Mike Parry

Pancakes and Kids in Flight!

We closed our spring/early summer season of Pancake Breakfasts and Young Eagle flights in style with a strong turnout, with a combination of loyal local breakfast fans returning for more, plus a good number of Fly-Ins from local airports and EAA Chapters, plus several Young Eagle families.
Chuck Shipman had correctly forecast our food consumables needs and purchases for the morning and we ended complete serving 140 breakfasts with just about zero carry-over, with no shortages during our very busy morning. Way to go Chuck!

Our loyal patron breakfasters continue to offer positive feedback on our food and our service, and we have come to recognize many of the returning families and kids. Through the morning Tony Zecca’s pancakes (his first time!) were getting accolades from our guests.

A display of Military Vehicles, orchestrated by Bruce Roberts, added a new dimension to the morning’s attractions and go the attention of many of the younger breakfasters. Thanks Bruce!

Favorable flying weather conditions and a TFR-less weekend also meant we could offer flights to our Young Eagles. Thirteen kids braved the heat as they waited for a flight on one of four of Chapter member aircraft, supported by our ground crew and Registration Team. In all, a Chapter team of 10 brought smiles to a bunch on new young fliers this weekend.

The Chapter Breakfast Team who planned, procured, prepared, cooked, served, cleaned and restored the hangar at the close worked in very hot conditions to ensure the success and value of the morning from both a community and fund-raising perspectives. The Chapter Breakfast Team comprises 12 members, with additional members helping during set-up and wrap-up.

So this weekend, a combined team of more than 22 Chapter members contributed to a highly successful Saturday morning for over 160 guests who came to our Chapter for a fun morning of community, aviation and good food! And EAA240 delivered.

On behalf of the entire membership and our guests, we thank all 22 members volunteers who, despite the heat, made this happen in style! Fun too!

Mike Parry

Crab Cakes!

Fourteen Chapter members flew to Kentmorr Saturday for a Crab Cake feast at the marina restaurant. Beautiful day, some challenging crosswinds into the grass airstrip but a very enjoyable lunch and walk around the marina, a key boating destination on the Chesapeake Bay.

More photographs here (and more will be added as they come in).

Mike Parry

Call out to Chapter Members

Saturday June 22nd is the date we hold our last Pancake Breakfast & Young Eagles event before our summer holiday break. Our Breakfasts have increasingly taken on a role as a community event, promoting the combination of general aviation, the Chapter and the airport…..all of the things we joined the EAA for. Many local families frequently join us and give us positive feedback on the food, the service and the atmosphere generated by the combination of our Breakfasts and Young Eagle flights (when we can get off the ground!). We – the volunteer team – and our regulars have fun and enjoy the unique atmosphere of an airport breakfast, served in an airplane hangar/workshop. We generally cover our costs and on most occasions make a healthy addition to Chapter funds. All good.

That all said, actual Chapter membership attendance at recent Breakfasts has been pretty disappointing, with our 12-strong volunteer team (yes, that’s what it takes!) forming the main body of attending membership at these ‘Chapter’ events! This reduces somewhat the community aspect of the event and, of course, greatly reduces the number of breakfasts we serve and impacts the overall financials. Meanwhile, the volunteer effort involved remains the same for 50 breakfasts as for 150. But it’s dispiriting to serve so few breakfasts requiring the same effort level. 

The ask? Join us. Come for breakfast. Bring neighbors, friends and family. Enjoy the food. Relish the company of people who like to come to the airport and the Chapter. Add to the aviation conversations. Offer to help. Clean a table. Serve some coffees or OJ’s. Consider arriving around 1030 to help us restore the hangar at noon. Thank the volunteer team who do this on your behalf.

For June, we have an added attraction of a display of Military Vehicles which should prove a draw for visitors and breakfasters. You might like them too.

See you there I hope. The volunteer members will be there.

Mike Parry, President EAA240

Mike Parry

Gettysburg Address = W05

Despite a shortage of New Garden-based pilots for the Gettysburg fly out, seven members, which included three pilots, flew from three airports and met up in Gettysburg. First, they attended EAA1041’s pancake breakfast. Including today’s headcount in the Chapter’s 2-day event, fourteen volunteers worked and sold over 1,200 breakfasts….impressive! The event has a dedicated breakfast following. LOTS of fly-in attendees as well.

As the group prepared to head to the museum late-morning, the planned club car was found to be devoid of a current PA inspection. So, EAA1041’s club president loaned his 7-passenger “BioDiesel Choo-Choo Mobile” to the group for the day! The vehicle had a custom-painted train & railroad theme, and came with a LOUD realistic train horn! Was that fun!

Off to the Gettysburg museum where a 2-hour tour back in time to the Civil War unfolded. PLENTY of historical trivia was leaned that folks didn’t know about that war. A site, indoors and outdoors, worth visiting!

Lunch in the Dobbin House Tavern in town was most welcomed it was served in the basement eating area where it was nice and cool! There was some good discussion about the day’s lesson. The group wanted to walk the grounds of the cemetery after lunch, but the day was long and hot, so a decision was made that it was time to head home.

EAA1041’s president met the group back a W05 where more idle chit-chat and a final goodbye were made, and thanking the president for use of his vehicle and hosting the membership. Lots more to share with others that the day’s group will do over time! Really, a very good day, …a very special time.

Stay safe up there!

J Jacobs
Flight Leader

Mike Parry

Cancelling Fly-Out

Fly-Out Cancelled – Saturday June 1st to Gettysburg

With no sign-ups from N57-based pilots for the trip the Events Team has cancelled the Fly-Out to Gettysburg planned for tomorrow, Saturday June 1st.

We’re aware several members are driving to Gettysburg to take advantage of the arrangements the Events Team has put in place. Have a fun trip!

Don’t forget our June Membership Meeting Monday, starting with a Cook-Out at 5:30, with the meeting starting at 7pm…..all happening at the Chapter Hangar and Meeting Room.

Events Team 2024

Mike Parry

Fly-Out to Gettysburg

Chapter Fly-Out – Invitation

Join us Saturday, June 1st for a trip to Gettysburg Regional Airport (W05), located ~70 miles west of N57! This fly out has a ½ day itinerary with an optional itinerary that follows.

The plan is to kick off our visit by attending the local EAA1041 chapter’s pancake breakfast. Breakfast will be followed by a relatively short courtesy car ride to visit the Gettysburg Museum of History.

After the museum tour, pilots & passengers will all need to decide if they want to extend the day by having lunch at Dobbin House Tavern, followed by a walk through the Gettysburg National Cemetery just across the street. For this extended itinerary, again, all pilots & passengers will need to work out how much of the day’s itinerary they will partake in. Pilots & passengers departing after the museum tour or lunch will be driven to the airport.

The courtesy car at W05 has been reserved.. Be sure to bring cash and to plan for multiple expenses. And as always, please be sure to include assisting pilots with the day’s expenses, thank you!

Register with us for this flight please. And, pilots, please let us know if you have open seats to accommodate fellow members.

Meet at the EAA240 hangar at 8:00am.
Plan A: Wheels-Up 8:30am assuming NO TFR or NO bad weather.
Plan B: Depart 8:30am BY CAR if there’s a TFR or if flying is weathered-out. We may likely need drivers for the 2-hour drive!!

The Chapter Events Team works hard to prepare, organize and execute on Fly-Outs. Your support and engagement is appreciated.

Thanks, Jay Jacobs, Flight Lead

Questions or more information?

Mike Parry

Membership Meeting – June 3rd

Membership Monthly Meeting – Monday, June 3rd, 2024

Monday’s weather permitting, we’ll enjoy a traditional Chapter Cook-Out starting at 5:30. Bring a side dish or dessert or make a HUGE contribution to Chapter funds – they all work!

Our Monthly Meeting commences promptly at 7pm in the Chapter Meeting Room.

Guest Speaker and topic this month:

Rob Newman – Flying Angel Flights
Angel Flight East is one of over 80 Public Benefit Flying Organisations in the US whose Mission is to provide free air transportation to qualified patients and their families by arranging flights to distant medical facilities, delivering supplies to disaster areas, and reuniting families during desperate times. We provide angelflighteast.org

After talking with several Angel Flight Pilots Rob enthusiastically joined the group. These missions provide a huge variety of flight experiences. The diversity of weather, airfields, flying ‘in the system’, instrument approaches and coordination with other pilots from Ohio, to the Carolinas and beyond makes each mission a challenge to plan and complete. AND a lot of fun. It’s been a great way to take a skill developed at great pain and government expense, and turn it into a fantastic opportunity for Service to Others. Rob will describe his experiences with such flights.

Visitors & guests welcomed. We’ll be complete around 9pm.

Mike Parry

Challenging but Fun Event!

Well, it rained, low ceilings forced the cancellation of our planned Young Eagles flights and we were competing with the Dover AFB Air Show and, as a result, our breakfasters numbers were down. We served just 80 breakfasts. Our volunteer numbers were down also, making it a challenging morning as we moved the project planes out of the hangar when it looked like we might be a dry-ish morning only to promptly move them back into the hangar as the heavy rain started just as we commenced serving. The team scrambled and worked to position the planes and tables as the breakfast early-birds line formed. Preparatory work that had been completed Friday afternoon by volunteers paid-off handsomely and we were soon in full flight, with pancakes, eggs, sausage and potatoes flying off the grills.

Huddled on fewer tables, our guests enjoyed their breakfasts, offered positive feedback and bought several shirts and caps, while kids enjoyed the toys and gliders we supplied.

A challenging morning for sure, but overall successful (fun levels and profitability) and we look forward to our Saturday June 22nd event, hoping for additional support from members both as volunteers and/or breakfasters, and for our Young Eagle flights! Volunteer here!

Thanks to those volunteers who helped make it work, both on Friday and Saturday, and at the wrap-up team as we closed early Saturday morning. Teamwork!