their training. EAA240 members will get the opportunity to try-out the new system in the months ahead.
For the upcoming Fall and Winter seasons we’re planning some new activities, on the back of our regular and popular set of happenings:
NEW – Three Chapter workshops, each with hands-on opportunities;
Riveting – techniques and best practices, led by Tom Kenney
Welding – types and methods, led by Jon Martin
Fabric – practices, methodology, build-your-own, led by Chuck Shipman
We’ll have dates, arrangements and sign-ups coming soon for these workshops.
NEW – We’ll also hold a Chapter Fly Mart! We’ve all got drawers full of avionics and plane stuff that we’d wish someone could use. Bring it along to the EAA240 Fly-Mart on a Saturday morning in Fall for resale, swapping or gifting. We’ll cook some food, have coffee etc. Should be a fun morning. More details to follow, as we fix the date and final details.
So, What’s Next?
- Annual Hangar Deck Party, Tuesday, September 5th (after Labor Day), 5pm. Join us for burgers and buns, bring a side-dish and a chair. Families welcomed.
- Our last-of-the-year fund-raising and local community Pancake Breakfast and Young Eagles Flights happens Saturday, September 23rd. We need our regular volunteer crew for the breakfast and pilots/planes and ground crew to make this event happen. Join us please.
- Our Monthly Membership Meetings resume Monday, October 2nd. Join us for a presentation by the ATC Crew of Dover AFB. We’ll also want hear about your summer OSH adventures! Coffee and nibbles at 6:30pm.
Suggestions for additional Chapter events, workshops, activities, destinations for Fly-Outs are all welcomed. Please let us know what else we should be doing, here please or to any Chapter officer.
Updates on all these planned Chapter events and on additional activities will be posted at the Events Calendar at the Chapter web site and communicated via email and social media.
See you at the Chapter hangar!
Mike Parry, for the EAA24 Board & Officers
